Catalytic hydrogenation and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CATALYTICALLY REACTING AT LEAST TWO FLUIDS TOGETHER IN A CONFINED CHAMBER, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF INJECTING, UNDER PRESSURE, A MIXTURE OF AT LEAST TWO CO-REACTABLE, FLUIDS THROUGH AN INJECTION ZONE AND THROUGH A TRANSMISSION ZONE UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS THAT SUBSTANTIALLY NO REACTION TAKES PLACE THEREIN; PASSING SAID ADMIXTURE OF REACTABLE FLUIDS DOWNWARDLY INTO A BED OF PARTICULATE SOLID CATALYST IN A REACTION ZONE; CHEMICALLY REACTING SAID CO-REACTABLE MATERIALS IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID CATALYST IN SAID REACTION ZONE; PASSING RESULTING REACTION PRODUCTS AND UNREACTED MATERIALS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE INTO A COLLECTION ZONE CONTAINING ADDITIONAL SAID CATALYST; SEPARATING VAPOROUS MATERIALS FROM LIQUID MATERIALS IN SAID COLLECTION ZONE; REMOVING SAID VAPOROUS MATERIALS FROM SAID COLLECTION ZONE AND SAID CHAMBER; MAINTAINING A BODY OF SAID LIQUID MATERIAL IN CONTACT WITH SAID CATALYST IN SAID COLLECTION ZONE; AND ADMIXING WITH SAID INJECTED CO-REACTABLE FLUIDS IN SAID INJECTION ZONE A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID MATERIALS FROM SAID COLLECTION ZONE.