Use of mobile catalysts in effecting chemical reactions

Claim 1

A PROCES FOR THE CATALYTIC CRACKING OF PETROLEUM OIL INTO LOWER BOILING PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES PASSING VAPORS OF SAID OIL THROUGH AN ELONGATED REACTION ZONE AT CRACKING CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SUCH THAT NORMALLY THERE WOULD BE A TEMPERATURE DECREASE IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW DUE TO THE ENDOTHERMIC CRACKING REACTION, INTRODUCING POWDERED CRACKING CATALYST FROM TWO SOURCES AS HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED INTO SAID REACTION ZONE AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS SPACED IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW FOR SUSPENSION IN SAID VAPORS, SEPARATING SAID LOWER-BOILING PRODUCTS FROM THE EFFLUENTS OF SAID REACTION ZONE, SEPARATING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE CATALYST SO INTRODUCED FROM THE EFFLUENTS OF SAID REACTION ZONE, THE THUS-SEPARATED CATALYST STILL RETAINING SOME ACTIVITY, REACTIVATING ONLY A PORTION OF SAID SEPARATED CATALYST BY BURNING CARBONACEOUS MATTER THEREFROM IN AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS AT A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN SAID CRACKING TEMPERATURE TO FORM A PORITON OF HOT REACTIVATED CATALYST AND A HOT OXYGEN-FREE GAS, SEPARATING SAID HOT OXYGEN-FREE GAS AND CONTACTING SAME DIRECTLY WITH THE REMAINDER OF SAID SEPARATED CATALYST WHICH HAS NOT BEEN REACTIVATED TO HEAT THE LATTER TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE CRACKING TEMPERATURE, RECYCLING THE THUS-HEATED REMAINDER OF SAID SEPARATED CATALYST WITHOUT REACTIVATION TO A PLURALITY OF SAID POINTS INCLUDING THE FIRST AND EXCLUDING THE LAST OF SAID POINTS IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW, THE UNREACTIVATED CATALYST INTRODUCED TO SAID FIRST POINT BEING THE SOLE CATALYST INTRODUCED THERETO AND A DIMINISHING QUANTITY OF UNREACTIVATED CATALYST BEING INTRODUCED AT EACH SUCCEEDING POINT IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW, INTRODUCING THE HOT REACTIVATED PORITON OF SAID CATALYST INTO THE REACTION ZONE AT A PLURALITY OF POINTS EXCLUDING THE FIRST AND INCLUDING THE LAST OF SAID POINTS IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW, THE REACTIVATED CATALYST INTRODUCED TO SAID LAST POINT BEING THE SOLE CATALYST INTRODUCED THERETO AND AN INCREASING QUANITY OF REACTIVATED CATALYST BEING INTRODUCED AT EACH SUCCEEDING POINT IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW, THE TOTAL QUANTITY AND TEMPERATURE OF SAID HOT REACTIVATED CATALYST BEING SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY HEAT TO THE REACTION ZONE IN AMOUNTS EQUAL AT LEAST TO A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE ENDOTHERMIC HEAT OF THE CRACKING REACTION AND THEREBY MINIMIZING AN OTHERWISE DECREASING TEMPERATURE GRADIENT IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW AND INCREASING THE EXTENT OF REACTION WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE OCCUR IN THE LATTER PORITONS OF SAID REACTION ZONE TO A VALUE MORE NEARLY EQUAL TO THAT OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID REACTION ZONE.