Apparatuses and methods for reforming of hydrocarbons

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327259-B2
Application number	US-201313871271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	Apr 26, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods for reforming of hydrocarbons are presented. In one example, a method comprises burning fuel gas to form a hot flue gas and heat a reforming-zone feedstock that contains (C 5 -C 11 ) hydrocarbons to form a heated reforming-zone feed stream. The heated reforming-zone feed stream is partially reformed to form a partially reformed effluent. The partially reformed effluent is advanced through a process heat recovery coil arrangement that is recovering heat from the hot flue gas to form a heated partially reformed effluent. The heated partially reformed effluent is contacted with reforming catalyst at reforming conditions effective to form a reforming reaction-zone effluent. The reforming reaction-zone effluent comprises H 2 , C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics, and C 4 − hydrocarbons.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for reforming of hydrocarbons, the apparatus comprising:
a reforming heating-zone configured to heat a reforming-zone feedstock that contains (C 5 -C 11 ) hydrocarbons to form a heated reforming-zone feed stream, wherein the reforming heating-zone has a radiant furnace section that is configured to burn fuel gas to form hot flue gas and a common convection section that is in fluid communication with the radiant furnace section to receive the hot flue gas, and wherein the reforming heating-zone comprises a process heat recovery coil arrangement disposed in the common convection section for recovering heat from the hot flue gas; and
a reforming reaction-zone that receives the heated reforming-zone feed stream and that comprises:
a plurality of staged reactor catalyst beds that is in fluid communication with the radiant furnace section; and
an additional reactor catalyst bed that is in fluid communication with the process heat recovery coil arrangement disposed within the common convection section, wherein the reforming heating-zone, the plurality of staged reactor catalyst beds, and the additional reactor catalyst bed are cooperatively configured for interstage heating and reforming of the heated reforming-zone feed stream to form a reforming reaction-zone effluent that comprises H 2 , C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics, and C 4 − hydrocarbons.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiant furnace section is configured to burn the fuel gas such that the hot flue gas has a temperature of about 650° C. or greater in the common convection section.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the radiant furnace section is configured to burn the fuel gas such that the hot flue gas has a temperature of from about 650 to about 900° C. in the common convection section.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process heat recovery coil arrangement comprises a plurality of spaced apart tubes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the spaced apart tubes are substantially parallel to each other extending substantially in the same direction to define the process heat recovery coil arrangement having a straight-through coil configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the spaced apart tubes are substantially parallel to each other extending substantially along a U-shaped path to define the process heat recovery coil arrangement having a hairpin coil configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the spaced apart tubes each have a substantially smooth outer cylindrical surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the process heat recovery coil arrangement is disposed over the radiant furnace section.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the additional reactor catalyst bed contains reforming catalyst and is configured to operate at reforming conditions effective to form the reforming reaction-zone effluent.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the reforming conditions include a reactor temperature of from about 490 to about 570° C.

11. An apparatus for reforming of hydrocarbons, the apparatus comprising:
a combined feed exchanger configured for indirect heat exchange between a combined feed stream and a reforming reaction-zone effluent to form a partially heated reforming-zone feed stream, wherein the combined feed stream comprises a recycle H 2 , C 6 − hydrocarbon-containing net gas stream and a reforming-zone feedstock that contains (C 5 -C 11 ) hydrocarbons;
a reforming heating-zone in fluid communication with the combined feed exchanger and comprising:
a plurality of radiant heaters including a charge heater and an interstage heater, wherein the plurality of radiant heaters are configured to burn fuel gas to form hot flue gas, and wherein the charge heater is configured to heat the partially heated reforming-zone feed stream to form a heated reforming-zone feed stream; and
a process heat recovery coil arrangement configured to recover heat from the hot flue gas; and

a reforming reaction-zone comprising:
a plurality of staged reactor catalyst beds including a first stage reactor catalyst bed that is in fluid communication with the charge heater and an interstage stage reactor catalyst bed that is in fluid communication with the interstage heater, wherein the plurality of radiant heaters and the plurality of staged reactor catalyst beds are cooperatively configured for interstage heating and partially reforming of the heated reforming-zone feed stream to form a partially reformed effluent; and
an additional reactor catalyst bed that is in fluid communication with the process heat recovery coil arrangement disposed within the common convection section, wherein the process heat recovery coil arrangement and the additional reactor catalyst bed are cooperatively configured for interstage heating and reforming of the partially reformed effluent to form the reforming reaction-zone effluent that comprises H 2 , C 5 + hydrocarbons including aromatics, and C 4 − hydrocarbons.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the combined feed exchanger is configured to form the partially heated reforming-zone feed stream having a temperature of from about 150 to about 300° C.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the charge heater is configured to form the heated reforming-zone feed stream having a temperature of from about 490 to about 570° C.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the interstage stage reactor catalyst bed is a downstream-most reactor catalyst bed of the plurality of staged reactor catalyst beds, and the additional reactor catalyst bed is downstream from the interstage stage reactor catalyst bed.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the process heat recovery coil arrangement is configured to receive and heat a first portion of the partially reformed effluent to form a heated partially reformed effluent, and the apparatus further comprises a bypass for diverting a second portion of the partially reformed effluent past the process heat recovery coil arrangement to be combined with the heated partially reformed effluent for introduction to the additional reactor catalyst bed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first portion has a first mass flow rate of from about 60 to about 100% of a total mass flow rate of the partially reformed effluent.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second portion has a second mass flow rate of about 60 to about 100% of a total mass flow rate of the partially reformed effluent.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of staged reactor catalyst beds includes a total of 3 or 4 stage reactor catalyst beds.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of radiant heaters includes a total of 3 to 5 radiant heaters.

20. A method for reforming of hydrocarbons, the method comprising the steps of:
burning fuel gas to form a hot flue gas and heat in a reforming-zone, comprised of a radiant zone and a convection zone, a feedstock that contains (C 5 -C 11 ) hydrocarbons to form a heated reforming-zone feed stream;
partially reforming the heated reforming-zone feed stream to form a partially reformed effluent;
advancing the partially reformed effluent through a process heat recovery coil arrangement in the convection zone that is recovering heat from the hot flue gas to form a heated partially reformed effluent; and
contacting the heated partially reformed effluent with reforming catalyst at reforming conditions effective to form a reforming reaction-zone effluent that comprises H 2 , C 5 + hydroc

Assignees

• Uop Llc

Inventors

• Hartman William M
• Zhu Xin X
• Lane Lisa M
• Yanez William

Classifications

• B01J8/0496

  Heating or cooling the reactor · CPC title

• B01J8/001

  Controlling catalytic processes (B01J8/1809 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C10G35/04

  Catalytic reforming · CPC title

• B01J8/04

  the fluid passing successively through two or more beds · CPC title

• B01J2208/00504

  by means of a burner · CPC title