Integration of a reaction system having gravity-flowing catalyst particles with a fixed-bed system

Claim 1

A MULTIPLE-STAGE PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC REFORMING OF A HYDROCARBON FEED STREAM WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: A. REACTING SAID FEED STREAM IN A PLURALITY OF FIXED-BED, CATALYTIC FIRST REACTION ZONES, SAID FEED STREAM CONTACTING SAID FIXED-BED CATALYSTS IN LATERAL, RADIAL FLOW, SAID FIXED BEDS BEING IN SERIES FLOW WITH EACH OTHER, B. INTRODUCING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE RESULTING FIRST ZONE EFFLUENT DOWNWARDLY INTO A SECOND REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A BED OF CATALYST MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY THERETHROUGH VIA GRAVITY-FLOW, AND FURTHER REACTING SAID EFFLUENT IN CONTACT WITH SAID MOVABLE CATALYST; C. WITHDRAWING, AT LEAST PERIODICALLY, CATALYST FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY RECOVERING CONVERTED HYDROCARBON EFFLUENT THEREFROM; AND, D. AT LEAST PERIODICALLY ADDING FRESH, OR REGENERATED CATALYST TO SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE.