Patent ID: 8178054
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: B01J,C07C

Abstract:
1. In a bubble column reactor for contacting a predominately liquid-phase stream and a predominately gas-phase stream, the improvement comprising: a vessel shell defining a reaction zone; a vessel outlet at a lower part of the reaction zone, for removal of substantially deaerated product slurry from the reactor for further processing; and a deaeration vessel coupled in fluid flow communication with said vessel outlet; wherein said deaeration vessel comprises an upper inlet, a lower outlet, one or more upright sidewalls defining an internal deaeration zone having a horizontal cross-sectional area in fluid flow communication with said upper inlet and said lower outlet, said lower deaeration vessel outlet is in fluid flow communication with said vessel outlet at the lower part of the reaction zone or in fluid flow communication with a conduit from said vessel outlet at the lower part of the reaction zone, and wherein a maximum horizontal cross-sectional area of said internal deaeration zone is less than about 25 percent of a maximum horizontal cross-sectional area of said reaction zone.