A method for starting a slurry bubble column reactor that includes a reactor vessel holding a settled or slumped bed of particles and a liquid phase from which the particles have settled includes introducing a flow of a re-suspension liquid into the settled or slumped bed to loosen the settled or slumped bed. The introduction of the re-suspension liquid takes place before the introduction of any gas into the settled or slumped bed, or together with feeding of gas into the settled or slumped bed, provided that, if gas is fed together with the re-suspension liquid into the settled or slumped bed before the settled or slumped bed has been loosened, the gas has a superficial gas velocity in the reactor below 10 cm/s. Once the settled or slumped bed has been loosened by at least the re-suspension liquid, gas is passed at a superficial gas velocity above 10 cm/s through the liquid phase.

A process for commencing a continuous reaction in a reactor system includes introducing a catalyst to a catalyst processing portion of the reactor system, the catalyst initially having a first temperature of 500 C or less, and contacting the catalyst at the first temperature with a commencement fuel gas stream, which includes at least 80 mol % commencement fuel gas, in the catalyst processing portion. Contacting of the catalyst with the commencement fuel gas stream causes combustion of the commencement fuel gas. The process includes maintaining the contacting of the catalyst with the commencement fuel gas stream until the temperature of the catalyst increases from the first temperature to a second temperature at which combustion of a regenerator fuel source maintains an operating temperature range in the catalyst processing portion.

Steam-hydrocarbon reforming reactor with a reformer tube containing ceramic-supported catalyst pellets and metal foam particles. The ceramic-supported catalyst pellets have a porous support comprising one or more of alumina, calcium aluminate, and magnesium aluminate. The metal foam particles comprise Fe and/or Ni. The ceramic-supported catalyst pellets and metal foam particles may be layered or interspersed.

A multi-tubular chemical reactor includes an igniter for the initiation of gas phase exothermic reaction within the gas phase reaction zones of the tubular reactor units. In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a multi-tubular chemical reactor comprising a plurality of spaced-apart reactor units, each reactor unit comprising an elongate tube having a wall with internal and external surfaces, an inlet at one end and an outlet at the opposing end, the wall enclosing a gaseous flow passageway at least a portion of which defines a gas phase reaction zone, the multi-tubular chemical reactor can include at least one igniter for initiation of at least one gas phase exothermic reaction within a gas phase reaction zone of a reactor unit.

A fuel cell module includes a first area where an exhaust gas combustor and a start-up combustor are provided, an annular second area around the first area and where a reformer and an evaporator are provided, an annular third area around the second area and where a heat exchanger is provided, and an annular heat recovery area around the third area as a passage of oxygen-containing gas for recovery of heat radiated from the third area toward the outer circumference.

Processes for activating precious metal-containing catalysts. The processes can decrease the amount of high purity hydrogen required for starting up a catalytic conversion process such as transalkylation of heavy aromatics, without detrimental impact to the metal activity. The processes can include a low temperature treatment step with a high purity first gas, such as hydrogen generated by electrolysis and/or reformer hydrogen diluted with high purity inert gas, and a high temperature treatment step with a low purity second gas such as the reformer hydrogen. Also, the processes can include mixing a hydrogen gas of high or low purity with a high purity inert gas to form a gas mixture with a proportion of hydrogen no less than 2% and a reduced carbon monoxide concentration relative to the low purity hydrogen, and contacting the catalyst with the gas mixture.

The present invention relates to a catalyst bed comprising silver catalyst bodies and a reactor comprising such a catalyst bed. Further, the invention relates to the use of the catalyst bed and the reactor for gas phase reactions, in particular for the oxidative dehydrogenation of organic compounds under exothermic conditions. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention relates to the preparation of olefinically unsaturated carbonyl compounds from olefinically unsaturated alcohols by oxidative dehydrogenation utilizing a catalyst bed comprising metallic silver catalyst bodies.

A hydroformylation process can be used for short-chain olefins, especially C2 to C5 olefins, wherein the catalyst system is heterogenized on a support that contains a porous ceramic material. Systems can also be used for carrying out said process.

A multi-tubular chemical reactor includes an igniter for the initiation of gas phase exothermic reaction within the gas phase reaction zones of the tubular reactor units. In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a multi-tubular chemical reactor comprising a plurality of spaced-apart reactor units, each reactor unit comprising an elongate tube having a wall with internal and external surfaces, an inlet at one end and an outlet at the opposing end, the wall enclosing a gaseous flow passageway at least a portion of which defines a gas phase reaction zone, the multi-tubular chemical reactor can include at least one igniter for initiation of at least one gas phase exothermic reaction within a gas phase reaction zone of a reactor unit.

A hydroformylation process can be used for short-chain olefins, especially C2 to C5 olefins, wherein the catalyst system is heterogenized on a support that contains a porous ceramic material. Systems can also be used for carrying out said process.