Hydrocarbon conversion system

Claim 1

IN A CATALYTIC HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS UTILIZING A PLURALITY OF CATALYTIC REACTION ZONES IN WHICH IT BECOMES NECESSARY TO PERIODICALLY REGENERATE THE CATALYST FOR THE REMOVAL OF CRBONACEOUS MATERIAL DEPOSITED THEREON DURING THE CONVERSION PROCESS, THE METHOD OF OPERATING WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A HYDROCARBON REACTANT TO A SYSTEM WHICH COMPRISES AT LEAST TWO CONTACTING ZONES CONAINING SAID CATALYST ADAPTED FOR SERIAL FLOW THERETHROUGH, AN ADDITIONAL CONTACTING ZONE CONTAINING SAID CATALYST FOR SERVICE IN THE REACTION SERRIES WHEN ONE OF SAID ZONES IS BEING REGENERATED, ALL OF THE CONTACTING ZONES BEING SITUATED TO PROVIDE PARALLEL FLOW OF THE HYDROCARBON REACTANT TO PAIRS THEREOF, THERE BEING AT LEAST TWO SUCH PARIS AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE ZONES FORMS TWO PAIRS WITH TWO OTHER ZONES TO PROVIDE TWO SEPARATE PARALLEL FLOW ARRANGEMENTS, PASSING THE HYDROCARBON REACTANT THROUGH THE CONTACTING ZONES ADAPTED FOR SERIES FLOW UNDER REACTION CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR CONVERSION OF THE HYDROCARBON UNTIL SUCH TIME AS REGENERATION OF THE CATALYST IN ONE OF SAID ZONES IS REQUIRED, PLACING AT LEAST THE ZONE NOT IN REACTION SERVICE IN PARALLEL FLOW ARRANGEMENT WITH A ZONE FORMING A PAIR THEREWITH AND DISCONTINUING PARALLEL FLOW OF REACTANT THROUGH THE ZONES BY HAVING THE ZONES SHIFT IN POSITION RELATIVE TO THE ORIGINAL REACTION SERIES SUCH THAT THE ZONE ORIGINALLY NOT IN SERVICE IS PART OF THE SERIAL FLOW IN THE REACTION SERIES AND THE ZONE TO BE REGENERATED IS OUT OF SERVICE.