A hydrocarbon conversion process is described. The process includes passing a hydrocarbon stream through a plurality of reaction zones and a plurality of fired heaters, the effluent from a first reaction zone passing through one of the plurality of fired heaters before entering a second reaction zone. The plurality of fired heaters include a radiant section, an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold, at least one heater tube having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being in fluid communication with the inlet manifold and the outlet being in fluid communication with the outlet manifold, and at least one burner, the inlet manifold of one of the plurality of fired heaters being at a vertical height different from a vertical height of at least one of the other inlet manifolds or at least one of the outlet manifolds.

A method of oxidatively dehydrogenating a dehydrogenation reactant includes providing a first gaseous feed stream to a first adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone with less than a stoichiometric amount of oxygen and superheated steam, oxidatively dehydrogenating dehydrogenation reactant in said first adiabatic, catalytic reaction zone and subsequently cooling the effluent, adding additional oxygen and reacting the effluent stream in at least one subsequent adiabatic reaction zone. The dehydrogenation system enables higher conversion and yield per pass and in some cases greatly reduces steam usage and energy costs. In a preferred integrated process, ethylene is converted to n-butene which is then oxidatively dehydrogenated to butadiene.

A catalyst bed system, and a dehydrogenation process using the same, including a horizontal catalyst bed having a mixture of at least one catalytic material and at least one first inert material, a predetermined volume of at least one second inert material arranged upstream of the catalyst bed, wherein the volume of the reactor above the catalyst bed system is not filled by any solid material (empty space). The volume of the second inert material and the volume of the reactor above the second inert material (empty space) is between 0.04 and 0.73, preferably between 0.06 and 0.3, most preferably between 0.09 and 0.2.

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.

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.

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 relates to a process for converting natural gas to higher hydrocarbon(s) including aromatic hydrocarbon(s) in n reaction zones operated in series, wherein m reaction zones are not participating in the conversion process and only (nm) reaction zones are operated under reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said natural gas to an effluent having said higher hydrocarbon(s). An object of the present invention is to provide a process for converting natural gas to higher hydrocarbon(s) including aromatic hydrocarbon(s) wherein a high reactant, i.e. methane, conversion can be achieved.

In the operation of an oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) process, it is desirable to remove oxygen in the product stream for a number of reasons, including to reduce oxidation of the product. This may be achieved by having several pre-reactors upstream of the main reactor having a catalyst system containing labile oxygen. The feed passes through one or more reactors saturated with labile oxygen. When the labile oxygen is consumed through a valve system, the pre-reactor accepts product from the main reactor and complexes reactive oxygen in the product stream until the catalyst system is saturated with labile oxygen. Then the reactor becomes a pre-reactor and another pre-reactor becomes a scavenger.

In the operation of an oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) process, it is desirable to remove oxygen in the product stream for a number of reasons, including to reduce oxidation of the product. This may be achieved by having several pre-reactors upstream of the main reactor having a catalyst system containing labile oxygen. The feed passes through one or more reactors saturated with labile oxygen. When the labile oxygen is consumed through a valve system, the pre-reactor accepts product from the main reactor and complexes reactive oxygen in the product stream until the catalyst system is saturated with labile oxygen. Then the reactor becomes a pre-reactor and another pre-reactor becomes a scavenger.