Device and process for converting hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A SEMI-CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBONS TO LOWER BOILING PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES HEATING PEBBLES TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 1200* F. IN A FIRST CHAMBER OF A PEBBLE HEATER SYSTEM BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A HOT HEATING GAS; PASSING SAID HOT PEBBLES THROUGH; A SECOND CHAMBER OF SAID PEBBLE HEATER SYSTEM; HEATING HYDROCARBONS TO REACTION TEMPERATURE BY DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID HOT PEBBLES IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER; REMOVING REACTION PRODUCTS FROM SAID SECOND CHAMBER; RETURNING PEBBLES FROM SAID SECOND TO SAID FIRST CHAMBER; PURGING SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS OF HOT HEATING GAS, HYDROCARBONS AND REACTION PRODUCTS UPON EXCESSIVE INCREASE OF PRESSURE DROP THROUGH SAID SECOND CHAMBER; REVERSING OPERATION OF SAID PEBBLE HEATER SYSTEM BY HEATING SAID PEBBLES TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 1200* F. BY DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A HOT HEATING GAS IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER; PASSING SAID HOT PEBBLES THROUGH SAID FIRST CHAMBER; INTRODUCING HYDROCARBONS INTO DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID HOT PEBBLES IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER; HEATING SAID HYDROCARBONS TO REACTION TEMPERATURE BY SAID DIRECT CONTACT WITH SAID HOT PEBBLES IN SAID FIRST CHAMBER; REMOVING RESULTING REACTION PRODUCTS FROM SAID FIRST CHAMBER; RETURNING PEBBLES FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND CHAMBER; PURGING SAID SECOND AND FIRST CHAMBERS OF HOT HEATING GAS, HYDROCARBONS AND REACTION PRODUCTS UPON EXCESSIVE INCREASE OF PRESSURE DROP THROUGH SAID FIRST CHAMBER; AND SIMILARLY REVERSING OPERATION OF SAID PEBBLE HEATER SYSTEM AS PRESSURE DROP THROUGH THE CHAMBER CONTAINING THE HYDROCARBON REACTION BECOMES EXCESSIVE.