Process control system

Claim 1

IN AN ALKYLATION PROCESS WHEREIN AN ISOPARAFFIN IS REACTED WITH AN OLEFIN UNDER ALKYLATING CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE AN ALKYLATION REACTION MIXTURE EFFLUENT, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES DIRECTLY PASSING SAID EFFLUENT AS A FEED MIXTURE INTO A UNITARY CONFINED FRACTIONATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING AN OVERHEAD PRODUCT FROM AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, INTRODUCING A PORTION OF SAID WITHDRAWN OVERHEAD PRODUCT INTO AN UPPER PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING A KETTLE PRODUCT FROM A LOWER PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, INTRODUCING HEAT INTO SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING AN INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT AS AN INTERMEDIATE FRACTION FROM AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, ANALYZING SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT TO DETERMINE THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT IN SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT, ADJUSTING THE RATE OF FLOW OF REFLUX INTO SAID ZONE SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT IN SAID OVERHEAD PRODUCT AT A MINIMUM, ANALYZING SAID KETTLE PRODUCT TO DETERMINE THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT IN SAID KETTLE PRODUCT, ADJUSTING THE RATE OF FLOW OF KETTLE PRODUCT FROM SAID ZONE SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE CONCENTRATION OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT THEREIN AT A MINIMUM, ANALYZING SAID INTERMEDIATE FRACTION TO DETERMINE THE CONCENTRATION OF OVERHEAD AND KETTLE PRODUCTS IN SAID INTERMEDIATE FRACTION, AND ADJUSTING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FRACTIONATION ZONE FEED IN RESPONSE TO THE ANALYSIS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE FRACTION SO AS TO TEND TO MAINTAIN THE ANALYZED CONCENTRATION AT A MINIMUM VALUE AND HOLD THE FRACTIONATION ZONE FEED TEMPERATURE AT AN OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE.