Method for supplying tempering steam and regeneration gas to a catalyst

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS OF SUPPLYING STEAM TO A PLURALITY OF REACTION ZONES, EACH CONTAINING A CATALYST PERIODICALLY REGENERATED AND ON STREAM FOR REACTION OF ORGANIC VAPOR REACTANT DURING A CYCLE OF OPERATION, THE IMPROVEMENT OF CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING A CONSTANT FLOW STREAM OF STEAM SUPERHEATED TO ABOVE THE CATALYST TEMPERATURE OF SAID REACTION ZONES, DIVIDING SAID STREAM OF SUPERHEATED STEAM INTO PORTIONS WHICH FLOW CONTINUOUSLY INTO EACH OF THE REACTION ZONES, ADMIXING A STREAM OF TEMPERING STEAM AT LOWER TEMPERATURE WITH A PORTION OF SAID SUPERHEATED STEAM ENTERING ONE OF THE REACTION ZONES AT A DECREASED FLOW RATE ON DISCONTINUING THE REACTION PERIOD OF THE CYCLE IN SAID REACTION ZONE WHILE A REMAINING PORTION OF SAID SUPERHEATED STEAM IS PASSED AT INCREASED FLOW RATE TO AT LEAST ONE OTHER REACTION ZONE ON STREAM FOR REACTION, CONTINUING THE ADDITION OF SAID TEMPERING STEAM TO THAT PORTION OF THE SUPERHEATED STEAM ENTERING THE REACTION ZONE IN WHICH THE CATALYST IS UNDERGOING REGENERATION AND THEREAFTER UNTIL A STREAM OF ORGANIC VAPOR REACTANT IS AGAIN BEING ADDED TO THE SUPERHEATED STREAM ENTERING THE REACTION ZONE TO START THE NEXT REACTION PERIOD IN THE SAME REACTION ZONE, THEN TO THE REACTION ZONE STARTING ITS NEXT REACTION PERIOD FLOWING THE SUPERHEATED STEAM AT AN INCREASED FLOW RATE MIXED WITH ORGANIC VAPOR REACTANT THERETO SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CATALYST IN SAID ZONE IS BROUGHT BACK UP TO THE DESIRED REACTION LEVEL.