Alkylation of isoparaffins with olefins cooled by autorefrigeration

Claim 1

AN AUTO-REFRIGERATED ALKYLATION SYSTEM FOR ALKYLATING ISOPARAFFIN WHILE OLEFIN IN THE PRESENCE OF A LIQUID CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES, A VERTICALLY DISPOSED ALKYLATION REACTION TOWER, SAID TOWER HAVING PROVIDED AT THE TOP THEREOF MEANS TO FLASH SAID ISOPARAFFIN INTO A VAPOROUS PORTION AND A LIQQUID PORTION, MEANS TO WITHDRAW SAID VAPOROUS PORTION, SAID WITHDRAWAL MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID TOWER, MEANS TO CONTACT SAID LIQUID PORTION WITH A REFRIGERANT VAPOR STREAM, AND MEANS TO REMOVE SAID CONTACTED REFRIGERANT VAPOR STREAM, SAID TOWER HAVING FURTHER PROVIDED AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF A SERIES OF VERTICALLY POSITIONED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED LIQUID-VAPOR CONTACT TRAYS, MEANS TO EMULSIFY SAID LIQUID ISOPARAFFIN AND SAID CATALYST, MEANS TO INTRODUCE SAID ISOPARAFFIN-CATALYST EMULSION ONTO THE UPPERMOST OF SAID CONTACT TRAYS, MEANS TO INTRODUCE ACROSS THE INLET OF EACH OF SAID WAYS SAID OLEFIN, MEANS TO VARY TO PRESSURE IN SAID REACTION TOWER SO AS TO WITHDRAW A VAPOR PORTION OF THE REACTION MIXTURE, SAID WITHDRAWN VAPOR PORTION OF THE REACTION MIXTURE CONSTITUTING THE REFRIGERANT VAPOR STREAM, MEANS TO COMPRESS, CONDENSE AND RETURN SAID REFRIGERANT VAPOR STREAM TO THE TOP OF SAID TOWER, MEANS TO REMOVE THE REACTION PRODUCT AND CATALYST FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID TOWER, MEANS TO EFFECT THE SEPARATION OF SAID REACTION PRODUCT FROM SAID CATALYST AND MEANS TO CONTACT SAID REACTION PRODUCT WITH INCOMING FRESH CATALYST.