Patent ID: 8114356

Claim:
In a slurry bubble column reactor, the improvement comprising: a vessel shell defining a reaction zone, wherein said reaction zone includes a normally-lower section having a first maximum horizontal cross-sectional area and a normally-upper section having a second maximum horizontal cross-sectional area, wherein said first maximum cross-sectional area is at least about 10 percent greater than said second maximum cross-sectional area; and a slurry outlet configured to substantially continuously withdraw slurry from said reaction zone; wherein said normally-upper and normally-lower sections are substantially cylindrical and wherein said normally-lower section has a maximum height (L l ), a maximum diameter (D l ), and an L l :D l ratio of at least about 0.5:1, wherein said normally-upper section has a maximum height (L u ), a minimum diameter (D u ), and an L u :D u ratio of at least about 2:1; and wherein said reactor defines a disengagement zone located above said reaction zone, wherein said disengagement section has a maximum diameter (X), wherein said reactor has an X:D l ratio in the range of from about 0.8:1 to about 4:1.