Liquid organic hydrogen carrier process and catalyst system

A process for transporting hydrogen by saturating toluene to methylcyclohexane comprising:

• splitting a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising toluene into first, intermediate, and second hydrocarbon streams;
• saturating at least a portion of the toluene in the first hydrocarbon stream in a first hydrogenation reactor of a hydrogenation reaction section comprising at least a first hydrogenation reactor, an intermediate hydrogenation reactor, and a second hydrogenation reactor in the presence of hydrogen and a first hydrogenation catalyst having very high methyl cyclohexane selectivity to produce a first saturated effluent stream comprising methylcyclohexane, the first hydrogenation reactor operating in vapor phase;
• passing the first saturated effluent stream and the intermediate hydrocarbon stream to the intermediate hydrogenation reactor in the presence of hydrogen and an intermediate hydrogenation catalyst to produce an intermediate saturated effluent stream comprising additional methylcyclohexane, the intermediate hydrogenation reactor operating in vapor phase;
• passing the intermediate saturated effluent stream and the second hydrocarbon stream to the second hydrogenation reactor in the presence of hydrogen and a second hydrogenation catalyst to produce a second saturated effluent stream comprising additional methylcyclohexane, the second hydrogenation reactor operating in vapor phase;
• passing the second saturated effluent stream to a polishing reactor in the presence of a polishing hydrogenation catalyst to produce a polishing reactor effluent stream, the polishing reactor operating in vapor phase;
• separating the polishing reactor effluent stream in a high pressure separator into a liquid stream comprising the methylcyclohexane and a vapor stream comprising hydrogen, wherein the vapor stream comprises at least a portion of the hydrogen in the first, intermediate, or second hydrogenation reactors;
• splitting the liquid stream into a recycle hydrocarbon stream and a second liquid stream;
• recycling the recycle hydrocarbon stream to the hydrocarbon feed stream, the first hydrocarbon stream, the intermediate hydrocarbon stream, the second hydrocarbon stream, the first hydrogenation reactor, the intermediate hydrogenation reactor, the second hydrogenation reactor, or combinations thereof;
• stabilizing the second liquid stream to form a product stream comprising methylcyclohexane;
• pre-heating the hydrocarbon feed stream using heat of reaction of the first hydrogenation reactor, the intermediate hydrogenation reactor, the second hydrogenation reactor, or combinations thereof;
• and
• superheating a steam stream generated from the heat of reaction of one of the hydrogenation reactors using a heat of reaction of another hydrogenation reactor;
• and
• transporting the product stream to a second location.

A process for transporting hydrogen by saturating toluene to methylcyclohexane comprising:

• splitting a hydrocarbon feed stream comprising toluene into at least first and second hydrocarbon streams;
• saturating at least a portion of the toluene in the first hydrocarbon stream in a first hydrogenation reactor of a hydrogenation reaction section comprising at least one hydrogenation reactor in the presence of hydrogen and a first hydrogenation catalyst having very high methyl cyclohexane selectivity to produce a first saturated effluent stream comprising methylcyclohexane, the first hydrogenation reactor operating in vapor phase;
• passing the first saturated effluent stream and the second hydrocarbon stream to a second hydrogenation reactor in the hydrogenation reaction section in the presence of hydrogen and a second hydrogenation catalyst to produce a second saturated effluent stream comprising additional methylcyclohexane, the second hydrogenation reactor operating in vapor phase;
• passing the second saturated effluent stream to a polishing reactor in the presence of a polishing hydrogenation catalyst to produce a polishing reactor effluent stream, the polishing reactor operating in vapor phase;
• separating the polishing reactor effluent stream in a high pressure separator into a liquid stream comprising the methylcyclohexane and a vapor stream comprising hydrogen, wherein the vapor stream comprises at least a portion of the hydrogen in the first or second hydrogenation reactors;
• splitting the liquid stream into an optional recycle hydrocarbon stream and a second liquid stream;
• optionally recycling the recycle hydrocarbon stream to the hydrocarbon feed stream, the first hydrocarbon stream, the second hydrocarbon stream, the first hydrogenation reactor, the second hydrogenation reactor, or combinations thereof;
• stabilizing the second liquid stream to form a product stream comprising methylcyclohexane;
• transporting the product stream to a second location;
• dehydrogenating the methylcyclohexane in the product stream in a dehydrogenation reaction section comprising one or more dehydrogenation reactors in the presence of a dehydrogenation catalyst to form a toluene stream comprising toluene and a hydrogen product stream comprising hydrogen;
• passing the toluene stream to a stabilizer column to recover a toluene product stream;
• and
• recovering the hydrogen product stream.