Process for methane conversion

A process for converting methane to higher hydrocarbon(s) including aromatic hydrocarbon(s) in a reactor system comprising at least first and second reaction zones connected in series, the process comprising:

• (a) providing to said reactor system a hydrocarbon feedstock containing methane;
• (b) providing to said reactor system a catalytic particulate material;
• wherein said catalytic particulate material provides greater than 50% of the heat required for (e);
• (c) moving the bulk of said catalytic particulate material from said first reaction zone to said second reaction zone and moving the bulk of said hydrocarbon feedstock from said second reaction zone to said first reaction zone;
• (d) maintaining said reaction zones in a moving bed fashion;
• and
• (e) operating each said reaction zone under reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said methane to a first effluent having said higher hydrocarbon(s);
• further characterized in that the catalytic particulate material enters the reaction zone at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 1200° C. and exits the reaction zone at a temperature of about 500° C. to about 800° C., with the total temperature difference of the catalytic particulate material across the reaction zones being at least −100° C.

A process for converting methane to higher hydrocarbon(s) including aromatic hydrocarbon(s) in a reactor system comprising at least first and second reaction zones connected in series, the process comprising:

• (a) providing to said reactor system a hydrocarbon feedstock containing methane;
• (b) providing to said reactor system a catalytic particulate material;
• (c) moving the bulk of said catalytic particulate material from said first reaction zone to said second reaction zone and moving the bulk of said hydrocarbon feedstock from said second reaction zone to said first reaction zone;
• (d) maintaining said reaction zones in a moving bed fashion;
• (e) maintaining said reaction zones with a superficial gas velocity in the range from the minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) to the velocity required for maintaining a solid bed void fraction below 95 vol. %;
• (f) operating each of said reaction zones under reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said methane to a first effluent having said higher hydrocarbon(s);
• (g) removing at least a portion of said catalytic particulate material from said reaction zone(s);
• (h) regenerating at least a portion of the removed catalytic particulate material under regenerating conditions including a temperature of from about 450° C. to about 750° C.;
• (i) heating at least a portion of the removed catalytic particulate material and/or at least a portion of the regenerated catalytic particulate material to a temperature at least 825° C.;
• and
• (j) recycling at least a portion of the heated catalytic particulate material to said reaction zones;
• further characterized in that the catalytic particulate material enters the reaction zone at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 1200° C. and exits the reaction zone at a temperature of about 500° C. to about 800° C., with the total temperature difference of the catalytic particulate material across the reaction zones being at least −100° C.

A process for manufacturing aromatic hydrocarbon(s) from methane in a reactor system comprising at least first and second reaction zones connected in series, the process comprising:

• (a) providing to said reactor system a hydrocarbon feedstock containing methane;
• (b) providing to said reactor system a catalytic particulate material;
• (c) moving the bulk of said catalytic particulate material from said first reaction zone to said second reaction zone and moving the bulk of said hydrocarbon feedstock from said second reaction zone to said first reaction zone, wherein said catalytic particulate material enters said second reaction zone at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 1200° C. and exits said second reaction zone at a temperature of about 600° C. to about 800° C. with the total temperature difference of the catalytic particulate material across the reaction zone being at least −100° C.;
• (d) maintaining said reaction zones with a superficial gas velocity within a range from the minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) to the velocity required for maintaining a solid bed void fraction below 95 vol. %;
• (e) operating each said reaction zone under reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said methane to a first effluent having said aromatic hydrocarbon(s);
• and
• (f) recovering said aromatic hydrocarbon(s).

A process for manufacturing benzene from methane in a reactor system having at least a first reaction zone and a final reaction zone connected in series, the process comprising:

• (a) providing to said reactor system a hydrocarbon feedstock containing methane;
• (b) providing to said reactor system a catalytic particulate material;
• (c) moving the bulk of said catalytic particulate material from said first reaction zone to said second reaction zone and moving the bulk of said hydrocarbon feedstock from said second reaction zone to said first reaction zone and wherein the mass ratio of the flowrate of the catalytic particulate material over the flowrate of the hydrocarbon feedstock is from about 1:1 to about 100:1;
• (d) maintaining said reaction zones with a superficial gas velocity with a range from the minimum fluidization velocity (Umf) to the velocity required for maintaining a solid bed void fraction below 95 vol. %;
• (e) operating each said reaction zone under reaction conditions sufficient to convert at least a portion of said methane to said benzene;
• and
• (f) recovering said benzene;
• further characterized in that the catalytic particulate material enters the reaction zone at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 1200° C. and exits the reaction zone at a temperature of about 500° C. to about 800° C., with the total temperature difference of the catalytic particulate material across the reaction zones being at least −100° C.