The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon conversion, and to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon conversion, e.g., hydrocarbon pyrolysis processes. The hydrocarbon conversion is carried out in a reactor which includes at least one channeled member that comprises refractory and has an open frontal area≤55%. The refractory can include non-oxide ceramic.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon conversion, and to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon conversion, e.g., hydrocarbon pyrolysis processes. The hydrocarbon conversion is carried out in a reactor which includes at least one channeled member that comprises refractory and has an open frontal area 55%. The refractory can include non-oxide ceramic.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon conversion, and to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon conversion, e.g., hydrocarbon pyrolysis processes. The hydrocarbon conversion is carried out in a reactor which includes at least one channeled member that comprises refractory and has an open frontal area 55%. The refractory can include non-oxide ceramic.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon pyrolysis, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon pyrolysis, to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon pyrolysis, and to the use of hydrocarbon pyrolysis for, e.g., hydrocarbon upgrading.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon pyrolysis, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon pyrolysis, to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon pyrolysis, and to the use of hydrocarbon pyrolysis for, e.g., hydrocarbon upgrading.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon conversion, to equipment and materials useful for hydrocarbon conversion, and to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon conversion, e.g., hydrocarbon pyrolysis processes. The hydrocarbon conversion is carried out in a reactor which includes at least one channeled member that comprises refractory and has an open frontal area 55%. The refractory can include non-oxide ceramic.

The invention relates to approach temperatures and approach temperature ranges that are beneficial in operating a pyrolysis reactor, to pyrolysis reactors exhibiting a beneficial approach temperature, to processes for carrying out hydrocarbon pyrolysis in a pyrolysis reactor having a beneficial approach temperature. The pyrolysis reactor can be, e.g., a reverse-flow pyrolysis reactor, such as a regenerative reverse-flow pyrolysis reactor.

The invention relates to hydrocarbon dehydrocyclization to produce products such as aromatic hydrocarbon, to equipment and materials useful for dehydrocyclization, to processes for carrying out dehydrocyclization, and to the use of dehydrocyclization for, e.g., natural gas upgrading. The dehydrocyclization is carried out in a catalytic reaction zone of a reverse-flow reactor.

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.

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.