Regenerative platinum hydroformer system

Claim 1

IN A REGENARATIVE PROCESS FOR HYDROFORMING NAPHTHA WITH PLATINUM-ON-ALUMINA CATALYST IN A SYSTEM OPERATED AT ABOUT 100-350 P. S. I. AND CONTAINING FOUR REACTORS, THE METHOD OF OPERATION WHICH COMPRISES PREHEATING THE NAPHTHA AND RECYCLED HYDROGEN, CONTACTING THE PREHEATED NAPHTHA AND HYDROGNE IN A FIRST REACTOR AT AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 800 TO 875*F., REHEATING THE EFFLUENT FROM THE FIRST REACTOR AND CONTACTING THE REHEATED EFFLUENT IN A SECOND REACTOR AT AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT LEAST ABOUT 850*F. BUT BELOW 900*F., REHEATING THE EFFLUENT FROM THE SECOND REACTOR AND PASSING IT IN PARALLEL THROUGH THIRD AND FOURTH REACTORS WHILE MAINTAINING AN AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH REACTORS IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 900 TO 950*F., PERIODICALLY PASSING ALL REHEATED EFFLUENT FROM THE SECOND REACTOR THROUGH THE THIRD REACTOR WHILE REGENERATING CATALYST IN THE FOURTH REACTOR AND PASSING ALL REHEATED EFFLUENT FROM THE SECOND REACTOR TO THE FOURTH REACTOR WHILE REGENERATING CATALYST IN THE THIRD REACTOR, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF HEAT SUPPLIED TO THE EFFLUENT LEAVING THE SECOND REACTOR AND THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN THE THIRD REACTOR WHILE THE FOURTH REACTOR IS UNDERGOING REGENERATION AND REGENERATIN CATALYST IN THE FIRST AND SECOND REACTORS ONLY DURING PERIODS WHEN NO REACTORS ARE ONSTREAM.