Hydrocarbon cracking

Claim 2

Apparatus comprising: a reactor; means for passing a feedstock to said reactor; means for removing reaction products from said reactor; a sample valve means for taking a liquid sample of said feedstock; a liquid chromatographic analyzer means for analyzing said sample and producing an analysis signal representative of the content of said sample, said liquid chromatographic analyzer means having a packed chromatographic column, a chromatographic detector means, and a backflush valve means operably connected to said sample valve means, said column and said detector; means for accepting said analysis signal and generating therefrom a first signal representative of the ratio of heavy aromatics to total aromatics within said sample; and means for controlling at least one reaction condition within said reactor in response to said first signal.

Claim 3

Apparatus comprising: a catalytic reactor; means for passing a feedstock to said catalytic reactor; means for removing reaction products from said catalytic reactor; means for heating said feedstock prior to the introduction of said feedstock into said catalytic reactor; means for generating a first signal representative of the ratio of heavy aromatics to total aromatics within said feedstock; means for establishing a second signal representative of the desired flow rate of said feedstock in response to said first signal; means for establishing a third signal representative of the actual flow rate of said feedstock; means for comparing said second signal and said third signal and for establishing a fourth signal responsive to the difference between said second signal and said third signal; means for manipulating the flow rate of said feedstock in response to said fourth signal to thereby manipulate the catalyst to feedstock ratio in said catalytic reactor; means for establishing a fifth signal representative of the desired temperature of said feedstock in response to said first signal; means for establishing a sixth signal representative of the actual temperature of said feedstock; means for comparing said fifth signal and said sixth signal and for establishing a seventh signal responsive to the difference between said fifth signal and said sixth signal; and means for manipulating the heat supplied from said means for heating said feedstock in response to said seventh signal, to thereby control the extent to which said feedstock is vaporized and also control the amount of heat carried to said catalytic reactor by said feedstock.

Claim 4

Apparatus comprising: a catalytic reactor; means for passing a feedstock to said catalytic reactor; means for removing reaction products from said catalytic reactor; means for heating said feedstock prior to the introduction of said feedstock into said catalytic reactor; means for generating a first signal representative of the ratio of heavy aromatics to total aromatics within said feedstock; means for establishing a second signal representative of the desired flow rate of said feedstock in response to said first signal; means for establishing a third signal representative of the actual flow rate of said feedstock; means for comparing said second signal and said third signal and for establishing a fourth signal responsive to the difference between said second signal and said third signal; means for manipulating the flow rate of said feedstock in response to said fourth signal to thereby manipulate the catalyst to feedstock ratio in said catalytic reactor; means for establishing a fifth signal representative of the desired temperature of said feedstock in response to said first signal; means for establishing a sixth signal representative of the actual temperature of said feedstock; means for comparing said fifth signal and said sixth signal and for establishing a seventh signal responsive to the difference between said fifth signal and said sixth signal; and means for manipulating the heat supplied from said means for heating said feedstock in response to said seventh signal, to thereby control the extent to which said feedstock is vaporized and also control the amount of heat carried to said catalytic reactor by said feedstock.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 additionally comprising: regenerator means; means for providing spent catalyst from said catalytic reactor to said regenerator means; means for providing regenerated catalyst from said regenerator means to said catalytic reactor; and means for supplying air to said regenerator means.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 additionally comprising: means for establishing an eighth signal representative of the desired flow rate of air to said regenerator means in response to said first signal; means for establishing a ninth signal representative of the actual flow rate of air to said regenerator means; means for comparing said eighth signal and said ninth signal and for establishing a tenth signal responsive to the difference between said eighth signal and said ninth signal; means for manipulating the flow rate of air to said regenerator means in response to said tenth signal to thereby control the degree of catalyst regeneration; means for establishing an eleventh signal representative of the desired level of the fluidized catalyst bed in said catalytic reactor in response to said first signal; means for establishing a twelfth signal representative of the actual level of the fluidized catalyst bed in said catalytic reactor; means for comparing said eleventh signal and said twelfth signal for establishing a thirteenth signal responsive to the difference between said eleventh signal and said twelfth signal; means for adjusting the flow rate of said spent catalyst in response to said thirteenth signal to thereby maintain a desired depth of the fluidized catalyst bed in said catalytic reactor; means for establishing a fourteenth signal representative of the desired temperature of said catalytic reactor in response to said first signal; means for establishing a fifteenth signal representative of the actual temperature of said catalytic reactor; means for comparing said fourteenth signal and said fifteenth signal and for establishing a sixteenth signal responsive to the difference between said fourteenth signal and said fifteenth signal; and means for manipulating the flow rate of said regenerated catalyst from said regenerator means to said catalytic reactor in response to said sixteenth signal to thereby maintain a desired temperature in said reactor.