Method for stable ethanol steam reforming, wherein a catalytic ethanol reforming is carried out in two vessels operating in parallel mode both filled in with a catalyst active for this reaction, with the first vessel acting in operation mode, generating an hydrogen rich stream, and the parallel vessel, acting in regeneration mode, made flowing with steam in order to carry out the gasification of carbonaceous compounds deposited on the catalyst.

The invention relates to a process for hydrocracking a feedstream comprising hydrocarbons to obtain BTX in a gas phase hydrocracking reactor system which comprises (i) an upstream end and a downstream end, (ii) a plurality of successive reaction zones distributed along the reactor between the upstream end and the downstream end, wherein each of the reaction zones has a bed of a hydrocracking catalyst contained therein and (iii) a plurality of quench zones, the quench zones being distributed along the reactor and each being situated between successive reaction zones, wherein the process comprises: (a) injecting a first portion of a hydrogen gas into the upstream end and a first portion of a hydrocarbon gas into the upstream end and (b) injecting a second portion of the hydrogen gas into at least one of the quench zones and injecting a second portion of the hydrocarbon gas into at least one of the quench zones, wherein the molar ratio between hydrogen and hydrocarbons entering each of the reaction zones is 1:1 to 4:1, wherein the molar ratio between hydrogen and hydrocarbons entering the reaction zones decreases with the distance of the reaction zone from the upstream end of the reactor.

The invention relates to a process for hydrocracking a feedstream comprising hydrocarbons to obtain BTX in a gas phase hydrocracking reactor system which comprises (i) an upstream end and a downstream end, (ii) a plurality of successive reaction zones distributed along the reactor between the upstream end and the downstream end, wherein each of the reaction zones has a bed of a hydrocracking catalyst contained therein and (iii) a plurality of quench zones, the quench zones being distributed along the reactor and each being situated between successive reaction zones, wherein the process comprises: (a) injecting a first portion of a hydrogen gas into the upstream end and a first portion of a hydrocarbon gas into the upstream end and (b) injecting a second portion of the hydrogen gas into at least one of the quench zones and injecting a second portion of the hydrocarbon gas into at least one of the quench zones, wherein the molar ratio between hydrogen and hydrocarbons entering each of the reaction zones is 1:1 to 4:1, wherein the molar ratio between hydrogen and hydrocarbons entering the reaction zones decreases with the distance of the reaction zone from the upstream end of the reactor.

A contacting device and method are presented for the collection, contacting, and distribution of fluids between particulate beds of a downflow vessel, which may operate in co-current flow. By one approach, the contacting device includes a liquid collection tray, a mixing channel in fluid communication with the liquid collection tray, and a liquid distribution zone

Methods and catalysts for producing ethylene and methanol from natural gas are presented. Methods include integration of oxidative conversion of methane to ethane, ethane in situ thermal cracking using the thermal heat generated thereby and direct hydrogenation of byproducts to methanol or oxidative CO.sub.2 autothermal reforming of methane to syngas.

The present invention relates to a multiple-bed downflow reactor comprising vertically spaced beds of solid contact material and a mixing device positioned in an inter bed space between adjacent beds. The mixing device comprises a loop of first nozzles distributed around a vertical axis and arranged for ejecting a fluid in a first ejection direction into said inter bed space, on the one hand, and a loop of second nozzles distributed around the vertical axis and arranged for ejecting a fluid in a second ejection direction into said inter bed space, on the other hand. The first ejection direction is directed inwardly with respect to the loop of first nozzles. The second ejection direction is directed outwardly with respect to the loop of second nozzles.

A procedure for shutting down a dehydrogenation reactor having a catalyst bed with a chromium-containing catalyst operating at a first elevated temperature comprises cooling the catalyst bed with a first cooling gas to a second elevated temperature lower than the first elevated temperature, removing the first cooling gas, introducing a reducing gas to the catalyst bed, cooling the catalyst bed with a second cooling gas from the second elevated temperature to a third elevated temperature, removing the reducing gas, cooling the catalyst bed to a fourth elevated temperature, and introducing air to cool the catalyst to ambient temperature, whereby the dehydrogenation reactor is shut down. The second cooling gas may be the same as, or different from, the reducing gas. Moreover, the reducing gas may be purged from the reactor by a third cooling gas.

The present invention relates to a plant and a process for producing propylene at least one oxygenate, comprising a reactor for converting the reactant mixture into a product mixture which comprises propylene and also aliphatic and aromatic C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons, at least one distillation column for removing a C.sub.5+ stream, the C.sub.5+ stream comprising at least 90 wt % of the aliphatic and aromatic C.sub.5+ hydrocarbons of the product mixture, an extractive distillation column for separating the C.sub.5+ stream into an aromatics stream and an aliphatics stream, the aliphatics stream comprising at least 90 wt % of the aliphatics of the C.sub.5+ stream, and the aromatics stream comprising at least 90 wt % of the aromatics of the C.sub.5+ stream, and an aliphatics recycle line for at least partial recycling of the aliphatics stream to the reactor. According to the invention, an aromatics recycle line is provided which returns the aromatics stream at least partially as extractant into the extractive distillation column.

A method and device for lightening heavy oil by utilizing a suspension-bed hydrogenation process are provided. In the process, a part of a raw oil is mixed with a suspension-bed hydrocracking catalyst to form a first mixture, then the first mixture is subjected to first shear and second shear in sequence so as to realize high dispersion and mixing of the catalyst and the raw oil; through pretreatment of the raw oil, the device can prevent the raw oil from coking in the hydrogenation process; through the adoption of a suspension-bed reactor with a liquid phase self-circulation function or a cold-wall function; and light and heavy components are separated from the suspension-bed hydrogenated product in advance and only medium component is subjected to fixed-bed hydrogenation, thereby reducing the load of the fixed-bed hydrogenation, prolonging the service life of the fixed-bed catalyst, improving the yield and quality of gasoline and diesel, and being beneficial for energy conservation and emission reduction of the whole system.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a gas coolant for the direct cooling of a unit operation under a fixed heat load from its normal operating temperature (e.g., 300 F. and above) to a lower temperature (e.g., below 100 F.) in order to allow for maintenance or other non-routine work to be carried out in said unit operation.