Hydrocarbon Pyrolysis in a Forced Circulation Reactor System

A process for performing hydrocarbon pyrolysis, comprising:

• pyrolyzing a hydrocarbon-containing flow in the presence of solid particles under pyrolysis conditions in a reactor to form an H2-containing effluent and coke deposited on at least a portion of the solid particles, the hydrocarbon-containing flow and the solid particles forming a gas-solids mixture within the reactor under forced circulation conditions, substantially all of the gas-solids mixture having a solids density of 0.1 lbs/ft3 or more while exposed to pyrolysis conditions within the reactor, the gas-solids mixture having a gas velocity of 0.1 ft/s or more while exposed to pyrolysis conditions within the reactor, at least a portion of the gas-solids mixture exposed to the pyrolysis conditions within the reactor having a gas velocity of 20 ft/s or more, the pyrolysis conditions comprising a temperature of 700° C. to 1600° C.;
• passing the H2-containing effluent and a transfer portion of the solid particles in the gas-solids mixture upwards through the reactor into a separation vessel to produce an H2-containing product and a solids product comprising solid particles having deposited coke;
• and
• passing at least a portion of the solids product into the reactor.