Injection mixer for use in catalytic hydrocarbon conversion processes

Claim 1

A HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS WHEREIN A HYDROCARBON REACTANT IS CONTACTED WITH A FLUID MASS OF FINELY DIVIDED CATALYTIC PARTICLES IN A REACTION ZONE THUS PRODUCING CONVERTED HYDOCARBON PRODUCTS AND CONTAMINATING SAID CATALYST WITH A CARBONACEOUS DEPOSIT, AND WHEREIN AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CATALYST IN THE REACTION ZONE IS WITHDRAWN FOR REGENERATION BY TREATMENT WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN A REGENERATION ZONE; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING A FLUID CARRIER STREAM THROUGH A ZONE HAVING A THROAT SECTION OF MINIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AT A VELOCITY IN EXCESS OF THAT REQUIRED TO DISPERSE AND TRANSPORT THE FINELY DIVIDED CATALYST, INTRODUCING CATALYST FROM ONE OF THE AFORESAID PROCESSING ZONES INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE FLUID CARRIER STREAM, AND PASSING THE MIXTURE OF CATALYST AND FLUID THROUGH A DIVERGING ZONE OF GRADUALLY EXPANDING CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA TO REDUCE THE VELOCITY AND SUBSTANTIALLY AVOID EDDYING OF THE SAID MIXTURE WHILE FLOWING THROUGH THE DIVERGING ZONE FOR PASSAGE TO THE OTHER OF THE AFORESAID PROCESSING ZONES, THE CATALYST BEING INTRODUCED THROUGH AN INJECTION ZONE FACING DOWNSTREAM AND THE DISCHARGE END THEREOF IS LOCATED WITHIN TWOTHIRDS OF THE THROAT DIAMETER FROM THE JUNCTURE OF THE THROAT SECTION AND THE DOWNSTREAM DIVERGING ZONE AND NOT MORE THAN ONE-QUARTER OF THE THROAT DIAMETER UPSTREAM OF THE THROAT SECTION.