Apparatus for conducting fluidization reactions

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING FLUIDIZED REACTIONS COMPRISING A REACTOR HAVING A FLUIDIZED REACTION ZONE, A REGENERATED CATALYST HOPPER ABOVE SAID REACTOR, SAID CATALYST HOPPER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CATALYST CONDUIT COMMUNIATING WITH SAID REACTION ZONE, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, A REGENERATOR HVING A FLUIDIZED CATALYST REGENERATION ZONE, THE TOP OF SAID FLUIDIZED REGENERATION ZONE BEING AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LEVEL AS THE TOP OF SAID FLUIDIZED REACTION ZONE, A SPENT CATALYST HOPPER ABOVE SAID REGENERATOR, SAID SPENT CATALYST HOPPER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CATALYST CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REGENERATION ZONE, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW F CATALYST THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, A CATALYST FILL LINE COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID REACTION ZONE AND SAID SPENT CATALYST HOPPER, A SECOND CATALYST FILL LINE COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID REGENERATION ZONE AND SAID REGENERATED CATALYST HOPPER, VALVE MEANS WITHIN EACH OF SAID FILL LINES FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF CATAYST THERETHROUGH, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING ABOVE THE TOP LEVELS OF SAID FLUIDIZED REACTION AND REGENERATION ZONES, A SOURCE OF INERT GAS UNDER PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTOR AND REGENERATOR, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID INERT GAS INTO SAID VALVE MEANS WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FILL LINES TO SWEEP THE CATALYST PARTICLES THEREFROM ON CLOSING OF SAME, WITH MEANS FOR INCREASING AND DECREASING THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID HOPPERS TO CREATE A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN SAID REGENERATED CATALYST HOPPER AND SAID REACTOR AND BETWEEN SAID SPENT CATALYST HOPPER AND SAID REGENERATOR WHEREBY INCREMENTAL TRANSFER OF CATALYST TO AND FROM REACTOR AND REGENERATOR IN ALTERNATE CYCLES MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR CONDUCTING FLUIDIZED REACTIONS COMPRISING A REACTOR HAVING A FLUIDIZED REACTION ZONE, A REGENERATED CATALYST HOPPER ABOVE SAID REACTOR, SAID CATALYST HOPPER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CATALYST CONDUIT COMMUNIATING WITH SAID REACTION ZONE, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, A REGENERATOR HVING A FLUIDIZED CATALYST REGENERATION ZONE, THE TOP OF SAID FLUIDIZED REGENERATION ZONE BEING AT SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LEVEL AS THE TOP OF SAID FLUIDIZED REACTION ZONE, A SPENT CATALYST HOPPER ABOVE SAID REGENERATOR, SAID SPENT CATALYST HOPPER HAVING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CATALYST CONDUIT COMMUNICATING WITH SAID REGENERATION ZONE, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW F CATALYST THROUGH SAID CONDUIT, A CATALYST FILL LINE COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID REACTION ZONE AND SAID SPENT CATALYST HOPPER, A SECOND CATALYST FILL LINE COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID REGENERATION ZONE AND SAID REGENERATED CATALYST HOPPER, VALVE MEANS WITHIN EACH OF SAID FILL LINES FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF CATAYST THERETHROUGH, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING ABOVE THE TOP LEVELS OF SAID FLUIDIZED REACTION AND REGENERATION ZONES, A SOURCE OF INERT GAS UNDER PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THE PRESSURE IN SAID REACTOR AND REGENERATOR, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID INERT GAS INTO SAID VALVE MEANS WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND FILL LINES TO SWEEP THE CATALYST PARTICLES THEREFROM ON CLOSING OF SAME, WITH MEANS FOR INCREASING AND DECREASING THE PRESSURE WITHIN SAID HOPPERS TO CREATE A PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN SAID REGENERATED CATALYST HOPPER AND SAID REACTOR AND BETWEEN SAID SPENT CATALYST HOPPER AND SAID REGENERATOR WHEREBY INCREMENTAL TRANSFER OF CATALYST TO AND FROM REACTOR AND REGENERATOR IN ALTERNATE CYCLES MAY BE ACCOMPLISHED.