Hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING: MAINTAINING AN ELONGATED COMPACT STATIONARY COLUMN OF PARTICLE FORM CONTACT MASS MATERIAL ALONG AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF A CLOSED, CONTINUOUS STATIONARY CONFINED CIRCUIT FOR GAS FLOW, MAINTAINING A ZONE OF HYDROCARBON FLOW UNDER SUITABLE CONVERSION TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS WITHIN A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN TO EFFECT CONVERSION OF SAID HYDROCARBONS TO VAPOROUS HYDROCARBON PRODUCTS WITH RESULTANT DEPOSITION OF CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANT ON SAID CONTACT MATERIAL, MAINTAINING A ZONE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS FLOW WITHIN A DIFFERENT PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN SPACED APART FROM SAID FIRST PORTION BY A SECTION OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING AN INERT GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE IN SAID COLUMN BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS TO EXCLUDE INTERFLOW OF GAS THEREBETWEEN, AND EFFECTING GRADUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ZONES OF HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS FLOW CYCLICALLY AROUND SAID CLOSED CIRCUIT WITHOUT MOVEMENT OF SAID COLUMN, THE ZONE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS FLOW FOLLOWING SAID ZONE OF HYDROCARBON FLOW AROUND SAID CIRCUIT, THEREBY EFFECTING THE REMOVAL BY BURNING OF THE CONTAMINANT DEPOSITED DURING THE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ZONES BEING EFFECTED BY MOVEMENT OF THE LOCATIONS OF GAS INTRODUCTION AND WITHDRAWAL CYCLICALLY AROUND SAID CIRCUIT ANY INCREMENT OF SAID MOVEMENT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID REGION OF HYDROCARBON FLOW, WHEREBY WITHIN THE ZONES OF HYDROCARBON FLOW THE CONTACT MATERIAL HAS AT ANY INSTANT BEEN SUBJECTED TO HYDROCARBON FLOW FOR A PROGRESSIVELY SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME IN THE DIRECTION OF ZONE MOVEMENT.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS COMPRISING: MAINTAINING AN ELONGATED COMPACT STATIONARY COLUMN OF PARTICLE FORM CONTACT MASS MATERIAL ALONG AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF A CLOSED, CONTINUOUS STATIONARY CONFINED CIRCUIT FOR GAS FLOW, MAINTAINING A ZONE OF HYDROCARBON FLOW UNDER SUITABLE CONVERSION TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS WITHIN A PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN TO EFFECT CONVERSION OF SAID HYDROCARBONS TO VAPOROUS HYDROCARBON PRODUCTS WITH RESULTANT DEPOSITION OF CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANT ON SAID CONTACT MATERIAL, MAINTAINING A ZONE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS FLOW WITHIN A DIFFERENT PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN SPACED APART FROM SAID FIRST PORTION BY A SECTION OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING AN INERT GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE IN SAID COLUMN BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS TO EXCLUDE INTERFLOW OF GAS THEREBETWEEN, AND EFFECTING GRADUAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ZONES OF HYDROCARBON AND OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS FLOW CYCLICALLY AROUND SAID CLOSED CIRCUIT WITHOUT MOVEMENT OF SAID COLUMN, THE ZONE OF OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS FLOW FOLLOWING SAID ZONE OF HYDROCARBON FLOW AROUND SAID CIRCUIT, THEREBY EFFECTING THE REMOVAL BY BURNING OF THE CONTAMINANT DEPOSITED DURING THE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION, THE MOVEMENT OF SAID ZONES BEING EFFECTED BY MOVEMENT OF THE LOCATIONS OF GAS INTRODUCTION AND WITHDRAWAL CYCLICALLY AROUND SAID CIRCUIT ANY INCREMENT OF SAID MOVEMENT BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID REGION OF HYDROCARBON FLOW, WHEREBY WITHIN THE ZONES OF HYDROCARBON FLOW THE CONTACT MATERIAL HAS AT ANY INSTANT BEEN SUBJECTED TO HYDROCARBON FLOW FOR A PROGRESSIVELY SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME IN THE DIRECTION OF ZONE MOVEMENT.