Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the thermal treatment of material in a rotating conical chamber (4) placed in a housing (1). According to the invention material, brought into the rotating chamber (4) and ejected due to the conical shape, is returned to the chamber (4) for further thermal treatment, without leaving the housing (1). By applying the method of the invention, the thermal efficiency is increased. In addition, wear of the means required for returning material that is to be treated again into the housing (1), is avoided. The invention also relates to two installations for putting the method into practice.

Abstract: An apparatus removes water and organic compounds from waste streams such as contaminated soils and refinery tailings by a combination of thermal stripping and molecular decomposition. The apparatus includes at least one unit having a pipe which is preferably heated by induction heating and also having a transport arrangement. The transport arrangement includes a suitable motor and operates to move the waste stream material through the pipe and mix the material to provide uniform heat transfer from the heated pipe. The transport arrangement preferably includes an adjustment mechanism which allows adjustment of the rate at which material moves through the pipe for a given motor speed. The adjustment mechanism also adjusts the mixing provided by the transport arrangement. Several of the treatment units according to the invention may be connected in series to form a multistage device.

Abstract: A fuel gas reformer assembly for use in a fuel cell power plant includes fuel gas passages, some of which contain a particulate alumina packing in which a vaporized steam-hydrocarbon fuel stream mixture is heated. The walls of the fuel gas passages are provided with an alumina coating which protects the walls of the passages from corrosion. The alumina coating of the walls, and alumina packing are both overlain by an alkaline earth metal oxide layer, such as a calcium oxide layer, that acts to limit carbon build-up on the surfaces of the coated passage walls. Limiting of carbon build-up in the reformer passages prevents premature clogging of the passages. The carbon build-up-limiting layer is formed on components of the reformer passages by applying a water-based slurry of alkaline earth metal compounds to the reformer passage surfaces, and then drying the slurry so as to solidify it.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for automatically removing the cover of a chute beneath a coke drum. The system operates in conjunction with a remotely operable coke deheading device so that the chute cover is removed when the coke drum is deheaded. Also disclosed is a method for facilitating coke removal from a coke drum into a coke chute where the chute cover is automatically removed upon activation of the coke drum deheading device.

Abstract: An apparatus for effecting gas-liquid contact in a system in which the liquid is the continuous phase, the apparatus consisting of a vertical column fitted with a series of perforated trays. The perforated trays provide openings near the edges of the trays or between the trays and the inside of the column wall for the transport of liquid. The trays also include a downwardfacing flange at or near the tray edge to establish and maintain a gas cushion under the tray, the height of the flange being between 5-50% of the tray-to-tray spacing The trays further including an upwardly-facing rim on the top side of the tray within which are provided perforations designed for gas flow, the height of the rim being between 5-50% of the tray-to-tray spacing. Between adjacent trays is provided a generally cylindrical tube having a diameter smaller than that of the downwards-facing flange and larger than the upwards-facing rim, the height of the cylinder being 40-80% of the distance between two successive trays.

Abstract: An improved stripper section design is provided for use in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units. The stripper section contains means for imparting rotational movement to the FCC cracking catalyst as it traverses the stripping section. In one embodiment the stripper section contains at least one rotation vane that is preferably disposed on the surface of a stripper section tray. The rotation vane provides angular, rotational movement to the cracking catalyst as it traverses the stripper section. Vertical movement is imparted to the cracking catalyst due to gravity and radial movement is imparted to the catalyst due to the slanted nature of the tray. Through the use of the rotation vanes the contact between the catalyst particles and the stripping steam is increased, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the FCC operation.

Abstract: In order to prevent material from passing into a plenum chamber, an assembly for fluidizing the material includes a deck supported above the plenum chamber. The plenum chamber has an intake in communication with a source of pressurized air, and the deck includes an inverted channel for distributing the pressurized air to the material in a preselected air distribution pattern and an inverted channel for supporting the material in a position generally above and in spaced relation to the air distributing channel. With this arrangement, the material supporting channel is disposed in spaced relation to the air distributing channel to permit the pressurized air from the plenum chamber to fluidize the material.

Abstract: A reactor for reacting liquid petroleum or chemical streams wherein the liquid stream flows countercurrent to the flow of a treat gas, such as a hydrogen-containing gas. The reactor is comprised of at least one vertically disposed reaction zone, each containing a bed of catalyst, wherein each reaction zone may contain vapor bypass means, and wherein each reaction zone is immediately preceded by a non-reaction zone, and wherein each non-reaction zone contains a gas/liquid contacting zone for stripping gaseous by-products, such as NH3 and H2S, from the liquid stream.

Abstract: A pressurized vertically-oriented catalytic reactor vessel has a fluid flow distribution grid plate fixedly mounted transversely in the reactor lower portion for supporting a bed of particulate catalyst above the grid plate, and has at least one elongated conduit for catalyst addition/withdrawal extending upwardly through the reactor lower head and the grid plate. The catalyst addition/withdrawal conduit has a concentric bellows type expansion unit sealably attached at its lower end to the upper side of the grid plate, the bellows unit being sealably attached at its upper end to the catalyst conduit, so that the conduit can thermally expand vertically, and gas leakage cannot occur around the conduit and the grid plate into the catalyst bed.

Abstract: The protective refractory shield for a gasifier includes a refractory attachment that is mechanically secured to a protectable surface of the gasifier. The refractory attachment includes a plurality of attachment members of predetermined angular sector. The refractory attachment is provided to cover a downwardly facing horizontal surface of the gasifier or to be positioned upon a vertical surface thereof. Latching means for the attachment include a projecting formation that projects from the protectable surface that engages a complementary shaped recess in the attachment to mechanically secure the attachment to the protectable surface. The latching means do not form recesses in the protectable surface nor does the refractory attachments form recesses in the protectable surface. Thus the integrity of the protectable surface is maintained while it is protected.

Abstract: In a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit, a regenerator or a stripper includes a standpipe for circulating catalyst from one vessel to another, the standpipe having an inlet design which reduces gas entrainment during catalyst transport by partial de-fluidization in the standpipe inlet region. The standpipe inlet design could include multiple inlet openings through the top of the standpipe or from the side wall by means of slots, or both, and a horizontal disk surrounding the standpipe below the slots for blocking the upward flow of bubbles, the combination thereby forming a dense fluidization zone above the disk and surrounding the inlet, including the slots. Additionally, the disk may include a downwardly-projecting lip or edge forming an inverted void space around the standpipe and the downwardly-projecting edge may further include vent holes around its circumference which allow bubbles trapped under the disk to be vented outside the standpipe inlet region.

Abstract: A gas-solid fluidized bed is formed within a contacting element having pairs of planar portions arranged in intersecting planes, each planar portion being formed by one or more webs and one or more open slots adjacent each web, the webs and slots being arranged such that a web in one of the planar portions intersects a slot in the paired planar portion. The fluidized bed can be catalyst particles fluidized by a gas stream, such as in a catalyst stripper and/or regenerator in an FCC system.

Abstract: An improved catalytic reactor for high temperature reactions having a reaction chamber and a monolithic catalyst structure disposed in the reaction chamber is disclosed wherein the catalyst structure has a multiplicity of longitudinally disposed channels formed by thin metal substrate walls which expand on exposure to the heat generated in high temperature reactions and reactor also includes a monolithic open cellular support structure disposed in the reaction chamber having a multiplicity of longitudinally disposed passageways formed by strips of high temperature resistant metal or ceramic material with the support structure being secured on its outer periphery to the wall of the reaction chamber to limit movement along the longitudinal axis, and being positioned at and abutting against the outlet end of the catalyst structure.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the conversion of an olefinic C4 cut to polyisobutene and to propylene by metathesis. The process comprises three successive steps: (1) selective hydrogenation of diolefins with simultaneous isomerisation of 1-butene to 2-butenes, (2) polymerisation of the isobutene, including optional prior extraction of the isobutene, (3) metathesis of 2-butene with ethylene. Part or all of the C4 cut may originate from the metathesis of an olefinic C5 cut with ethylene after hydroisomerisation of the C5 cut. Application to C4 and C5 steam cracking cuts.

Abstract: Urea is pyrolyzed in a chamber designed to facilitate gasification of the urea by pyrolysis with conversion of urea to ammonia and isocyanic acid (HNCO) with water vapor and carbon dioxide. The product gases are introduced into exhaust gases from a lean-burn engine, preferably upstream of a turbocharger. The exhaust gases are then contacted with an SCR catalyst.

Abstract: Used oil is treated in a reactor to remove contaminants. The reactor comprises a rotating vessel forming an internal reaction chamber. The vessel is housed within a heating chamber. The inside of the vessel is indirectly heated by conduction through the vessel walls. The reaction chamber contains a permanently resident charge of non-ablating, granular coarse solids. Within the reaction chamber, the oil is vaporized and pyrolyzed, producing a hydrocarbon vapour. Coke is formed as a byproduct. Contaminants, such as metals and halides, become associated with the coke. The coarse solids scour and comminute the coke to form fine solids. The fine solids are separated within the reaction chamber from the coarse solids and are removed from the vessel through a pipe located at the axis of the vessel. The hydrocarbon vapours are also removed from the vessel through the axial pipe, as a separate stream. Residual fine solids are separated in a cyclone from the vapour stream.

Abstract: A fuel-reforming sheet which is adapted to be placed in the air flow channel of a heat engine to ionize the oxygen molecules in order to achieve complete combustion of the oxygen mixed with a fuel is constructed from a flexible backing, a double-sided adhesive sheet having front and back adhesive surfaces, and a powdered mixture which includes a ceramic powder, a radioactive rare-earth mineral powder and a binder, in which the rear adhesive surface of the double-sided adhesive sheet is bonded to the flexible backing and the powdered mixture is bonded to the front adhesive surface of the double-sided adhesive sheet.

Abstract: A first reactor includes a circulating fluidized-bed rector with a reaction space of an axially annular cross section, and the second reactor includes a circulating fluidized-bed reactor surrounding the first reactor in a symmetrically concentric fashion, whereby also the second reactor has a reaction space of an axially annular cross section. The construction according to the invention makes it possible to implement also large equipment with a small height-to-diameter ratio, whereby the footprint/space requirements of the equipment are minimized and problems associated with thermal expansion are reduced essentially.

Abstract: The present invention is an active microchannel heat exchanger with an active heat source and with microchannel architecture. The active microchannel heat exchanger has (a) an exothermic reaction chamber; (b) an exhaust chamber; and (c) a heat exchanger chamber in thermal contact with the exhaust chamber, wherein (d) heat from the exothermic reaction chamber is convected by an exothermic reaction exhaust through the exhaust chamber and by conduction through a containment wall to the working fluid in the heat exchanger chamber thereby raising a temperature of the working fluid. The invention is particularly useful as a liquid fuel vaporizer and/or a steam generator for fuel cell power systems, and as a heat source for sustaining endothermic chemical reactions and initiating exothermic reactions.

Abstract: A cyclone leg sealing system is composed of one or more intermediate solids-accumulation chambers delimited by two sealing valves and in series, the function of the valves being to prevent the back-flow of particulate material towards the inside of the separating cyclones in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) processes, thereby ensuring the maximum efficiency of the separating effected by the cyclone.