Fluid hydroforming

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF EFFECTING FLUID HYDROFORMING WHICH COMPRISES SUPERHEATING A HYDROGEN GAS STREAM TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1200 TO 1300* F. AND INTRODUCING THE SUPERHEATED STREAM AT THE BASE OF A REACTION ZONE HAVING A HEIGHT ABOUT 5 TO 15 TIMES ITS DIAMETER, DISTRIBUTING THE SUPERHEATED HYDROGEN ACROSS THE BASE OF SAID ZONE INTO A UNITARY FLUIDIZED CATALYST BED WHICH EXTENDS TO THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING SUPERHEATED CHARGING STOCK VAPORS CONTAINING A SMALL AMOUNT OF SULFUR DIRECTLY INTO SAID BED AT A LEVEL SPACED FROM THE HYDROGEN INLET BY ABOUT ONE-HALF TO TWO REACTOR DIAMETERS, INTRODUCING CONDITIONED CATALYST AT THE LOWER PART OF THE CATALYST BED, EMPLOYING AN UPWARD GAS VELOCITY IN THE REACTION ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN DENSE PHASE FLUIDIZED CONDITION AND TO GIVE A BED DEPTH FOR OBTAINING EFFECTIVE HYDROFORMING OF THE CHARGING STOCK AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 850 TO 1000* F, UNDER A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 100 TO 500 P. S. I. G., WITHDRAWING CATALYST FROM THE DENSE PHASE AT A LEVEL BELOW THE CHARGE INLET AND FROM A POINT SPACED FROM THE CATALYST INLET, CONVEYING THE WITHDRAWN CATALYST TO A STRIPPING ZONE AND CONTACTING IT THEREIN WITH A STRIPPING GAS, INTRODUCING GAS FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE STRIPPING ZONE TO THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE ABOVE THE DENSE PHASE LEVEL THEREIN, WITHDRWAING CATALYST FROM THE STRIPPING ZONE AND INTRODUCING IT INTO A REGENERATION ZONE BELOW A DENSE PHASE CATALYST LEVEL THEREIN, BURNING DEPOSITS FROM THE CATALYST WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN THE REGENERATION ZONE, REMOVING CATALYST FROM GASES LEAVING THE UPPER PART OF THE REGENERATION ZONE PRIOR TO DEPRESSURING SAID GASES, WITHDRAWING CATALYST FROM TE REGENERATION ZONE TO A CONDITIONING ZONE, CONTACTING CATALYST WITH HOT HYDROGEN FOR AT LEAST ABOUT 5 SECONDS IN THE CONDITIONING ZONE FOR DISPLACING OXYGEN, WATER AND SULFUR DIOXIDE FROM THE REGENERATED CATALYST, AND INTRODUCING GASES FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE CONDITIONING ZONE DIRECTLY TO THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE ABOVE THE DENSE PHASE CATALYST LEVEL SO THAT BOTH THE CONDITIONED CATALYST INTRODUCED AT THE LOWER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE AND GASES INTRODUCED THEREWITH WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM OXYGEN, WATER AND SULFUR DIOXIDE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF EFFECTING FLUID HYDROFORMING WHICH COMPRISES SUPERHEATING A HYDROGEN GAS STREAM TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 1200 TO 1300* F. AND INTRODUCING THE SUPERHEATED STREAM AT THE BASE OF A REACTION ZONE HAVING A HEIGHT ABOUT 5 TO 15 TIMES ITS DIAMETER, DISTRIBUTING THE SUPERHEATED HYDROGEN ACROSS THE BASE OF SAID ZONE INTO A UNITARY FLUIDIZED CATALYST BED WHICH EXTENDS TO THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING SUPERHEATED CHARGING STOCK VAPORS CONTAINING A SMALL AMOUNT OF SULFUR DIRECTLY INTO SAID BED AT A LEVEL SPACED FROM THE HYDROGEN INLET BY ABOUT ONE-HALF TO TWO REACTOR DIAMETERS, INTRODUCING CONDITIONED CATALYST AT THE LOWER PART OF THE CATALYST BED, EMPLOYING AN UPWARD GAS VELOCITY IN THE REACTION ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN DENSE PHASE FLUIDIZED CONDITION AND TO GIVE A BED DEPTH FOR OBTAINING EFFECTIVE HYDROFORMING OF THE CHARGING STOCK AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 850 TO 1000* F, UNDER A PRESSURE OF ABOUT 100 TO 500 P. S. I. G., WITHDRAWING CATALYST FROM THE DENSE PHASE AT A LEVEL BELOW THE CHARGE INLET AND FROM A POINT SPACED FROM THE CATALYST INLET, CONVEYING THE WITHDRAWN CATALYST TO A STRIPPING ZONE AND CONTACTING IT THEREIN WITH A STRIPPING GAS, INTRODUCING GAS FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE STRIPPING ZONE TO THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE ABOVE THE DENSE PHASE LEVEL THEREIN, WITHDRWAING CATALYST FROM THE STRIPPING ZONE AND INTRODUCING IT INTO A REGENERATION ZONE BELOW A DENSE PHASE CATALYST LEVEL THEREIN, BURNING DEPOSITS FROM THE CATALYST WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN THE REGENERATION ZONE, REMOVING CATALYST FROM GASES LEAVING THE UPPER PART OF THE REGENERATION ZONE PRIOR TO DEPRESSURING SAID GASES, WITHDRAWING CATALYST FROM TE REGENERATION ZONE TO A CONDITIONING ZONE, CONTACTING CATALYST WITH HOT HYDROGEN FOR AT LEAST ABOUT 5 SECONDS IN THE CONDITIONING ZONE FOR DISPLACING OXYGEN, WATER AND SULFUR DIOXIDE FROM THE REGENERATED CATALYST, AND INTRODUCING GASES FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE CONDITIONING ZONE DIRECTLY TO THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE ABOVE THE DENSE PHASE CATALYST LEVEL SO THAT BOTH THE CONDITIONED CATALYST INTRODUCED AT THE LOWER PART OF THE REACTION ZONE AND GASES INTRODUCED THEREWITH WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM OXYGEN, WATER AND SULFUR DIOXIDE.