Method and apparatus for effecting the catalytic conversion of an organic reactant stream, particularly a liquid charge

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CATALYTICALLY CONVERTING A LIQUID HYDROCARBONACEOUS REACTANT STREAM WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLID CATALYST PARTICLES IN EACH OF TWO CONTACTING ZONES DISPOSED IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, WITHDRAWING HEATED CATALYST PARTICLES DOWNWARDLY FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LOWER ZONE, COMMINGLING THE WITHDRAWN HEATED PARTICLES WITH SAID LIQUID REACTANT STREAM, EFFECTING SUBSTANTIAL VAPORIZATION OF THE LATTER BY HEAT CONTAINED IN SAID HEATED PARTICLES AND BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE BED IN SAID LOWER ZONE AND PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE UPWARDLY IN A CONFINED STRAIGHT LINE PATH THROUGH EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS IN SAID SUPERIMPOSED ZONES TO THE TOP PORTION OF THE UPPER ZONE, PASSING THE REACTANT STREAM AND CATALYST PARTICLES AS A SUSPENSION DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID UPPER ZONE AND THEN INTO THE CATALYST BED IN THE UPPER ZONE, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING RESULTING CONVERSION PRODUCTS AND USED CATALYST PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID UPPER ZONE AND PASSING THE USED CATALYST PARTICLES THEREFROM INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID LOWER ZONE, PASSING AN AIR STREAM AT COMBUSTION TEMPERATURE UPWARDLY THROUGH THE LOWER ZONE COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE DESCENDING PARTICLES AT A VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE BED THEREOF IN FLUIDIZED STATE, DISCHARGING COMBUSTION GASES FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE LOWER ZONE AND WITHDRAWING OXIDIZED AND REGENERATED PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF AS THE AFORESAID HEATED PARTICLES BEING COMMINGLED WITH SAID LIQUID REACTANT STREAM.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CATALYTICALLY CONVERTING A LIQUID HYDROCARBONACEOUS REACTANT STREAM WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLID CATALYST PARTICLES IN EACH OF TWO CONTACTING ZONES DISPOSED IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, WITHDRAWING HEATED CATALYST PARTICLES DOWNWARDLY FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LOWER ZONE, COMMINGLING THE WITHDRAWN HEATED PARTICLES WITH SAID LIQUID REACTANT STREAM, EFFECTING SUBSTANTIAL VAPORIZATION OF THE LATTER BY HEAT CONTAINED IN SAID HEATED PARTICLES AND BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH THE BED IN SAID LOWER ZONE AND PASSING THE RESULTING MIXTURE UPWARDLY IN A CONFINED STRAIGHT LINE PATH THROUGH EACH OF THE CATALYST BEDS IN SAID SUPERIMPOSED ZONES TO THE TOP PORTION OF THE UPPER ZONE, PASSING THE REACTANT STREAM AND CATALYST PARTICLES AS A SUSPENSION DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID UPPER ZONE AND THEN INTO THE CATALYST BED IN THE UPPER ZONE, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING RESULTING CONVERSION PRODUCTS AND USED CATALYST PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID UPPER ZONE AND PASSING THE USED CATALYST PARTICLES THEREFROM INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID LOWER ZONE, PASSING AN AIR STREAM AT COMBUSTION TEMPERATURE UPWARDLY THROUGH THE LOWER ZONE COUNTERCURRENTLY TO THE DESCENDING PARTICLES AT A VELOCITY SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE BED THEREOF IN FLUIDIZED STATE, DISCHARGING COMBUSTION GASES FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF THE LOWER ZONE AND WITHDRAWING OXIDIZED AND REGENERATED PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION THEREOF AS THE AFORESAID HEATED PARTICLES BEING COMMINGLED WITH SAID LIQUID REACTANT STREAM.