DE-202026001423-U1 - Reactor system for propane dehydrogenation

Abstract

Reactor system for propane dehydrogenation, characterized in that the reactor system has at least two reactor groups for propane dehydrogenation, of which at least one reactor group (7) has at least one electric reactor for propane dehydrogenation.

Assignees

• LINDE GMBH

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20260328

Priority Date

20251028

Claims (4)

1. Reactor system for propane dehydrogenation, characterized in that the reactor system has at least two reactor groups for propane dehydrogenation, of which at least one reactor group (7) has at least one electric reactor for propane dehydrogenation.
2. reactor system according to Claim 1 , characterized in that at least one of the at least two reactor groups is an electric reactor group (7) for propane dehydrogenation.
3. reactor system according to Claim 2 , characterized in that the reactor system comprises exclusively electrical reactor groups (7, 9).
4. reactor system according to Claim 2 , characterized by the fact that the reactor system has at least one electrical reactor group (7) and at least one fired reactor group (4).

Description

The invention relates to a reactor system for propane dehydrogenation. Propylene (propene) is conventionally produced primarily through steam cracking of hydrocarbon feedstocks and other conversion processes during refinery operations. In these cases, propylene is a byproduct obtained in smaller quantities. Due to the increasing demand for propylene, particularly for polypropylene, propane dehydrogenation is also being used. Propane dehydrogenation (PDH) is a catalytic process that describes the production of propylene by the elimination of hydrogen from propane. Propane dehydrogenation is an endothermic equilibrium reaction. The maximum possible yield is limited by the chemical equilibrium. Higher temperatures and lower pressures lead to higher propylene yields. Hydrogen is released as a valuable byproduct in this process. The present task is to propose a reactor system for propane dehydrogenation that reduces coke formation and the effort required for catalyst regeneration, while improving economic efficiency. The problem is solved by a reactor system with the features of the protection claim, the embodiments of which are explained below. A reactor system comprises one or more reactor groups, each of which in turn contains one or more reactors. A reactor group typically operates according to only one reactor technology. A reactor group is characterized by the fact that all reactors within it operate in the same mode during steady-state operation. Thus, a reactor group is either operating in propane dehydrogenation mode or in regeneration mode. However, during start-up or shutdown of the reactor system, different operating modes may prevail within a reactor group. According to the invention, the reactor system comprises at least two reactor groups for propane dehydrogenation, wherein at least one reactor group comprises at least one electric reactor for propane dehydrogenation. Preferably, the reactor system comprises at least one electric reactor group for propane dehydrogenation. For the dehydrogenation of propane to propylene, reactors are used that have combustion chambers heated by burners, through which several reaction tubes are routed. The reaction tubes, which carry the reaction mixture, are heated externally by the burners. The reaction tubes contain a catalyst on a suitable support. Suitable catalysts are, for example, those used in... Bölt, H., “Dehydrogenation of Propane/Butane”, Linde Reports from Technology and Science 66/1991 The process is described below. The propane to be dehydrated is passed through the reaction tubes together with steam, so-called process steam. Preheating using waste heat typically takes place beforehand. A gas mixture extracted from the reactor or the corresponding reaction tubes is then fed to a suitable product processing unit. Propane dehydrogenation is described, for example, in the article “ Propene” in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, online edition September 16, 2013, DOI: 10.1002/14356007.a22_211.pub3 , in particular section 3.3.1, “Propane Dehydrogenation”. The following are mentioned as further publications on propane dehydrogenation: H. Zimmermann and H. Bölt: Linde / BASF Propane Dehydrogenation Process. In Proceedings of the DGMK/SCI Conference “Oxidation and Functionalization: Classical and Alternative Routes and Sources”, 2005 . KJ Caspary, H Gehrke, M Heinritz-Adrian, and M Schwefer. Dehydrogenation of alkanes. In Handbook of Heterogeneous Catalysis, volume 7, 2nd ed., 2008, ISBN: 978-3-527-31241-2 . JA Moulijn, M. Makkee, and AE van Diepen. Chemical Process Technology. Wiley, 2013, ISBN: 9781299449459 . JJHB Sattler, J. Ruiz-Martinez, E. Santillan-Jimenez, and BM Weckhuysen. Catalytic dehydrogenation of light alkanes on metals and metal oxides. Chemical Reviews, 114(20):10613-10653, 2014 . JC Bricker, Jan D.-Y., and JM Foresman. Dehydrogenation Catalyst Composition, United States patent 4,914,075 , assigned to UOP, 1988. D. Sanfilippo, F. Buonomo, G. Fusco, I. Miracca, and G. R Kotelnikov. Paraffins activation through fluidized bed dehydrogenation: the answer to light olefins demand increase. In Natural Gas Conversion V - Proceedings of the 5th International Natural Gas Conversion Symposium, volume 119, pages 919 - 924, 1998 . J. Gregor and D. Wei. Uop oleflex process for light olefin production. In Handbook of petroleum refining processes, 2003, ISBN: 0-07-139109-6 . Typical reaction conditions for propane dehydrogenation are temperatures of 500-700°C and pressures of 1 to 3 bar(a). However, during propane dehydrogenation, coke is deposited on the catalyst material as an undesirable byproduct. Therefore, the catalyst must be regularly cleaned of coke and regenerated in several steps. Various reactor technologies are used in propane dehydrogenation, and the regeneration process also differs: In moving-bed reactors (such as the UOP Oleflex), the reaction mixture is passed through several adiabatic fixed beds in series, with heat input v