Disclosed is a method and plant for the catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes, such as propane. The plant is a plant of hybrid architecture wherein one or more membrane-assisted reactor configurations according to open architecture are combined with one or more membrane-containing reactors of closed architecture. Hydrogen remaining in the reaction mixture after separation in the membrane separation unit of a first open architecture configuration, is fed to a first membrane-reactor of the closed architecture type. Also disclosed are methods of modifying plants so as to create the hybrid architecture plant.

A reformer includes a reforming chamber having a raw fuel passage through which a raw fuel flows, the reforming chamber being filled with or carrying a reforming catalyst, a supply chamber disposed upstream of the reforming chamber, for uniformly supplying the raw fuel to the raw fuel passage, and a discharge chamber disposed downstream of the reforming chamber, for uniformly discharging the raw fuel from the raw fuel passage. The raw fuel passage has first and second reversers for reversing the direction in which the raw fuel flows. The raw fuel passage has a cross-sectional area which is smaller in a downstream portion thereof than in an upstream portion thereof.

Provided is a reformate hydrotreatment method, the method comprising: under liquid phase hydrotreatment conditions, bringing the reformate and a catalyst having a catalytic hydrogenation effect into contact in a hydrogenation reactor, the hydrogen used in the hydrotreating process at least partially coming from the hydrogen dissolved in the reformate. According to the method of the present invention, the reformate separated from a reformate products separating tank can directly undergo liquid phase hydrotreatment; therefore not only can the hydrogen dissolved in the reformate be fully utilized, but the olefins in the reformate can also be removed, while eliminate the requirements for recycle hydrogen and a recycle device thereof. The reformate obtained by the method of the present invention reduces the bromine index to below 50 mgBr.sub.2/100 g, and has an arene loss of less than 0.5 wt %.

Herein disclosed is a dry reforming reactor comprising a gas inlet near the bottom of the reactor; a gas outlet near the top of the reactor; a fluidized bed comprising a catalyst; and one or more hydrogen membranes comprising palladium (Pd). In some cases, the one or more hydrogen membranes comprises Pd alloy membranes, or Pd supported on ceramics or metals. In some cases, the one or more hydrogen membranes are placed vertically in the reactor as hydrogen membrane tubes hanging from the top of the reactor. In some cases, the hydrogen membranes are configured to selectively collect hydrogen from the tubes via one or more internal manifolds and sent to an external hydrogen collection system.

Herein disclosed is a dry reforming reactor comprising a gas inlet near the bottom of the reactor; a gas outlet near the top of the reactor; a fluidized bed comprising a catalyst; and one or more hydrogen membranes comprising palladium (Pd). In some cases, the one or more hydrogen membranes comprises Pd alloy membranes, or Pd supported on ceramics or metals. In some cases, the one or more hydrogen membranes are placed vertically in the reactor as hydrogen membrane tubes hanging from the top of the reactor. In some cases, the hydrogen membranes are configured to selectively collect hydrogen from the tubes via one or more internal manifolds and sent to an external hydrogen collection system.

An electrically heated chemical reactor is described for efficiently supplying reaction heat to the endothermic catalytic chemical processes as an alternative to or in combination with conventional heating methods.

A tubular reactor includes a bed of catalytic powder confined within an annular space, a hollow insert having a distribution chamber and a collection chamber, and a second wall comprising at least one distributing opening and at least one collecting opening. The reactor has at least one filtering element positioned at the at least one collecting opening and at the at least one distributing opening, preventing the passage of catalytic powder from the annular space to the at least one collection chamber and distribution chamber, and bearing against the outer surface of the second wall and covering the at least one collecting opening and distributing opening and/or being housed inside the at least one collecting opening and distributing opening.

A fixed-bed tubular reactor that extends between first and second ends and includes a bed of catalyst powder confined in an annular space located between an outer wall of a hollow tube and an inner wall of a hollow insert, which comprises a distribution chamber and a collection chamber. The inner wall is covered with a permselective membrane allowing partial removal of at least one reaction product, in that it comprises at least one make-up chamber separated from the at least one distribution chamber and collecting chamber by at least one first dividing wall. The at least one make-up chamber includes an inlet port for at least one make-up fluid and an outlet port for the at least one make-up fluid.

The present invention discloses aromatization reactor vessels with hydrogen membrane tubes, and associated aromatization reactor vessel systems. Also disclosed are processes for conducting aromatization reactions utilizing these reactor vessels and systems.

The present invention discloses aromatization reactor vessels with hydrogen membrane tubes, and associated aromatization reactor vessel systems. Also disclosed are processes for conducting aromatization reactions utilizing these reactor vessels and systems.