Hydrocarbon conversion process

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN AND HIGH QUALITY COKE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING INERT SOLID PARTICLES AS A RELATIVELY DENSE MASS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH AN ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE OF 0.1 TO 1000 VOLTS PER INCH ACROSS AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SOLIDS MASS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, SAID VOLTAGE BEING SUFFICIENT TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SOLIDS TO 1800 TO 3000*F. DUE TO THEIR RESISTANCE TO THE FLOW OF ELECTRICITY WITHOUT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL ELECTRICAL SPARK DISCHARGES THROUGH SAID SOLIDS MASS, DOWNWARDLY WITHDRAWING THUS HEATED SOLIDS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, PREHEATING A HYDROCARBON FEED BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID WITHDRAWN SOLIDS AND INTRODUCING SAID PREHEATED FEED INTO AND UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE IN THE FORM OF AN UPWARDLY MOVING GASIFORM STREAM, SAID FEED CONTACTING SAID HEATED SOLIDS AND BEING CONVERTED TO LIGHT VAPORS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON WHICH DEPOSITS ON SAID SOLIDS, HEAT EXCHANGING HOT VAPORS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID REACTION ZONE WITH INERT SOLIDS IN A HEATING ZONE, CIRCULATING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SOLIDS WITHDRAWN FROM THE REACTION ZONE AND PREVIOUSLY HEAT EXCHANGED WITH SAID FEED TO SAID HEATING ZONE, PASSING SOLIDS FROM SAID HEATING ZONE TO SAID REACTION ZONE AS SOLIDS FEED THERETO, AND RECOVERING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SOLIDS WITHDRAWN FROM THE REACTION ZONE AS PRODUCT AND RECOVERING HYDROGEN GAS AND LIGHT VAPORS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN AND HIGH QUALITY COKE WHICH COMPRISES PASSING INERT SOLID PARTICLES AS A RELATIVELY DENSE MASS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH AN ELONGATED REACTION ZONE, APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE OF 0.1 TO 1000 VOLTS PER INCH ACROSS AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID SOLIDS MASS IN SAID REACTION ZONE, SAID VOLTAGE BEING SUFFICIENT TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SOLIDS TO 1800 TO 3000*F. DUE TO THEIR RESISTANCE TO THE FLOW OF ELECTRICITY WITHOUT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL ELECTRICAL SPARK DISCHARGES THROUGH SAID SOLIDS MASS, DOWNWARDLY WITHDRAWING THUS HEATED SOLIDS FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, PREHEATING A HYDROCARBON FEED BY HEAT EXCHANGE WITH SAID WITHDRAWN SOLIDS AND INTRODUCING SAID PREHEATED FEED INTO AND UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE IN THE FORM OF AN UPWARDLY MOVING GASIFORM STREAM, SAID FEED CONTACTING SAID HEATED SOLIDS AND BEING CONVERTED TO LIGHT VAPORS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF HYDROGEN AND CARBON WHICH DEPOSITS ON SAID SOLIDS, HEAT EXCHANGING HOT VAPORS WITHDRAWN FROM SAID REACTION ZONE WITH INERT SOLIDS IN A HEATING ZONE, CIRCULATING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SOLIDS WITHDRAWN FROM THE REACTION ZONE AND PREVIOUSLY HEAT EXCHANGED WITH SAID FEED TO SAID HEATING ZONE, PASSING SOLIDS FROM SAID HEATING ZONE TO SAID REACTION ZONE AS SOLIDS FEED THERETO, AND RECOVERING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE SOLIDS WITHDRAWN FROM THE REACTION ZONE AS PRODUCT AND RECOVERING HYDROGEN GAS AND LIGHT VAPORS FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID REACTION ZONE.