Catalyst staging in catalytic reaction process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10947462-B2
Application number	US-201815947579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A reforming process is described. The reforming process includes introducing a hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons having 5 to 12 carbon atoms into a reforming zone containing reforming catalyst, the reforming zone comprising at least two reformers, each reformer having a set of reforming operating conditions, to produce a reformate effluent, wherein the last reformer contains less catalyst than the next to the last reformer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reforming process comprising:
introducing a hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons having 5 to 12 carbon atoms into a reforming zone containing reforming catalyst, the reforming zone comprising four sequential reformers and wherein the hydrocarbon stream is introduced into the first reformer, each reformer having a set of reforming operating conditions, to produce a reformate effluent, wherein the first reformer contains about 15% to about 35% of the total catalyst, the second reformer contains about 25% to about 35% of the total catalyst, the third reformer contains about 35% to about 45% of the total catalyst, and wherein the fourth reformer contains about 10 to about 25% of the total catalyst, wherein the reforming zone has an ascending temperature profile so that the fourth reformer has the highest temperature, and wherein an operating temperature in the fourth reformer is greater than about 540° C.

2. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein a difference between the percentage of the total catalyst in the last reformer and the percentage of the total catalyst in the next to the last reformer is at least about 10%.

3. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein an operating temperature in the fourth reformer is greater than about 540° C.

4. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein the first reformer is operated at a temperature of about 480° C. to about 560° C., the second reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., the third reformer is operated at a temperature of about 520° C. to about 560° C., and the fourth reformer is operated at a temperature of about 540° C. to about 560° C.

5. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein the LHSV of the fourth reformer is greater than about 12 hr −1 .

6. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein an LHSV of the fourth reformer is greater than an LHSV of the first reformer, the second reformer, and the third reformer.

7. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein an LHSV of the first reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 20 hr −1 , an LHSV of the second reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 12 hr −1 , an LHSV of the third reformer is about 6.5 hr −1 to about 8.5 hr −1 , and an LHSV of the fourth reformer is about 12 hr −1 to about 30 hr −1 .

8. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein:
the first reformer is operated at a temperature of about 480° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the first reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 20 hr −1 ;
the second reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the second reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 12 hr −1 ;
the third reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the third reformer is about 6.5 hr −1 to about 8.5 hr −1 ; and
the fourth reformer is operated at a temperature of about 540° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the fourth reformer is about 12 hr −1 to about 30 hr −1 .

9. A reforming process comprising:
heating a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising hydrocarbons having 5 to 12 carbon atoms;
introducing the heated hydrocarbon stream into a reforming zone containing reforming catalyst, the reforming zone comprising four reformers, each reformer having a set of reforming operating conditions, to produce a reformate effluent, wherein the first reformer contains about 15% to about 35% of the total catalyst, the second reformer contains about 25% to about 35% of the total catalyst, the third reformer contains about 35% to about 45% of the total catalyst, and wherein the fourth reformer contains about 10 to about 25% of the total catalyst, and wherein an LHSV of the last reformer is greater than about 10 hr −1 ; and
passing the reformate effluent to a reformate splitter to generate a reformate overhead comprising C6 and C7 aromatics, and a bottoms stream comprising heavier hydrocarbons.

10. The reforming process of claim 9 wherein an operating temperature in the fourth reformer is greater than about 540° C. and wherein an LHSV of the fourth reformer is greater than an LHSV of any other reformer.

11. The reforming process of claim 9 wherein the first reformer is operated at a temperature of about 480° C. to about 560° C., the second reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., the third reformer is operated at a temperature of about 520° C. to about 560° C., and the fourth reformer is operated at a temperature of about 540° C. to about 560° C.

12. The reforming process of claim 9 wherein an LHSV of the first reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 20 hr −1 , an LHSV of the second reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 12 hr −1 , an LHSV of the third reformer is about 6.5 hr −1 to about 8.5 hr −1 , and the LHSV of the fourth reformer is about 12 hr −1 to about 30 hr −1 .

13. The reforming process of claim 9 wherein:
the first reformer is operated at a temperature of about 480° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the first reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 20 hr −1 ;
the second reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the second reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 12 hr −1 ;
the third reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the third reformer is about 6.5 hr −1 to about 8.5 hr −1 ; and
the fourth reformer is operated at a temperature of about 540° C. to about 560° C., and the LHSV of the fourth reformer is about 12 hr −1 to about 30 hr −1 .

14. The reforming process of claim 9 wherein the reforming zone has an ascending temperature profile so that the fourth reformer has the highest temperature.

15. A reforming process comprising:
introducing a hydrocarbon stream comprising hydrocarbons having 5 to 12 carbon atoms into a reforming zone containing reforming catalyst, the reforming zone comprising four reformers, each reformer having a set of reforming operating conditions, to produce a reformate effluent, wherein the first reformer contains about 25% to about 35% of the total catalyst, the second reformer contains about 25% to about 35% of the total catalyst, the third reformer contains about 35% to about 45% of the total catalyst, and wherein the fourth reformer contains about 10 to about 25% of the total catalyst, wherein an operating temperature in the fourth reformer is greater than about 540° C. and wherein an LHSV of the fourth reformer is greater than an LHSV of any other reformer.

16. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein the reforming zone has an ascending temperature profile so that the fourth reformer has the highest temperature.

17. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein the first reformer is operated at a temperature of about 480° C. to about 560° C., the second reformer is operated at a temperature of about 510° C. to about 560° C., the third reformer is operated at a temperature of about 520° C. to about 560° C., and the fourth reformer is operated at a temperature of about 540° C. to about 560° C.

18. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein an LHSV of the first reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 20 hr −1 , an LHSV of the second reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 12 hr −1 , an LHSV of the third reformer is about 6.5 hr −1 to about 8.5 hr −1 , and an LHSV of the fourth reformer is about 12 hr −1 to about 30 hr −1 .

19. The reforming process of claim 1 wherein:
the first reformer is operated at a temperature of about 480° C. to about 560° C., and an LHSV of the first reformer is about 8.5 hr −1 to about 20 hr −1 ;
the second reformer i

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Egolf Bryan J
• Horn Ian G
• Wegerer David A
• Werba Gregory R

Classifications

• C10G2400/30

  Aromatics · CPC title

• C10G2300/305

  Octane number, e.g. motor octane number [MON], research octane number [RON] · CPC title

• C10G2400/02

  Gasoline · CPC title

• C10G2300/104

  Light gasoline having a boiling range of about 20 - 100 °C · CPC title

• C10G35/04

  Catalytic reforming · CPC title