Method of controlling moisture in combustion section of moving bed regeneration process

Claim 1

A method of regenerating catalyst particles from a catalytic reforming process that have become deactivated in a catalytic reforming process by removing coke from the catalyst particles in a regeneration zone through which the particles move in at least semi-continuous flow, said catalyst particles comprising a Group VIII metal and a halogen on an alumina carrier having a surface area of at least 100 m 2 /gram, said method comprising: (a) passing catalyst particles containing coke deposits into said regeneration zone; (b) forming a vertically-elongated bed of said particles in a combustion section and halogenation section of said regeneration zone; (c) at least periodically moving said particles down said bed from said combustion section to said halogenation section by withdrawing particles from the bottom of said bed and adding catalyst particles to the top of said bed; (d) passing a recycle gas stream having an oxygen concentration of from 0.5 to 1.5 mol. % through the particles in said combustion section to combust coke and produce a flue gas stream comprising by-products of coke combustion, said flue gas stream having an H 2 O concentration of less than 5 mol. % (e) withdrawing said flue gas stream having a first concentration of water from said regeneration zone and venting a portion of said withdrawn flue gas stream to remove said flue gas stream from said process; (f) dividing an air stream into an oxygen-enriched stream having an oxygen concentration greater than air and an oxygen-deficient stream having an oxygen concentration of less than 12 vol. % and a water concentration less than said first concentration; (g) combining the remaining portion of said flue gas stream with a make-up gas stream comprising said oxygen-deficient gas in an amount equal to at least 5 vol. % of said remaining flue gas stream to produce said recycle gas stream; (h) passing said particles from said halogenation section into a drying section and contacting said particles with a drying gas stream comprising at least a portion of said oxygen-enriched stream mixed with air; (i) passing said drying gas stream from said drying section into said halogenation section and passing a halogenation gas stream into said halogenation section; (j) collecting a majority of said halogenation stream gas and said drying gas stream directly from said halogenation section; and (k) recovering catalyst particles containing less than 0.2 wt. % coke from said drying section.

Claim 2

A method of regenerating catalyst particles from a catalytic reforming process that have become deactivated in a catalytic reforming process by removing coke from the catalyst particles in a regeneration zone through which the particles move in at least semi-continuous flow, said catalyst particles comprising a Group VIII metal and a halogen on an alumina carrier having a surface area of at least 100 m 2 /gram, said method comprising: (a) passing catalyst particles containing coke deposits into said regeneration zone; (b) forming a vertically-elongated bed of said particles in a combustion section and halogenation section of said regeneration zone; (c) at least periodically moving said particles down said bed from said combustion section to said halogenation section by withdrawing particles from the bottom of said bed and adding catalyst particles to the top of said bed; (d) passing a recycle gas stream having an oxygen concentration of from 0.5 to 1.5 mol. % through the particles in said combustion section to combust coke and produce a flue gas stream comprising by-products of coke combustion, said flue gas stream having an H 2 O concentration of less than 5 mol. % (e) withdrawing said flue gas stream having a first concentration of water from said regeneration zone and venting a portion of said withdrawn flue gas stream to remove said flue gas stream from said process; (f) dividing an air stream into an oxygen-enriched stream having an oxygen concentration greater than air and an oxygen-deficient stream having an oxygen concentration of less than 12 vol. % and a water concentration less than said first concentration; (g) combining the remaining portion of said flue gas stream with a make-up gas stream comprising said oxygen-deficient gas in an amount equal to at least 5 vol. % of said remaining flue gas stream to produce said recycle gas stream; (h) passing said particles from said halogenation section into a drying section and contacting said particles with a drying gas stream comprising at least a portion of said oxygen-enriched stream mixed with air; (i) passing said drying gas stream from said drying section into said halogenation section and passing a halogenation gas stream into said halogenation section; (j) collecting a majority of said halogenation stream gas and said drying gas stream directly from said halogenation section; and (k) recovering catalyst particles containing less than 0.2 wt. % coke from said drying section.

Claim 7

A method of regenerating catalyst particles from a catalytic reforming process that have become deactivated in a catalytic reforming process by removing coke from the catalyst particles in a regeneration zone through which the particles move in at least semi-continuous flow, said catalyst particles comprising a Group VIII metal and a halogen on an alumina carrier having a surface area of at least 100 m 2 /gram, said method comprising: (a) passing catalyst particles containing coke deposits into said regeneration zone; (b) forming a vertically-elongated bed of said particles in a combustion section and halogenation section of said regeneration zone; (c) at least periodically moving said particles down said bed from said combustion section to said halogenation section by withdrawing particles from the bottom of said bed and adding catalyst particles to the top of said bed; (d) passing a recycle gas stream having oxygen concentration of from 0.5 to 1.5 mol. % through the particles in said combustion section to combust coke and produce a flue gas stream comprising by-products of coke combustion, said flue gas stream having an H 2 O concentration of less than 5 mol. %; (e) withdrawing said flue gas stream from said regeneration zone; (f) separating a vent gas stream from said flue gas stream, drying at least a portion of said vent gas stream, and combining said portion of said vent gas stream with an oxygen-containing gas stream to produce a make-up gas stream having an oxygen concentration of less than 12 vol. %; (g) combining the remaining portion of said flue gas stream with said make-up gas stream in an amount equal to at least 5 vol. % of said remaining flue gas stream to produce said recycle gas stream; (h) passing said particles from said halogenation section into a drying section and contacting said particles with a drying gas stream comprising an oxygen-enriched stream having an oxygen concentration greater than air; (i) passing said drying gas stream from said drying section into said halogenation section and passing a halogenation gas stream into said halogenation section; (j) collecting a majority of said halogenation gas stream and said drying gas stream directly from said halogenation section; and (k) recovering catalyst particles containing less than 0.2 wt. % coke from said drying section.

Claim 8

A method of regenerating catalyst particles from a catalytic reforming process that have become deactivated in a catalytic reforming process by removing coke from the catalyst particles in a regeneration zone through which the particles move in at least semi-continuous flow, said catalyst particles comprising a Group VIII metal and a halogen on an alumina carrier having a surface area of at least 100 m 2 /gram, said method comprising: (a) passing catalyst particles containing coke deposits into said regeneration zone; (b) forming a vertically-elongated bed of said particles in a combustion section and halogenation section of said regeneration zone; (c) at least periodically moving said particles down said bed from said combustion section to said halogenation section by withdrawing particles from the bottom of said bed and adding catalyst particles to the top of said bed; (d) passing a recycle gas stream having oxygen concentration of from 0.5 to 1.5 mol. % through the particles in said combustion section to combust coke and produce a flue gas stream comprising by-products of coke combustion, said flue gas stream having an H 2 O concentration of less than 5 mol. %; (e) withdrawing said flue gas stream from said regeneration zone; (f) separating a vent gas stream from said flue gas stream, drying at least a portion of said vent gas stream, and combining said portion of said vent gas stream with an oxygen-containing gas stream to produce a make-up gas stream having an oxygen concentration of less than 12 vol. %; (g) combining the remaining portion of said flue gas stream with said make-up gas stream in an amount equal to at least 5 vol. % of said remaining flue gas stream to produce said recycle gas stream; (h) passing said particles from said halogenation section into a drying section and contacting said particles with a drying gas stream comprising an oxygen-enriched stream having an oxygen concentration greater than air; (i) passing said drying gas stream from said drying section into said halogenation section and passing a halogenation gas stream into said halogenation section; (j) collecting a majority of said halogenation gas stream and said drying gas stream directly from said halogenation section; and (k) recovering catalyst particles containing less than 0.2 wt. % coke from said drying section.