Catalytic alkylation method and apparatus

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REACTING A LIQUID ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON WITH A LIQUID ALKYLATING AGENT IN THE PRESENCE OF A LIQUID ALKYLATION CATALYST WHICH PASSES THROUGH A CYCLIC PATH INCLUDING IN SERIES AND IN OPEN COMMUNICATION A VERTICALLY EXTENDED REACTION ZONE, A SETTLING ZONE, A COOLING ZONE AND RETURN TO SAID REACTION ZONE, SOLEY BY ENERGY IMPARTED TO SAID CATALYST BY FLOWING HYDROCARBONS AND DENSITY DIFFERENTAIL IN SAID ZONES, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A LIQUID MIXTURE COMPRISING AN ALKYLTABLE HYDROCARBON AND AN ALKYLATING AGENT AS A PLURALITY OF UPWARDLY FLOWING, HIGH VELOCITY STREAMS INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE CONTAINING SAID CATALYST AS THE CONTINUOUS PHASE, MAINTAINING SUITABLE CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID REACTION ZONE WHEREBY SAID ALKYLATABLE HYDROCARBON IS ALKYLATED, PASSING ALKYLATION REACTION EFFLUENT COMPRISING SAID CATALYST, ALKYLATE AND UNCONSUMED REACTANTS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE INTO SAID SETTLING ZONE WHEREIN PHASE SEPARATION TAKES PLACE TO PROVIDE A CATALYST PHASE AND A HYDROCARBON PHASE, WITHDRAWING HYDROCARBONS FROM SAID SETTLING ZONE, PASSING CATALYST FROM SAID SETTLING ZONE DOWNWARDLY INTO SAID COOLING ZONE AND PASSING COOLED ACID FROM THE COOLING ZONE UPWARDLY INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE AND UPSTREAM FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID LIQUID MIXTURE SO THAT SAID CATALYST IS FLOWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID MIXTURE AT THE POINT OF THEIR INTIAL CONTACTING.