Hydrocarbon conversion apparatus

Claim 1

A PEBBLE HEAT EXCHANGE CHAMBER WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A CLOSED, UPRIGHT SHELL; PEBBLE INLET CONDUIT MEANS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHELL; PEBBLE OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHELL; FLUID INLET CONDUIT MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHELL; A DOME DISPOSED IN SAID SHELL INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS AND SUPPORTED AT ITS PERIPHERY BY THE WALLS OF SAID SHELL; A BAFFLE MEMBER DISPOSED BENEATH AND SPACED APART FROM SAID DOME SO AS TO FORM A SPACE THEREBETWEEN; CONDUIT MEANS FOR PASSING PEBBLES FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID SHELL ABOVE SAID DOME INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER FORMED BELOW SAID BAFFLE MEMBER; EFFLUENT OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID BAFFLE MEMBER TO THE EXTERIOR OF SAID SHELL AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SHELL; INERT GAS INLET CONDUIT MEANS FOR INTRODUCING AN INERT GAS INTO SAID SPACE BETWEEN SAID DOME AND SAID BAFFLE MEMBER; TEMPERATURE CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID BAFFLE MEMBERS AND SAID EFFLUENT OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE THEREIN; AND FLOW CONTROL MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TEMPERATURE CONTROL MEANS AND SAID INERT GAS INLET CONDUIT MEANS, AND ADAPTED TO INCREASE THE FLOW OF SAID INERT GAS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID ONE OF SAID BAFFLE MEMBER AND SAID EFFLUENT OUTLET CONDUIT MEANS REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE.