Hold-down device for vertically movable member in apparatus which contains contact material

In an apparatus for contacting fluid with subdivided contact material, such as a radial-flow catalytic reactor, means having a substantially horizontal surface is attached to a lower portion of a vertically movable member within the reactor, the member being selected from center pipes and particle-retaining screens. The weight of contact material on the means restrains upward movement of the member during temperature cycling, and thus prevents problems caused by the upward movement.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an apparatus for contacting a fluid with a 
subdivided solid contact material. More specifically, this invention 
relates to a method and a device for restraining upward movement of 
vertically elongated members in such apparatus. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Conventional apparatus for contacting a fluid with a subdivided solid 
contact material, for example, radial flow vessels such as catalytic 
reactors, generally enclose a fixed bed of subdivided contact material. 
This bed of contact material is longitudinally traversed by a perforated 
center pipe and enclosed by a particle-retaining screen. The screen may be 
made up of segments having a scalloped appearance when viewed in 
transverse section, or it may be made up as a circular basket. The 
retaining screen is surrounded by the vessel wall, and the space between 
the retaining screen and the inner wall of the vessel serves as a 
longitudinal fluid flow path. The fluid reactant generally enters the top 
of the vessel, flows downwardly in the annular space between the retaining 
screen and the wall, passes inwardly through the bed to the center pipe 
and then leaves through an outlet at the bottom of the vessel. 
Alternatively, flow in the vessel may be inverted so that reactant enters 
the bottom of the vessel, flows upwardly in the annular space, passes 
through the bed and leaves through a center pipe communicating with an 
upper outlet. 
Conventional apparatus are usually subjected to temperature cycling, an 
alternate increase and decrease in the temperature of the vessel and its 
contents. The cycles are frequently from 200.degree. to 500.degree. C. or 
more in magnitude. Temperature cycling occurs, for instance, when an 
apparatus is heated and brought into service at an elevated operating 
temperature and subsequently withdrawn from service and cooled. 
Temperature cycling also occurs when contact material in the vessel is 
regenerated at an elevated temperature, or when there is a feed or power 
shortage. Apparatus employed in catalytic hydrocarbon conversion processes 
such as reforming, isomerization, hydrodesulfurization and hydrocracking 
are especially subject to temperature cycling. 
Radial flow vessels of conventional design have removable vertical members 
such as center pipes and contact-material retaining screens. The problem 
is that these members tend to move vertically upward in the bed of contact 
material with each temperature cycle. The reasons for the net upward 
movement are not completely understood. Apparently, the center pipe and 
retaining screen, upon being heated, expand in an upward direction. But 
upon being cooled, they contract from both ends toward an inner neutral 
point. Thus, with each cycle, there is a net upward movement, frequently 
up to 1 centimeter or more. Eventually the member will rise enough to 
allow unwanted movement of the contact material. In the case of the center 
pipe, when it moves away from the base of the vessel, contact material 
flows under it, escapes from the vessel and enters subsequent vessels. 
There the contact material can adversely affect fluid flow distribution or 
contacting efficiency. Upward movement of the retaining screen leads to a 
drop in the level of contact material as the contact material fills the 
space under the screen and between the screen and the vessel wall. 
Displacement of the catalyst obstructs flow of the reactant which can 
cause coking and damaging local temperature rises. The effect of both the 
drop in catalyst level and the rising of the center pipe is to decrease 
the depth of the contact material seal above the top row of perforations 
in the center pipe. The decreased seal allows some of the feed to bypass 
the contact material, which leads to loss of product quality. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to provide a device and method for 
restraining upward vertical movement of members such as center pipes and 
contact material retaining screens in an apparatus when the apparatus is 
in operation, while permitting the members to be removed from the 
apparatus when it is withdrawn from operation. 
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, in an apparatus for 
contacting a fluid with subdivided contact material, the apparatus having 
(a) a vertically elongated vessel having fluid inlet and outlet 
passageways; 
(b) a vertically elongated member, selected from perforate center pipes and 
perforate contact-material retaining means, axially located in the vessel, 
the lower end of the member being supported by the vessel at a lower 
portion of the vessel and the member being vertically movable with respect 
to the vessel; 
there is provided an improvement which comprises means for restraining 
vertical movement of the member with respect to the vessel, said means 
being operably attached to a lower portion of said member and having a 
substantially horizontal surface adapted to receive at least a substantial 
portion of the force exerted by the contact material due to gravity. 
Preferably, the restraining means is selected from flanges, annular 
sections of flanges, shelves, and feet. 
Preferably, said restraining means is removably attached to the lower 
portion of the member. When the member is a center pipe, the restraining 
means preferably rests on and is supported by a support ring fixed to said 
center pipe beneath to the restraining means. 
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is 
provided a method for restraining vertical movement during temperature 
cycles of a member selected from center pipes and perforate 
contact-material retaining means, which member is subjected to multiple 
temperature cycles, disposed in an apparatus for contacting a fluid with a 
subdivided solid contact material and vertically movable with respect to 
the apparatus; which method comprises restraining the member from vertical 
movement by supporting a substantial portion of the weight of the contact 
material with a substantially horizontal surface operably attached to a 
lower portion of the member. 
Preferably, the surface is selected from flanges, annular sections of 
flanges, shelves and feet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention can best be understood by reference to the attached 
FIGURE. It will be understood that the invention is not thereby intended 
to be limited to the specific embodiment shown, and that the scope of the 
invention includes alternatives, modifications and equivalents of the 
depicted embodiment encompassed in the appended claims. 
Referring now to the FIGURE, radial flow reactor 1 contains an annular 
fixed bed 2 of subdivided contact material longitudinally traversed by 
perforate center pipe 3 along the axis of the bed. If desired, center pipe 
3 may be covered with a screening material. Center pipe 3 is supported at 
its lower end by socket 4 in the lower end of cylindrical vessel 7. The 
top of fixed bed 2 is covered by cover 5. The sides of the bed are 
supported and retained by screen material 6. Screen 6 rests upon support 
ring 17 and extends vertically within vessel 7 generally coextensively 
with the perforated length of center pipe 3. Although screen 6 may in its 
simplest form be cylindrical, forming with the wall of vessel 7 an annular 
longitudinal passageway, another commonly used construction for screen 6 
is the "scalloped" screen arrangement in which the screen has a scalloped 
appearance when viewed in transverse section. 
Fixed bed 2 and screen 6 enclosed by vessel 7, and the top of vessel 7 is 
provided with access manway 8. Inside manway 8 is a fluid inlet 
distributor 9 which is connected with the usual process piping outside of 
the reactor. At the bottom of the reactor, a conduit 10 may be provided 
for withdrawing subdivided contact material from bed 2, and a conduit 11 
may be provided for sampling the contact material. An outlet passageway 12 
communicating with the socket 4 for center pipe 3 is provided in vessel 7 
for removing liquid effluent from the reactor. Concrete refractory 
material 13 is provided at the lower end of vessel 7. Refractory material 
may also be provided on the inside of cylindrical sidewalls of vessel 7. 
Attached to a lower portion of screen 6 are feet 14 which project into bed 
2 and are spaced apart from refractory material 13. Feet 14 support a 
portion of the weight of some of the contact material above them in bed 2. 
At a lower portion of center pipe 3, a disk-shaped flange 15 rests upon 
support ring 16 which is fixed to a lower portion of center pipe 3. Flange 
15 supports a portion of the weight of some of the contact material above 
it in bed 2. The open space between feet 14 or flange 15 and refractory 
material 13 may be filled with a resilient filler material to keep the 
space free from contact material. 
Other restraining means which may be used in place of feet or flanges 
include shelves or annular sections of flanges. Whichever restraining 
means is chosen, it should have a horizontally projecting surface for 
supporting at least a substantial portion of the weight of said contact 
material. A flange surrounds a member and may be of any suitable shape, 
for example, discoid, polygonal, rectangular, or irregular. An annular 
section of a flange only partially surrounds a member. A shelf is a 
horizontal projection, usually but not necessarily rectangular in shape. A 
foot is a shelf positioned at the lower end of a member. 
The restraining means is operably attached to said member at a lower 
portion thereof. The restraining means may be releasably attached to the 
member, for example, by means such as bolts and screws, or when the 
restraining means is a flange, by resting it upon a support ring fixed to 
the member just underneath the flange. Alternatively, the restraining 
means may be permanently attached to said member by such methods as 
welding, if such is desired. When the member is a center pipe, it is 
preferable for the restraining means to be releasably attached. 
The substantially horizontal portion of the restraining means should be 
adapted to receive at least a substantial portion of the force exerted by 
gravity on the contact material. A "substantial portion of the force 
exerted by gravity" is sufficient force to counterbalance the force 
causing upward movement of the member. The surface area necessary to 
receive this force will vary, depending upon such factors as the service 
to which the apparatus is put, particle depth, density, and the angle of 
repose, which in turn depends upon particle size and shape. The surface 
area needed for a particular member may be determined readily by 
calculation or experiment. A representative area of the restraining means 
surface may vary from 0.005 to 0.1 times the surface area of said member 
in contact with the contact material, and preferably the range is from 
0.015 to 0.04. 
The weight of the contact material on the restraining means of the present 
invention acts to countermand upward vertical movement of the member. The 
restraining means of the present invention apparently acts as an anchor 
which forces the neutral point (point of no movement) of the member to 
remain at or very near the same location during thermal expansion as 
during contraction and thereby prevents net movement of the member. This 
explanation is not considered definitive, only illustrative, and 
Applicants do not wish to be bound by it. 
EXAMPLE 
The following example is a comparison between a reactor of traditional 
design and one which employs the hold-down device of the present 
invention. 
A radial flow catalytic reforming reactor has a removable center pipe 57 cm 
(22.5 inches) outside diameter and a removable scalloped 
particle-retaining screen, each section ("scallop") of which is 
approximately 25 cm (10 inches) across and 10 cm (4 inches) wide at the 
ends. The scallops are supported by a scallop support cylinder at the 
lower end of the reactor. The center pipe is supported by a 9 cm (3.5 
inch) deep, slightly tapered socket at the lower end of the reactor. The 
reactor contains a fixed bed of extruded catalyst having a 1.6 mm (1/16 
inch) nominal diameter, a 6 mm (1/4 inch) average length, an apparent bulk 
density of about 0.6 grams per cc and a depth of 8.2 meters (27 feet). 
The reactor was placed in service and while in service was subjected to a 
number of thermal cycles of up to 500.degree. C. (900.degree. F.). After 
nine months in operation, the reactor was removed from service and 
inspected. The center pipe was found to have risen out of its socket, 
causing a loss of almost two tons of catalyst. The scallops were found to 
have risen from 18 to 23 cm (7 to 9 inches), allowing catalyst to fill the 
space between the scallops and the vessel wall, thus causing a further 
decrease in the level of the catalyst bed. The cover plate over the 
catalyst was jammed in place by the center pipe and scallops at 5 to 12.7 
cm (2 to 5 inches) above its normal level, preventing an inspection of the 
vessel interior until the catalyst was removed. 
The following modifications are made to the reactor: (A) a support ring 70 
cm (27.5 inches) outside diameter and 1.26 cm (1/2 inch) thick is welded 
to the center pipe at a location about 2 cm (3/4 inch) above the top of 
the socket. A flange having an inside diameter of 65 cm (25.6 inches), an 
outside diameter of 107 cm (42 inches) and a thickness of 2.5 cm (1 inch) 
is placed on the supporting ring; (B) at the bottom of each scallop, at 
the side facing the catalyst bed, a foot having the following dimensions 
is welded: 46 cm (18 inches) long, about 23 cm (9 inches) wide and 3.8 cm 
(11/2 inches) thick. The foot has a slight taper in the direction of the 
center pipe. 
The reactor is placed into service, and withdrawn from service after a 
number of temperature cycles have taken place. Upon inspection of the 
reactor, no apparent upward movement of either the scallops or the center 
pipe is found. Thus, the restraining means of the present invention 
prevents unwanted upward movement during thermal cycles of a member in an 
apparatus filled with contact material. 
Although only specific arrangements and modes of construction and operation 
of the present invention have been described and illustrated, numerous 
changes could be made in those arrangements and modes without departing 
from the spirit of this invention. All such changes that fall within the 
scope of the appended claims are intended to be embraced thereby.