Hydrocarbon-recycle gas moisture control

Claim 1

A METHOD OF REFORMING HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES IN A CYCLIC MANNER INTRODUCING PARTICLE-FORM SOLID REFORMING CATALYST CONTAINING IN EXCESS OF 0.5 TO 0.7 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF WATER AND LOOSELY BOUND OXYGEN INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE OF A PLURALITY OF REACTION ZONES UNDER REFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, FLOWING SAID CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION TO A CATALYST OUTLET IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING INTO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE NEAR SAID CATALYST OUTLET ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF A COMPLETELY VAPORIZED CHARGE STOCK, COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS TO BE REFORMED, TOGETHER WITH AN AMOUNT OF A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING DRY RECYCLE GAS (OBTAINED AS HEREINAFTER SET FORTH) ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO THE NET AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS PRODUCED IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE AND A SECOND REACTION ZONE, FLOWING SAID COMPLETELY VAPORIZED CHARGE STOCK AND SAID RECYCLE GAS UPWARDLY IN CONTACT WITH SAID DOWNWARDLY FLOWING CATALYST THROUGH SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE TO PRODUCE A DRY CATALYST CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN 0.5 TO 0.7 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF WATER AND LOOSELY BOUND OXYGEN AND TO PRODUCE A FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400* TO 425* F., WATER AND RECYCLE GAS, INTRODUCING SAID DRY CATALYST INTO A SECOND REACTION ZONE, CONTACTING IN SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE SAID DRY CATALYST WITH THE BALANCE OF SAID COMPLETELY VAPORIZED CHARGE STOCK AND THE BALANCE OF SAID HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS (OBTAINED AS HEREINAFTER SET FORTH) TO PRODUCE A SECOND REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400*-425* F., SAID RECYCLE GAS AND NET HYDROGEN PRODUCED THEREIN AND CONCOMITANTLY DEPOSITING COKE ON SAID CATALYST, TRANSFERRING SAID CATALYST AND DEPOSITED COKE TO A GENERATOR, BURNING-OFF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID COKE IN SAID REGENERATOR TO PRODUCE REACTIVATED CATALYST CONTAINING IN EXCESS OF 0.5 TO 0.7 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF WATER AND LOOSELY BOUND OXYGEN, RETURNING SAID REACTIVATED CATALYST TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, COOLING SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT TO CONDENSE HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400* TO 425* F., SEPARATING CONDENSED HYDROCARBONS FROM UNCONDENSED FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT, DISCHARGING SAID UNCONDENSED FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT FROM THE SYSTEM, COOLING SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT TO CONDENSE HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400* TO 425* F., SEPARATING CONDENSED HYDROCARBONS FROM UNCONDENSED HYDROGEN-CONTAINING SECOND REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT TO PRODUCE A DRY HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS HAVING A DEW-POINT NOT HIGHER THAN 40* F. COMPRISING HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE AND NET HYDROGEN PRODUCED IN SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE SO-PRODUCED DRY RECYCLE GAS AMOUNTING TO ABOUT THE EQUIVALENT OF SAID NET HYDROGEN PRODUCED TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, AND RECYCLE THE BALANCE OF THE SO-PRODUCED DRY RECYCLE GAS TO SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF REFORMING HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES IN A CYCLIC MANNER INTRODUCING PARTICLE-FORM SOLID REFORMING CATALYST CONTAINING IN EXCESS OF 0.5 TO 0.7 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF WATER AND LOOSELY BOUND OXYGEN INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE OF A PLURALITY OF REACTION ZONES UNDER REFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, FLOWING SAID CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION TO A CATALYST OUTLET IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING INTO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE NEAR SAID CATALYST OUTLET ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF A COMPLETELY VAPORIZED CHARGE STOCK, COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS TO BE REFORMED, TOGETHER WITH AN AMOUNT OF A HYDROGEN-CONTAINING DRY RECYCLE GAS (OBTAINED AS HEREINAFTER SET FORTH) ABOUT EQUIVALENT TO THE NET AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS PRODUCED IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE AND A SECOND REACTION ZONE, FLOWING SAID COMPLETELY VAPORIZED CHARGE STOCK AND SAID RECYCLE GAS UPWARDLY IN CONTACT WITH SAID DOWNWARDLY FLOWING CATALYST THROUGH SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE TO PRODUCE A DRY CATALYST CONTAINING NOT MORE THAN 0.5 TO 0.7 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF WATER AND LOOSELY BOUND OXYGEN AND TO PRODUCE A FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400* TO 425* F., WATER AND RECYCLE GAS, INTRODUCING SAID DRY CATALYST INTO A SECOND REACTION ZONE, CONTACTING IN SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE SAID DRY CATALYST WITH THE BALANCE OF SAID COMPLETELY VAPORIZED CHARGE STOCK AND THE BALANCE OF SAID HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS (OBTAINED AS HEREINAFTER SET FORTH) TO PRODUCE A SECOND REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT COMPRISING HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400*-425* F., SAID RECYCLE GAS AND NET HYDROGEN PRODUCED THEREIN AND CONCOMITANTLY DEPOSITING COKE ON SAID CATALYST, TRANSFERRING SAID CATALYST AND DEPOSITED COKE TO A GENERATOR, BURNING-OFF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID COKE IN SAID REGENERATOR TO PRODUCE REACTIVATED CATALYST CONTAINING IN EXCESS OF 0.5 TO 0.7 WEIGHT PER CENT OF AT LEAST ONE OF WATER AND LOOSELY BOUND OXYGEN, RETURNING SAID REACTIVATED CATALYST TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, COOLING SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT TO CONDENSE HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400* TO 425* F., SEPARATING CONDENSED HYDROCARBONS FROM UNCONDENSED FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT, DISCHARGING SAID UNCONDENSED FIRST REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT FROM THE SYSTEM, COOLING SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT TO CONDENSE HYDROCARBONS BOILING AT ABOUT 400* TO 425* F., SEPARATING CONDENSED HYDROCARBONS FROM UNCONDENSED HYDROGEN-CONTAINING SECOND REACTION ZONE VAPOROUS EFFLUENT TO PRODUCE A DRY HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS HAVING A DEW-POINT NOT HIGHER THAN 40* F. COMPRISING HYDROGEN-CONTAINING RECYCLE GAS FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE AND NET HYDROGEN PRODUCED IN SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, RECYCLE A PORTION OF THE SO-PRODUCED DRY RECYCLE GAS AMOUNTING TO ABOUT THE EQUIVALENT OF SAID NET HYDROGEN PRODUCED TO SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, AND RECYCLE THE BALANCE OF THE SO-PRODUCED DRY RECYCLE GAS TO SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE.