Recovery of C3 + hydrocarbon conversion products and net excess hydrogen in a catalytic reforming process

Claim 1

A hydrocarbon conversion process comprising the steps of: (a) treating a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock in a reaction zone in admixture with hydrogen and in contact with a hydrocarbon conversion catalyst at hydrocarbon conversion conditions of temperature and pressure to provide a reaction zone effluent stream comprising normally liquid and normally gaseous hydrocarbon conversion products admixed with hydrogen; (b) treating said effluent stream in a first gas-liquid separation zone at a reduced temperature effecting the separation of a liquid hydrocarbon phase and a hydrogen-rich vapor phase; (c) recycling a portion of said hydrogen-rich vapor phase to said reaction zone in admixture with said hydrocarbonaceous feedstock; (d) admixing the balance of said vapor phase with a liquid hydrocarbon phase recovered from a third gas-liquid separation zone in accordance with step (f), and treating said mixture in a second gas-liquid separation zone at substantially the same temperature as said first separation zone and at an elevated pressure relative thereto to effect the separation of a liquid hydrocarbon phase having a reduced concentration of hydrogen and C 2 - hydrocarbons, and a hydrogen-rich vapor phase having a reduced concentration of C 3 + hydrocarbons; (e) treating the last mentioned liquid hydrocarbon phase in a fractionation column at conditions to separate an overhead fraction comprising light hydrocarbon conversion products from the higher boiling hydrocarbon conversion products; (f) admixing the last mentioned hydrogen-rich vapor phase separated in accordance with step (d) with the liquid hydrocarbon phase separated in accordance with step (b), and treating said mixture in a third gas-liquid separation zone at substantially the same temperature as said second separation zone and at an elevated pressure relative thereto to effect the separation of a liquid hydrocarbon phase having a reduced concentration of hydrogen and C 2 - hydrocarbons, and a hydrogen-rich vapor phase having a reduced concentration of C 3 + hydrocarbons; and, (g) recovering said hydrogen-rich vapor phase, and admixing said liquid hydrocarbon phase with the hydrogen-rich vapor phase from step (b) in accordance with step (d).