Continuous coking process

A continuous delayed coking process in which a plurality of delayed coker drums are operated continuously, comprising:

• (a) heating a heavy hydrocarbon feed in a heater to a temperature of from about 900° F. to about 950° F. at a pressure of about 50 to 550 psig,
• (b) introducing the heated heavy hydrocarbon feed to a first delayed coker drum of the plurality of drums through at least one feed entry at a position above the bottom of the drum above an aperture at the bottom of the drum through which coke may be discharged from the drum;
• (c) maintaining coking conditions in the first drum including a highly turbulent reaction zone at a pressure from about 15 to about 80 psig while continuing to add the feed through the feed entry for an effective amount of time in order to produce a hydrocarbon vapor and a coke product at least 90 percent of which is a substantially free-flowing shot coke product, the feed being introduced under coking conditions until a combination of feed and coke has partially filled the drum to an equilibrium level in which the amount of coke and feed in the drum is between about 10% and about 90% of the volume of the drum;
• (d) continuously conducting the hydrocarbon vapor out of the first drum via a vapor outlet in the upper region of the drum and away from the process;
• (e) withdrawing the coke product through the aperture and out of the first drum while regulating the rate of admission of the heated feed relative to the rate of coke removal to maintain an equilibrium level of the combination of coke and feed in the drum.