Method and apparatus for catalytic conversion

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS BY A MOVING GRANULAR CATALYST WHEREIN AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE ZONES ARE MAINTAINED THE FIRST OF WHICH IS A CONVERSION ZONE IN WHICH HYDROCARBON FEED IS CONTACTED BY A MOVING BED OF GRANULAR CATALYST TO EFFECT THE CONVERSION OF SAID HYDROCARBON FEED AND THEREBY DEPOSIT CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANT ON THE CATALYST IN AN AMOUNT LESS THAN THE AMOUNT OF CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANT WHICH REDUCES THE EFFICIENCY OF THE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION BELOW A PRACTICAL LOW LEVEL, THE SECOND OF WHICH IS A REGENERATION ZONE IN WHICH CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANT IS REMOVED FROM THE CATALYST BY CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH A COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF SAID CONTAMINANT BY BURNING THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF USED CATALYST FROM THE CONVERSION ZONE TO A LOCATION WHERE IT IS SUSPENDED IN A SUITABLE CARRYING GAS, PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE REGENERATED CATALYST FROM THE REGENERATION ZONE TO SAID LOCATION WHERE IT IS ALSO SUSPENDED IN SAID CARRYING GAS, PASSING THE RESULTING STREAM OF USED AND REGENERATED CATALYST SUSPENDED IN SAID CARRYING GAS UPWARDLY THROUGH A CONFINED PASSAGE TO A LOCATION FROM WHICH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID CATALYST MAY FLOW TO SAID CONVERSION ZONE WHEREBY A UNIFORMLY MIXED STREAM OF USED AND REGENERATED CATALYST IS SUPPLIED TO SAID BED WITHIN SAID CONVERSION ZONE.