Methane pyrolysis using stacked fluidized beds

A method for reforming hydrocarbons, comprising:

• contacting a hydrocarbon-containing feed with a first portion of coke particles in a first group of fluidized beds to form a heated hydrocarbon-containing feed, the hydrocarbon-containing feed being sequentially passed into each fluidized bed of the first group of fluidized beds;
• contacting the heated hydrocarbon-containing feed with a second portion of coke particles in a second group of fluidized beds comprising one or more fluidized beds operating under pyrolysis conditions to form a hydrogen-containing effluent, the one or more fluidized beds operating under pyrolysis conditions being externally heated, the heated hydrocarbon-containing feed comprising 75 vol % or more of C1-C4 alkanes;
• contacting the hydrogen-containing effluent with a third portion of coke particles in a third group of fluidized beds to form a cooled hydrogen-containing effluent, the hydrogen-containing effluent being sequentially passed into each fluidized bed of the third group of fluidized beds;
• flowing the first portion of coke particles, the second portion of coke particles, and the third portion of coke particles in a counter-current direction to a flow direction of at least one of the hydrocarbon-containing feed and the hydrogen-containing effluent, a fraction of the third portion of coke particles being passed into the second group of fluidized beds, a fraction of the second portion of coke particles being passed into the first group of fluidized beds;
• passing a recycle fraction of the first portion of coke particles into the third group of fluidized beds,
• wherein a temperature of at least one fluidized bed in the first group of fluidized beds is lower than a temperature of a downstream adjacent fluidized bed, and
• wherein a temperature of at least one fluidized bed in the third group of fluidized beds is lower than a temperature of an adjacent upstream fluidized bed.