Processing liquid hydrocarbons

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES ENGAGING HOT GRANULAR CONTACT MASS WITH A VAPOR STREAM TO EFFECT ELEVATION OF SAID MASS INTO AND THROUGH AN ELONGATED VERTICAL CHANNEL UNDER THE IMPELLING INFLUENCE OF SAID VAPOR STREAM, SAID VAPOR STREAM BEING COMPATIBLE WITH HYDROCARBONS, DISTRIBUTING LIQUID HYDROCARBON OIL ON THE VERTICALLY MOVING CONTACT MASS AT A LEVEL WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AT WHICH SAID CONTACT MASS IS PRESENT IN SUSPENSION IN THE VAPOR STREAM IN AN AVERAGE CONCENTRATION OF NOT LESS THAN 10% OF THE APPARENT BULK DENSITY OF SAID MASS, SAID CONTACT MASS BEING AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE THAN SAID LIQUID OIL, TRANSFERRING HEAT FROM THE CONTACT MASS TO THE OIL TO EFFECT VAPORIZATION OF THE OIL WITHIN SAID CHANNEL, DISCHARGING THE CONTACT MASS AND OIL VAPORS THUS FORMED INTO AN EXPANDED DISENGAGING AREA, MAINTAINING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID OIL VAPORS AND SAID CONTACT MASS THEREAFTER TO EFFECT AT LEAST PARTIAL CONVERSION OF SAID VAPORS TO LOWER BOILING HYDROCARBONS, DISCHARGING THE CONTACT MASS INTO A HEATING ZONE AND HEATING THE SAME IN SAID ZONE TO RESTORE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID MASS, AND RETURNING THE THUS HEATED CONTACT MASS TO FURTHER ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ELEVATING VAPOR STREAM.