Semi-regenerative reforming process providing continuous hydrogen production

Claim 1

A process for producing a hydrogen-containing gas continuously in the operation of a semi-regenerative unit for the reforming of a petroleum hydrocarbon stream in the presence of a reforming catalyst, which process comprises: (1) passing said stream under reforming conditions through each of the reactors of said unit, the reforming conditions that are employed in the lead reactor of said unit being relatively mild reforming conditions comprising an inlet temperature of about 845° F. to about 975° F., a pressure of about 50 psig to about 450 psig, a WHSV of about 2 to about 10 weight units of hydrocarbon per hour per weight unit of catalyst, and a rate of hydrogen-containing recycle gas of about 1,000 SCFB to about 5,000 SCFB in order to provide an extended period of time for using the catalyst in said lead reactor prior to its becoming deactivated, said extended period of time being at least 18 months to 3 years of operation, said inlet temperature to the lead reactor being about 25° F. to about 150° F. below the inlet temperatures to the other reactors in the system at the start of the processing cycle, the rate of increase of the inlet temperature to the lead reactor during the cycle being about 10 percent to about 100 percent of the rate of increase of the inlet temperatures to the other reactors; (2) when the catalyst in all of the reactors in said unit except the lead reactor has become deactivated, discontinuing the flow of said stream through all of the reactors in said unit other than the lead reactor while continuing the pass said stream through said lead reactor; (3) regenerating the catalyst in each of the reactors of said unit other than said lead reactor to remove the carbonaceous deposits from said catalyst and to restore at least partially the activity of said catalyst while continuing to pass said stream through said lead reactor under reforming conditions; (4) discontinuing the regeneration of the catalyst in each of the reactors of said unit other than the lead reactor and resuming the flow of said stream through all of the reactors in said unit; and (5) repeating all of the aforesaid steps until the catalyst in said lead reactor has become deactivated and it must be regenerated in order to provide some conversion of said stream to useful products.