Process and apparatus for solids conveyance in the conversion of hydrocarbons

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECIRCULATING GRANULAR SOLIDS SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH A FIRST AND A SECOND FLUID CONTACTING ZONE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM SAID FIRST CONTACTING ZONE SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH A FIRST SURGE ZONE, ALTERNATELY INTO A PLURALITY OF FIRST PRESSURING ZONES, INTRODUCING A RELATIVELY UNIFORM FLOW OF GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM SAID PLURALITY OF PRESSURING ZONES INTO A FIRST INDUCTION ZONE, INTRODUCING A CONVEYANCE FLUID INTO SAID INDUCTION ZONE, DEPRESSURING SAID CONVEYANCE FLUID CONCURRENTLY WITH SAID GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM SAID FIRST INDUCTION ZONE THROUGH A FIRST CONVEYANCE ZONE TO A SECOND SEPARATOR ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID GRANULAR SOLIDS IN SAID CONVEYANCE ZONE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT FORM, FLOWING SAID GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM SAID SECOND SEPARATOR ZONE INTO SAID SECOND CONTACTING ZONE, FLOWING GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM SAID SECOND CONTACTING ZONE SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH A SECOND SURGE ZONE AND ALTERNATELY INTO A PLURALITY OF SECOND PRESSURING ZONES, PASSING SAID SOLIDS FROM SAID PRESSURING ZONES INTO A SECOND INDUCTION ZONE, DEPRESSURING SAID CONVEYANCE SAID SECOND INDUCTION ZONE, DEPRESSURING SAID CONVEYANCE FLUID FROM SAID SECOND INDUCTION ZONE THROUGH A SECOND CONVEYANCE ZONE INTO A FIRST SEPARATOR ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID GRANULAR SOLIDS IN SAID SECOND CONVEYANCE ZONE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT FORM AND AS A CONTINUOUSLY MOVING MASS, FLOWING GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM SAID FIRST SEPARATOR ZONE, INTO SAID FIRST CONTACTING ZONE, WITHDRAWING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID CONVEYANCE FLUID FROM EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CONVEYANCE ZONES AT AN INTERMEDIATE POINT THEREIN, COMBINING THE FLUID THUS FORMED, REPRESSURING SAID FLUID, AND INTRODUCING AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF INTO SAID FIRST AND SECOND INDUCTION ZONES.