Apparatus for hydrogen conservation in hydrogen recycle processes

Claim 1

A control system for modifying the flow of hydrogen recycle gas to a reaction apparatus, said apparatus comprising: (a) a hydrocarbonaceous charge stock stream conduit in communication with a recycle hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream conduit to mix said hydrocarbonaceous charge stock stream with said recycle hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream; (b) a hydrocarbon reaction zone in communication with said charge stock stream conduit for converting said hydrocarbons in said charge stock to a converted hydrocarbon product; (c) a cooling zone in communication with said reaction zone via reaction zone effluent conduit to cool the reaction zone product to form a liquid product stream and a vaporous hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream; (d) a separation zone in communication with said cooling zone via a cooling zone effluent conduit to separate said cooling zone effluent stream to a liquid product stream, which is withdrawn from the process, and a vaporous hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream, wherein said vaporous stream is bifurcated into a recycle hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream and a vent hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream; (e) a compressor means in communication with said separation zone via a separation zone effluent conduit and with said recycle-hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream conduit for passage of said recycle to admixture with said hydrocarbonaceous charge stream; and (f) a vent conduit in communication with said recycle conduit, having a flow restriction device therein, for removal of a portion of said vaporous hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream from said process; said control system consisting of; (i) means for sensing the hydrogen concentration of the entire reaction zone effluent in said reaction zone effluent conduit of element (c) before any separation of said liquid product stream from said vaporous hydrogen-hydrocarbon stream; (ii) comparison means for comparing said sensed hydrogen concentration with a predetermined selected concentration of said hydrogen and developing a signal correlating thereto; (iii) transmission means for transmitting said developed signal to said flow restriction device in said vent conduit of element (f) and thereby either increasing or decreasing said concentration of said hydrogen in said recycle stream.