Method and apparatus for effecting the fluidized catalytic conversion of a reactant stream

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CONTACTING SUB-DIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES IN A FLUDIZED CONVERSION OPERATION, WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A LOWER CONTACTING ZONE, AN UPPER CONTACTING ZONE, AND A PARTICLE STORAGE ZONE SUPERIMPOSED ABOVE THE LATTER, INTRODUCING SUB-DIVIDED PARTICLES AND A REACTANT STREAM TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LOWER ZONE AND PASSING THE TWO CONCURRENTLY UPWARD IN A FLUIDIZED CONTACT, SUBSEQUENTLY PASSING CONTACTED PARTICLES AND THE RESULTING GASEOUS STREAM CONCURRENTLY TOGETHER IN A CONFINED STRAIGHT LINE PATH THROUGH SAID UPPER CONTACTING ZONE TO SAID PARTICLE STORAGE ZONE, DISCHARGING RESULTING GASES THEREFROM AND WITHDRAWING THE CONTACTED PARTICLES DOWNWARDLY IN A COMPACT COLUMN TO A POINT BELOW THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER CONTACTING ZONE, COMMINGLING A DIFFERENT STREAM OF FLUID WITH SAID WITHDRAWN PARTICLES AND INTRODUCING THE SUSPENSION TO THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER CONTACTING ZONE, PASSING THE SUSPENSION CONCURRENTLY UPWARDLY THROUGH THE UPPER CONTACTING ZONE IN A FLUIDIZED CONTACTING BED AND DISCHARGING RESULTING PRODUCTS FROM THE TOP OF THIS ZONE WHILE WITHDRAWING CONTACTED PARTICLES FROM THE TOP OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND PASSING THEM DOWNWARDLY IN A RELATIVELY COMPACT COLUMN TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LOWER CONTACTING ZONE, WHEREBY THEY ARE COMMINGLED WITH FIRST MENTIONED REACTANT STREAM.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CONTACTING SUB-DIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES IN A FLUDIZED CONVERSION OPERATION, WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A LOWER CONTACTING ZONE, AN UPPER CONTACTING ZONE, AND A PARTICLE STORAGE ZONE SUPERIMPOSED ABOVE THE LATTER, INTRODUCING SUB-DIVIDED PARTICLES AND A REACTANT STREAM TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LOWER ZONE AND PASSING THE TWO CONCURRENTLY UPWARD IN A FLUIDIZED CONTACT, SUBSEQUENTLY PASSING CONTACTED PARTICLES AND THE RESULTING GASEOUS STREAM CONCURRENTLY TOGETHER IN A CONFINED STRAIGHT LINE PATH THROUGH SAID UPPER CONTACTING ZONE TO SAID PARTICLE STORAGE ZONE, DISCHARGING RESULTING GASES THEREFROM AND WITHDRAWING THE CONTACTED PARTICLES DOWNWARDLY IN A COMPACT COLUMN TO A POINT BELOW THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER CONTACTING ZONE, COMMINGLING A DIFFERENT STREAM OF FLUID WITH SAID WITHDRAWN PARTICLES AND INTRODUCING THE SUSPENSION TO THE LOWER END OF SAID UPPER CONTACTING ZONE, PASSING THE SUSPENSION CONCURRENTLY UPWARDLY THROUGH THE UPPER CONTACTING ZONE IN A FLUIDIZED CONTACTING BED AND DISCHARGING RESULTING PRODUCTS FROM THE TOP OF THIS ZONE WHILE WITHDRAWING CONTACTED PARTICLES FROM THE TOP OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND PASSING THEM DOWNWARDLY IN A RELATIVELY COMPACT COLUMN TO THE LOWER END OF SAID LOWER CONTACTING ZONE, WHEREBY THEY ARE COMMINGLED WITH FIRST MENTIONED REACTANT STREAM.