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A catalytic hydrocracking reactor vessel includes enhanced components for the conversion of a hydrogen gas and fossil fuel feedstream to light liquid hydrocarbons. The reactor vessel comprises one or more of a reactor cup riser with a helical cyclonic separator conduit for separating a liquid and va

A catalytic hydrocracking reactor vessel includes enhanced components for the conversion of a hydrogen gas and fossil fuel feedstream to light liquid hydrocarbons. The reactor vessel comprises one or more of a reactor cup riser with a helical cyclonic separator conduit for separating a liquid and vapor product stream to provide an essentially vapor-free liquid recycle stream; a grid plate bubble cap with wall housing having serrated edges for producing small hydrogen bubbles of increased total surface area of bubbles at lower pressure drop; a feedstream inlet pipe sparger containing rows of downward directed slots for even distribution of the feedstream across the cross-sectional area of the reactor and providing free drain of solid particles from the sparger; and optionally a liquid recycle inlet distributor containing vertically curved plates for creating a whirling motion in the liquid recycle stream for better mixing with the feedstream with minimal solids settling.

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What is claimed is: 1. A reactor cup riser for receiving and separating a liquid and vapor product stream in a reactor vessel to provide an essentially vapor-free liquid and/or solids free recycle stream, comprising: a shell-in-shell pipe assembly comprising an inner liquid/vapor feed pipe and an o

What is claimed is: 1. A reactor cup riser for receiving and separating a liquid and vapor product stream in a reactor vessel to provide an essentially vapor-free liquid and/or solids free recycle stream, comprising: a shell-in-shell pipe assembly comprising an inner liquid/vapor feed pipe and an outer pipe disposed around a portion of said inner feed pipe, said inner pipe having a top end that terminates below an upper end of said outer pipe and an open bottom end extending below a bottom end of said outer pipe through which liquid and vapor can be received into said pipe assembly, said outer pipe having a vapor outlet conduit disposed at a top end through which separated vapor can exit said pipe assembly and a liquid exit opening at a bottom end through which separated liquid can exit said pipe assembly; a plurality of liquid/vapor exit passages disposed through a side of said inner pipe near said top end through which liquid and vapor can pass into a shell-in-shell space between said inner and outer pipes; and a helical liquid/vapor separator disposed in said shell-in-shell space in communication with said liquid/vapor exit passages for impinging liquid onto an inner wall surface of said outer pipe, wherein liquid separated from vapor by said separator is able to flow down through said shell-in-shell space between said inner and outer pipes toward said liquid exit opening, wherein vapor separated from liquid by said separator is able to pass up toward said vapor outlet conduit. 2. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, said helical liquid/vapor separator comprising two helical conduit chambers disposed in said shell-in-shell space for cyclonically separating liquid from vapor. 3. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, said helical liquid/vapor separator comprising an outer helical conduit chamber into which liquid passes and an inner helical conduit chamber into which vapor passes. 4. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 3, said outer helical conduit chamber being closed at a top end in order for liquid in said outer helical conduit chamber to flow downward through said shell-in-shell space. 5. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 3, said inner helical conduit chamber being open at a top end to allow vapor to flow upward through said shell-in-shell space. 6. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, wherein said top end of said inner pipe is closed. 7. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, wherein said outer piper has a larger width at an upper end surrounding said liquid/vapor exit passages and a smaller width at a lower end surrounding said liquid exit open so that said shell-in-shell space is larger in the vicinity of said liquid/vapor exit passages than in the vicinity of said liquid exit opening. 8. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, wherein said helical liquid/vapor separator separates a volatile vapor fraction, including hydrogen gas, from a non-volatile liquid fraction, wherein the volatile vapor fraction is able to pass through said vapor outlet conduit. 9. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, wherein said liquid/vapor exit passages comprise slots that prevent or inhibit passage of solid catalyst material into said shell-in-shell space. 10. A reactor cup riser for receiving and separating a liquid and vapor product stream in a reactor vessel to provide an essentially vapor-free liquid and/or solids free recycle stream, comprising: a shell-in-shell pipe assembly comprising an inner liquid/vapor feed pipe and an outer pipe disposed around a portion of said inner feed pipe, said inner pipe having a closed top end that terminates below an upper end of said outer pipe and an open bottom end extending below a bottom end of said outer pipe through which liquid and vapor can be received into said pipe assembly, said outer pipe having a vapor outlet conduit disposed at a top end through which separated vapor can exit said pipe assembly and a liquid exit opening at a bottom end through which separated liquid can exit said pipe assembly; and a plurality of liquid/vapor exit passages disposed through a side of said inner pipe near said closed top through which liquid and vapor can pass into a shell-in-shell space between said inner and outer pipes, said outer piper having a larger width at an upper end surrounding said liquid/vapor exit passages and a smaller width at a lower end surrounding said liquid exit open so that said shell-in-shell space is larger in the vicinity of said liquid/vapor exit passages than in the vicinity of said liquid exit opening; wherein liquid separated from vapor is able to flow down through said shell-in-shell space between said inner and outer pipes toward said liquid exit opening, wherein vapor separated from liquid is able to pass up toward said vapor outlet conduit. 11. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 10, further comprising a helical liquid/vapor separator disposed in said shell-in-shell space in communication with said liquid/vapor exit passages for impinging liquid onto an inner wall surface of said outer pipe. 12. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 11, said helical liquid/vapor separator comprising two helical conduit chambers disposed in said shell-in-shell space for cyclonically separating liquid from vapor. 13. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 10, said helical liquid/vapor separator comprising an outer helical conduit chamber into which liquid passes and an inner helical conduit chamber into which vapor passes. 14. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 10, wherein said helical liquid/vapor separator separates a volatile vapor fraction, including hydrogen gas, from a non-volatile liquid fraction, wherein the volatile vapor fraction is able to pass through said vapor outlet conduit. 15. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 10, wherein said liquid/vapor exit passages comprise slots that prevent or inhibit passage of solid catalyst material into said shell-in-shell space. 16. A reactor cup riser for receiving and separating a liquid and vapor product stream in a reactor vessel to provide an essentially vapor-free liquid and/or solids free recycle stream, comprising: a shell-in-shell pipe assembly comprising an inner liquid/vapor feed pipe and an outer pipe disposed around a portion of said inner feed pipe, said inner pipe having a closed top end that terminates below an upper end of said outer pipe and an open bottom end extending below a bottom end of said outer pipe through which liquid and vapor can be received into said pipe assembly, said outer pipe having a vapor outlet conduit disposed at a top end through which separated vapor can exit said pipe assembly and a liquid exit opening at a bottom end through which separated liquid can exit said pipe assembly; a plurality of liquid/vapor exit slots disposed through a side of said inner pipe near said closed top through which liquid and vapor can pass into a shell-in-shell space between said inner and outer pipes; and a helical liquid/vapor separator disposed in said shell-in-shell space in communication with said liquid/vapor exit slots for impinging liquid onto an inner wall surface of said outer pipe, wherein said outer piper has a larger width at an upper end surrounding said helical liquid/vapor separator and a smaller width at a lower end surrounding said liquid exit open so that said shell-in-shell space is larger in the vicinity of said helical liquid/vapor separator than in the vicinity of said liquid exit opening, wherein liquid separated from vapor is able to flow down through said shell-in-shell space between said inner and outer pipes toward said liquid exit opening, wherein vapor separated from liquid is able to pass up toward said vapor outlet conduit. 17. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 1, said helical liquid/vapor separator comprising two helical conduit chambers disposed in said shell-in-shell space for cyclonically separating liquid from vapor. 18. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 17, said helical liquid/vapor separator comprising an outer helical conduit chamber that is closed at the top into which liquid passes and an inner helical conduit chamber that is open at the top into which vapor passes. 19. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 17, wherein said helical liquid/vapor separator separates a volatile vapor fraction, including hydrogen gas, from a non-volatile liquid fraction, wherein the volatile vapor fraction is able to pass through said vapor outlet conduit. 20. A reactor cup riser as defined in claim 17, wherein said liquid/vapor exit slots prevent or inhibit passage of solid catalyst material into said shell-in-shell space.