HYDROCARBON PROCESSING

2011 Refining Processes Handbook

HOME

PROCESSES INDEX

COMPANY INDEX

Catalytic reforming
Application: Upgrade various types of naphtha to produce high-octane
reformate, BTX and LPG.

Description: Two different designs are offered. One design is conventional where the catalyst is regenerated in place at the end of each
cycle. Operating normally in a pressure range of 12 to 25 kg /cm2 (170
to 350 psig) and with low pressure drop in the hydrogen loop, the product is 90 to 100 RONC. With their higher selectivity, trimetallic catalysts
RG582 and RG682 make an excellent catalyst replacement for semiregenerative reformers.
The second, the advanced Octanizing process, uses continuous
catalyst regeneration allowing operating pressures as low as 3.5 kg /
cm2 (50 psig). This is made possible by smooth-flowing moving bed
reactors (13) which use a highly stable and selective catalyst suitable
for continuous regeneration (4). Main features of Axens regenerative
technology are:
Side-by-sidereactorarrangement,whichisveryeasytoerectand
consequently leads to low investment cost.
TheRegenC-2catalystregenerationsystemfeaturingthedryburn
loop, completely restores the catalyst activity while maintaining
its specific area for more than 600 cycles.
Finally, with the new CR 601 (gasoline mode) and AR 701 (aromatics
production) catalysts specifically developed for ultra-low operating pressure and the very effective catalyst regeneration system, refiners operating Octanizing or Aromizing processes can obtain the highest hydrogen,
C5+ and aromatics yields over the entire catalyst life.

tinuous regeneration technology capability.

Yields: Typical for a 90C to 170C (176F to 338F) cut from light Ara-

Reference: Fixed Bed Reformer Revamp Solutions for Gasoline Pool

bian feedstock:

Improvement, Petroleum Technology Quarterly,Summer2000.

Increasereformerperformancethroughcatalyticsolutions,Seventh ERTC, November 2002, Paris.

Oper. press., kg /cm2

Conventional

Octanizing/Aromizing

1015

37

Feed
START

4
2

Reformate

Yield, wt% of feed:

Hydrogen
C5+
RONC
MONC

2.8
83
100
89

34
8895
100105
8992

Installation: Of 150 units licensed, 100 units are designed with con-

Copyright 2011 Gulf Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Continued

Catalytic reforming, continued

Squeezingthemostoutofixed-bedreactors,Hart Show Special,
NPRA 2003 Annual.
Octanizing reformer options to optimize existing assets, NPRA
AnnualMeeting,March1517,2005,SanFrancisco.
Octanizing reformer options, Petroleum Technology Quarterly,
Spring,2006.
Boitiaux, J. P., et al., New developments accelerating catalyst research, Hydrocarbon Processing,September2006,pp.3340.

Licensor: Axens contact

HYDROCARBON PROCESSING

2011 Refining Processes Handbook

HOME

PROCESSES INDEX

COMPANY INDEX

Catalytic reforming
Application: The UOP CCR Platforming process is used throughout the

Description: Hydrotreated naphtha feed is combined with recycle hydrogen gas and heat exchanged against reactor effluent. The combined
feed is then raised to reaction temperature in the charge heater and sent
to the reactor section.
Radial-flow reactors are arranged in a vertical stack. The predominant reactions are endothermic; so an interheater is used between each
reactor to reheat the charge to reaction temperature. The effluent from
the last reactor is heat exchanged against combined feed, cooled and
split into vapor and liquid products in a separator. The vapor phase is
hydrogen-rich. A portion of the gas is compressed and recycled back to
the reactors. The net hydrogen-rich gas is compressed and charged together with the separator liquid phase to the product recovery section.
This section is engineered to provide optimum performance.
Catalyst flows vertically by gravity down the reactor stack. Over
time, coke builds up on the catalyst at reaction conditions. Partially deactivated catalyst is continually withdrawn from the bottom of the reactor stack and transferred to the CCR regenerator.

Naphtha feed
from treating

CCR
regenerator

Net H2
rich gas
Net gas
compressor

Combined
feed
exchanger

Fuel gas
Recovery
section

Separator

world in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. It produces feed

for an aromatics complex or a high-octane gasoline blending product
and a significant amount of hydrogen.

Stacked
reactor

Regenerated
catalyst

Light ends
Stabilizer

Fired heaters
Spent
catalyst

Aromatic
rich reformate

Efficiency/product quality: Commercial onstream efficiencies of more

than 97% are routinely achieved in CCR Platforming units.

Licensor: UOP, A Honeywell Company contact

Installation: UOP commercialized the CCR Platforming process in 1971

and now has licensed more than 280 units.

Copyright 2011 Gulf Publishing Company. All rights reserved.