Controlled fluidized bed reactor for testing catalysts

Claim 1

Apparatus for investigating the performance of a catalyst used in a continuous catalytic cracking process for the conversion of a stream of hydrocarbon feed stock wherein said stream is contacted with an active catalyst in a reactor maintained under catalytic cracking conditions to provide reaction products which are removed from said reactor, the catalyst in said reacator becoming contaminated by the deposition of coke thereon, said apparatus comprising: a single fluidized bed laboratory scale reactor charged with the catalyst to be investigated; means for supplying hydrocarbon feed stock to said reactor; means for supplying air to said reactor for regeneration of said catalyst; means for controlling said means for supplying in successive and repeated cyclic catalyst cracking intervals and cyclic catalyst regeneration intervals; means for monitoring the reaction product yields from said reactor and the coke deposited on said catalyst whereby the performance of said catalyst in a larger continuously operated catalytic cracking process is assessed in said laboratory scale reactor operated cyclically; and means for monitoring the concentration of CO and CO 2 in said reactors during said regeneration intervals by control of a computer; means for periodically recording the monitored values of CO and CO 2 ; and means for increasing the frequency of said monitoring and recording as the concentration of CO and CO 2 increases in said reactor.