Hydrocarbon reforming with platinum catalyst and regeneration system therefor

Claim 1

A REGENERATIVE, PLATINUM-CATALYST, NAPHTHA HYDROFORMING SYSTEM WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST FOUR REACTORS HEREIN CALLED ALTERNATE, FIRST, SECOND AND THEIR REACTORS RESPECTIVELY, EACH ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A BED OF PLATINUM CATALYST, A LOWER REGENERATION GAS LINE, A CONNECTION INCLUDING A VALVE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF EACH REACTOR AND SAID LOWER REGENERATION GAS LINE, AN UPPER REGENERATION GAS LINE, A CONNECTION INCLUDING A VALVE BETWEEN THE TOP OF EACH REACTOR AND THE UPPER REGENERATION GAS LINE, A REGENERATION SYSTEM CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER AND UPPER REGENERATION GAS LINES, A CHARGING STOCK HEATER, FIRST REHEATER AND SECOND REHEATER RESPECTIVELY, AN INLET AT ONE END OF EACH REACTOR AND AN OUTLET AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, A CHARGING STOCK HEATER DISCHARGE LINE ALTERNATELY CONNECTED BY LINES EACH CONTAINING A VALVE TO DISCHARGE ONLY TO THE ALTERNATE REACTOR AND THE FIRST REACTOR INLETS, A FIRST REHEATER DISCHARGE LINE CONNECTED BY LINES EACH CONTAINING A VALVE TO DISCHARGE ONLY TO THE ALTERNATE REACTOR AND THE SECOND REACTOR INLETS, A SECOND REHEATER DISCHARGE LINE CONNECTED BY LINES EACH CONTAINING A VALVE TO DISCHARGE ONLY TO THE ALTERNATE REACTOR AND THE THIRD REACTOR INLETS, A FIRST REHEATER INLET LINE CONNECTED BY LINES EACH CONTAINING A VALVE TO RECEIVE EFFLUENT FROM THE OUTLETS BY ONLY THE ALTERNATE REACTOR AND THE FIRST REACTOR, A SECOND REHEATER INLET LINE CONNECTED BY LINES EACH CONTAINING A VALVE TO RECEIVE EFFLUENT FROM THE OUTLETS OF ONLY THE ALTERNATE AND SECOND REACTOR, A GAS SEPARATOR HAVING AN INLET CONNECTED BY LINES EACH CONTAING A VALVE TO RECEIVE EFFLUENT FROM THE ALTERNATE REACTOR AND THE THIRD REACTOR, WHEREBY A NAPHTHA CHARGE FLOWS IN SERIES THROUGH THE HEATER, FIRST REACTOR, FIRST REHEATER, SECOND REACTOR, SECOND REHEATER, AND THIRD REACTOR TO THE GAS SEPARATOR WHILE CATALYST IN THE ALTERNATE REACTOR IS UNDERGOING REGENERATION AND WHEREBY THE ALTERNATE REACTOR MAY BE CONNECTED IN PARALLEL WITH ANY SELECTED ONE OF THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD REACTORS RESPECTIVELY AND TAKE THE PLACE THEREOF IN ANY DESIRED SEQUENCE SO THAT ANY SELECTED REACTOR MAY BE TAKEN OFF STREAM FOR REGENERATION WITHOUT INTERRUPTING CHARGING STOCK FLOW THROUGH THE SYSTEM OR CHANGING THE ORDER OF SAID FLOW THROUGH THE PREHEATERS OF THE SYSTEM.