Method and apparatus for hydrocarbon conversion

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS WHEREIN A GRANULAR CONTACT MATERIAL IS PASSED CYCLICALLY THROUGH TWO CONTACTING ZONES, ONE BEING A CONFINED CONVERSION ZONE IN WHICH IT CONTACTS A FLUID HYDROCARBON OF EFFECT CONVERSION THEREOF TO GASIFORM PRODUCTS, AND THE OTHER CONTACTING ZONE BEING A CONFINED RECONDITIONING ZONE IN WHICH THE CONTACT MATERIAL IS SUBJECTED TO A SUITABLE RECONDITIONING GAS TO RECONDITION IT FOR REUSE IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE THE IMPROVED METHOD OF TRANSFERRING THE CONTACT MATIERAL FROM ONE OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE TO THE OTHER WHICH COMPRISES, PASSING THE CONTACT MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY FROM ONE OF SAID CONTACTING ZONES ONTO A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED OF SAID CONTACT MATERIAL MAINTAINED THEREBELOW IN A CONFINED ZONE, MAINTAINING A CONFINED LIFT PASSAGE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM A INTERMEDIATE LOCATION IN SAID BED TO A LOCATION ABOVE THE OTHER CONTACTING ZONE, SAID PASSAGE BEING IN COMMUNICATION ON ITS DOWNWARDLY FACING LOWER END WITH SAID BED, SUPPLYING A FIRST STREAM OF LIFT GAS INTO SAID CONFINED ZONE SO THAT IT MAY ENTER THE LOWER END OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE WITHOUT HAVING PASSED THE GAS THROUGH ANY SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED, INTRODUCING A SECOND STREAM OF LIFT GAS INTO SAID BED A SPACED DISTANCE AWAY FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE AND FLOWING IT THROUGH THE INTERVENING PORTION OF SAID BED INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE, THEREBY INDUCING CONTACT MATERIAL FROM WITHIN SAID BED TO FLOW INTO SAID FIRST STREAM, LIFTING THE CONTACT MATERIAL SUSPENDED IN THE MIXED GAS STREAMS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID LIFT PASSAGE TO SAID LOCATION ABOVE SAID OTHER CONTACTING ZONE AND FLOWING IT FROM SAID LOCATION TO SAID OTHER CONTACTING ZONE AND CONTROLLING THE RATE OF CONTACT MATERIAL ENTRY INTO SAID LIFT PASSAGE BY CONTROLLING THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION INTO SAID BED OF SAID SECOND STREAM OF LIFT GAS, THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID SECOND STREAM BEING CHANGED WITHOUT AN ACCOMPANYING CHANGE IN THE RATE OF SUPPLY OF SAID FIRST STREAM IN THE SAME DIRECTION WHENEVER IT IS DESIRED TO CHANGE THE RATE OF CONTACT MATERIAL ENTRY INTO SAID LIFT PASSAGE.