Method for feeding granular solid material

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR TRANSFERRING SOLID MATERIAL OF PALPABLE PARTICULATE FORM FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER, THE METHOD COMPRISING: PASSING THE SOLID MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY FROM A FIRST REGION THROUGH A CONFINED PASSAGE AS A COMPACT GRAVITATING COLUMN OF PARTICLES INTO A CONFINED ZONE THEREBELOW, PERIODICALLY REMOVING THE SOLID MATERIAL FROM SAID CONFINED ZONE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY PREVENTING THE FLOW OF SOLID MATERIAL IN SAID CONFINED PASSAGE BY INCREASING THE FLUID PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED ZONE TO A PRESSURE WHICH IS ABOVE THATR IN SAID FIRST REGION BY AN AMOUNT IN EXCESS OF THE VALUE OBTAINED BY DIVIDING THE WEIGHT OF THE SOLID MATERIAL IN SAID PASSAGE BY THE AVERAGE HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THEREOF AND PREVENTING DISRUPTION OF THE COMPACTNESS OF THE COLUMN AND UPWARD DISCHARGE OF THE SOLID MATERIAL FROM SAID PASSAGE BY MAINTAINING ON TOP OF SAID COLUMN A COMACT BED OF SAID SOLID MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN SAID COLUMN IN WHICH THE FLUID ESCAPING FROM SAID COLUMN DECELERATES, SAID BED BEING OF SUFFICIENT HORIZONTAL CROSSSECTINAL AREA AND VERTICAL DEPTH TO EFFECT DECELERATION OF THE FLUID TO A LINEAR VELOCITY BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD DISRUPT THE COMPACTNESS OF SAID BED SUBSTANTIALLY BEFORE IT REACHES THE SURFACE OF SAID BED.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF FEEDING CATALYST TO A HYDROCARBON CONVERSION ZONE FROM A SUPPLY ZONE UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PRESSURE THAN THE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION ZONE AND LOCATED ABOVE THE CONVERSION ZONE A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT CORRESPONDING TO A COLUMN OF SAID CATALYST OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO PERMIT GRAVITY FLOW OF THE CATALYST INTO SAID CONVERSION ZONE WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: FLOWING THE CATALYST DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPLY ZONE THROUGH A FIRST PASSAGE OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER CROSS-SECTION THAN SAID SUPPLY ZONE AS A CONFINED COMPACT STREAM AND DISCHARGING IT DOWNWARDLY INTO A CONFINED PRESSURING ZONE LOCATED ELEVATIONALLY BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY AND CONVERSION ZONES AND EXISTING UNDER A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE AND SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PERMIT GRAVITY FLOW OF THE CATALYST THEREINTO FROM SAID SUPPLY ZONE, THROTTLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST AT THE LOWER END OF SAID FIRST PASSAGE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN THE PASSAGE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT FORM THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE PASSAGE, SUPPLYING CATALYST TO THE SUPPLY ZONE PERIODICALLY, INCREASING THE GASEOUS PRESSURE IN SAID PRESSURING ZONE TO A LEVEL NEAR THAT IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE AND SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PERMIT FLOW OF CATALYST FROM SAID PRESSURING ZONE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A SECOND PASSAGE OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER CROSS-SECTION THAN SAID PRESSURING ZONE AS A COMPACT STREAM INTO A SURGE ZONE LOCATED ABOVE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE CONVERSION ZONE BY SUPPLYING SN INERT GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID PRESSURING ZONE, WHILE, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING SAID FIRST PASSAGE, MAINTAINING THE SAME FILLED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH A COMPACT COLUMN OF CATALYST AND WITHDRAWING GAS ESCAPING UPWARDLY FROM SAID COLUMN THROUGH A COMPACT BED OF SAID SOLIDS MAINTAINED IN THE SUPPLY ZONE ON TOP OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING THE BED IN SAID SUPPLY ZONE AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST OF SUCH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS AS TO CAUSE GAS FROM THE SEAL LEG TO BE DECELERATED TO A VELOCITY SLIGHTLY BELOW THE BED DISRUPTING VELOCITY AT A LEVEL SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE BED SURFACE, THE LENGTH OF THE BED ABOVE THAT LEVEL BEING SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE UPWARD THRUST OF THE SOLID PARTICLES BELOW SAID LEVEL, THROTTLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND PASSAGE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN THE PASSAGE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT FORM THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE PASSAGE, REDUCING THE GASEOUS PRESSURE IN SAID PRESSURING ZONE PERIODICALLY TO PREVENT SAID PRESSURING ZONE FROM EMPTYING OF CATALYST AND TO REPLENISH SAID CATALYST SUPPLY FROM SAID SUPPLY ZONE, WHILE, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING SAID SECOND PASSAGE, MAINTAINING THE SAME FILLED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH A COMPACT COLUMN OF SAID SOLIDS AND INTRODUCING INERT GAS INTO SAID SURGE ZONE AT A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN MAINTAINED IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE TO PASS UPWARDLY THROUGH SID CONFINED COLUMN AND THE COMPACT BED OF SAID SOLIDS MAINTAINED IN THE PRESSURING ZONE ON TOP OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING THE BED IN SAID PRESSURING ZONE AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST OF SUCH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS AS TO CAUSE GAS FROM THE SEAL LEG TO BE DECELERATED TO A VELOCITY SLIGHTLY BELOW THE BED DISRUPTING VELOCITY AT A LEVEL SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE BED SURFACE, THE LENGTH OF THE BED ABOVE THAT BEING SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE UPWARD THRUST OF THE SOLID PARTICLES BELOW SAID LEVEL.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF FEEDING CATALYST TO A HYDROCARBON CONVERSION ZONE FROM A SUPPLY ZONE UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER PRESSURE THAN THE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION ZONE AND LOCATED ABOVE THE CONVERSION ZONE A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT CORRESPONDING TO A COLUMN OF SAID CATALYST OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO PERMIT GRAVITY FLOW OF THE CATALYST INTO SAID CONVERSION ZONE WHICH METHOD COMPRISES: FLOWING THE CATALYST DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPLY ZONE THROUGH A FIRST PASSAGE OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER CROSS-SECTION THAN SAID SUPPLY ZONE AS A CONFINED COMPACT STREAM AND DISCHARGING IT DOWNWARDLY INTO A CONFINED PRESSURING ZONE LOCATED ELEVATIONALLY BETWEEN SAID SUPPLY AND CONVERSION ZONES AND EXISTING UNDER A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THAT IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE AND SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PERMIT GRAVITY FLOW OF THE CATALYST THEREINTO FROM SAID SUPPLY ZONE, THROTTLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST AT THE LOWER END OF SAID FIRST PASSAGE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN THE PASSAGE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT FORM THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE PASSAGE, SUPPLYING CATALYST TO THE SUPPLY ZONE PERIODICALLY, INCREASING THE GASEOUS PRESSURE IN SAID PRESSURING ZONE TO A LEVEL NEAR THAT IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE AND SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PERMIT FLOW OF CATALYST FROM SAID PRESSURING ZONE DOWNWARDLY THROUGH A SECOND PASSAGE OF SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER CROSS-SECTION THAN SAID PRESSURING ZONE AS A COMPACT STREAM INTO A SURGE ZONE LOCATED ABOVE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE CONVERSION ZONE BY SUPPLYING SN INERT GAS UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID PRESSURING ZONE, WHILE, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING SAID FIRST PASSAGE, MAINTAINING THE SAME FILLED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH A COMPACT COLUMN OF CATALYST AND WITHDRAWING GAS ESCAPING UPWARDLY FROM SAID COLUMN THROUGH A COMPACT BED OF SAID SOLIDS MAINTAINED IN THE SUPPLY ZONE ON TOP OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING THE BED IN SAID SUPPLY ZONE AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST OF SUCH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS AS TO CAUSE GAS FROM THE SEAL LEG TO BE DECELERATED TO A VELOCITY SLIGHTLY BELOW THE BED DISRUPTING VELOCITY AT A LEVEL SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE BED SURFACE, THE LENGTH OF THE BED ABOVE THAT LEVEL BEING SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE UPWARD THRUST OF THE SOLID PARTICLES BELOW SAID LEVEL, THROTTLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND PASSAGE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE CATALYST IN THE PASSAGE IN SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT FORM THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH OF THE PASSAGE, REDUCING THE GASEOUS PRESSURE IN SAID PRESSURING ZONE PERIODICALLY TO PREVENT SAID PRESSURING ZONE FROM EMPTYING OF CATALYST AND TO REPLENISH SAID CATALYST SUPPLY FROM SAID SUPPLY ZONE, WHILE, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTING SAID SECOND PASSAGE, MAINTAINING THE SAME FILLED SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH WITH A COMPACT COLUMN OF SAID SOLIDS AND INTRODUCING INERT GAS INTO SAID SURGE ZONE AT A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN MAINTAINED IN SAID CONVERSION ZONE TO PASS UPWARDLY THROUGH SID CONFINED COLUMN AND THE COMPACT BED OF SAID SOLIDS MAINTAINED IN THE PRESSURING ZONE ON TOP OF SAID COLUMN, MAINTAINING THE BED IN SAID PRESSURING ZONE AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST OF SUCH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIMENSIONS AS TO CAUSE GAS FROM THE SEAL LEG TO BE DECELERATED TO A VELOCITY SLIGHTLY BELOW THE BED DISRUPTING VELOCITY AT A LEVEL SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE BED SURFACE, THE LENGTH OF THE BED ABOVE THAT BEING SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE UPWARD THRUST OF THE SOLID PARTICLES BELOW SAID LEVEL.