Overall energy optimization of butane dehydrogenation technology by efficient reactor design

A method of dehydrogenating n-butane to produce 1-butene, the method comprising:

• flowing n-butane into a dehydrogenation compartment of a reactor, the dehydrogenation compartment comprising a dehydrogenation catalyst adapted to catalyze dehydrogenation of the n-butane,
• subjecting the n-butane to reaction conditions in the dehydrogenation compartment sufficient to dehydrogenate the n-butane to produce at least 1-butene and 2-butene;
• flowing a dehydrogenation compartment effluent comprising 1-butene and 2-butene into an isomerization compartment of the reactor, the isomerization compartment comprising a sulfocation exchanger catalyst adapted to catalyze isomerization of 2-butene to 1-butene;
• and
• subjecting the dehydrogenation compartment effluent to reaction conditions, in the isomerizing compartment, sufficient to isomerize at least some of the 2-butene of the dehydrogenation compartment effluent to form 1-butene.