Fluidized stripping and regeneration of spent hydrocarbon conversion catalyst

Claim 1

IN A FLUID CATALYST PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS IN WHICH THE CATALYST IS BROUGHT INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH HYDROCARBON VAPORS IN A REACTION ZONE, SPENT CATALYST IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE REACTION ZONE, STRIPPED OF HYDROCARBONS BY INTIMATE CONTACT WITH A GASEOUS STRIPING MEDIUM AND THE STRIPPED CATALYST IS DECARBONIZED BY CONTACT WITH AIR, AM IMPROVED METHOD OF EFFECTING THE STRIPPING AND REGENERATING OF THE CATALYST WHICH COMPRISES PASSING CATALYST DIRECTLY FROM THE REACTION ZONE INTO THE UPPER END OF A VERTICALLY ELONGATED CHAMBER, INTRODUCING AIR INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER AND PASSING IT UPWARDLY THERETHROUGH, PASSING THE CATALYST IN A RELATIVELY DENSE FLUIDIZED PHASE GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE CHAMBER OVER A PATH INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PASSES TRANSVERSE TO, AND IN CONTACT WITH, GASES RISING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE CHAMBER, THE RESPECTIVE DENSE PHASE TRANSVERSELY MOVING BODIES OF CATALYST BEING SURMOUNTED BY A DISPERSED PHASE CATALYST SUSPENSION, AND A DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING CONFINED PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE TRANSVERSELY MOVING DENSE PHASE BODIES OF CATALYST EXCEPT THE LOWERMOST WITH THE ZONE OF DISPERSED PHASE CATALYST SURMOUNTING THE NEXT LOWER TRANSVERSELY MOVING BODY OF CATALYST, SAID DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING PASSAGEWAYS BEING UPTURNED AT THEIR LOWER ENDS, SO CONTROLLING THE PROPORTION OF AIR TO CATALYST THAT THE OXYGEN OF THE AIR IS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY COMBUSTION OF THE CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT ON THE CATALYST BEFORE COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE ENTERING CATALYST, WHEREBY THE ENTERING CATALYST IS STRIPPED OF VAPORIZABLE HYDROCARBONS BY CONTACT WITH HOT GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM OXYGEN AND WITHDRAWING THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION TOGETHER WITH STRIPPED HYDROCARBONS FROM AN UPPER ZONE OF THE CHAMBER.