Catalytic hydrocarbon conversion process and apparatus

Claim 2

CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF CATALYST FROM SAID STRIPPING ZONE TO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL BY VARYING THE SIZE OF AN ORIFICE, WHEN SAID PROCESS IS IN OPERATION, THROUGH WHICH SAID STRIPPED CATALYST FLOWS FROM SAID STRIPPING ZONE TO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL.

Claim 3

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS WHEREIN A FLUIDIZED CATALYST IS CIRCULATED THROUGH A SYSTEM COMPRISING A CATALYST REGENERATION VESSEL CONTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST UNDERGOING REGENERATION BY PASSAGE OF REGENERATION GAS THERETHROUGH, AN ELONATED HYDROCARBON CONVERSION ZONE AND A GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: A. OVERFLOWING CATALYST FROM THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE BED IN SAID REGENERATION VESSEL INTO AN OPEN UPPER END OF A STANDPIPE WHICH EXTENDS INTO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL; B. PASSING THE CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID STANDPIPE; C. CONTINUING THE PASSAGE OF THE CATALYST AROUND THE BEND BASE OF SAID STANDPIPE AND UPWARDLY THROUGH A VERTICALLY INCLINED CONDUIT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE BEND BASE OF SAID STANDPIPE; D. INTERMIXING ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTING GAS WITH THE CATALYST PASSING THROUGH THE VERTICALLY INCLINED CONDUIT; E. PASSING THE CATALYST UPWARDLY TO A STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID VERTICALLY INCLINED CONDUIT, SAID STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT EXTENDING INTO AND HAVING AN OPEN END TERMINATING IN A GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL; F. FORMING A SUSPENSION OF CATALYST IN VAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS IN SAID STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT; G. PASSING SAID SUSPENSION FORM THE OPEN END OF SAID STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT TO SAID GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL TO EFFECT CONVERSION OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID VAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS; H. SEPARATING SAID CATALYST FROM SAID VAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS; I. PASSING SAID SEPARATED CATALYST INTO AN OPEN END OF A STRIPPING ZONE POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL, SAID OPEN END OF THE STRIPPING ZONE BEING SEPARATED FROM THE OPEN END OF THE STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT; J. STRIPPING HYDROCARBONS FROM THE CATALYST IN SAID STRIPPING ZONE, THE FLOW OF CATALYST FROM STEPS (A) THROUGH (J) BEING EFFECTED WITHOUT VARYING THE SIZE OF ANY ORIFICE THROUGH WHICH THE CATALYST FLOWS DURING PROCESS OPERATION; K. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID STRIPPED CATALYST FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID STRIPPING ZONE TO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL THROUGH A CONDUIT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID STRIPPING ZONE AND AT THE OTHER END TO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL, AND

Claim 4

IN A PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF HYDROCARBONS WHEREIN A FLUIDIZED CATALYST IS CIRCULATED THROUGH A SYSTEM COMPRISING A CATALYST REGENERATION VESSEL CONTAINING A FLUIDIZED BED OF CATALYST UNDERGOING REGENERATION BY PASSAGE OF REGENERATION GAS THERETHROUGH, AN ELONATED HYDROCARBON CONVERSION ZONE AND A GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: A. OVERFLOWING CATALYST FROM THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE BED IN SAID REGENERATION VESSEL INTO AN OPEN UPPER END OF A STANDPIPE WHICH EXTENDS INTO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL; B. PASSING THE CATALYST DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID STANDPIPE; C. CONTINUING THE PASSAGE OF THE CATALYST AROUND THE BEND BASE OF SAID STANDPIPE AND UPWARDLY THROUGH A VERTICALLY INCLINED CONDUIT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO THE BEND BASE OF SAID STANDPIPE; D. INTERMIXING ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTING GAS WITH THE CATALYST PASSING THROUGH THE VERTICALLY INCLINED CONDUIT; E. PASSING THE CATALYST UPWARDLY TO A STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID VERTICALLY INCLINED CONDUIT, SAID STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT EXTENDING INTO AND HAVING AN OPEN END TERMINATING IN A GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL; F. FORMING A SUSPENSION OF CATALYST IN VAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS IN SAID STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT; G. PASSING SAID SUSPENSION FORM THE OPEN END OF SAID STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT TO SAID GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL TO EFFECT CONVERSION OF AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID VAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS; H. SEPARATING SAID CATALYST FROM SAID VAPORIZED HYDROCARBONS; I. PASSING SAID SEPARATED CATALYST INTO AN OPEN END OF A STRIPPING ZONE POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID GAS-SOLIDS SEPARATION VESSEL, SAID OPEN END OF THE STRIPPING ZONE BEING SEPARATED FROM THE OPEN END OF THE STRAIGHT VERTICAL CONDUIT; J. STRIPPING HYDROCARBONS FROM THE CATALYST IN SAID STRIPPING ZONE, THE FLOW OF CATALYST FROM STEPS (A) THROUGH (J) BEING EFFECTED WITHOUT VARYING THE SIZE OF ANY ORIFICE THROUGH WHICH THE CATALYST FLOWS DURING PROCESS OPERATION; K. PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID STRIPPED CATALYST FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID STRIPPING ZONE TO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL THROUGH A CONDUIT CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID STRIPPING ZONE AND AT THE OTHER END TO SAID REGENERATION VESSEL, AND

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said gas-solids separation vessel additionally contains a fluidized bed of catalyst wherein additional conversion of the vaporized hydrocarbons occurs.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrocarbon conversion is catalytic cracking, and wherein at least a portion of the vaporized hydrocarbons are converted to lower boiling hydrocarbon products.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1 wherein the end of the stripped catalyst conduit connected to said stripping zone is at a higher level than the end of the stripped catalyst conduit connected to said regeneration vessel, and wherein the stripped catalyst flows downwardly from the higher level to the lower level.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1 wherein said transporting gas is steam.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein said fluidized bed in said regeneration vessel is operated at a temperature in the range of about 1,100* to about 1,400*F.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 wherein the lower portion of said fluidized bed in said regeneration vessel is a high velocity contacting zone.

Claim 11

The process of claim 7 wherein said regeneration gas passes upwardly through said fluidized bed at a velocity in the ragne of about 3 to about 6 feet per second.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1, wherein said open upper end of said standpipe of step (a) is located at the centerline of the regenerator vessel.