Automatic catalyst regeneration and catalyst selectivity estimation

摘要

A technique, including an apparatus, for automatically regenerating a catalyst used in a process for obtaining a product in an exit stream from a raw material in a feed stream of a reactor, comprises determining the concentration of raw material in the feed and exit stream and obtaining a value for the catalyst selectively as a function of the difference between the concentrations. When a selected selectivity is reached, which is indicative of the need for the catalyst to be regenerated, regenerator equipment is activated for regenerating the catalyst in the reactor. To continue the process, the feed stream is transferred to an auxiliary reactor during regeneration of the primary reactor, which contains regenerated or fresh catalyst. When used in reactors for the hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene, the concentration of hydrogen in the feed stream is also calculated with the selectivity equaling the concentration of hydrogen divided by the difference in concentrations for the acetylene in the feed and exit streams respectively.