Hydroforming with fluidized catalyst and inert heat transfer solids

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF HYDROFORMING NAPHTHAS WHICH COMPRISES CHARGING SAID NAPHTHA AND HYDROGEN TO THE BOTTOM OF A CONFINED, ELONGATED REACTION ZONE OF RESTRICTED CROSSSECTIONAL AREA CAUSING SAID NAPHTHA AND HYDROGEN TO FLOW UPWARDLY THEREIN, THE SAID REACTION ZONE BEING POSITIONED WITHIN AND EXTENDING ABOVE A SECOND ZONE, THE LATTER PROVIDING AN ANNULAR ZONE SURROUNDING THE SAID REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES COMPRISING A SUPPORTED PLATINUM GROUP METAL IN SAID ANNULAR ZONE, INDUCING FLOW OF CATALYST FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ANNULAR ZONE INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION ZONE BY THE UPWARDLY FLOWING NAPHTHA VAPORS AND HYDROGEN IN SAID REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING HYDROFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING RAW PRODUCT AND CATALYST FROM THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND PERMITTING IT TO FLOW INTO AN EXPANDED CATALYST DISENGAGING SPACE WHEREIN CATALYST IS SEPARATED FROM THE PRODUCT VAPORS AND HYDROGEN AND GRAVITATED TOWARD THE SAID ANNULAR ZONE, CAUSING CATALYST TO FLOW FROM SAID ANNULAR ZONE INTO A HEATING ZONE DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE ANNULAR ZONE, ADDING HOT INERT SOLIDS OF LARGER SIZE THAN SAID CATALYST PARTICLES TO THE HEATING ZONE AND CAUSING HYDROGEN TO FLOW UPWARDLY IN SAID HEATING ZONE AND SAID ANNULAR ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN BOTH ZONES IN A FLUIDIZED STATE, PERMITTING SOLIDS TO FLOW FROM THE HEATING ZONE INTO AN ELUTRIATING ZONE IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID HEATING ZONE, WHICH ELUTRIATING ZONE IS OF MORE RESTRICTED CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN SAID HEATING ZONE, WHEREBY CATALYST IS SEPARATED FROM THE SAID INERT SOLIDS, WITHDRAWING SAID INERT SOLIDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ELUTRIATING ZONE AND TRANSFERRING THEM TO A HEATING ZONE,

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF HYDROFORMING NAPHTHAS WHICH COMPRISES CHARGING SAID NAPHTHA AND HYDROGEN TO THE BOTTOM OF A CONFINED, ELONGATED REACTION ZONE OF RESTRICTED CROSSSECTIONAL AREA CAUSING SAID NAPHTHA AND HYDROGEN TO FLOW UPWARDLY THEREIN, THE SAID REACTION ZONE BEING POSITIONED WITHIN AND EXTENDING ABOVE A SECOND ZONE, THE LATTER PROVIDING AN ANNULAR ZONE SURROUNDING THE SAID REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST PARTICLES COMPRISING A SUPPORTED PLATINUM GROUP METAL IN SAID ANNULAR ZONE, INDUCING FLOW OF CATALYST FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ANNULAR ZONE INTO THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION ZONE BY THE UPWARDLY FLOWING NAPHTHA VAPORS AND HYDROGEN IN SAID REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING HYDROFORMING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING RAW PRODUCT AND CATALYST FROM THE TOP OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND PERMITTING IT TO FLOW INTO AN EXPANDED CATALYST DISENGAGING SPACE WHEREIN CATALYST IS SEPARATED FROM THE PRODUCT VAPORS AND HYDROGEN AND GRAVITATED TOWARD THE SAID ANNULAR ZONE, CAUSING CATALYST TO FLOW FROM SAID ANNULAR ZONE INTO A HEATING ZONE DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY BELOW THE ANNULAR ZONE, ADDING HOT INERT SOLIDS OF LARGER SIZE THAN SAID CATALYST PARTICLES TO THE HEATING ZONE AND CAUSING HYDROGEN TO FLOW UPWARDLY IN SAID HEATING ZONE AND SAID ANNULAR ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN BOTH ZONES IN A FLUIDIZED STATE, PERMITTING SOLIDS TO FLOW FROM THE HEATING ZONE INTO AN ELUTRIATING ZONE IMMEDIATELY BELOW SAID HEATING ZONE, WHICH ELUTRIATING ZONE IS OF MORE RESTRICTED CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN SAID HEATING ZONE, WHEREBY CATALYST IS SEPARATED FROM THE SAID INERT SOLIDS, WITHDRAWING SAID INERT SOLIDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ELUTRIATING ZONE AND TRANSFERRING THEM TO A HEATING ZONE,