Hydrocarbon conversion system

Claim 1

IN AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS TO LOWER BOILING PRODUCTS WHICH COMPRISES HEATING A UNIFORM, CONTIGUOUS MASS OF PEBBLES IN A PEBBLE HEATING CHAMBER TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 1200* F. TO 3200* F. BY CONTACT WITH A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF FUEL AND OXYGEN; GRAVITATING THE HEATED PEBBLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID HEATING CHAMBER INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF A PEBBLE REACTION CHAMBER; CONTACTING SAID HEATED PEBBLES WITH REACTANT MATERIALS IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER; REMOVING EFFLUENT MATERIAL FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER THROUGH A PRODUCT EFFLUENT LINE; REMOVING THE COOLED PEBBLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER; AND RETURNING SAID COOLED PEBBLES TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID HEATING CHAMBER, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING CONTINUOUSLY MEASURING THE PRESSURE DROP THROUGH SAID REACTION CHAMBER; TERMINATING THE SUPPLY OF REACTANT MAERIAL TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER WHEN SAID PRESSURE DROP MEASUREMENT REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE WHILE CONTINUING TO HEAT PEBBLES IN SAID HEATING CHAMBER WITH AID COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE; INTRODUCING AN OXIDANT INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, BURNING OUT ANY CARBON CONTAINED IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER,THEREBY FORMING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS; REMOVING SAID COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER THROUGH SAID PRODUCT EFFLUENT LINE; TERMINATION THE SUPPLY OF OXIDANT TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER WHEN SAID PRESSURE DROP MEASUREMENT REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE; CONTINUING THE SUPPLY OF REACTANT MATERIALS TO SAID REACTION CHAMBER; AND REPEATING THE ABOVE ENUMERATED STEPS WHEN SAID PRESSURE DROP MEASUREMENT REACHES A PREDETERMINED VALUE INDICATIVE OF AN EXCESSIBE LAY-DOWN OF CARBON IN SAID REACTION CHAMBER.