Method and apparatus for endothermic catalytic reaction

Claim 1

A PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING A CHEMICAL REACTANT WITH A FLUIDIZED MASS OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL IN A REACTION ZONE UNDER ENDOTHERMIC CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE A DESIRED PRODUCT, FLOWING A STREAM OF GAS THROUGH A CONFINED REGION IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOTTOM OF SAID REACTION ZONE AT A VELOCITY CONTROLLED TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE THEREAT SUFFICIENTLY TO MOVE FINELY DIVIDED SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REACTION ZONE THEREINTO, INTERMIXING THE FINELY DIVIDED SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL MOVED INTO SAID REGION WITH THE GAS FLOWING THERETHROUGH TO PROVIDE A FLUIDIZED STREAM, INJECTING A CHEMICAL REACTANT INTO SAID FLUIDIZED STREAM, AND DIRECTING THE RESULTING FLUIDIZED MIXTURE INTO THE LOWER END OF SAID REACTION ZONE TO MAINTAILN THE FLUIDIZED CONDITION OF SAID MASS THEREIN, THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID FINELY DIVIDED CONTACT MATERIAL MOVING INTO SAID CONFINED ZONE BEING IN THE ORDER OF THE REACTION TEMPERATURE, THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID CHEMICAL REACTANT AS IT IS INJECTED INTO SAID FLUIDIZED STREAM BEING IN THE ORDER OF THE REACTION TEMPERATURE BUT BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF SIGNIFICANT THERMAL DECOMPOSITION THEREOF, AND THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID STREAM OF GAS AS IT IS SUPPLIED TO SAID CONFINED REGION BEING SUFFICIENTLY ABOVE THE REACTION TEMPERATURE OF SUPPLY THE HEAT REQUIRED BY THE ENDOTHERMIC REACTION AND NOT SUPPLIED BY THE FINELY DIVIDED CONTACT MATERIAL.