Patent ID: 6878350

Claim:
A system comprising: an alkylation reactor; a first settler, having an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion; an eductor; a second settler, having an upper portion, an intermediate portion and a lower portion; first conduit means operably related to said alkylation reactor for introducing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising olefins and isoparaffins into said alkylation reactor; second conduit means operably related to said alkylation reactor for introducing a first catalyst comprising a volatility reducing additive and hydrofluoric acid into said alkylation reactor; third conduit means operably related to said alkylation reactor and operably related to said first settler for withdrawing an alkylation reaction effluent from said alkylation reactor and for introducing said alkylation reaction effluent into said intermediate portion of the first settler, said upper portion of said first settler being operable for containing a first hydrocarbon phase separated from said alkylation reaction effluent and said lower portion of said first settler being operable for containing a first catalyst phase separated from said alkylation reaction effluent; fourth conduit means operably related to said first settler and operably related to said eductor for withdrawing at least a portion of said first hydrocarbon phase from said upper portion of said first settler and for introducing said at least a portion of said first hydrocarbon phase into said eductor; fifth conduit means, operably related to said second settler and operably related to said eductor for withdrawing at least a portion of a second catalyst phase comprising a volatility reducing additive and hydrofluoric acid from said lower portion of said second settler and for introducing at least a portion of said second catalyst phase into said eductor for mixing with said at least a portion of said first hydrocarbon phase to thereby produce a hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture; sixth conduit means operably related to said eductor and operably related to said second settler for withdrawing said hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture from said eductor and for introducing said hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture into said intermediate portion of said second settler, said upper portion of said second settler being operable for containing a second hydrocarbon phase separated from said hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture and said lower portion of said second settler being operable for containing said second catalyst phase separated from said hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture; and seventh conduit means operably related to said second settler for withdrawing at least a portion of said second hydrocarbon phase from said second settler to thereby form a hydrocarbon product stream.