EBULLATED BED HYDROPROCESSING METHODS AND SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF UPGRADING AN EXISTING EBULLATED BED SYSTEM

摘要

An ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, and also a method for upgrading a pre-existing ebullated bed hydroprocessing system, involves introducing acolloidal or molecular catalyst, or a precursor composition capable of formingthe colloidal or molecular catalyst, into an ebullated bed reactor. Thecolloidal or molecular catalyst is formed by intimately mixing a catalystprecursor composition into a heavy oil feedstock and raising the temperatureof the feedstock to above the decomposition temperature of the precursorcomposition to form the colloidal or molecular catalyst in situ. The improvedebullated bed hydroprocessing system includes at least one ebullated bedreactor that employs both a porous supported catalyst and the colloidal ormolecular catalyst to catalyze hydroprocessing reactions involving thefeedstock and hydrogen. The colloidal or molecular catalyst provides catalystin what would otherwise constitute catalyst free zones within the ebullatedbed hydroprocessing system. Asphaltene or other hydrocarbon molecules toolarge to diffuse into the pores of the supported catalyst can be upgraded bythe colloidal or molecular catalyst. A slurry phase reactor may be positionedupstream from one or more ebullated bed reactors or converted from a pre-existing ebullated bed reactor.