Process control method and apparatus

Claim 2

IN AN ALKYLATION PROCESS WHEREIN AN OLEFIN STREAM AND AN ISOPARAFFIN STREAM ARE CONTINUOUSLY CHARGED TO A REACTION ZONE, AND A PORTION OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN IS ALKYLATED WITH SAID OLEFINS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, TOTAL HYDROCARBON PHASE EFFLUENT FROM SAID REACTION ZONE IS CONTINUOUSLY PASSED AS FEED TO A FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE COMBINATION OF MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RATE OF FLOW OF SAID TOTAL HYDROCARBON PHASE EFFLUENT TO SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RATIO OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN TO SAUD OLEFINS FED TO SAID REACTION ZONE BY ANALYZING FOR THE RELATIVE AMOUNTS OF OLEFINS AND ISOPARAFFINS IN SAID STREAMS CHARGED TO SAID REACTION ZONE AND IN RESPONSE TO THE DETERMINED RATIO CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID OLEFIN STREAM AND THEREBY MAINTAINING A CONSTANT PREDETERMINED RATIO OF ISOPARAFFINS TO OLEFINS CHARGED WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DIRECTLY CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID ISOPARAFFIN STREAM IN RESPONSE TO THE RATE OF FLOW OF SAID TOTAL HYDROCARBON PHASE EFFLUENT PASSED AS FEED TO SAID FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE AND THEREBY SIMULTANEOUSLY MAINTAINING A CONSTANT PREDETERMINED RATE OF FLOW OF SAID TOTAL HYDROCARBON PHASE EFFLUENT TO SAID FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION ZONE.

Claim 3

IN AN ALKYLATION UNIT WHEREIN ISOPARAFFINS ARE ALKYLATED WITH OLEFIN IN A REACTOR AND TOTAL REACTOR EFFLUENT HYDROCARBON PHASE IS COLLECTED IN AN ACCUMULATOR AND THEREAFTER FRACTIONALLY DISTILLED IN FRACTION DISTILLATION MEANS; A CONTROL SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATIO OF ISOPARAFFINS TO OLEFINS INTHE HYDROCARBON FEED TO SAID REACTOR AND TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATE OF FLOW OF SAID EFFLUENT TO SAID FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION MEANS, COMPRISING FIRST CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REACTOR TO SUPPLY OLEFINS, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REACTOR TO SUPPLY ISOPARAFFINS, FIRST ANALYZING MEANS TO MEASURE THE FLOW OF OLEFINS THROUGH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, SECOND ANALYZING MEANS TO MEASURE THE FLOW OF ISOPARAFFINS THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS, THIRD CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID ACCUMULATOR AND SAID DISTILLATION MEANS, MEANS TO MEASURE THE RATE OF FLOW IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANALYZING MEANS TO CONTROL THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATIO OF ISOPARAFFINS TO OLEFINS IN THE HYDROCARBON FEED TO THE REACTOR, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID MEASURING MEANS IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT TO CONTROL THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS SO AS TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATE OF FLOW IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT.

Claim 4

IN AN ALKYLATION UNIT WHEREIN ISOPARAFFINS ARE ALKYLATED WITH OLEFIN IN A REACTOR AND TOTAL REACTOR EFFLUENT HYDROCARBON PHASE IS COLLECTED IN AN ACCUMULATOR AND THEREAFTER FRACTIONALLY DISTILLED IN FRACTION DISTILLATION MEANS; A CONTROL SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATIO OF ISOPARAFFINS TO OLEFINS INTHE HYDROCARBON FEED TO SAID REACTOR AND TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATE OF FLOW OF SAID EFFLUENT TO SAID FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION MEANS, COMPRISING FIRST CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REACTOR TO SUPPLY OLEFINS, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REACTOR TO SUPPLY ISOPARAFFINS, FIRST ANALYZING MEANS TO MEASURE THE FLOW OF OLEFINS THROUGH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, SECOND ANALYZING MEANS TO MEASURE THE FLOW OF ISOPARAFFINS THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS, THIRD CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID ACCUMULATOR AND SAID DISTILLATION MEANS, MEANS TO MEASURE THE RATE OF FLOW IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND ANALYZING MEANS TO CONTROL THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATIO OF ISOPARAFFINS TO OLEFINS IN THE HYDROCARBON FEED TO THE REACTOR, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO SAID MEASURING MEANS IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT TO CONTROL THE RATE OF FLOW THROUGH SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS SO AS TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RATE OF FLOW IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT.