Method and apparatus for convert

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF SUITABLE COMMINUTED CONTACT MATERIAL WHEREIN AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBONS ARE IN THE LIQUID STATE, WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A LOWER DOWNWARDLY MOVING COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE LOWER PORTION AN ENCLOSED CONVERSION ZONE; MAINTAINING AN UPPER CONFINED COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE UPPER REGION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE; CONSTANTLY SUPPLY CONTACT MATERIAL AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT STREAM TO SAID UPPER CONFINED COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT; MAINTAINING A LIGT PASSAGE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL AND OPENING INTO THE UPPER REGION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE; INTRODUCING GASES LATERALLY INTO SAID UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL TO MOVE SAID CONTACT MATERIAL TOWARDS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LIFT PASSAGE; INTRODUCING A STREAM OF GASES UPWARDLY INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE FROM A POINT WITHIN THE UPPER CONFINED BED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE OPENING OF THE LIFT PASSAGE TO LIFT A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE UPPER CONFINED BED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE LIFT PASSAGE, IN GASEOUS SUSPENSION; INTRODUCING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE TO BECOME ADSORBED ON THE CONTACT MATERIAL THEREIN; PERMITTING THIS CONTACT MATERIAL TO ENTER THE UPPER REGION OF THE CONVERSION ZONE; DEFLECTING IT DOWNWARDLY WITH A DOWNWARD STREAM OF GASES TO SHOWER UPON THE SURFACE OF THE DOWNWARDLY MOVING COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE CONVERSION ZONE; PASSING THE REMAINING PROPORTION OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL DIRECTLY DOWNWARD AS A PLURALITY OF COMPACT STREAMS TO A PLURALITY OF LOCATION SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THE SURFACE OF THE LOWER DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM LEVEL TO PREVENT THE SURFACE OF THE LOWER BED FROM FALLING SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT LEVEL; AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF SAID LATERALLY AND UPWARDLY FLOWING STREAMS OF GASES INTRODUCED INTO SAID UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL TO PREVENT THE SURFACE OF SAID LOWER BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL FROM RISING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE SAID LEVEL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBONS IN THE PRESENCE OF SUITABLE COMMINUTED CONTACT MATERIAL WHEREIN AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE HYDROCARBONS ARE IN THE LIQUID STATE, WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A LOWER DOWNWARDLY MOVING COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE LOWER PORTION AN ENCLOSED CONVERSION ZONE; MAINTAINING AN UPPER CONFINED COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE UPPER REGION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE; CONSTANTLY SUPPLY CONTACT MATERIAL AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT STREAM TO SAID UPPER CONFINED COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT; MAINTAINING A LIGT PASSAGE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM BELOW THE SURFACE OF SAID UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL AND OPENING INTO THE UPPER REGION OF SAID CONVERSION ZONE; INTRODUCING GASES LATERALLY INTO SAID UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL TO MOVE SAID CONTACT MATERIAL TOWARDS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LIFT PASSAGE; INTRODUCING A STREAM OF GASES UPWARDLY INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE FROM A POINT WITHIN THE UPPER CONFINED BED SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE OPENING OF THE LIFT PASSAGE TO LIFT A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE UPPER CONFINED BED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE LIFT PASSAGE, IN GASEOUS SUSPENSION; INTRODUCING LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID LIFT PASSAGE TO BECOME ADSORBED ON THE CONTACT MATERIAL THEREIN; PERMITTING THIS CONTACT MATERIAL TO ENTER THE UPPER REGION OF THE CONVERSION ZONE; DEFLECTING IT DOWNWARDLY WITH A DOWNWARD STREAM OF GASES TO SHOWER UPON THE SURFACE OF THE DOWNWARDLY MOVING COMPACT BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE CONVERSION ZONE; PASSING THE REMAINING PROPORTION OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL IN THE UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL DIRECTLY DOWNWARD AS A PLURALITY OF COMPACT STREAMS TO A PLURALITY OF LOCATION SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THE SURFACE OF THE LOWER DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL AT A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM LEVEL TO PREVENT THE SURFACE OF THE LOWER BED FROM FALLING SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT LEVEL; AND CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF SAID LATERALLY AND UPWARDLY FLOWING STREAMS OF GASES INTRODUCED INTO SAID UPPER CONFINED BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL TO PREVENT THE SURFACE OF SAID LOWER BED OF CONTACT MATERIAL FROM RISING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE SAID LEVEL.