Method for the transfer of granular solids between zones or vessels

Claim 1

IN A CYCLIC CATALYTIC CONVERSION PROCESS WHEREIN A GRANULAR CATALYST IS CONTINUOUSLY CYCLED BETWEEN A HIGH PRESSURE CONVERSION ZONE WHEREIN THE GRANULAR CATALYST IS CONTACTED WITH A FLUID HYDROCARBON CHARGE TO EFFECT THE CONVERSION THEREOF AND A CONFINED REGENERATION ZONE AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PRESSURE THAN THE CONVERSION ZONE WHEREIN THE CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANTS DEPOSITED ON THE CATALYST IN THE CONVERSION ZONE ARE REMOVED BY BURNING, THE IMPROVED METHOD OF PASSING THE CATALYST FROM THE REGENERATION ZONE INTO THE CONVERSION ZONE SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED PRESSURE IN EACH, WHICH COMPRISES: PASSING CATALYST FROM THE REGENERATION ZONE INTO ONE END OF A CONFINED HELICAL PASSAGEWAY WITH PRINCIPAL AXIS MAINTAINED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE, ROTATING SAID PASSAGE ABOUT ITS PRINCIPAL AXIS SO AS TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF THE CATALYST THROUGH THE PASSAGE IN A HELICAL PATH AWAY FROM THE POINT OF INTRODUCING AND IN A DIREACTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF THE APPARENT MOTION, MAINTAINING AN ENCLOSED SEAL ZONE ABOVE THE CONVERSION ZONE AND MAINTAINING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED OF CATALYST WITHIN THE SEAL ZONE, SUPPLYING SEAL GAS TO THE SEAL ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE THEREIN SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF THE PRESSURE IN THE CONVERSION ZONE, DISCHARGING THE CATALYST FROM THE HELICAL PASSAGE AND PASSING THE CATALYST DOWNWARDLY ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE BED IN THE SEAL ZONE THROUGH A CONFINED GAS-TIGHT PASSAGE, MAINTAINING THE LAST BEND OF THE HELICAL PASSAGE BEFORE DISCHARGE OF THE CATALYST OF SUFFICIENTLY REDUCED SIZE THAT THE HELICAL PASSAGE WILL BE MAINTAINED AT LEAST 60 PERCENT FULL OF CATALYST AT ALL TIMES, MAINTAINING THE LENGTH OF THE HELICAL PASSAGE BETWEEN THE POINT OF ENTRY AND DISCHARGE OF CATALYST SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT DISRUPTION OF THE CATALYST ACCUMULATION WITHIN THE HELICAL PASSAGE DUE TO SEAL GAS FLOW THROUGH THE HELICAL PASSAGE FROM THE SEAL ZONE WHEN THE LEVEL OF CATALYST IN THE HELICAL PASSAGE IS AT THE MINIMUM PERMITTED BY THE LAST BEND OF THE PASSAGE, CONTROLLING THE RATE OF ROTATION OF THE HELICAL PASSAGE, SO THAT WHEN THE LEVEL OF GRANULAR SOLIDS IS AT THE MINIMUM PERMITTED BY THE LAST BEND, THE FLOW OF CATALYST THROUGH THE HELICAL PASSAGE WILL BE IN EXCESS OF THE MAXIMUM CONTEMPLATED FLOW THROUGHT THE CONVERSION ZONE AND PASSING CATALYST FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF THE BED IN THE SEAL ZONE INTO THE CONVERSION ZONE.