A process can be used for performing a pyrolysis of hydrocarbons in a rotary drum reactor at a temperature in the range of from 600 to 1800° C. The heat for the endothermic pyrolysis is provided by resistive heating of at least one particulate electrically conductive material introduced into said rotary drum reactor and moved through the rotary drum reactor with a flow of a hydrocarbon. The rotary drum reactor contains (A) an inner wall made of electrically insulated material, (B) a pressure-bearing outer wall, and (C) an electrical heating system attached to the inner wall and/or at least one integrated electrically conducting electrode pair. The at least one electrode pair is located at both ends of the inner wall of the rotary drum.

A process can be used for performing a pyrolysis of hydrocarbons in a rotary drum reactor at a temperature in the range of from 600 to 1800° C. The heat for the endothermic pyrolysis is provided by resistive heating of at least one particulate electrically conductive material introduced into said rotary drum reactor and moved through the rotary drum reactor with a flow of a hydrocarbon. The rotary drum reactor contains (A) an inner wall made of electrically insulated material, (B) a pressure-bearing outer wall, and (C) an electrical heating system attached to the inner wall and/or at least one integrated electrically conducting electrode pair. The at least one electrode pair is located at both ends of the inner wall of the rotary drum.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed includes passing the hydrocarbon feed and an aromatic bottoms stream to an FCC unit including an FCC reactor and a catalyst regenerator. The hydrocarbon feed is hydrogen-rich having at least 12 wt. % hydrogen, and the aromatic bottoms stream is a bottoms stream produced from an aromatics recovery complex for processing reformate from naphtha reforming. The hydrocarbon feed and aromatic bottoms stream are cracked over the FCC catalysts to produce an effluent and spent FCC catalysts having coke deposits. The spent FCC catalyst is regenerated through combustion of the coke deposits. The hydrogen-rich hydrocarbon feed does not produce enough coke to satisfy the heat demand of the FCC reactor. Cracking the aromatic bottoms stream increases the amount of coke so that combustion of the additional coke during regeneration produces additional heat to satisfy the heat demand of the FCC reactor.

A process for upgrading a hydrocarbon feed includes passing the hydrocarbon feed and an aromatic bottoms stream to an FCC unit including an FCC reactor and a catalyst regenerator. The hydrocarbon feed is hydrogen-rich having at least 12 wt. % hydrogen, and the aromatic bottoms stream is a bottoms stream produced from an aromatics recovery complex for processing reformate from naphtha reforming. The hydrocarbon feed and aromatic bottoms stream are cracked over the FCC catalysts to produce an effluent and spent FCC catalysts having coke deposits. The spent FCC catalyst is regenerated through combustion of the coke deposits. The hydrogen-rich hydrocarbon feed does not produce enough coke to satisfy the heat demand of the FCC reactor. Cracking the aromatic bottoms stream increases the amount of coke so that combustion of the additional coke during regeneration produces additional heat to satisfy the heat demand of the FCC reactor.

A method can be used for operating a descending moving bed reactor with flowable granular material. The method involves: (i) filling an upper lock-hopper with granular material and/or emptying a lower lock-hopper, (ii) purging the lock-hoppers with purging gas, and (iii) filling the reaction chamber containing a descending moving bed from the upper lock-hopper and/or emptying the reaction chamber into the lower lock-hopper. The pressure equalization between the reaction chamber and lock-hopper is achieved with product gas. The method then involves: (iv) optionally, relieving the lock-hoppers and conveying the product gas flow into the product line, and (v) purging the lock-hoppers with purging gas.

A method can be used for operating a descending moving bed reactor with flowable granular material. The method involves: (i) filling an upper lock-hopper with granular material and/or emptying a lower lock-hopper, (ii) purging the lock-hoppers with purging gas, and (iii) filling the reaction chamber containing a descending moving bed from the upper lock-hopper and/or emptying the reaction chamber into the lower lock-hopper. The pressure equalization between the reaction chamber and lock-hopper is achieved with product gas. The method then involves: (iv) optionally, relieving the lock-hoppers and conveying the product gas flow into the product line, and (v) purging the lock-hoppers with purging gas.

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.

A production system includes a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber. The first reaction chamber is configured to receive a first hydrocarbon stream therein through an input port and to form carbon seeds and hydrogen gas therein via hydrocarbon pyrolysis of the first hydrocarbon stream. The second reaction chamber includes a first input port and a second input port. The second reaction chamber is configured to receive the carbon seeds through the first input port and a second hydrocarbon stream through the second input port, and to form carbon product elements and additional hydrogen gas in the second reaction chamber via hydrocarbon pyrolysis of the second hydrocarbon stream. The carbon product elements represent the carbon seeds with additional carbon structure grown on the carbon seeds.

The invention provides a support distributor for a scallop for use in a radial flow reactor. The support distributor includes an elongated sheet having a plurality of perforations extending through a thickness thereof, and at least three edges along a length thereof so as to form a member having at least three support points which engage an inner surface of the scallop.

A hydrocarbon feed stream may be processed by a method that may include catalytically cracking a hydrocarbon feed stream in a counter-current reactor to produce a first effluent stream, and processing a portion or all of the first effluent stream by at least one or more separations. The at least one or more separations may form at least a second effluent stream including at least 95 wt. % C.sub.4-C.sub.6 hydrocarbons, and a third effluent stream including at least 95 wt. % of ethane, propane, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the method may further include catalytically cracking a portion or all of the second effluent stream in a second reactor to form a second reactor effluent stream, combining a portion of all of the second reactor effluent stream with the first effluent stream, steam cracking a portion or all of the third effluent stream to form a steam cracked effluent stream, and combining a portion or all of the steam cracked effluent stream with the first effluent. In other embodiments, the method may further include passing a portion or all of the second effluent stream to the counter-current reactor, steam cracking a portion or all of the third effluent stream to form a steam cracked effluent stream, and combining a portion or all of the steam cracked effluent stream with the first effluent stream.