Fluidized fixed bed process

Claim 1

AN APPROXIMATELY CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR CONTACTING REACTANTS WHICH HAVE AN APPROXIMATELY NEUTRAL TO EXOTHERMIC HEAT BALANCE WITH A FLUIDIZED CATALYST, WHICH INCLUDES CARRYING OUT THE PROCESS UNDER PRESSURE IN A PLURALITY OF REACTORS, INTERMITTENTLY TERMINATING THE RACTION, TREATING THE CATALYST WITH HYDROGEN UNDER PRESSURE TO PARTIALLY REMOVE CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL DEPOSITED THEREON AND REGENERATING THE CATALYST CONTAINED IN EACH OF THE REACTORS IN A SINGLE, CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED REGENERATOR AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PRESSURE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING PASSING THE REACTANTS THROUGH A PLURALITY OF REACTORS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, EACH OF WHICH RACTORS CONTAINS A FLUIDIZED, FIXED BED OF CATALYST, THE BEDS OF CATALYST BEING OF PROGRESSIVELY DECREASING ACTIVITY, TERMINATING SAID PASSAGE THROUGH THE REACTOR CONTAINING THE LEAST ACTIVE CATALYST BED WHEN THE CATALYST THEREIN REQUIRES REGENERATION, PASSING HYDROGEN UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH THE REACTOR IN WHICH THE REACTION HAS BEEN TERMINATED UNTIL A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CTALYST, TERMINATING THE FLOW OF HYDROGEN, DEPRESSURING THE REACTOR, REMOVING CATALYST FROM THE DEPRESSURED REACTOR, CONVERGING THIS CATALYST TO A CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED REGENERATOR WHICH CONTAINS A FLUIDIZED BED OF THE CATALYST WHICH IS UNDERGOING OXIDATIVE REGENERATION AT A SUBSTANTIALLY