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Industrial reforming reactors mainly come in two structural types: axial and radial. Their main differences are: different gas flow patterns and different bed pressure drops. The principle of an axial reactor is that the oil and gas enter the reactor from the top inlet, where they react with the fixed-bed catalyst. The products of the reaction along with hydrogen are removed through outlets at the bottom, and the oil and gas as well as the reactants flow from top to bottom along the axis of the equipment. Its disadvantage is that it causes a significant pressure drop. The advantage of radial reactors is that they reduce pressure drop while offering high space utilization. The oil and gas flow in a radial direction; a central tube is added to the reactor outlet pipe. The oil and gas enter the device through the inlet distributor, pass radially through the catalyst bed via a fan-shaped cylinder, enter the central tube, and finally exit the device through the outlet. Due to the change in flow pattern, the area for oil and gas circulation increases, the bed thickness decreases, and the resistance and pressure drop become smaller. The differences between axial and radial reactors are shown in Figure 4-7. http://bbs.**.com/data/attachment/forum/201506/01/105001lj7h7p66b2zht88f.gif Figure 4-7 Differences between axial and radial reactors The 600kt/a continuous reforming reactor at Lanzhou Petrochemical is one of the refining static equipment units with the highest technical requirements among those designed and manufactured in China. This unit utilizes UOP’s patented continuous reforming technology from the United States; it combines four reactors with different diameters through conical transition sections to form a single \"four-in-one\" continuous reforming reactor. The structure of this device is shown in Figure 4-8. During operation, the material from the previous stage reactor enters through the inlet and flows along the inner wall into the flat tubes; it then flows radially through the catalyst bed, gathers in the central tube, and exits from there. After being heated by an external furnace, it proceeds to the next stage reactor. The catalyst enters from the top and flows downward by its own gravity through the first, second, third, and fourth reactors, forming a flowing catalyst bed. Thanks to its advanced processing technology and rational structural design, it offers advantages over traditional reforming processes with separate reactors, such as a smaller footprint, more uniform reaction materials, better catalyst utilization, lower pressure drop, and reduced kinetic energy consumption. http://bbs.**.com/data/attachment/forum/201506/01/105001oeyuuuup1qviufyq.jpg http://bbs.**.com/data/attachment/forum/201506/01/105001bssyx986qtprszpy.gif chap4_6_clip_image006.gif (26.19 KB, Downloads: 0) Download attachment; Save to album. Uploaded on 2015-6-1 10:50. Figure 4-8: Schematic diagram of the structure of a continuous reforming reactor