A device for centering a temperature measurement device inside a tube reactor that will be filled with catalyst, including a single inflatable bladder mechanically and fluidically attached to a centering ring.

The present invention provides an improved process for removing heat from an exothermic reaction. In particular, the present invention provides a process wherein heat can be removed from multiple reaction trains using a common coolant system.

An on-board Flex-Fuel H.sub.2 reforming apparatus provides devices and the methods of operating these devices to produce H.sub.2 and CO from hydrocarbons and bio-fuels. One or more parallel autothermal reformers are used to convert the fuels into H.sub.2 over the Pt group metal catalysts without external heat and power. The produced reformate is then cooled and the dry gas is compressed and stored in vessels at a pressure between 1 to 100 atmospheres. For this system, the pressure of the storage vessels and the flow control curves are used directly to control the amount of the reformers' reformate output.

To improve thermal efficiency of a mobile vehicle or a distributed power generator, portion of the reformate from the storage vessels is used to mix with the primary fuels and air as part of a lean burn fuel mixture for the engine/gas turbine. Also, this on-board Flex-Fuel H.sub.2 reforming apparatus can provide H.sub.2 to regenerate the NO.sub.x and diesel particulate traps for diesel engines, and/or it can provide H.sub.2 for a mobile or a portable fuel cell power generator.

An ethylbenzene dehydrogenation plant for producing styrene which comprises a reaction section in which one or more adiabatic reaction apparatuses are positioned in series, and a steam circuit in which there is at least one first steam heat exchange apparatus; said plant being characterized in that it comprises heating equipment in which there is a heating circuit by means of recirculation of the fumes formed during dehydrogenation processes of ethylbenzene to give styrene, wherein said heating equipment comprises the following apparatuses in fluid communication with each other by means of said heating circuit: one or more ultra-heating apparatuses, one or more combustion devices in which at least one steam diffuser, one burner and at least one mixing apparatus are inserted, one or more ventilation device(s).

Provided is an oxidation reactor capable of oxidizing hydrocarbons with both reaction efficiency and energy efficiency. The oxidation reactor according to the present invention includes a liquid inlet channel, a gas inlet channel, a gas-liquid mixing unit, and a flow reactor. Through the liquid inlet channel, a liquid containing a reaction substrate hydrocarbon is introduced. Through the gas inlet channel, a gas containing oxygen and ozone is introduced. The gas-liquid mixing unit mixes the liquid introduced from the liquid inlet channel with the gas introduced from the gas inlet channel. In the flow reactor, an oxidation catalyst is immobilized or packed. The gas-liquid mixing unit houses, in its channel, a mobile particle which is capable of rotating and/or moving to mix the liquid with the gas to thereby form a gas-liquid slug flow. The gas-liquid slug flow is introduced into the flow reactor.

A method for determining temperature information for a plurality of tubes in a furnace where one or more digital images provide temperature information for imaged tubes, and temperature information for non-imaged tubes is determined from the temperature information for the imaged tubes and measured temperatures of combined effluent from the imaged and non-imaged tubes.

A system for reducing dioxygen (O.sub.2) present in vapors from oil storage tanks. The system may include an inlet that receives vapors from the tanks; a heating device coupled with the inlet that heats vapors to a first temperature to form heated vapor; and a vessel coupled receiving heated vapor and containing at least one catalyst to reduce dioxygen from the heated vapor. The catalyst may include palladium, and the vessel may include zinc oxide to remove sulfur from the heated vapor. A compressor may be used to compress the vapors. A controller may be provided to monitor O.sub.2 concentration in heated vapor, and the controller directs flow of heated vapor to a gas pipeline if the O.sub.2 concentration is below a predetermined level; or if the O.sub.2 concentration is unacceptably high, the controller directs flow of vapor to be re-circulated within the system to further reduce O.sub.2 concentration therein.

Devices, systems, and methods for forming furan based surfactants by reactive distillation are disclosed herein. Various embodiments can provide a consolidated reaction process that uses reactive distillation to synthesize oleo-furan surfactant molecules and intermediates by combining reaction and separation steps into a single reaction unit or a number of connected reaction units. The single reaction unit or a number of connected reaction units can include a catalyst bed and act to separate reaction side products at opposing ends of the unit or units.

The present disclosure relates to a reactor and a method of operation for an exothermal process being catalyzed by a catalytically active material receiving a reactant gas and providing a product gas, in which said exothermal process has a heat development having a potential for thermally degrading said catalytically active material, and which exothermal process operates at a temperature at which the reactants and at least 80% or all of the products are present as gases, said method comprising the steps of a) directing the reactant gas to a first zone of a material catalytically active in the exothermal process producing an first product gas, and b) directing the first product gas to a second zone of a material catalytically active in the exothermal process producing a product gas, with the option of fully or partially by-passing either said first zone or said second zone, while directing a non-condensing gas stream having a temperature at least 50° C. lower than the product gas to said by-passed zone, wherein the choice of by-passing said zone is made based on the time of operation or a process parameter reflecting the catalytic activity of the zone of catalytically active material which is not by-passed with the associated benefit of reducing the extent of thermal deactivation of the catalytically active material, and thus increasing the overall lifetime of the catalytically active material.

The present invention provides an improved process for removing heat from an exothermic reaction. In particular, the present invention provides a process wherein heat can be removed from multiple reaction trains using a common coolant system.