Hydrocarbon conversion process with an improved control system and method of operating supercharged engines

Claim 1

IN A CONTINOUS PROCESS FOR THE CONVERSION OF HIGHBOILING HYDROCARBON REACTANTS ARE CONTACTED AT CARBON PRODUCTS WHEREIN AID REACTANTS ARE CONTACTED AT REACTION TEMPERATURE IN A REACTION ZONE CONTAINING A DOWNWARDLY MOVING GRAVITATING BED OF CATALYTIC CONTACT MATERIAL AND HAVING MEANS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH FOR DISENGAGING CONVERTED PRODUCTS AND CATALYSTS, PASSING SAID DISENGAGED CATALYST OT A REGENERTION ZONE AND REACTIVATING SAID CATALYST BY CONTACTING SAID CATALYST WITH A COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS UNDER PRESSURE SUPPLIED TO SAID ZONE BY AN INDEPENDENTLY DRIVEN BLOWER, RETURNING SAID REACTIVATED CATALYST OT SAID REACTION ZONE, PASSING SAID DISENGAGED PRODUCTS TO A FRACTIONATION ZONE TO RECOVER GAS AND LIQUID FRACTIONS, PASSING SAID GAS TO A COMPRESSION ZONE, PASSING SAID COMPRESSED GAS TO A GAS SEPARATION ZONE TO RECOVER FUEL GAS AND OTHER LIGHT HYDROCARBON GASES, PASSING SAID FUEL GAS RECOVERED AS FUEL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION IN ENGINES UTILIZED AS PRIME MOVERS FOR COMPRESSORS IN SAID COMPRESSION ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PASSING EXCESS COMBUSTION SUPPORTING GAS UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID PROCESS TO THE INTAKE OF SAID ENGINES AS A SOURCE OF SUPERCHARGING GAS FOR COMBUSTION IN SAID ENGINES, DIRECTING ATMOSPHERE AIR INTO SAID ENGINE INTAKE IN RESPONSE TO DROP IN GAS RESSURE IN SAID INTAKE IN EVENT OF SUPERCHARGING GAS FAILURE, AND PROPORTINALLY REDUCING THE PRESSURE OF FUEL PASSED TO SAID ENGINE IN RESPONSE TO DROP IN GAS PRESSURE IN SAID ENGINE INTAKE.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF OPERATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES WHEREIN A FUEL AND COMBUSTION SUPPORTING MEDIUM ARE SUPPLIED TO THE INTAKE OF SUCH AN ENGINE, THE MEDIUM BEING SUPPLIED UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING, UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, A FUEL UNDR A PRESSURE, RE SPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE IN SAID INTAKE; PROVIDING A SOURCE OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR USE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE OF SUPPLY OF SAID MEDIUM; PREVENTING FLOW FROM SAID SOURCE OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO SAID ENGINE INTAKE EMPLOYING ONLY THE PRESSURE OF AID SUPPLY OF SAID MEDIUM UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SO AS TO AUTOMATICALLY CAUSE FLOW OF SAID ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO SAID ENGINE INTAKE WHENEVER SAID FAILURE OF SUPLY OF SAID MEDIUM OCCURS; AND AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF SAID FUEL RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN AIR PRESSURE IN SAID INTAKE.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF OPERATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES WHEREIN A FUEL AND COMBUSTION SUPPORTING MEDIUM ARE SUPPLIED TO THE INTAKE OF SUCH AN ENGINE, THE MEDIUM BEING SUPPLIED UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING, UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, A FUEL UNDR A PRESSURE, RE SPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE IN SAID INTAKE; PROVIDING A SOURCE OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR FOR USE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE OF SUPPLY OF SAID MEDIUM; PREVENTING FLOW FROM SAID SOURCE OF ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO SAID ENGINE INTAKE EMPLOYING ONLY THE PRESSURE OF AID SUPPLY OF SAID MEDIUM UNDER ABOVE-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SO AS TO AUTOMATICALLY CAUSE FLOW OF SAID ATMOSPHERIC AIR TO SAID ENGINE INTAKE WHENEVER SAID FAILURE OF SUPLY OF SAID MEDIUM OCCURS; AND AUTOMATICALLY REGULATING THE PRESSURE OF SAID FUEL RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN AIR PRESSURE IN SAID INTAKE.