Method and apparatus for conducting moving contact material hydrocarbon conversion processes

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN A GRANULAR CONTACT MATERIAL IS PASSED CYCLICALLY THROUGH TWO CONTACT ING ZONES, ONE BEING A REACTION ZONE WHEREIN IT FLOWS DOWNWARDLY AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN WHILE CONTACTING A FLUID HYDROCARBON CHARGE TO EFFECT CONVERSION OF SAID CHARGE TO GASIFORM PRODUCTS AND THE OTHER ZONE BEING A RECONDITIONING ZONE WHEREIN THE CONTACT MATERIAL FLOWS DOWNWARDLY AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN WHILE BEINC CONTACTED WITH A SUITABLE GAS TO EFFECT ITS RECONDITIONING FOR REUSE IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE AND THE CONTACT MATERIAL IS WITHDRAWN AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE OF THE ZONES TO A FEEDING ZONE WHEREIN A SUSPENSION OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL IS EFFECTED IN A UPWARDLY FLOWING STREAM OF LIFT GAS AND SAID CONTACT MATERIAL IS LIFTED IN SAID STREAM TO A SEPARATION ZONE LOCATED ABOVE THE OTHER OF SAID CONTACTING ZONES FROM WHERE THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL IS GRAVITATED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID SEPARATION ZONE AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN TO THE TOP OF THE OTHER OF SAID CONTACTING ZONES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: GRAVITATING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN OF CONTACT MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY INTO A COMBINING ZONE AT A FIRST LOCATION, SO AS TO FORM A BED OF SOLID MATERIAL IN SAID ZONE, IN TRODUCING A SECOND STREAM OF CONTACT MATERIAL INTO SAID COMBINING ZONE AT A SECOND LOCATION ADJACENT SAID FIRST LOCATION, SO AS TO DROP ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE ESTABLISHED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN SAID COMBINING ZONE, WITHDRAWING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT COLUMN OF CONTACT MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID COMBINING ZONE AT A THIRD LOCATION, SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY BELOW SAID SECOND LOCATION BUT LATERALLY DISPLACED FROM SAID FIRST LOCATION, SO THAT AN IMAGINARY LINE CONNECTING THE NEAREST POINT OF THE COLUMN OF CONTACT MATERIAL SUPPLIED TO THE COMBINING ZONE WITH THE NEAREST POINT OF THE COLUMN OF CONTACT MATERIAL WITHDRAWN FROM THE COMBINING ZONE FORMS AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 65-80 DEGREES WITH THE HORIZONTAL, AND DISCHARGING THE COMPACT COLUMN OF CONTACT MATERIAL WITHDRAWN FROM SAID COMBINING ZONE INTO THE HIGH PRESSURE ZONE, THE LENGTH OF SAID COLUMN BEING SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT SEAL LEG OF CONTACT MATERIAL, WHEREBY THE ESCAPE OF GAS FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE ZONE IS SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTED.