Means and method for converting hydrocarbons with the use of heated pebbles

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PYROLYTICALLY CONVERTING HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION THE STEPS OF GRAVITATING PEBBLES AS A CONTIGUOUS ANNULAR MASS THROUGH A PEBBLE HEATING ZONE; PASSING HOT GASEOUS HEAT EXCHANGE MATERIAL IN DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE AND COUNTERCURRENT TO THE FLOW OF SAID PEBBLES, WHEREIN SAID PEBBLES ARE RAISED TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST 100* F. HIGHER THAN THE DESIRED PEBBLE INLET TEMPERATURE TO A REACTION ZONE; GRAVITATING SAID HOT PEBBLES TOGETHER WITH ANY PEBBLE LINES OUTWARDLY TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PEBBLE HEATING ZONE AND DOWNWARDLY TO A SOAKING ZONE; SUBJECTING SAID HOT PEBBLES TO DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID HOT GASEOUS HEAT EXCHANGE MATERIAL IN SAID SOAKING ZONE; GRAVITATING SAID HOT PEBBLES AND PEBBLE FINE INTO A SURGE ZONE IN THE UPPER PORTION OF REACTION CHAMBER; PASSING HEAT FROM SAID PEBBLES IN SAID SURGE ZONE BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE INTO THE UPPER END OF A REACTION ZONE; GRAVITATING SAID HOT PEBBLES AND PEBBLE FINES OUTWARDLY TO THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SURGE ZONE AND DOWNWARDLY INTO AND THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE; PASSING REACTANT MATERIALS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE IN DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID HOT GRAVITATING PEBBLES, WHEREBY SAID REACTANT MATERIALS ARE RAISED TO REACTION TEMPERATURE; REMOVING GASEOUS EFFLUENT FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE; GRAVITATING SAID PEBBLES AND FINES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE; SEPARATING SAID FINES FROM SAID PEBBLES; ELEVATING SAID PEBBLES TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID PEBBLE HEATING ZONE; AND REMOVING SAID FINES FROM THE CONVERSION SYSTEM.