Start-up of regenerative platinum catalyst hydroforming systems

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF STARTING UP A REGENERATIVE PLATINUM CATALYST NAPHTA HYDROFORMING SYSTEM INCLUDING A REACTION SIDE COMPRISING LEAD, INTERMEDIATE, AND TAIL REACTORS, SAID REACTORS BEING AT TEMPERATURES BELOW ABOUT 200* F. PRIOR TO STARTUP, HEATING ZONES PRIOR TO EACH OF SAID REACTORS, A GAS SEPARATION ZONE AFTER SAID REACTORS, AND COMPRESSOR AND LINES FOR RECYCLING SEPARATED GAS, AND INCLUDING A REGENERATION SIDE COMPRISING A SOURCE OF FLUE GAS FOR REGENERATION, A SCRUBBING ZONE WHEREIN CARBON OXIDES AND WATER ARE REMOVED FROM REGENATION GASES, A CIRCULATOR AND LINES FOR CIRCULATING SAID FLUE GAS THROUGH SAID SCRUBBING ZONE, AND VALVED LINES FOR CONNECTING SAID REGENERATION SIDE WITH SAID REACTION SIDE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES PURGING OXYGEN FROM SAID REACTION SIDE WITH FLUE GAS INTRODUCED FROM SAID REGENERATION SIDE, CIRCULATING FLUE GAS CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN SAID REACTION SIDE AND SAID REGENERATION SIDE SO THAT CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER ARE REMOVED THEREFROM IN SAID SCRTUBBING ZONE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING SAID CIRCULATING FLUE GAS, ISOLATING SAID REACTION SIDE FROM SAID REGENERATION SIDE AND RECYCLING SCRUBBED FLUE GAS THROUGH SAID REACTION SIDE, INTRODUCING PREHEATED NAPHTHA CHARGE STOCK AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 700* TO 800* F. INTO ONE OF SAID REACTORS WHILE THE PRESSURE OF THE RECYCLED SCRUBBED FLUE GAS IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 30 TO 200 P.S.I.G., CONTINUING THE INTRODUCTION OF NAPHTHA CHARGE STOCK AT A TEMPERRATURE IN SAID RANGE UNTIL THE HYDROGEN CONCENTRATION IN HYDROGENENRICHED RECYCLED GAS REACHES ABOUT 80%, AND THEN INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE NAPHTHA CHARGE TO AT LEAST ABOUT 850* F.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF STARTING UP A REGENERATIVE PLATINUM CATALYST NAPHTA HYDROFORMING SYSTEM INCLUDING A REACTION SIDE COMPRISING LEAD, INTERMEDIATE, AND TAIL REACTORS, SAID REACTORS BEING AT TEMPERATURES BELOW ABOUT 200* F. PRIOR TO STARTUP, HEATING ZONES PRIOR TO EACH OF SAID REACTORS, A GAS SEPARATION ZONE AFTER SAID REACTORS, AND COMPRESSOR AND LINES FOR RECYCLING SEPARATED GAS, AND INCLUDING A REGENERATION SIDE COMPRISING A SOURCE OF FLUE GAS FOR REGENERATION, A SCRUBBING ZONE WHEREIN CARBON OXIDES AND WATER ARE REMOVED FROM REGENATION GASES, A CIRCULATOR AND LINES FOR CIRCULATING SAID FLUE GAS THROUGH SAID SCRUBBING ZONE, AND VALVED LINES FOR CONNECTING SAID REGENERATION SIDE WITH SAID REACTION SIDE, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES PURGING OXYGEN FROM SAID REACTION SIDE WITH FLUE GAS INTRODUCED FROM SAID REGENERATION SIDE, CIRCULATING FLUE GAS CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN SAID REACTION SIDE AND SAID REGENERATION SIDE SO THAT CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER ARE REMOVED THEREFROM IN SAID SCRTUBBING ZONE WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY HEATING SAID CIRCULATING FLUE GAS, ISOLATING SAID REACTION SIDE FROM SAID REGENERATION SIDE AND RECYCLING SCRUBBED FLUE GAS THROUGH SAID REACTION SIDE, INTRODUCING PREHEATED NAPHTHA CHARGE STOCK AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 700* TO 800* F. INTO ONE OF SAID REACTORS WHILE THE PRESSURE OF THE RECYCLED SCRUBBED FLUE GAS IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 30 TO 200 P.S.I.G., CONTINUING THE INTRODUCTION OF NAPHTHA CHARGE STOCK AT A TEMPERRATURE IN SAID RANGE UNTIL THE HYDROGEN CONCENTRATION IN HYDROGENENRICHED RECYCLED GAS REACHES ABOUT 80%, AND THEN INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE NAPHTHA CHARGE TO AT LEAST ABOUT 850* F.