Patent ID: 7615142

Claim:
A method for hydrocracking a high molecular weight hydrocarbon contaminated with solid particulates, comprising: providing a feedstream of high molecular weight hydrocarbons that consists essentially of a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons contaminated with solid particulates; introducing the feedstream of high molecular weight hydrocarbons contaminated with solid particulates into at least one expanded bed hydrocracking reactor comprising a solid phase comprised of an expanded bed of a solid catalyst, a liquid phase, and a gaseous phase comprised of hydrogen gas, the expanded bed hydrocracking reactor further comprising: an input port at a bottom of the reactor through which the feedstream of high molecular weight hydrocarbons is introduced; an output port at a top of the reactor an expanded catalyst zone comprised of the solid catalyst maintained in an expanded or fluidized state by upward movement of liquid and gas through the reactor; a recycling channel extending from the bottom of the reactor and passing through the expanded catalyst zone and terminating with a recycle cup disposed above the expanded catalyst zone; and a recirculation pump that circulates liquid entering the recycle cup down through the recycling channel and into the expanded bed reactor at a location below the expanded catalyst zone; and operating the at least one expanded bed reactor to form a hydrocracked material from the high molecular weight hydrocarbons having a lower molecular weight and lower boiling range than the feedstream of high molecular weight hydrocarbons, wherein the hydrocracked material consists essentially of aliphatic hydrocarbons.