A system for processing a stream including fuel oil includes an atmospheric flash column for receiving the stream as feedstock and separate the stream into an atmospheric flash distillate stream and an atmospheric flash residue stream. The system includes a vacuum flash column for receiving the atmospheric flash residue stream and separating the atmospheric flash residue stream into a vacuum flash distillate stream, a vacuum flash residue stream, and a vacuum gas oil stream. The system includes a first hydrocracking unit for receiving and processing at least a portion of the vacuum flash residue stream to produce an intermediate stream and a slurry. The system includes a second hydrocracking unit for receiving and processing the vacuum gas oil stream and the intermediate stream to produce a naphtha product and a light ends product. The system includes a pelletization unit for receiving and processing the slurry to produce a pelletized product.

The present specification discloses a membrane reactor comprising a reaction region; a permeate region; and a composite membrane disposed at a boundary of the reaction region and the permeate region, wherein the reaction region comprises a bed filled with a catalyst for dehydrogenation reaction, wherein the composite membrane comprises a support layer including a metal with a body-centered-cubic (BCC) crystal structure, and a catalyst layer including a palladium (Pd) or a palladium alloy formed onto the support layer, wherein ammonia (NH.sub.3) is supplied to the reaction region, the ammonia is converted into hydrogen (H.sub.2) by the dehydrogenation reaction in the presence of the catalyst for dehydrogenation reaction, and the hydrogen permeates the composite membrane and is emitted from the membrane reactor through the permeate region.

Systems and methods useful in determining the superficial gas velocity in fluidized bed reactors may utilize a pressure drop across a portion of the system but not associated with a flowmeter. For example, method may comprise: obtaining a pressure for each of two different locations within a fluidized bed reactor system that comprises a reactor capable of containing a fluidized bed and a cycle gas loop, wherein one or both of the two different locations is not at a flowmeter; calculating a pressure drop based on the two pressures; calculating a first superficial gas velocity (SGV.sub.alt) for the fluidized bed based on the pressure drop; and operating the fluidized bed reactor system based at least in part on the SGV.sub.alt.

An apparatus and method for producing a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene from CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 via CO and H.sub.2 with high activity and high selectivity. The apparatus is provided with: a synthetic gas production unit to which a gas containing CH.sub.4 and CO.sub.2 is supplied from a first supply unit, and which generates a synthetic gas containing CO and H.sub.2 while heating a first catalytic structure; a gas production unit to which the synthetic gas is supplied and which generates a lower olefin-containing gas including propylene while heating a second catalytic structure; and a detection unit which detects propylene discharged from the gas production unit, in which the first catalytic structure includes first supports having a porous structure and a first metal fine particle in the first supports, the first supports have a first channels, the first metal fine particle is present in the first channels, the second catalyst structure includes second supports having a porous structure and a second metal fine particle in the second supports, the second supports have a second channels, and a portion of the second channels have an average inner diameter of 0.95 nm or less.

A catalytic system is provided which comprises a tubular reactor and at least one catalyst particle located within the tubular reactor. The catalyst particles have a particular geometric form which promotes heat transfer with the tubular reactor. Certain specific catalyst particles are also provided.

The invention relates to a catalyst system for producing maleic anhydride by means of the catalytic oxidation of n-butane, comprising at least one reactor tube, which has two catalyst layers consisting of different catalyst particles, characterized in that the geometric surface area per catalyst particle is greater in the catalyst layer that is first in the gas flow direction than in the second catalyst layer. The invention further relates to a process for producing maleic anhydride by means of the catalytic oxidation of n-butane, wherein a mixture of oxygen and n-butane is fed through the catalyst system according to the invention and the at least one reactor tube is at elevated temperature.

A method for facilitating the distribution of the flow of one or more streams within a bed vessel is provided. Disposed within the bed vessel are internal materials and structures including multiple operating zones. One type of operating zone can be a processing zone composed of one or more beds of solid processing material. Another type of operating zone can be a treating zone. Treating zones can facilitate the distribution of the one or more streams fed to processing zones. The distribution can facilitate contact between the feed streams and the processing materials contained in the processing zones.

A gas processing vessel of cylindrical shape having a cylindrical shell of the vertical axis, a gas distribution device and a first particulate material, the distribution device being fixed in the vessel next to a gas inlet or outlet orifice recessed into a lower end wall, a cover being designed to be in contact without a weld with the lower end wall and having a diameter greater than or equal to one third of the diameter of the vessel, a second particulate material with an equivalent diameter De greater than or equal to 10 mm and greater than the dimensions of the openings in the cover, and a means for centering the cover above the inlet or outlet orifice, the means being fixed to the pipe that is connected to the orifice.

An apparatus for the production of solid dosage forms is presented, wherein the apparatus comprises a material processing chamber which is operable for manufacturing a product according to a pre-set product formation process path. The apparatus has at least one sensor for continuously monitoring formation of the product in the material processing chamber during the product formation process non-invasively in real time by sensing at least one product functional attribute value and a means for comparing each sensed product functional attribute value with a desirable product functional attribute value for that point on the product formation process path. A controller controls operation of the material processing chamber in response to the sensed product functional attribute value for maintaining the product on the product formation process path.

A catalytic system is provided which comprises a tubular reactor and at least one catalyst particle located within the tubular reactor. The catalyst particles have a particular geometric form which promotes heat transfer with the tubular reactor. Certain specific catalyst particles are also provided.