Optimized reactor configuration for optimal performance of the aromax catalyst for aromatics synthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11149211-B2
Application number	US-202016860638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2020
Priority date	Jan 4, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A naphtha reforming reactor system comprising a first reactor comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the first reactor is configured to operate as an adiabatic reactor, and wherein the first reactor comprises a first naphtha reforming catalyst; and a second reactor comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet is in fluid communication with the first outlet of the first reactor, wherein the second reactor is configured to operate as an isothermal reactor, and wherein the second reactor comprises a plurality of tubes disposed within a reactor furnace, a heat source configured to heat the interior of the reactor furnace; and a second naphtha reforming catalyst disposed within the plurality of tubes, wherein the first naphtha reforming catalyst and the second naphtha reforming catalyst are the same or different.

First claim

We claim:

1. A reactor system comprising:
a first reactor comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the first reactor is configured to operate as an adiabatic reactor, and wherein the first reactor comprises a first naphtha reforming catalyst;
a second reactor comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet is in fluid communication with the first outlet of the first reactor, wherein the second reactor is configured to operate as an isothermal reactor, wherein the second reactor comprises a second naphtha reforming catalyst, and wherein the first naphtha reforming catalyst and the second naphtha reforming catalyst are the same or different; and
a reactor furnace, wherein the second reactor comprises a plurality of tubes that are disposed within the reactor furnace.

2. The reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the first reactor comprises a radial flow reactor.

3. The reactor system of claim 1 , wherein each tube of the plurality of tubes comprises the second naphtha reforming catalyst.

4. The reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tubes are arranged in parallel between a furnace inlet and a furnace outlet of the reactor furnace.

5. The reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tubes does not contain a metal protective layer comprising stannide.

6. The reactor system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first reactor effluent stream fluidly connected to the first outlet of the first reactor and to the second inlet of the second reactor, wherein the first reactor effluent stream is configured to extend through a convection zone of the reactor furnace,
wherein the convection zone of the reactor furnace is configured to heat the first reactor effluent stream.

7. The reactor system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrocarbon feed stream connected to the first inlet of the first reactor; and
a first furnace configured to heat the hydrocarbon feed stream.

8. The reactor system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a first reactor effluent stream fluidly connected to the first outlet of the first reactor and to the second inlet of the second reactor; and
a second furnace configured to heat the first reactor effluent stream.

9. The reactor system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second reactor effluent stream fluidly connected to the second outlet of the second reactor;
a first heat exchanger placed in the hydrocarbon feed stream; and
a second heat exchanger placed in the first reactor effluent stream;
wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to heat the first reactor effluent stream using heat from the second reactor effluent stream,
wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to heat the hydrocarbon feed stream using heat from the second reactor effluent stream.

10. The reactor system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third reactor comprising a third inlet and a third outlet, wherein the third reactor is configured to operate as an adiabatic reactor, wherein the third reactor comprises a third naphtha reforming catalyst, and wherein the third outlet is in fluid communication with the first inlet, wherein the third naphtha reforming catalysts is the same or different as the first naphtha reforming catalyst or the second naphtha reforming catalyst.

11. The reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet, the second inlet, or both are configured to be maintained at a temperature of less than 1000° F. (538° C.).

12. The reactor system of claim 1 , wherein the reactor system does not have a sulfur converter adsorber.

13. A reactor system comprising:
a plurality of adiabatic reactors, wherein each adiabatic reactor of the plurality of adiabatic reactors comprises a first naphtha reforming catalyst;
a feed header fluidly coupled to at least one of the plurality of adiabatic reactors by one or more feed lines;
an intermediate product header fluidly coupled to at least one of the plurality of adiabatic reactors by one or more first product lines;
one or more isothermal reactors fluidly coupled to the intermediate product header by one or more inlet lines, wherein the one or more isothermal reactors comprise a second naphtha reforming catalyst and wherein the first naphtha reforming catalyst and the second naphtha reforming catalyst are the same or different; and
an effluent header fluidly coupled to the one or more isothermal reactors by one or more effluent lines, wherein a serial flow path is formed from the feed header, through one or more of the plurality of adiabatic reactors, through the intermediate product header, through at least one of the one or more isothermal reactors, and to the effluent header.

14. The reactor system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a first plurality of furnaces, wherein each furnace of the first plurality of furnaces is connected to the feed header and to an inlet of one of the plurality of adiabatic reactors; and
a second plurality of furnaces, wherein each furnace of the second plurality of furnaces is connected to the intermediate product header and to an inlet of one of the one or more isothermal reactors.

15. The reactor system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a hydrocarbon feed stream connected to the feed header, wherein each of the first plurality of furnaces is configured to heat a portion of the hydrocarbon feed stream received from the feed header via one of the one or more feed lines.

16. The reactor system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a plurality of reactor furnaces, wherein each of the one or more isothermal reactors comprises a plurality of tubes that are disposed within one of the plurality of reactor furnaces.

17. The reactor system of claim 16 , wherein each tube of the plurality of tubes comprises the second naphtha reforming catalyst.

18. The reactor system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a second product line connected to the effluent header.

19. The reactor system of claim 13 , wherein the reactor system does not have a sulfur converter adsorber.

20. A reactor system comprising:
a first reactor comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the first reactor is configured to operate as an adiabatic reactor, and wherein the first reactor comprises a first naphtha reforming catalyst;
a second reactor comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, wherein the second inlet is in fluid communication with the first outlet of the first reactor, wherein the second reactor is configured to operate as an isothermal reactor, wherein the second reactor comprises a second naphtha reforming catalyst, and wherein the first naphtha reforming catalyst and the second naphtha reforming catalyst are the same or different;
a hydrocarbon feed stream connected to the first inlet of the first reactor;
a first furnace configured to heat the hydrocarbon feed stream;
a first reactor effluent stream fluidly connected to the first outlet of the first reactor and to the second inlet of the second reactor; and
a second furnace configured to heat the first reactor effluent stream.

21. The reactor system of claim 20 , further comprising:
a second reactor effluent stream fluidly connected to the second outlet of the second reactor;
a first heat exchanger placed in the hydrocarbon feed stream; and
a second heat exchanger placed in the first reactor effluent stream;
wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to heat the first reactor effluent stream using heat from the second reactor effluent stream,
wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to he

Assignees

• Chevron Phillips Chemical Co Lp

Inventors

• Mcgahee Vincent D
• Hasenberg Daniel M

Classifications

• C10G2300/1044

  Heavy gasoline or naphtha having a boiling range of about 100 - 180 °C · CPC title

• C10G59/06

  plural parallel stages only · CPC title

• C10G59/02

  plural serial stages only · CPC title

• C10G59/00

  Treatment of naphtha by two or more reforming processes only or by at least one reforming process and at least one process which does not substantially change the boiling range of the naphtha · CPC title

• C10G35/10 Primary

  with moving catalysts · CPC title