Method and apparatus for contacting fluids with solids

Claim 1

IN A HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS WHEREIN GASEOUS HYDROCARBONS ARE CONVERTED STAGEWISE IN THE PRESENCE OF GRANULAR CATALYST UNDER CONDITIONS OF RELATIVELYHIGH TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: PASSING SAID HYDROCARBONS SERIALLY AND IN A SINGLE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION THROUGH A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE REACTION ZONES COMPRISING CONFINED COMPACT BEDS OF SAID CATALYSST ARRANGED AS A SERIES OF ADJACENT CONCENTRIC LAYERS, ADJACENT REACTION ZONES BEING SEPARATED AND ARRANGED IN INDIRECT HAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP THROUGH A COMMON HEAT-CONDUCTIVE MEDIUM; AND SEPARATELY REHEATING SAID HYDROCARBONS BETWEEN SAID STAGES AND EXTERIORLY OF SAID REACTION ZONES, THE THERMANL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ZONES THROUGH SAID HEAT-CONDUCTIVE MEDIUM AND THE RELATIVE QUANITITIES OF CATALYST WITHIN SAID ZONES BEING SUCH AS TO APPROACH A SUBSTANTIALLY ISOTHERMAL OPERATION ACROSS SAID PLURALITY OF REACTION ZONES, WHEREBY THE INTERSTAGE REHEATING REQUIREMENTS ARE RE DUCED TO A MINIMUN.