A process for shutting down a hydroprocessing reactor and for removing catalyst from the reactor, wherein the reactor includes a quench gas distribution system. The process comprises shutting off hydrocarbon feed to the reactor, stripping hydrocarbons from the catalyst, and cooling the reactor to a first threshold reactor temperature in the range of from 375-425° F. (190-218° C.). At least a portion of circulating gaseous medium flowing to the reactor is then routed through a temporary heat exchanger and cooling the gas to not less than 40° F. (4° C.). Once cooled, mixing the cooled gas with the circulating gaseous medium flowing to the reactor. Continuing steps routing and cooling until a second threshold temperature is reached wherein the reactor temperature is in a range between 120° F. and 250° F. (49° C.-121° C.). The reactor can then be purged with N.sub.2 gas, followed by introducing water into the reactor via the quench gas distribution system. The catalyst can then be safely removed from the reactor.

A restraint system configured to stabilize catalyst loading tubes. The restraint system includes a first restraint that has a first collar portion and a second collar portion. The restraint system further includes a first fastener configured to attach the first collar portion to a first tube segment and a second fastener configured to attach the second collar portion to the first tube segment. The restraint system also includes a first linkage having a first end and a second end, and a second linkage having a first end and a second end. The restraint system includes a second restraint having a third collar portion and a fourth collar portion. The restraint system further includes a third fastener and a fourth fastener. The first ends of the first and second linkage couple to the first restraint and the second ends of the first and second linkage couple to the second restraint.

An apparatus for producing hydrogen gas is provided. The apparatus includes a first hopper having a reaction chemical. The reaction chemical includes sodium borohydride (NaBH.sub.4) and a chemical component. The chemical component may be magnesium chloride (MgCl.sub.2). The apparatus also includes a reaction chamber. The reaction chamber has an input for receiving the reaction chemical from the first hopper and an output for removal of hydrogen gas. The apparatus also includes a second hopper for containing spent solid chemical mixture removed or extracted from the reaction chamber.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a device and a method for unloading particulate material from a reactor tube of a catalytic reactor comprising an array of substantially vertically aligned reactor tubes. The device comprises an air lance (11, 111-113) for loosening the particulate material inside the reactor tube using pressurized air, an air lance unit (10) for feeding the air lance in and out of the reactor tube, and a flexible guide tube (12, 121-123) on one end connectable to the air lance unit and on the other end connectable to a cleaned reactor tube (7, 71-73) for guiding the air lance from the reactor tube to the cleaned reactor tube for storing a part of the air lance that has not been fed into the reactor tube within the first cleaned reactor tube.

Aqueous effluent treatment system including a separation reactor having a reactor chamber fluidly connected to an aqueous effluent source, connected via a pump to an inlet of the reactor chamber, a fluid extraction system connected to a liquid effluent outlet at a top of the reactor chamber, and a solid residue extraction system connected to a solid residue outlet at a bottom of the reactor chamber. The separation reactor is operable to generate pressures exceeding 22 MPa and temperatures exceeding 300° C. in the reactor chamber configured to generate a supercritical zone in an upper portion of the reactor chamber to which the liquid effluent outlet is connected, and a subcritical zone in a lower portion of the chamber within the reactor chamber to which the solid residue outlet is connected. The solid residue extraction system comprises an output circuit comprising a collector coupled to the solid residue outlet via a collector input valve (V1) and to a water output tank via a filter and a collector liquid output valve (V4) operable to be opened to cause a pressure drop at the solid residue outlet to draw solid residue out of the reactor chamber, the solid residue extraction system further comprising a gas feed circuit connected via a gas supply valve (V5) to the collector, the gas supply valve operable to be opened to extract solid residues in the collector to a solids output tank connected to the collector via a collector solids output valve (V6).

A process for shutting down a hydroprocessing reactor and for removing catalyst from the reactor, wherein the reactor includes a quench gas distribution system. The process comprises shutting off hydrocarbon feed to the reactor, stripping hydrocarbons from the catalyst, and cooling the reactor to a first threshold reactor temperature in the range of from 375-425° F. (190-218° C.). At least a portion of circulating gaseous medium flowing to the reactor is then routed through a temporary heat exchanger and cooling the gas to not less than 40° F. (4° C.). Once cooled, mixing the cooled gas with the circulating gaseous medium flowing to the reactor. Continuing steps routing and cooling until a second threshold temperature is reached wherein the reactor temperature is in a range between 120° F. and 250° F. (49° C.-121° C.). The reactor can then be purged with N.sub.2 gas, followed by introducing water into the reactor via the quench gas distribution system. The catalyst can then be safely removed from the reactor.

A catalyst loading and unloading system for chemical reactors has an extendable catalyst transfer tube that is fed by a catalyst hopper and controlled by a tube displacement mechanism; more particularly, by a winch mechanism. As the reactor chamber fills with catalyst, a lower end of the extendable catalyst transfer tube is displaced upward by the tube displacement mechanism to correspond with the rising height of the catalyst bed within the chamber. The extendable catalyst transfer tube may further be used to vacuum old catalyst out of the reactor chamber.

The present invention relates to the field of high polymer material manufacturing, and discloses an air-isolated continuous feeding system for synthesizing polylactic acid from lactide and a feeding method thereof. The continuous feeding system comprises a raw material bag/box and a raw material collector for collecting and outputting lactide, the raw material bag/box is connected with a shielding gas input pipeline, a discharge pipe is movably inserted into the raw material bag/box, a cyclone separator is connected downstream of the discharge pipe, and a solid substance outlet of the cyclone separator is connected with the raw material collector. According to the invention, deterioration of the lactide raw material incurred by moisture absorption and oxidation is avoided, and the reaction conversion ratio and final product purity are improved. The continuous feeding system is easy to operate, can save manpower and material resources, and is applicable to industrial application.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for withdrawing polymer agglomerates from a fluidised bed polymerisation reactor, the polymerisation reactor comprising a bottom zone having a generally conical shape and no fluidisation grid. The agglomerates are withdrawn by using an agglomerate trap below the bottom zone. A value of a process variable indicative of the content of agglomerates in the agglomerate trap is measured and the opening time of the valves transferring polymer to and from the agglomerate trap is adjusted based on the measured value.

A method for processing a chemical stream includes contacting a feed stream with a catalyst in a reactor portion of a reactor system that includes a reactor portion and a catalyst processing portion. The catalyst includes platinum, gallium, or both and contacting the feed stream with the catalyst causes a reaction which forms an effluent stream. The method includes separating the effluent stream from the catalyst, passing the catalyst to the catalyst processing portion, and processing the catalyst in the catalyst processing portion. Processing the catalyst includes passing the catalyst to a combustor, combusting a supplemental fuel in the combustor to heat the catalyst, treating the heated catalyst with an oxygen-containing gas to produce a reactivated catalyst, and passing the reactivated catalyst from the catalyst processing portion to the reactor portion. The supplemental fuel may include a molar ratio of hydrogen to other combustible fuels of at least 1:1.