Process and apparatus for fluidized catalyst regeneration

Claim 1

IN THE REGENERATION OF FINELY DIVIDED CATALYST PARTICLES WHICH HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH A CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT, THE IMPROVED METHOD OF REGENERATION WHICH COMPRISES CHARGING CONTAMINATED CATALYST AND A GASEOUS REGENERATING MEDIUM TO A REGENERATING ZONE AND MAINTAINING THEREIN FLUIDIZED BEDS OF CATALYST IN A SERIES OF CONNECTING AND SUPERIMPOSED CONTACTING ZONES, RESTRICTING THE FLOW BETWEEN SAID SERIES OF ZONES AND MAINTAINING SUCCESSIVELY LOWER PRESSURES FROM THE LOWERMOST TO THE UPPERMOST OF SAID ZONES, SUPPLYING A PORTION OF SAID REGENERATING MEDIUM IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION TO THE LOWERMOST OF SAID ZONES, WHEREBY SAID MEDIUM PROVIDES REACTIVATION OF SAID PARTICLES AND THE TRANSFER OF SAID CATALYST IN A FLUIDIZED CONDITION SUCCESSIVELY UPWARDLY THROUGH EACH OF SAID SUPERIMPOSED ZONES, ACCUMULATING CATALYST PARTICLES IN AN UPPER ZONE OF SAID SERIES AND PASSING THEM IN A RELATIVELY COMPACT COLUMN DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM TO SAID LOWERMOST ZONE, INTRODUCING A SECOND PORTION OF SAID REGENERATING MEDIUM IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION TO EJECTMENT MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAID COLUMN AND THEREBY FORCIBLY EJECTING SAID CATALYST PARTICLES IN A CONTROLLED MANNER TO THE LOWERMOST ZONE OF SAID SERIES TO MAINTAIN A CONTINUOUS CYCLIC FLOW OF CATALYST UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SERIES OF CONTACT ZONES, WITHDRAWING REGENERATED CATALYST FROM ONE OF SAID CONTACTING ZONES, AND DISCHARGING RESULTING COMBUSTION GASES FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE REGENERATING ZONE.