Reverse flow reactors with selective flue gas management

A method for operating a plurality of reactors, comprising:

• reacting a first mixture comprising fuel and 0.1 vol % or more of O2 under first combustion conditions in a first combustion zone within a first reactor to form a first flue gas comprising a first temperature of 350° C. or more, and to heat one or more surfaces in a first reaction zone to a regenerated surface temperature of 800° C. or more, the first reaction zone comprising a catalyst composition;
• passing at least a portion of the first flue gas and at least a portion of a second flue gas into a second reactor;
• reacting a second mixture comprising fuel, 0.1 vol % or more of O2, the at least a portion of the first flue gas, and the at least a portion of the second flue gas under second combustion conditions in a second combustion zone within the second reactor to form the second flue gas, the second flue gas having a temperature of between 200° C. to the first temperature, and to heat one or more surfaces in a second reaction zone, the second mixture comprising a volume ratio of the at least a portion of the first flue gas to the at least a portion of the second flue gas of 1.5 or more;
• exposing a first reactant stream to the one or more surfaces in the first reaction zone to increase the temperature of the first reactant stream;
• and
• exposing the first reactant stream to the catalyst composition in the first reaction zone at a temperature of 800° C. or more to form a first product stream, a direction of flow for the first reactant stream within the first reaction zone being reversed relative to a direction of flow for the first mixture.