Abstract: An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by louvers that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.

Abstract: Processing scheme and arrangement for increasing the relative yield of light olefins involves integration of the cracking a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock to produce an effluent comprising a range of hydrocarbon products including C4-C7 olefins and the subsequent cracking at least a portion of the C4-C7 olefins to produce additional light olefins.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering 1-butene from a feed steam comprising n-butane, isobutane and butene isomers using a single, divided wall distillation column. The disclosed process includes introducing the feed steam into an inlet of a first side of a distillation column, wherein the distillation column comprises a top, a bottom and a center dividing wall extending between the bottom and the top of the column and dividing the column into the first side and a second side. The process includes taking off an isobutane stream from the top of the second side of column, taking off a 1-butene stream as a bottoms stream from the second side of the column, and taking off a combination 2-butene and n-butane stream as a bottom stream from the first side of column.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering 1-butene from a feed steam comprising n-butane, isobutane and butene isomers using a single, divided wall distillation column. The disclosed process includes introducing the feed steam into an inlet of a first side of a distillation column, wherein the distillation column comprises a top, a bottom and a center dividing wall extending between the bottom and the top of the column and dividing the column into the first side and a second side. The process includes taking off an isobutane stream from the top of the second side of column, taking off a 1-butene stream as a bottoms stream from the second side of the column, and taking off a combination 2-butene and n-butane stream as a bottom stream from the first side of column.

Abstract: An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by louvers that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for the production of light olefins comprising olefins having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms per molecule from a feedstock containing heavier olefins. An intermediate cut from a fractionation column is used as olefinic feed to an olefin cracking process preferably after undergoing selective hydrogenation of diolefins. In one embodiment, a liquid side draw from a fractionation column is selectively hydrogenated and then returned to the fractionation column from which a vapor side draw containing olefins is cracked in the olefin cracking reactor.

Abstract: An apparatus provides for increased feed throughput without loss of conversion or selectivity by increasing the catalyst volume in a final reactor of at least three reaction zones. The catalyst volume of the final reactor may be larger because the inner and outer screens that define a radial flow bed are extended. A low LHSV is maintained by increasing the catalyst volume in the final reactor.

Abstract: An apparatus provides for increased feed throughput without loss of conversion or selectivity by increasing the catalyst volume in a final reactor of at least three reaction zones. The catalyst volume of the final reactor may be larger because the inner and outer screens that define a radial flow bed are extended. A low LHSV is maintained by increasing the catalyst volume in the final reactor.

Abstract: A method increases the feed throughput for a process of dehydrogenating light hydrocarbons without loss of conversion or selectivity by increasing the catalyst volume in only the final reactor of at least three reaction zones. The catalyst volume of the final reactor may be increased relative to the other reactors by extending the inner and outer screens that define a radial flow bed therein. Maintaining a low LHSV by increasing the catalyst volume in only the final reactor greatly reduces the expense of improving the capacity and yield of such a process. This method provides the most benefit to moving bed reactor systems since modifications are limited to the last reactor. A further benefit is derived from the simplified method of raising only a section of the last reactor to increase the catalyst volume.

Abstract: A channel reactor arrangement and a process that uses a high heat capacity heat exchange liquid to indirectly heat or cool by indirect heat exchange. The channel reactor arrangement maintains a pressure gradient through the channels and a pressure differential between the reaction channels and the heat exchange channels at all points to preserve the integrity of the plates defining the channels and to prevent any leakage of high heat capacity liquids into the reaction channels. The system brings the efficiency of plate reactor arrangements to the effectiveness of high heat capacity heat exchange fluids such as molten salts and liquid metals. The process overcomes the problem of low heat exchange pressure drop in combination with high reactant pressure drop by creating a negative pressure differential from reactant channels to the heat exchange channels.

Abstract: A process for regenerating solid treating particles contained in at least two vessels of a swing bed regeneration operation where the effluent of the regeneration operation is maintained regeneration fluid-free and at a substantially constant flowrate has been developed. The swing bed regeneration operation involves an on-line vessel treating process fluid and an off-line vessel for regeneration. At least a portion of the process fluid effluent from the vessel on-line is conducted to a displacement surge drum. The flowrate of the process fluid effluent from the displacement surge drum is controlled so that downstream units receive a substantially constant flowrate.

Abstract: A process for regenerating solid treating particles contained in at least two vessels of a swing bed regeneration operation where the effluent of the regeneration operation is maintained regeneration fluid-free and at a substantially constant flowrate has been developed. The swing bed regeneration operation involves at least two vessels, one of which is on-line treating process fluid, and the other is off-line for regeneration. At least a portion of the process fluid effluent from the vessel on-line is conducted to a displacement surge drum. The flowrate of the process fluid effluent from the displacement surge drum is controlled so that downstream units receive a substantially constant flowrate.

Abstract: A process for the removal of trace quantities of polynuclear aromatic compounds from the vapor effluent of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation zone containing normally gaseous olefinic hydrocarbons, trace mononuclear aromatic compounds and trace polynuclear aromatic compounds by contacting the vapor effluent of a hydrocarbon dehydrogenation zone with a lean liquid absorption stream comprising at least one mononuclear aromatic compound to absorb at least a portion of the trace mononuclear aromatic compounds and the trace polynuclear aromatic compounds to produce a rich liquid absorption stream and a gaseous olefin-containing hydrocarbon stream having a reduced concentration of mononuclear aromatic compounds and polynuclear aromatic compounds. The rich liquid absorption stream is separated to produce a stream rich in mononuclear aromatic compounds and a stream comprising polynuclear aromatic compounds.

Abstract: A FCC product recovery section operates at greater efficiency by recovering separate riser product streams and reactor product streams and quenching and absorbing lighter, more valuable hydrocarbon products from the reactor product stream in separate quench and absorption vessels. The quench and absorbtion vessels are intergrated with a main fractionator and gas concentration section of a typical FCC product recovery section. Heavy hydrocarbons, clarified oil and/or cycle oil absorb hydrocarbons from the reactor product stream in the quench and absorption vessels and return the absorbed products to the main fractionator while net gasoline product from the reactor product stream enter the primary absorber of the gas concentration section. This arrangement is particularly useful in increasing the product recovery capacity of an existing FCC product separation section.

Abstract: A combination of an etherification process and a process for the isomerization of linear alkenes to isoalkenes uses an adsorptive separation zone that receives an effluent fraction from the etherification reaction zone and separates the fraction at low efficiency to produce an isomerization feed stream comprising normal butenes and butanes, and a butane stream that is rejected from the process. The rejection of butanes at low efficiency reduces or eliminates the loss of butenes with the rejection of butane. A low efficiency adsorptive separation to reject butanes also benefits the isomerization process by inhibiting coking.

Abstract: A combination of an etherification process and a process for the isomerization of linear alkenes to isoalkenes uses a separation zone that receives an effluent stream from the etherification reaction zone and separates it into a high boiling stream, a low boiling stream and an intermediate boiling stream in order to reduce the mass flow of reactants through the isomerization and etherification reaction zones. The separation zone includes at least one distillation column. The distillation column can provide a distillation function only, or can also provide a reactive distillation zone. The intermediate boiling stream leaves a two column separation zone as a bottoms stream from a second column or in a single column separation zone as a sidecut which in the case of reactive distillation is taken from the point above a bed of catalyst within the column.

Abstract: A combination of an etherification process and a process for the isomerization of linear alkenes to isoalkenes uses a first etherification zone that passes an etherification effluent and an etherification recycle stream through a skeletal isomerization separation zone to prepare an etherification feed for an additional etherification reactor. Etherification of additional isoalkane reactants in a separate etherification zone permits the production of additional ether products through isomerization without requiring additional etherification capacity upstream of the isomerization zone. Therefore additional etherification capacity can be added without significant changes to existing etherification capacity. The additional etherification zone may be in the form of a reactive distillation reactor that provides a high boiling ether product stream, a low boiling isoalkane vent stream and an intermediate boiling normal butene sidecut stream.

Abstract: A combination of an etherification process and a process for the isomerization of linear alkenes to isoalkenes uses a separation zone that receives an effluent stream from the etherification reaction zone and separates it into a high boiling stream, a low boiling stream and an intermediate boiling stream in order to reduce the mass flow of reactants through the isomerization and etherification reaction zones. The separation zone normally has an arrangement of a distillation column. The distillation column can provide a distillation function only, or can also provide a reactive distillation zone. The intermediate boiling stream typically leaves the column as a sidecut which in the case of reactive distillation is taken from the point above a bed of catalyst within the column. Taking the sidecut stream substantially eliminates the circulation of isoalkane hydrocarbons through the etherification and isomerization zone and maintains normal alkanes at an acceptable equilibrium level.