Process and apparatus for contacting finely divided solids and gases

Claim 1

IN A CATALYST CONVERSION SYSTEM FOR HANDLING POWDERED CATALYST, A FIRST REACTOR, A DISTRIBUTING GRID IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID REACTOR, MEANS FOR PASSING GASES OR VAPORS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID DISTRIBUTING GRID IN SAID REACTOR AT SUCH RATES AS TO MAINTAIN A DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE ABOVE SAID GRID WHICH IS SUPERIMPOSED BY LIGHT DISPERSED CATALYST PHASE, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING DENSE PHASE CATALYST DIRECTLY FROM THE DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE, MEANS FOR AERATING AND STRIPPING THE WITHDRAWN CATALYST WHILE IT REMAINS IN DENSE PHASE CONDITION, A SECOND REACTOR, A SECOND DISTRIBUTING GRID IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SECOND REACTOR, MEANS FOR PASSING GASES OR VAPORS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SECOND GRID AND INTO SAID SECOND REACTOR AT SUCH RATES AS TO MAINTAIN A SECOND DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE SUPERIMPOSED BY A LIGHT DISPERSED CATALYST PHASE, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO THIS SECOND DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE THE AERATED AND STRIPPED CATALYST FROM THE FIRST DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING DENSE PHASE CATALYST DIRECTLY FROM SAID SECOND DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE, MEANS FOR AERATING SAID LAST-NAMED CATALYST WHILE IT REMAINS IN DENSE PHASE, MEANS FOR RETURNING LAST-NAMED AERATED CATALYST TO SAID FIRSTNAMED DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE, AND MEANS AT THE TOP OF AT LEAST ONE REACTOR FOR KNOCKING BACK CATALYST FROM THE LIGHT DISPERSED CATALYST PHASE INTO THE DENSE TURBULENT SUSPENDED CATALYST PHASE THEREIN.