Patent ID: 7816294

Claim:
A method of regenerating a catalyst comprising: providing a reactor vessel having a first section with a first width, wherein an outwardly tapered transition portion is coupled to the first section to so increase the first width, and wherein the tapered transition portion is coupled to a second section having a second width, wherein the first section has a diameter that is less than a diameter of the second section; feeding a carbon-contaminated catalyst and an oxygen-containing gas at a predetermined flow rate to the first section to co-currently regenerate substantially all of the catalyst in the first section; wherein the first section is configured to provide a residence time of the oxygen-containing gas effective to selectively produce carbon monoxide from the carbon-contaminated catalyst such that a ratio of the carbon monoxide from the carbon-contaminated catalyst to carbon dioxide produced from the carbon monoxide is at least 9:1; and wherein the second section is configured to provide a second residence time of the oxygen-containing gas and carbon monoxide effective to produce carbon dioxide from the carbon monoxide.