Operability of an industrial catalytic naphtha reformer in the presence of catalyst deactivation

Bifunctional naphtha reforming catalysts are deactivated by side reactions such as coking, sintering, and poisoning in the course of industrial operation. This results in a reduction of the octane number of the product in a commercial naphtha reforming unit. Catalyst deactivation is compensated for by increasing the operating temperature so that the primary product yields are kept constant during an operating cycle. In the present study, a deactivation model has been developed for industrial catalytic naphtha reformers. The parameters for the deactivation model have been estimated using plant data. ne results of the model show that increasing the reactor weighted average inlet temperature (WAIT) can offset the decrease in aromatic yield. Concentration and temperature profiles have been obtained to provide information about the extent of conversion in the individual reactors. Reactor inlet temperature is an important parameter, which can significantly affect reformer performance, the aromatic yield increasing with an increase in temperature.