Swing reactor regeneration

Regeneration of the catalyst may be continuous for certain processes that are designed to permit the removal and replacement of the catalyst during operation. In certain other processes, an additional reactor is used (Swing reactor). When the activity of the catalyst is decreased in one of the reactors on stream, it is replaced with the stand-by (Swing) reactor. 

Ultraforming A catalytic reforming process developed by Standard Oil of Indiana and licensed by Amoco Oil Company. The catalyst contains platinum and rhenium, contained in a swing reactor - one that can be isolated from the rest of the equipment so that the catalyst can be regenerated while the unit is operating. The first unit was commissioned in 1954. 

When 8% loss of alkene conversion was used as the criterion for comparison, the regenerated swing reactors combined for 23 fold increases in productive time on stream, for the 2h/2h tests, versus the non-regenerated control case. The cumulative C5+ and TMP yields were increased by 24 fold and 22 fold, respectively. The C5+ and TMP productivities were essentially unchanged versus the control, with slight increases for Cs+ and slight decreases for TMPs. 

In cyclical regeneration, a fourth reactor is used, which is switched into service during catalyst regeneration (swing reactor). 

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