Patent ID: 7273543

Claim:
A catalytic cracking process for catalytically cracking a hydrocarbon feed to lighter hydrocarbon products, said process comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a hydrocarbon feed with hot catalytic particulates in a catalytic cracking reactor to produce an effluent comprising spent catalyst particles and lighter hydrocarbon products; (b) separating said spent catalyst particles from said light hydrocarbon products in a separator; (c) stripping said spent catalyst particles by contacting said spent catalyst particles with a stripping medium in a stripping zone; (d) monitoring the temperature of the spent catalyst particles in said stripping zone to determine whether the temperature exceeds a target stripping temperature ranging from about 950° F. to about 1075° F.; (e) withdrawing a portion of said spent catalyst particles from said stripping zone when the temperature of the spent catalyst particles exceeds said target stripping temperature and directing said spent catalyst particles to a catalyst cooler; and (f) cooling said withdrawn catalyst in said catalyst cooler and returning said cooled catalyst to said stripping zone to reduce the temperature of the catalyst in said stripping zone to a temperature below said target stripping temperature.