A load-following reactor system and associated facilities for improved control of a reactor under varying loads. The load-following reactor may be a tube-cooled reactor for methanol synthesis. A reactant may be controlled by at least one valve element such that a portion of the reactant is fed to the reactor through the reactor tubes, and a portion of the reactant is fed to the reactor after being heated in a heat exchanger. The heated portion of the reactant may be fed to the reactor after the tubes. The valve element may be controlled based on a temperature of the reactor and/or a flowrate of reactant feed to adapt the temperature of the reactor to the changing reactant flowrate.

A gas production apparatus and a gas production system capable of continuously and stably manufacturing a produced gas containing carbon monoxide from a raw material gas containing carbon dioxide are provided. A gas production apparatus 1 is an apparatus that manufactures a produced gas containing carbon monoxide by bringing a raw material gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with a reducing agent containing a metal oxide that reduces carbon dioxide. The gas production apparatus includes a reaction section 4 that includes a plurality of reactors 4a and 4b and a reducing agent arranged in the reactors 4a and 4b, and that is capable of switching between the raw material gas and the reducing gas to be supplied to each of the reactors 4a and 4b. When a predetermined amount of raw material gas is supplied to the reactors 4a and 4b, or when the conversion efficiency of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide falls below a predetermined value, the gas production apparatus is configured to switch between the raw material gas and the reducing gas to be supplied to each reactor 4a and 4b.

A method is described for shutting down a Fischer-Tropsch reactor fed with a reactant gas mixture comprising a synthesis gas and a recycle gas recovered from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor in a synthesis loop, said Fischer-Tropsch reactor containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst cooled indirectly by a coolant under pressure, comprising the steps of: (a) depressurising the coolant to cool the reactant gas mixture to quench Fischer-Tropsch reactions taking place in the Fischer-Tropsch reactor, (b) stopping the synthesis gas feed to the Fischer-Tropsch reactor, and (c) maintaining circulation of the recycle gas through the Fischer-Tropsch reactor during steps (a) and (b) to remove heat from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor. The method safely facilitates a more rapid return to operating conditions than a full shut-down.

A method for enhancing the heat transfer performance of a vertical tubular reactor by adding heat transfer elements inside the reactor tubes. Such heat transfer elements have two or more substantially curved legs of equal length with no cross fins, each with a foot that engages the inside wall of the tube, and can optionally have two or more substantially curved sub-legs that do not engage the wall of the tube.

A heat integrated steam reformer, which incorporates a catalytic combustor, which can be used in a fuel processor for hydrogen production from a fuel source, is described. The reformer assembly comprises a reforming section and a combustion section, separated by a wall. Catalyst (21) able to induce the reforming reactions is placed in the reforming section, either in the form of pellets or in the form of coating on a suitable structured catalyst substrate such as fecralloy sheets. Catalyst (22) able to induce the combustion reactions is placed in the combustion section in the form of coating on suitable structured catalyst substrate such as fecralloy sheet. A steam and fuel mixture (30) is supplied to the reforming section (14) where it is reformed to produce hydrogen. A fuel and an oxygen (32) containing gas mixture is supplied to the combustion section where it is catalytically combusted to supply the heat for the reformer. The close placement of the combustion and reforming catalysts facilitate efficient heat transfer. Multiple such assemblies can be bundled to form reactors of any size. The reactor made of this closely packed combustion and reforming sections is very compact.

In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for the oxidative coupling of methane to generate hydrocarbon compounds containing at least two carbon atoms (C.sub.2+ compounds). The method can include mixing a first gas stream comprising methane with a second gas stream comprising oxygen to form a third gas stream comprising methane and oxygen and performing an oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) reaction using the third gas stream to produce a product stream comprising one or more C.sub.2+ compounds.

A process for endothermic dehydrogenation including contacting a catalyst material in a moving bed reactor having at least one reaction zone, the moving bed reactor comprising a heat exchanger containing a heating medium, wherein the catalyst material and the heating medium do not contact one another, and wherein at least 50% of the delta enthalpy of the at least one reaction zone is provided by the heat exchanger; and contacting a feedstock comprising hydrocarbons with the catalyst material in the at least one reaction zone of the moving bed reactor under reaction conditions to convert at least a portion of the hydrocarbons to a first effluent comprising a product comprising alkenes, alkynes, cyclic hydrocarbons, and/or aromatics.

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for housing a chemical looping process comprising of at least one fluidized-bed combustor reactor, at least one entrained riser, at least one particle separator, optionally at least one particle holding reactor, at least one moving-bed reactor, at least one standpipe, at least one L-valve system for solid flow control and interconnecting sections.

A process and apparatus is disclosed for gradually starting fluidization in a bed of particulate from the top down so as to avoid thrusting the entire mass of particulates upwardly in the bed at the same time which may damage internals in the bed. The particulate bed may comprise a catalyst cooler for an FCC unit containing internals such as cooling, fluidization and support equipment.

A gas replacement process and a gas replacement apparatus are employed, in the nitro compound hydrogenation reaction process. The gas replacement process at least includes a first step of subjecting a stream to be replaced to the gas replacement in presence of a first replacement gas, and then a second step of subjecting to the gas replacement in presence of the second replacement gas. Assuming the superficial velocity of the first replacement gas is V1, and the superficial velocity of the second replacement gas is V2, then V2/V1≥1.5.