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Continuous regeneration reforming in a moving bed reactor is abbreviated as continuous reforming. The process flow of the continuous reforming reaction system is shown in Figures 1 and 2; these represent patented technologies from the U.S.-based company UOP and the French company IFP, and they are also the two main technologies currently in use in industrial applications worldwide. In a continuous reforming unit, the catalyst flows continuously through three (or four) series-connected moving-bed reactors. The catalyst that emerges from the last reactor contains 5% to 7% carbon by mass, and it is transported by gravity or gas to a regenerator for regeneration. The regenerated catalyst, once restored to its active state, returns to the first reactor to carry out further reactions, thus forming a closed-loop cycle within the system. From a process perspective, since the catalyst can be regenerated frequently, relatively harsh reaction conditions can be employed, namely low reaction pressure (0.8–0.35 MPa), a low hydrogen-to-oil ratio (molar ratio, 4–1.5), and high reaction temperature (500–530°C). As a result, this is more favorable for the aromatization of alkanes; the octane number of the reformed oil obtained can exceed 100, with high yields of liquid products and hydrogen gas. Process characteristics of UOP and IFP Figure 2: Flow diagram of the IFP continuous reforming reactor system. The reaction conditions used in UOP continuous reforming and IFP continuous reforming are essentially similar; both employ platinum-tin catalysts, and both of these technologies are advanced and mature. In terms of appearance, the three reactors of the UOP continuous reforming unit are stacked on top of each other; the catalyst flows from one reactor to the next due to gravity. The catalyst that comes out of the last reactor is lifted to the top of the regenerator using nitrogen. The three reactors of the IFP continuous reforming process are arranged in parallel; the catalyst is lifted to the top of the next reactor using hydrogen between every two reactors, while the spent catalyst coming out of the last reactor is lifted to the top of the regenerator using nitrogen. In terms of specific technical details, these two technologies also have some distinct characteristics of their own. Advantages and disadvantages of the continuous reforming process: Continuous reforming technology represents one of the significant advancements in reforming techniques in recent years. It provides more suitable reaction conditions tailored to the characteristics of the reforming reaction, resulting in higher yields of aromatics, as well as higher yields of liquids and hydrogen. Its key advantage is that it improves the conditions for the alkanes aromatization reaction. Although continuous reforming has the aforementioned advantages, this does not mean that it is the only option for all new plants, as the ultimate criterion for determining the advancement of a technology is its economic efficiency. Therefore, when choosing a technology, a comprehensive analysis based on specific circumstances should be conducted. The investment in the regeneration section of continuous reforming accounts for a large proportion of the total investment; the smaller the scale of the plant, the higher this proportion becomes. Therefore, it is uneconomical to use continuous reforming for plants of small scale. The scale of continuously regenerated reforming units built in recent years is generally over 600 kt/a. In terms of total investment, the cost of a 600kt/a continuous reforming unit is approximately 30% higher compared to a semi-regenerative reforming unit of the same scale. It is evident that the amount of investment and its source of funding should be important considerations.