Catalyst regeneration

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF REGENERATING CATALYST CONTAINING CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT RESULTING FROM USE OF THE CATALYST IN HYDROCARBON CONVERSION OPERATION, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES BURNING OF SAID CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT IN A PLURALITY OF SEPARATELY CONTROLLABLE COMBUSTION STAGES, WHEREIN THE CATALYST DURING REGENERATION IS PASSED THROUGH EACH OF SAID STAGES AS A COMPACT DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED AND WHOLLY IN COUNTER-CURRENT CONTACT WITH UPWARDLY FLOWING OXYGEN-CONTAINING REGENERATING GAS SEPARATELY INTRODUCED UNDER PRESSURE IN EACH OF SAID COMBUSTION STAGES DISCHARGING THE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION THEREBY FORMED IN EACH COMBUSTION STAGE SEPARATELY AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY FROM THAT STAGE AND AT A PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE INLET PRESSURE OF THE REGENERATING GAS INTRODUCED INTO A PRECEDING COMBUSTION STAGE IMMEDIATELY THEREABOVE, THEREBY AVOIDING DIRECT ADMISSION OF MATERIAL QUANTITIES OF COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FORMED IN ONE OF SAID COMBUSTION STAGES TO ANOTHER OF SAID STAGES, THE DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF CATALYST IN PASSING THROUGH SUCCESSIVE COMBUSTION STAGES BEING SUBJECTED TO INCREASED GAS PRESSURE IN EACH SUCCEEDING COMBUSTION STAGE.