UPGRADING LIGHT OLEFIN FUEL GAS IN A FLUIDIZED BED CATALYST REACTOR AND REGENERATION OF THE CATALYST

摘要

Process for the continuous conversion of light olefin gasfeed containing ethene, propene and butene to produce heavierhydrocarbons by contacting the light olefin feed in a fluidizedbed reaction zone with a medium pore molecular sieve zeolitecatalyst under oligomerization conditions to invert the lightolefin feed to heavier hydrocarbons. The catalytic reactioncauses the conversion of the light olefins to heavierhydrocarbons, the deposition of coke by-product on the catalystand the absorption of hydrocarbon product on the catalyst. Thedeposited coke causes the partial deactivation of the catalyst.A portion of the partially deactivated catalyst containingdeposited coke and absorbed hydrocarbon product is continuouslywithdrawn from the reaction zone and transferred to a catalyststripping zone in which the catalyst is contacted with an inertstripping gas to remove the absorbed hydrocarbons from thecatalyst. The stripped catalyst containing deposited coke iswithdrawn from the stripping zone and transferred to a catalystregeneration zone in which the catalyst is maintained in a fluidizedbed and contacted with an oxygen containing gas to effect combustionof the coke and removal of the coke from the catalyst andregeneration of the catalyst. The regenerated catalyst containing aminor amount of residual carbon is withdrawn from the regenerationzone and introduced to the reaction zone and contacted with freshlight olefin feed. The careful control of the operating conditionsin the regeneration zone provides removal of substantially all ofthe coke deposits at relatively low temperatures and an effluentflue gas with a low carbon monoxide content and low water content.