Process and apparatus for the reforming of naphtha hydrocarbons

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE REFORMING OF NAPHTHA HYDROCARBONS CARRIED OUT IN THE PRESENCE OF FINELY DIVIDED CATALYST, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING NAPHTHA HYDROCARBONS AND A GAS CONTAINING FREE HYDROGEN UPWARDLY THROUGH A REFORMING REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A FIRST TURBULENT DENSE PHASE BED OF FINELY DIVIDED REFORMING CATALYST PARTICLES WHICH IS MAINTAINED UNDER ACTIVE REFORMING CONDITIONS, WITHDRAWING A CONTROLLED AMOUNT OF CATALYST DIRECTLY FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FIRST DENSE PHASE BED AND PASSING THE WITHDRAWN CATALYST AS A DENSE FLUIDIZED CONFINED STREAM INTO A SEPARATE REACTIVATION ZONE CONTAINING A SECOND DENSE PHASE BED OF FINELY DIVIDED REFORMING CATALYST PARTICLES, PASSING A GAS CONTAINING FREE HYDROGEN UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SECOND DENSE PHASE BED OF CATALYST TO EFFECT THE REMOVAL OF CARBONACEOUS DEPOSITS AND REACTIVATION OF THE CATALYST PARTICLES THEREIN, REMOVING REACTIVATED CATALYST PARTICLES AS A SUSPENSION IN HYDROGEN-CONTAINING GAS OVERHEAD FROM SAID SECOND DENSE PHASE BED, MIXING HYDROCARBON FEED WITH SAID SUSPENSION, PASSING THE RESULTANT MIXTURE INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID FIRST TURBULENT DENSE PHASE BED IN SAID REFORMING REACTION ZONE AND REMOVING REACTION PRODUCTS OVERHEAD FROM SAID REFORMING REACTION ZONE.