Method and apparatus for cracking hydrocarbon oils

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF CONVERTING HYDROCARBON OIL WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF HEATING SAID OIL OF A TEMPERATURE SUITABLE FOR FLASHING AND WITHIN THE RANGE OF BETWEEN 300* F. AND 1100* F. IN A FIRST HEATING ZONE; SLOWLY ADMITTING SAID HEATED OIL INTO A FLASH ZONE AT A PLURALITY OF DISPERSED POINTS; GRAVITATING SAID OIL ONTO AND OVER DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING BAFFLES AS THIN FILMS IN SAID FLASH ZONE; FLASHING VAPORS FROM SAID GRAVITATING OIL; GRAVITATING PEBBLES INTO A VAPOR PHASE REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF BETWEEN 1100* F. AND 1600* F. AND DOWNWARDLY THERETHROUGH AS A CONTIGUOUS PEBBLE MASS; GRAVITATING SAID PEBBLES THROUGH SAID FLASH ZONE AND INTO A LIQUID PHASE REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF BETWEEN 900* F. AND 1400* F. AND DOWNWARDLY THERETHROUGH AS A CONTIGUOUS PEBBLE MASS; DEPOSITION OIL WHICH DRIPS FROM SAID BAFFLES IN SAID FLASH ZONE ON THE SURFACE OF PEBBLES WITHIN SAID LIQUID PHASE REACTION ZONE; INTRODUCING SUPERHEATED STEAM BENEATH THE SURFACE OF SAID PEBBLE MASS IN SAID LIQUID PHASE REACTION ZONE AT A RATE OF BETWEEN 0.25 AND 1 POUND OF STEAM PER POUND OF OIL FEED; PASSING SAID STEAM AND ANY VAPORS STRIPPED THEREBY FROM SAID OIL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FLASH ZONE AND WITH SAID FLASHED VAPORS FROM SAID FLASH ZONE