Multi-reactor systems with aromatization reactor vessels containing a catalyst with low surface area and pore volume, followed in series by aromatization reactor vessels containing a catalyst with high surface area and pore volume, are disclosed. Related reforming methods using the different aromatization catalysts also are described.

Processes for producing ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol, and associated reaction systems are similarly provided. Specifically, a process is provided that comprises supplying an overhead absorber stream withdrawn from an absorber to a vapor-liquid separator to yield an aqueous bottoms stream and a recycle gas stream; supplying an aqueous process stream comprising one or more impurities to a distillation apparatus to yield an overhead impurities stream and a purified aqueous process stream; supplying at least a portion of the purified aqueous process stream and an ethylene oxide product stream to the absorber; and contacting the ethylene oxide product stream with the purified aqueous process stream in the absorber in the presence of one or more carboxylation and hydrolysis catalysts to yield a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol.

The invention is directed to a system for energy storage including a heat transfer fluid (HTF) tank containing a HTF such as water; a chemical combustion reactor that is at least partially filled with a metal and/or an oxide thereof, and that includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet; wherein the chemical combustion reactor is at least partially submerged in the HTF within the HTF tank.

Multi-reactor systems with aromatization reactor vessels containing a catalyst with low surface area and pore volume, followed in series by aromatization reactor vessels containing a catalyst with high surface area and pore volume, are disclosed. Related reforming methods using the different aromatization catalysts also are described.

A process for conducting an exothermic reaction in a vertical tubular reactor comprising; providing a reactor with two or more reaction zones each containing multiple tubes attached to common tube sheets at top and bottom, each zone separated by segmented baffles in the top head and the bottom head.

The present disclosure relates to a process plant and a process for production of a hydrogen rich gas, comprising the steps of (a) directing an amount of a synthesis gas comprising at least 15%, 50% or 80% on dry basis of CO and H.sub.2 in combination, a gas comprising steam, and a recycled intermediate product gas to be combined into a first reactor feed gas, (b) directing said first reactor feed gas to contact a first material catalytically active in water gas shift reaction, producing an intermediate product gas, (c) splitting said intermediate product gas in the recycled intermediate product gas and a remaining intermediate product gas, (d) combining said remaining intermediate product gas with a further amount of synthesis gas forming a second reactor feed gas, (e) directing said second reactor feed gas to contact a second material catalytically active in the water gas shift reaction, producing a product gas, characterized in the H.sub.2O:CO ratio in said first reactor feed gas being from 0.5 to 2.0 and the H.sub.2O:CO ratio in said second reactor feed gas being from 0.5 to 2.0. with the associated benefit of distributing the heat development and thus reducing the maximum temperature in the reactors by limiting the extent of reaction of the reacting mixture, and thereby reducing the amount of steam required for limiting methanation.

Described herein are improved chemical reactors for carrying out partial oxidation reactions. The chemical reactor permits the use of levels of oxygen above the lower explosion limit (LEL) typically used in partial oxidation reactions, which increases both volumetric reactivity and conversion per pass, resulting in reduced separation and reactant recycle costs. Also described are methods of using the reactors.

The invention relates to a reactor for performing exothermic equilibrium reactions, especially for producing methanol from synthesis gas in a multistage synthesis with intermediate condensation of the reaction product. The reactor according to the invention has a reactor shell and a multitude of series-connected and mutually fluid-connected reactor cells disposed within the reactor shell, where each of the reactor cells includes a reaction apparatus, a cooling-down apparatus and a phase separation apparatus as reactor cell elements. The reactor has a multitude of reactor planes disposed in a mutually parallel arrangement within the reactor shell, where reactor cell elements of the same kind are disposed in the same reactor plane. The inventive arrangement of the reactor cell elements enables the building of a compact reactor and reduces material stresses within the reactor by the avoidance of large temperature differences within the reactor shell.

In the technical field of the preparation of alicyclic compounds, a ring hydrogenation of aromatic compounds prepares alicyclic compounds in a process for preparing alicyclic compounds. The alicyclic compounds may preferably be alicyclic carboxylic acids and esters thereof. An apparatus for carrying out this process may further be provided.

A process for dehydrogenating a paraffinic feedstock, producing olefins and/or dienes. The process includes feeding a paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising one or more C2+ paraffinic hydrocarbons and a fuel gas stream to a dehydrogenation reactor preheater, combusting the fuel gas stream in the dehydrogenation reactor preheater and heating the paraffinic hydrocarbon feedstock to a temperature in the range of 500-650? C., producing a heated paraffinic feedstock, feeding the heated paraffinic feedstock to a first dehydrogenation reactor operating in a reaction mode and containing an active dehydrogenation catalyst and at least one first electrical heating element, heating the heated paraffinic feedstock in the first dehydrogenation reactor using the at least one first electrical heating element, and contacting the heated paraffinic feedstock with the active dehydrogenation catalyst and the at least one electrical heating element thereby producing an olefinic product stream comprising one or more olefins.