Pebble heating apparatus for carrying out a plurality of processes concomitantly

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR CONCOMITANTLY CRACKING A HEAVY RESIDUUM AND PROPANE WHICH COMPRISES HEATING A GRAVITATING COMPACT COLUMN OF REFRACTORY PEBBLES IN AN UPPER CONFINED HEATING CHAMBER BY CONTACT WITH HOT COMBUSTION GAS; GRAVITATING THE RESULTING HOT PEBBLES THROUGH A RELATIVELY NARROW PASSAGEWAY INTO A FIRST EXPANDED REACTION CHAMBER; CONTACTING THE GRAVITATING COLUMN OF PEBBLES IN THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER WITH A HEAVY RESIDUM UNDER CRACKING CONDITIONS; REMOVING CARBON DEPOSITED ON THE PEBBLES DURING THE CRACKING OPERATION BY SURFACE COMBUSTION WITH AIR INTRODUCED IN THE LOWER SECTION OF THE FIRST REACTION CHAMBER, WITHDRAWING CRACKED PRODUCTS PLUS INERT PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION AT THE TOP OF SAID FIRST REACTION CHAMBER; GRAVITATING THE HOT PEBBLES RESULTING FROM SURFACE COMBUSTION THROUGH A RELATIVELY NARROW PASSAGEWAY INTO A SECOND EXPANDED REACTION CHAMBER; AND CONTACTING THE GRAVITATING COLUMN OF PEBBLES IN THE SECOND REACTION CHAMBER WITH PROPANE UNDER CRACKING CONDITIONS.