Method and apparatus for the continuous contacting of subdivided solid particles successively with at least three fluid reactant streams

Claim 1

A HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A RELATIVELY COMPACT, DESCENDING BED OF SUBDIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES AT CONVERSION TEMPERATURE IN A REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ZONE ABOVE SAID BED A SUSPENSION OF SUBDIVIDED SOLID PARTICLES IN A FLUID HYDROCARBON REACTANT, DEPOSITING THE LAST-NAMED PARTICLES ONTO THE TOP OF SAID BED AND PASSING THE HYDROCARBON REACTANT DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE BED, WITHDRAWING SOLID PARTICLES IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE REACTION ZONE AND SUSPENDING THE SAME IN A STREAM OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING REGENERATING GAS, PASSING THE RESULTANT SUSPENSION UPWARDLY IN THE FORM OF AN ANNULAR COLUMN SURROUNDING AND IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SAID BED IN THE REACTION ZONE AND BURNING CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANTS FROM THE PARTICLES DURING THEIR ASCENT IN THE ANNULAR COLUMN, GRAVITATING THE PARTICLES DISCHARGING FROM SAID COLUMN ONTO THE TOP