Control of particle size distribution in fluid coking of petroleum oils

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR CLASSIFYING FLUID COKE PARTICULATE SOLIDS OF SIZES UNDER ABOUT 500 MICRONS IN DIAMETER ACCORDING TO SIZE WHICH COMPRISES, PASSING SAID SOLIDS AT A RATE IN THE RANGE OF 1,000 TO 5,000 LBS. PER HOUR PER SQUARE FOOT AS A SERIES OF INCLINED CONFINED DENSE PHASE STREAMS EACH HAVING A DEFINED UPPER SURFACE AND ARRANGED ON ABOVE THE OTHER IN SPACED VERTICAL RELATION, SAID CONFINED DENSE STREAMS HAVING AN INCLINATION IN THE RANGE OF 30* TO 60* FROM THE VERTICAL AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION, PASSING THE DENSE PHASE STREAM FROM ONE INCLINED LEVEL TO THE NEXT LOWER LEVEL THROUGH A VERTICAL MIXING ZONE IN CONTACT WITH A GAS TO FORM A GAS-SOLIDS MIXTURE PASSING TO THE NEXT DENSE PHASE STREAM, INTRODUCING AN ELUTRIATING GAS INTO THE OUTLET END OF THE BOTTOM CONFINED DENSE STREAM FOR PASSAGE UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SERIES OF INCLINED DENSE PHASE STREAMS AT A VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF 2 TO 10 FEET PER SECOND COUNTERCURRENT TO THE DOWNFLOWING SOLIDS TO STRIP FINE SOLIDS FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID DENSE PHASE SOLIDS STREAMS AND UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED MIXING ZONE TO FORM GAS-SOLIDS MIXTURES THEREIN, WITHDRAWING SAID GAS AND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF FINE SOLIDS FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID SERIES OF INCLINED CONFINED DENSE STREAMS AND REMOVING COARSE SOLIDS FROM THE OUTLET END OF THE BOTTOM INCLINED CONFINED DENSE STREAM.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR CLASSIFYING FLUID COKE PARTICULATE SOLIDS OF SIZES UNDER ABOUT 500 MICRONS IN DIAMETER ACCORDING TO SIZE WHICH COMPRISES, PASSING SAID SOLIDS AT A RATE IN THE RANGE OF 1,000 TO 5,000 LBS. PER HOUR PER SQUARE FOOT AS A SERIES OF INCLINED CONFINED DENSE PHASE STREAMS EACH HAVING A DEFINED UPPER SURFACE AND ARRANGED ON ABOVE THE OTHER IN SPACED VERTICAL RELATION, SAID CONFINED DENSE STREAMS HAVING AN INCLINATION IN THE RANGE OF 30* TO 60* FROM THE VERTICAL AND IN THE SAME DIRECTION, PASSING THE DENSE PHASE STREAM FROM ONE INCLINED LEVEL TO THE NEXT LOWER LEVEL THROUGH A VERTICAL MIXING ZONE IN CONTACT WITH A GAS TO FORM A GAS-SOLIDS MIXTURE PASSING TO THE NEXT DENSE PHASE STREAM, INTRODUCING AN ELUTRIATING GAS INTO THE OUTLET END OF THE BOTTOM CONFINED DENSE STREAM FOR PASSAGE UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SERIES OF INCLINED DENSE PHASE STREAMS AT A VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF 2 TO 10 FEET PER SECOND COUNTERCURRENT TO THE DOWNFLOWING SOLIDS TO STRIP FINE SOLIDS FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID DENSE PHASE SOLIDS STREAMS AND UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID VERTICALLY DISPOSED MIXING ZONE TO FORM GAS-SOLIDS MIXTURES THEREIN, WITHDRAWING SAID GAS AND A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF FINE SOLIDS FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID SERIES OF INCLINED CONFINED DENSE STREAMS AND REMOVING COARSE SOLIDS FROM THE OUTLET END OF THE BOTTOM INCLINED CONFINED DENSE STREAM.