Alkylation Processes Using Reinforced Boiling Surface Heat Exchangers in the Reaction Zone

摘要

A process of alkylating isoparaffinic hydrocarbons with olefinic hydrocarbons in the presence of an acid catalyst which comprises the steps of reacting isoparaffinic hydrocarbons and olefinic hydrocarbons in the presence of acid catalyst in a reaction zone (2) to form alkylate, withdrawing a mixture of hydrocarbons with acid catalyst as effluent from the reaction zone, separating the effluent into an acid phase and a hydrocarbon phase in a first separating zone (16), reducing the pressure on the hydrocarbon phase to refrigerate it and vapourize volatile hydrocarbons, passing the refrigerated hydrocarbon phase in indirect heat exchange with the reaction mixture of hydrocarbons and catalyst in the reaction zone to remove exothermic heat of reaction and vapourize further volatile hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon phase, separating the liquid portion of the hydrocarbon phase from the vapour portion thereof in a second separating zone (25), fractionating the liquid portion of the hydrocarbon phase to remove alkylate, passing the vapour phase material removed in the second separating zone through a compressor (34) and a condenser (36) to compress and condense the vapour phase to form a liquid phase, reducing the pressure on the liquid phase to refrigerate it and vapourize volatile hydrocarbons forming an isoparaffinic hydrocarbon liquid phase and a volatile hydrocarbon vapour phase, separating the refrigerated isoparaffinic hydrocarbon liquid phase from the volatile hydrocarbon vapour phase in a third seaprating zone (39), and adding the separated refrigerated isoparaffinic hydrocarbon liquid phase as a reactant in the reaction zone, in which: (a) the compressor (34) is operated at a suction pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, which suction pressure is equal to the pressure within the second and third separation zones; (b) the reaction within the reaction zone is carried out at a temperature less than 10 DEG C (50 DEG F); and (c) heat exchange apparatus is provided having a thermally conductive wall with an enhanced boiling surface on one side of such wall for carrying out the indirect heat exchange of the refrigerated hydrocarbon phase with the reaction mixture, wherein the refrigerated hydrocarbon phase is in contact with the said enhanced boiling surface during the indirect heat exchange. i