Catalytic Reforming Process

Flow Sketch Reactions Summary

Reactor-1 Reactor-2 Reactor-3
These reactions are endothermic, promoted by high temperature and low hydrogen pressure. For cyclization, a paraffin with at least a six-carbon straight chain is needed.
Hydrocracking
The breaking of C-C bond in reforming is called hydrocracking. Hydrocracking can break a paraffin molecule into two molecules of lower molecular weight.
Hydrocracking catalyzed by the reforming catalyst cracks the paraffin molecule approximately at a middle position. An example of hydrocracking reaction can be;
Catalytic reforming is the process of transforming C7C10 hydrocarbons (gasoline boiling range hydrocarbons 80-350 F; mixture of paraffins, naphthenes, and aromatics) with low octane numbers to aromatics and iso-paraffins
which have high octane numbers. It is a highly endothermic process requiring large amounts of energy. A schematic presentation of the feedstock, products and process condition is shown below. The main product of the column
is stabilized reformate, which is sent to the gasoline blending plant.
Reactions such as dehydrogenation of
paraffins and naphthenes which are very
rapid and highly endothermic
Reactions that are considered rapid, such as
paraffin isomerization and naphthens
dehydroisomerization, give moderate
Slow reactions such as dehydrocyclization
and hydrocracking give low temperature
decline.
Mass balances across the reformer
The catalytic reformer unit is fed with the heavy naphtha generated from the naphtha splitter. Hydrogen (Reformer off gas) is also generated in which light ends are present.
Material Balance in Reforming can be performed using one of the following methods.
Method-1: Material Balance Using Emperical Correlations
Method-2: Material Balance Using Conversion Criteria
If detailed analysis of the reformer feed is known, the feed conversion can be calculated from the conversion data for each class of compounds as shown in Tables 5.4 and 5.5.
Table: Naphthenes conversion to aromatics by dehydrogenation (Gary and Handwerk, 2001) Table: Paraffin conversion to aromatics by dehydrocyclization (Gary and Handwerk, 2001)
Method-3: Process Simulation of Reformer by Equilibrium Reactions
Catalytic reforming data base compiled by Maples (1993) were correlated using multiple regression. Yield correlations for the reformer were developed as given in Table 5.3. The correlation coefficients were in the range of 0.990
0.999. Maples (2000) summarized catalytic reformer data base based on many pilot plant studies.
Process simulators (Hysys - RefSys / Aspen Plus - Reformer Template / etc) can be used to calculate the material balance around each of the three reactors. Energy balance can also be calculated for each reactor, furnace and
other units in the schematic diagram given in Figure. Simulation of equilibrium of dehydrocyclization and hydrocracking reactionsusing the process simulator can be performed. See examples 5.4 and 5.5
Calculations:
FEED Components Mole Fraction
Paraffins
n-heptanes
Single branched heptanes
Muhi-branched heptanes
n-octane
Single branched octanes
Multi-branched octanes
n-nonane
Single branched nonanes
Multi-branched nonanes
n-decane
Single branched decanes
Multi-branched decanes
Naphthenes
C7 naphthenes
C8 naphthenes
C9 naphthenes
C10 naphthenes
Aromatics
Benzene
Toluene
Xylenes
C9 Aromatics
C10 Aromatics
The semi-regenerative continuous catalytic reforming unit flow diagram is shown in Fig.1.
The naphta, used as the catalytic reformer feedstock generally comprising more than 300
chemical compounds of naphthenes, aromatics, and paraffins in the carbon range of C5 to
C12, is joined with a recycle gas stream including 70% to 90% (by mol) hydrogen. The
feed flow rate of this unit is about 22500 bbl/day gasoline with octane number 45 and
the final product rate 18200-16700 bbl/day gasoline with octane number 88-95.5.
The entire reactors charge is heated and passed through the catalytic reformers, which
are designed with 4 adiabatically operated reactors and 4 furnaces (heaters) between the
reactors to keep the reaction temperature at design levels. The effluent from the fourth
reactor is cooled, which then enters to the product separator (flash column).The flashed
vapor circulates to combine the naphtha feedstock as recycle gas. Extra hydrogen from
the separator is sent to other hydrogen consuming units. The separated liquid that mainly
included the desired the aromatics together with heavy paraffins and light gases is sent
to the separation system (distillation column) to achieve aromatics products (final product).
The final products are obtained by the conversion of naphthenes and n-paraffins in naphtha
to aromatics and iso paraffins over bifunctional catalysts such as Pt-Sn/Al2O3 in 4 reactors.
to the separation system (distillation column) to achieve aromatics products (final product).
The final products are obtained by the conversion of naphthenes and n-paraffins in naphtha