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.

A movable device for filling one or more chambers with solid particles in the divided state, the device includes a movable frame, metering means for metering the solid particles comprising two or more metering plates comprising one or more perforations, the metering plates being arranged on top of one another such that the perforation or perforations of one metering plate is/are in connection with the perforation or perforations of the metering plate situated below and/or above it, so as to form one or more metering columns intended to be placed in connection with the chamber or chambers, means for simultaneously releasing the solid particles from the metering means to the chamber or chambers, a storage tank for storing the solid particles, which comprises a bottom pierced with through-holes that are connected with, or can be placed in connection with, the metering column or columns, and comprising unloading means for releasing the solid particles from the storage tank to the metering column or columns.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for removing catalyst, absorbents and other materials from a reactor, guard bed, or other refinery or petrochemical vessel via a robotic or remotely operated device. A vacuum hose is connected to the device for removing the material from the vessel for ex-situ regeneration or disposal. The device moves around on the surface of the catalyst using motorized screws that grip to the catalyst material. The device is powered by hydraulic, pneumatic or electric motors attached to the frame of the device with supply and return hoses extending in and out of the vessel in line with the vacuum hose.

A counter-current catalyst regenerator with at least two stages of counter-current contact is proposed. Each stage may comprise a permeable barrier that allows upward passage of oxygen-containing gas and downward passage of coked catalyst into each stage, but inhibits upward movement of catalyst to mitigate back mixing and approximate true counter-current contact and efficient combustion of coke from catalyst.

Polymerization processes and reactor systems for producing multimodal ethylene polymers are disclosed in which at least one loop reactor and at least one fluidized bed reactor are utilized. Configurations include a loop reactor in series with a fluidized bed reactor and two loop reactors in series with a fluidized bed reactor.

The machinery and methods disclosed herein are based on the use of a specialized extruder configured to continuously convey and plasticize/moltenize selected lignocellulosic biomass and/or waste plastic materials into a novel variable volume tubular reactor, wherein the plasticized/moltenized material undergoes reaction with circumferentially injected supercritical water—thereby yielding valuable simple sugar solutions and/or liquid hydrocarbon mixtures (e.g., “neodiesel”), both of which are key chemical commodity products. The reaction time may be adjusted by changing the reactor volume. The machinery includes four zones: (1) a feedstock conveyance and plasticization/moltenization zone; (2) a steam generation and manifold distribution zone; (3) a central supercritical water reaction zone; and (4) a pressure let-down and reaction product separation zone. The machinery and methods minimize water usage—thereby enabling the economic utilization of abundant biomass and waste plastics as viable renewable feedstocks for subsequent conversion into alternative liquid transportation fuels and valuable green-chemical products.

Provided is a continuous reactor system for producing graphene or an inorganic 2-D compound, the reactor comprising: (a) a rust body comprising an outer wall and a second body comprising an inner wall, wherein the inner wall defines a bore and the first body is configured within the bore and a motor is configured to rotate the first and/or second body; (b) a reaction chamber between the outer wall of the first body and the inner wall of the second body; (c) a first inlet and a second inlet disposed at first end of the reactor and in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; (d) a first outlet and a second outlet disposed downstream from the first inlet, the outlets being in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; and (e) a flow return conduit having two inlets/outlets in fluid communication with two ends of the reactor.

A feed injector may have a body having an outer wall and an inner wall with a first conduit formed between the outer wall and the inner wall. The first conduit is configured to receive a atomizing gas. Additionally, a second conduit may be formed by the inner wall, and the second conduit is configured to receive a liquid. The first conduit and the second conduit are separated by the inner wall. Further, a mixing chamber may be provided at an outlet of the first conduit and an outlet of the second conduit. The atomizing gas from the first conduit and the liquid from the second conduit hit and/or mix together in the mixing chamber to form liquid droplets and a mixture of the atomizing gas and the liquid. Furthermore, a flow cone may have a first end in the second conduit and a second end in the mixing chamber.

A rotary feeder having a stationary, cylindrical housing having disposed therein a number of injection nozzles, and within which rotate a plurality of vanes about a central axis, wherein pairs of adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes define wedge volumes, wherein the housing extends a width along the central axis, wherein each of the vanes has a length along the central axis, and wherein the injection nozzles are positioned across the width of the housing, such that a spray pattern of a gas injected via the number of injection nozzles spans substantially the entire length of the vanes.

A direct decomposition device for hydrocarbons for directly decomposing hydrocarbons into carbon and hydrogen includes a rector containing a catalyst including a plurality of metal particles with an iron purity of 86% or more. The reactor is configured to be supplied with a raw material gas containing hydrocarbons.