Method and apparatus for alkylation using solid catalyst particles in a transport reactor

A process for the alkylation of isobutane with butenes, the process comprising the steps of:

• a) passing into a substantially vertical alkylation riser-reactor a feed stream comprising isobutane and a plurality of recirculation streams comprising catalyst particles and isobutane, wherein the riser-reactor has a bottom portion and a top portion oriented above the bottom portion, and wherein the feed stream and the plurality of recirculation streams enter the bottom portion of the riser-reactor, the plurality of recirculation streams flows in a substantially horizontal direction, wherein the directions of the flows of the plurality of recirculation streams are disposed in a plane;
• b) passing butenes to the bottom portion of the riser-reactor and to at least three intermediate portions of the riser-reactor, wherein the at least three intermediate portions are located between the bottom portion and the top portion of the riser-reactor;
• c) alkylating isobutane with butenes in the presence of a fluidized bed of catalyst particles at alkylation conditions in the riser-reactor, and producing alkylate;
• d) discharging a riser-reactor effluent stream comprising alkylate and catalyst particles that are partially deactivated from the top portion of the riser-reactor to a separation zone, separating the riser-reactor effluent stream in the separation zone into a product stream comprising alkylate that is recovered from the process and into catalyst particles that are partially deactivated and that pass downwardly in the separation zone;
• e) forming a first annular moving packed bed of catalyst particles that are partially deactivated in a lower portion of the separation zone, the first annular moving packed bed having a first inner diameter;
• f) contacting the catalyst particles in the first annular moving packed bed in the lower portion of the separation zone with isobutane and hydrogen at reactivation conditions sufficient to at least partially reactivate the catalyst particles in the first annular moving packed bed;
• g) passing catalyst particles from the first annular moving packed bed to a second annular moving packed bed, wherein the second annular moving packed bed has a second inner diameter that is greater than the first inner diameter;
• h) passing a plurality of aliquot portions of catalyst particles from the second annular moving packed bed to a plurality of substantially vertical recirculation conduits, and forming in the plurality of recirculation conduits a plurality of moving packed beds of catalyst particles;
• i) passing catalyst particles downwardly at a plurality of particle flow rates through the plurality of moving packed beds to a plurality of fluid-controlled valves, wherein the plurality of particle flow rates are within 50% of the average of the plurality of particle flow rates;
• j) passing isobutane to the plurality of fluid-controlled valves to produce the plurality of recirculation streams and to deliver catalyst particles to a plurality of substantially horizontal feeder conduits;
• k) conveying the plurality of recirculation streams through the plurality of feeder conduits and to the bottom portion of the riser-reactor;
• and
• l) passing an additional portion of the catalyst particles from the second annular moving packed bed to a catalyst regeneration zone, at least partially reactivating catalyst particles in the catalyst regeneration zone, and passing a supplemental portion of catalyst particles from the catalyst regeneration zone to the alkylation transport reactor, wherein the introduction of the supplemental portion to the alkylation transport reactor is above the plane.