Patent EA-000819-B1 (EA)
Title: Method and apparatus based on a fluidized-bed reactor for converting hydrocarbons
Inventor: RUOTTU SEPPO
IPC: C10G11/18
Filed: 1997-09-01
Abstract: 1. A method of converting hydrocarbons, in which a gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon feed is passed into a circulating fluidized-bed reactor, wherein the feed is converted at a high temperature under the influence of particulate matter kept in a fluidized state and the converted hydrocarbon products are removed from the reactor in a gaseous phase, characterized in that a circulating fluidized-bed reactor is used having an axially annular cross section at the upper end of which and along its chamber axis a multi-inlet cyclone is mounted for separating said particulate matter from the reaction gases being in a gaseous state. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the reaction space comprises an intershell riser space formed between two concentrically located cylindrical and/or conical envelope surfaces. 3. A method as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the residence time of said process is 0.05-10 sec. 4. A method as defined in any of foregoing claims 1 - 3 for separating particulate matter from gas-phase reaction products, characterized in that a multiport cyclone is used equipped with louvered vanes. 5. A method as defined in any of foregoing claims 1 - 4, characterized in that catalytic cracking is performed on a feed containing light gas oil, heavy gas oil and/or light bottom oil, at a process temperature of 520-650 degree C using 0.5-5 sec. residence time, for the purpose of preparing light olefins such as propene, butenes or amylenes and/or gasoline. 6. A method as defined in claim 5, characterized in that the contaminated catalyst is transferred from the reactor to a regenerator for regeneration and then returned from the regenerator back to the reactor after the regeneration step. 7. A method as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the contaminated catalyst is regenerated in another circulating fluidized-bed reactor of axially annular cross section and being adapted concentric with the reactor used for converting the hydrocarbon feed. 8. A method as defined in any of foregoing claims 1 - 4, characterized in that thermal cracking is performed on a feed containing bottom oil and/or other heavy hydrocarbon-containing feed with a substantial content of volatile fractions at a process temperature of 650 -950 degree C, using 0.2 - 0.5 sec. residence time, for the purpose of preparing lighter hydrocarbons. 9. A method as defined in any of foregoing claims 1 - 4, characterized in that dehydrogenation is performed on a feed containing pentanes, isobutane, n-butane, propane and/or ethane at a process temperature of 500 - 750 degree C, using 0.4 - 2 s residence time, for the purpose of preparing amylenes, isobutene, butenes, propene or ethene, respectively. 10. A method as defined in any of foregoing claims 1 - 4, characterized in that oxidition of natural gas with oxygen is performed at a process temperatu re of 800 - 900 degree C, using 0.08 - 0.3 s residence time, for the purpose of dimerizing methane. 11. A method as defined in any of foregoing claims 1 - 4, characterized in that thermal or catalytic gasification is performed on a hydrocarbon-containing feed at a process temperature of 700 - 1300 degree C for the purpose of preparing synthesis gas. 12. A reactor for converting hydrocarbons under the influence of hot, fluidizedstate particulate matter, said reactor comprising a reaction space having an at least essentially upright aligned longitudinal axis, connected to the bottom section, a nozzle via which a prefluidizing gas can be passed into the reactor, a fluidizing distributor bottom via which the prefluidizing gas can be passed into the reaction space, a first set of infeed nozzles, connected to the reaction space, connected to the bottom section of the reaction space, a second set of infeed nozzles for feeding the hydrocarbon material to be treated, separation means mounted on the upper end of the reaction space for separating said particulate matter from the reaction gases, a reaction gas discharge nozzle for removal of the product gas, characterized in that said reaction space is formed by a riser space of axially annular cross section, and at the upper end of the reactor chamber said particulate matter separation means is mounted which is a multiport cyclone. 13. A reactor as defined in claim 12, characterized in that said riser space of axially annular cross section comprises an intershell riser space formed between two concentrically located cylindrical and/or conical envelope surfaces. 14. A reactor as defined in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that said riser space (13; 50) is divided by partitioning baffles into parallel flow segments. 15. A reactor as defined in claim 14, characterized in that said parallel flow segments are formed by spanning between said two concentrically mounted cylindrical envelope surfaces baffle plates which are essentially or exactly aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the reactor. 16. A reactor as defined in claim 15, characterized in that said baffle plates are adapted to run in a spiralling manner along the longitudinal axis of the reactor riser. 17. A reactor as defined in claim 14, characterized in that the reactor riser space of essentially axially annular cross section is formed by parallel tubes equidistantly spaced in a circular fashion. 18. A reactor as defined in any of claims 12 - 17, characterized in that the vanes of the cyclone are adapted in a circularly louvered fashion about the perimeter of the cyclone chamber, partially or entirely inside the riser channel, so as to act as a louver capable of forming a plurality of parallel inlet channels for the entering gas flow. 19. A reactor as defined in any of claims 12 - 18, characterized in that said cyclone has a downward directed center tube. 20. A reactor as defined in claims 12 - 19, characterized in that said reactor is connected by means of an annular channel to a regenerator of axially annular cross section concentrically surrounding said reactor space. 21. A reactor as defined in claim 20, characterized in that said regenerator channel of axially annular cross section is formed by the inter shell riser space remaining between two cylindrical or conical shells.