Alkylation process and apparatus

Claim 2

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATELY ALKYLATING TWO DIFFERENT STREAMS OF ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND ALKYLATORS EACH HAVING AN INLET FOR ACID, AN INLET FOR HYDROCARBON FEED COMPRISING AN ISOPARAFFIN AND AN OLEFIN AND AN OUTLET FOR ALKYLATED PRODUCT; AN ACID SETTLER IN THE FORM OF A CLOSED VESSEL HAVING AN UPRIGHT BAFFLE EXTENDING LATERALLY THERETHRU FROM WALL TO WALL BUT SPACED FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF; A PAIR OF FEED INLETS IN A LOWER SECTION OF SAID SETTLER ON OPPOSITE OF SAID BAFFLE; AN ACID OUTLET IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SETTLER; A PAIR OF EFFLUENT ALKYLATE LINES EXTENDING FROM SAID SETTLER AT A LEVEL INTERMEDIATE THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID BAFFLE AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, EACH HAVING A MOTOR VALVE THEREIN; A PAIR OF LIQUID LEVEL CONTROLLERS ON SAID SETTLER ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BAFFLE, ONE BEING CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID MOTOR VALVES AND ONE TO THE OTHER, THEREBY BEING ADAPTED TO MAINTAIN A LIQUID LEVEL ON EACH SIDE OF SAID BAFFLE BELOW THE TOP AND SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE BOTTOM THEREOF; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID FIRST ALKYLATOR TO ONE OF THE FEED INLETS IN SAID SETTLER; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTLET OF SAID SECOND ALKYLATOR TO THE OTHER OF SAID FEED INLETS; AND AN ACID RETURN LINE FROM SAID ACID OUTLET TO EACH OF SAID ACID INLETS.

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY AND SEPARATELY ALKYLATING A FIRST STREAM CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF PROPYLENE AND ISOBUTANE AND A SECOND STREAM CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF BUTYLENES AND ISOBUTANE COMPRISING PASSING SAID FIRST STREAM IN ADMIXTURE WITH AN ACID ALKYLATION CATALYST THRU A FIRST ALKYLATION ZONE UNDER ALKYLATING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 110-125*F., TO FORM A FIRST ALKYLATE STREAM; SIMULTANEOUSLY PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM IN ADMIXTURE WITH SAID ACID ALKYLATION CATALYST THRU A SECOND ALKYLATION ZONE UNDER ALKYLATING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 60 TO 80*F., TO FORM A SECOND ALKYLATE STREAM; PASSING SAID FIRST ALKYLATE STREAM AND SAID SECOND ALKYLATE STREAM INTO SEPARATE SETTLING ZONES FOR SEPARATING ACID AND VAPOR FROM THE ALKYLATES; ALLOWING ACID CATALYST TO SETTLE FROM BOTH SAID SETTLING ZONES INTO A COMMON ACID RECOVERY ZONE, WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID ACID IS BELOW THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID FIRST ALKYLATION ZONE; ALLOWING VAPOR TO ESCAPE FROM BOTH SAID SETTLING ZONES INTO A COMMON VAPOR RECOVERY ZONE; WITHDRAWING VAPOR FROM SAID COMMON VAPOR RECOVERY ZONE IN A SINGLE STREAM TO CONTROL PRESSURE IN SAID SETTLING ZONES; WITHDRAWING A SINGLE STREAM OF SAID ACID CATALYST FROM SAID ACID RECOVERY ZONE AND PASSING AT EXISTING TEMPERATURE A PORTION THEREOF AT EXISTING TEMPERATURE TO SAID FIRST ALKYLATION ZONE; PASSING A REMAINING PORTION OF THE RECOVERED ACID THRU A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE TO COOL SAME TO BELOW THE TEMPERATURE IN A SAID SECOND ALKYLATION ZONE AND PASSING THE COOLED ACID TO SAID SECOND ALKYLATION ZONE, THEREBY EFFECTING ALL OF THE HEAT EXCHANGE REQUIRED IN THE ACID CATALYST IN A SINGLE HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE; MAINTAINING SEPARATE BODIES OF FIRST AND SECOND ALKYLATES IN SAID SEPARATE SETTLING ZONES; AND WITHDRAWING SEPARATE STREAMS OF SAID FIRST ALKYLATE AND SAID SECOND ALKYLATE FROM SAID SEPARATE BODIES THEREOF.

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY AND SEPARATELY ALKYLATING A FIRST STREAM CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF PROPYLENE AND ISOBUTANE AND A SECOND STREAM CONSISTING PRINCIPALLY OF BUTYLENES AND ISOBUTANE COMPRISING PASSING SAID FIRST STREAM IN ADMIXTURE WITH AN ACID ALKYLATION CATALYST THRU A FIRST ALKYLATION ZONE UNDER ALKYLATING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 110-125*F., TO FORM A FIRST ALKYLATE STREAM; SIMULTANEOUSLY PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM IN ADMIXTURE WITH SAID ACID ALKYLATION CATALYST THRU A SECOND ALKYLATION ZONE UNDER ALKYLATING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 60 TO 80*F., TO FORM A SECOND ALKYLATE STREAM; PASSING SAID FIRST ALKYLATE STREAM AND SAID SECOND ALKYLATE STREAM INTO SEPARATE SETTLING ZONES FOR SEPARATING ACID AND VAPOR FROM THE ALKYLATES; ALLOWING ACID CATALYST TO SETTLE FROM BOTH SAID SETTLING ZONES INTO A COMMON ACID RECOVERY ZONE, WHEREBY THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID ACID IS BELOW THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID FIRST ALKYLATION ZONE; ALLOWING VAPOR TO ESCAPE FROM BOTH SAID SETTLING ZONES INTO A COMMON VAPOR RECOVERY ZONE; WITHDRAWING VAPOR FROM SAID COMMON VAPOR RECOVERY ZONE IN A SINGLE STREAM TO CONTROL PRESSURE IN SAID SETTLING ZONES; WITHDRAWING A SINGLE STREAM OF SAID ACID CATALYST FROM SAID ACID RECOVERY ZONE AND PASSING AT EXISTING TEMPERATURE A PORTION THEREOF AT EXISTING TEMPERATURE TO SAID FIRST ALKYLATION ZONE; PASSING A REMAINING PORTION OF THE RECOVERED ACID THRU A HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE TO COOL SAME TO BELOW THE TEMPERATURE IN A SAID SECOND ALKYLATION ZONE AND PASSING THE COOLED ACID TO SAID SECOND ALKYLATION ZONE, THEREBY EFFECTING ALL OF THE HEAT EXCHANGE REQUIRED IN THE ACID CATALYST IN A SINGLE HEAT EXCHANGE ZONE; MAINTAINING SEPARATE BODIES OF FIRST AND SECOND ALKYLATES IN SAID SEPARATE SETTLING ZONES; AND WITHDRAWING SEPARATE STREAMS OF SAID FIRST ALKYLATE AND SAID SECOND ALKYLATE FROM SAID SEPARATE BODIES THEREOF.