Multi-stage, multi-zone static bed reforming process and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF REFORMING NAPHTHA WHEREIN A CHARGE MIXTURE COMPRISING NAPHTHA AND HYDROGEN IS CONTACTED SUCCESSIVELY IN A PLURALITY OF ADIABATIC REACTION STAGES WITH PARTICLE-FORM SOLID REFORMING CATALYST AT REFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE, AND LIQUID HOURLY SPACE VELOCITY, WHEREIN THE OVERALL LIQUID HOURLY SPACE VELOCITY FOR ALL STAGES IS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 10 AND THE STAGE SPACE VELOCITY IN EACH STAGE IS GREATER THAN THE EXISTING OVERALL LIQUID HOURLY SPACE VELOCITY WHEREIN THE EFFUENT OF EACH REACTION STAGE IN REHEATED TO REFORMING TEMPERATURE PRIOR TO INTRODUCTION INTO A SUCCEEDING REACTION STAGE, WHEREIN THE EFFUENT OF THE FINAL REACTION STAGE IS SEPARATED INTO REFORMER GAS COMPRISING HYDROGEN AND C1 TO C2 HYDROCARBONS AND REFORMATE COMPRISING C4 AND HEAVIER HYDROCARBONS, WHEREIN AT LEAST A PORTION OF ASID REFORMER GAS IS RECYCLED TO SAID REACTION STAGES, WHEREIN IN AN ON-STREAM PERIOD CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IS DEPOSITED ON SAID CATALYST, WHEREIN THE AMOUNT OF SAID DEPOSITED CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IN AT LEAST ONE REACTION STAGE REDUCES THE ACTIVITY OF SAID CATALYST THEREIN TO AN IMPRACTICAL LEVEL, COMPLETES THE ON-STREAM PERIOD AND INITIATES AN OFF-STREAM PERIOD, WHEREIN CHARGE MIXTURE IS EXCLUDED FROM SAID REACTION STAGE DURING SAID OFFSTREAM PERIOD, AND WHEREIN THE ACTIVITY OF THE CATALYST IN IN SAID OFF-STREAM REACTION STAGE IS RESTORED TO A PRACTICAL LEVEL BY DECOMPOSITION OF SAID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL IN A REGENERATION MEDIUM DURING SAID OFF-STREAM PERIOD, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING IN EACH OF THE AFORESAID REACTION STAGES A PLURALITY OF AT LEAST THREE REACTION ZONES, CHARGING EACH OF SAID REACTION ZONES WITH PARTICLE-FORM SOLID REFORMING CATALYST, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SAID CHARGED CATALYST BEING GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF SAID CATALYST REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE AFORESAID STAGE SPACE VELOCITY AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SAID CATALYST IN LESS THAN TO PROVIDE THE AFORESAID STAGE SPACE VELOCITY, IN ALL REACTION STAGES PASSING SAID CHARGE MIXTURE IN PARALLEL THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SELECTED ON-STREAM REACTION ZONES TO PROVIDE SAID STAGE SPACE VELOCITY, EXCLUDING SAID CHARGE MIXTURE FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE REACTION ZONES IN A REACTION STAGE, DESIGNATED OFF-STREAM REACTION ZONES, WITHDRAWING REACTION PRODUCTS FROM EACH OF SAID SELECTED ONSTREAM REACTION ZONES IN A REACTION STAGE AS A REACTION STAGE EFFUENT, PRODUCING IN SAID SELECTED ON-STREAM REACTION ZONES A CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT ON SAID CATALYST CONFINED THEREIN, IN A CYCLIC MANNER SELECTIVELY DISCONTINUING THE FLOW OF CHARGE MIXTURE TO AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SELECTED ONSTREAM REACTION ZONES, DESIGNATED HYBRID REACTION ZONE, IN AT LEAST ONE REACTION STAGE, INTRODUCING CHARGE MIXTURE SELECTIVELY INTO THE NUMBER OF PURGED OFF-STREAM REACTION ZONES IN ADDITION TO SELECTED ON-STREAM REACTION ZONES REMAINING ON-STREAM IN EACH REACTION STAGE TO MAINTAIN THE AFORESAID STAGE SPACE VELOCITY, AND CONTEMPORANEOUSLY SEQUENTIALLY PURGING SAID HYBRID REACTION ZONE, PASSING REGENERATING MEDIUM THROUGH SAID PURGED HYBRID REACTION ZONE, AND PURGING SAID HYBRID REACTION ZONE TO PROVIDE PURGED OFF-STREAM REACTION ZONE.