Pebble heater apparatus and process

Claim 1

A IMPROVED PEBBLE HEATER REACTION CHAMBER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN UPRIGHT ELONGATED CLOSED SHELL HAVING IMPERFORATE SIDE WALLS; A PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT CENTRALLY POSITIONED IN THE TOP OF SAID SHELL; CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT FOR INTRODUCING A GAS THERETO; A PEBBLE OUTLET CONDUIT CENTRALLY POSITIONED IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL; A CORE MEMBER OF UNIFORM CROSS SECTION AND HAVING A HOLLOW BOATTOM AXIALLY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID SHELL AND EXTENDING FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE CHAMBER FORMED WITHIN SAID SHELL UPWARDLY INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF THAT CHAMBER; CONDUIT MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SHELL AND THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID CORE MEMBER, SAID CONDUIT MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID CORE MEMBER; A CLOSURE IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CORE MEMBER ABOVE SAID CONDUIT MEMBERS; A GAS COLLECTOR CHAMBER AXIALLY POSITIONED IN SAID SHELL AND SUPPORTED ON THE UPPER END OF SAID CORE MEMBER, SAID GAS COLLECTR CHAMBER HAVING A CROSS SECTIONAL AREA SUBSTANIALLY LARGER THAN SAID CORE MEMBER; GASEOUS MATERIAL INLETS IN THE WALL OF SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR CHAMBER; AND GASEOUS EFFLUENT CONDUITS EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR CHAMBER TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SHELL; SAID, CORE MEMBER AND GAS COLLECTOR CHAMBER TOGETHER DEFINING A GENERALLY ANNUAL CLOSED SPACE AND CONFINING THE COUNTERCURRENT FLOW OF SAID PEBBLES AND SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL THEREIN.

Claim 3

A METHOD FOR REACTING HYDROCARBONS IN A PEBBLE HEATER REACTOR HAVING A GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR POSITIONED WITHIN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTOR AND BELOW PEBBLE INLET MEANS THEREIN, WHICH COMPRISES GRAVIATING HEATED PEBBLES, INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID REACTOR, OVER AND AROUND SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR AND THROUGH SAID REACTOR AS A COMPACT MASS; PASSING HYDROCARBON REACTANT MATERIAL COUNTERCURRENTLY THROUGH SAID GRAVIATING MASS OF PEBBLES WHEREBY SAID HYDROCARBON MATERIAL IS HEATED SO AS TO THERMALY REACT SAID HYDROCARBON; REMOVING SAID PEBBLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTOR; REMOVING RESULTING REACTION PRODUCTS FROM SAID REACTOR THROUGH SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR; PASSING AN INERT GAS INTO SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR SO AS TO FORM A BLANKED OF GAS OVER THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID COLLECTOR; AND REMOVING SAID INERT GAS THROUGH SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR TOGETHER WITH SAID REACTION PRODUCTS.

Claim 4

A METHOD FOR REACTING HYDROCARBONS IN A PEBBLE HEATER REACTOR HAVING A GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR POSITIONED WITHIN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTOR AND BELOW PEBBLE INLET MEANS THEREIN, WHICH COMPRISES GRAVIATING HEATED PEBBLES, INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID REACTOR, OVER AND AROUND SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR AND THROUGH SAID REACTOR AS A COMPACT MASS; PASSING HYDROCARBON REACTANT MATERIAL COUNTERCURRENTLY THROUGH SAID GRAVIATING MASS OF PEBBLES WHEREBY SAID HYDROCARBON MATERIAL IS HEATED SO AS TO THERMALY REACT SAID HYDROCARBON; REMOVING SAID PEBBLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTOR; REMOVING RESULTING REACTION PRODUCTS FROM SAID REACTOR THROUGH SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR; PASSING AN INERT GAS INTO SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR SO AS TO FORM A BLANKED OF GAS OVER THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID COLLECTOR; AND REMOVING SAID INERT GAS THROUGH SAID GASEOUS MATERIAL COLLECTOR TOGETHER WITH SAID REACTION PRODUCTS.