Fuel trends demand improved hydroprocessing methods. Shell Catalysts & Technologies equips refiners to meet these market trends using proprietary reactor internals technology. High-dispersion distribution trays have the potential to vastly improve refiners’ cycle lengths through reduced catalyst deactivation, lower reactor inlet temperatures and improved thermal distribution. Documented case studies have demonstrated higher throughput capacity and the ability to process heavier feeds.

Owing to their excellent vapour–liquid and thermal distribution, Shell HD trays function equally well as top distribution and interbed distribution trays to aid full catalyst utilisation throughout the reactor. As an interbed distribution tray, unlike existing designs that require a deep layer of inert distributive packing, Shell HD trays enable the reactor beds to be filled with more active catalyst. In one case, Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ HD trays offered up to 30% higher utilisation of the catalyst for hydrotreating reactors and up to 50% more for hydrocracking reactors. Ultimately, Shell HD trays offer improved reactor performance through increased active catalyst volume and almost 100% usage of catalyst particles, while minimising capital expenditure and investment costs.

Two employees discuss a recently install distributor tray.

Meet Market Demands with our State-of-the-Art HD Trays

Shell HD trays have benefited from extensive experiments in Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ pressurised testing facilities, advanced computer simulations and more than 25 years of experience in customer and Shell affiliated refineries.

The substantially high-performance profile of Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ HD trays makes them essential components in any hydroprocessing reactor, especially when paired with other Shell reactor internals such as the Shell ultra-flat quench (UFQ) interbed internals. Even in retrofit applications, Shell HD trays offer performance benefits by lowering start-of-run temperatures, decreasing catalyst deactivation and raising end-of-run weighted average bed temperatures. They also speed up catalyst exchange through their speed to open, close and clean, as well as increasing safety by eliminating the need for hot work and power tools in the vessel and providing a large manway for quick and easy egress.

Contact Shell Catalysts & Technologies

Contact Shell Catalysts & Technologies to meet the challenges petrochemical plants face with confidence.