Vessel for fluid catalyst reaction with means for varying height of the dense phase

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR CONTACTING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS WITH GASES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, WALL MEMBERS BOUNDING AND ENCLOSING AN ANNULAR SPACE CONSISTING OF AN IMPERMEABLE VERTICAL, CYLINDRICAL, OUTER WALL MEMBER, AN IMPERMEABLE INNER WALL MEMBER PLACED WITHIN SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER CONCENTRICALLY THEREWITH, SAID INNER WALL MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE PORT OPENING IN ITS WALL TO ALLOW THE PASSAGE OF SOLIDS FROM THE INTERIOR OF INNER WALL MEMBER INTO SAID ANNULAR SPACE, AND AN IMPERMEABLE ANNULAR WALL MEMBER WITH ITS OUTER EDGE SECURED TO SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER AND ITS INNER EDGE SECURED TO SAID INNER WALL MEMBER, SAID WALLS THEREBY DEFINING AN ANNULAR STRIPPING SECTION AND A CENTRAL REACTION SECTION, A CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION MEMBER HAVING ITS LOWER EDGE SECURED TO ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ABOVE THE WALL MEMBERS, A CONDUIT STRUCTURE PROVIDED WITH VALVE MEANS ARRANGED TO VARY THE EFFECTIVE FLOW AREA THEREOF HAVING ONE END SECURED TO ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS AND OPENING INTO SAID ANNULAR SPACE NEAR THE TOP THEREOF AND ITS OTHER END DICHARGING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER WHEREBY THE REGULATION OF THE EFFECTIVE FLOW AREA IS EFFECTIVE TO CONTROL THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE BETWEEN THE ANNULAR SPACE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE EXTENSION MEMBER WHEN A FLUIDIZED BED IS PRESENT WITHIN THE CENTRAL REACTION SECTION, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID INNER WALL MEMBER FOR INTRODUCING SOLID PARTICLES AND GASEOUS REACTANTS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER WALL MEMBER FROM A POINT OUTSIDE SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF THE OUTER WALL MEMBER FOR REMOVING SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID ANNULAR SPACE, AND A THIRD CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER FOR REMOVING GASES FROM THE INTERIOR THEREOF.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR CONTACTING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS WITH GASES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, WALL MEMBERS BOUNDING AND ENCLOSING AN ANNULAR SPACE CONSISTING OF AN IMPERMEABLE VERTICAL, CYLINDRICAL, OUTER WALL MEMBER, AN IMPERMEABLE INNER WALL MEMBER PLACED WITHIN SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER CONCENTRICALLY THEREWITH, SAID INNER WALL MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST ONE PORT OPENING IN ITS WALL TO ALLOW THE PASSAGE OF SOLIDS FROM THE INTERIOR OF INNER WALL MEMBER INTO SAID ANNULAR SPACE, AND AN IMPERMEABLE ANNULAR WALL MEMBER WITH ITS OUTER EDGE SECURED TO SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER AND ITS INNER EDGE SECURED TO SAID INNER WALL MEMBER, SAID WALLS THEREBY DEFINING AN ANNULAR STRIPPING SECTION AND A CENTRAL REACTION SECTION, A CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION MEMBER HAVING ITS LOWER EDGE SECURED TO ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY ABOVE THE WALL MEMBERS, A CONDUIT STRUCTURE PROVIDED WITH VALVE MEANS ARRANGED TO VARY THE EFFECTIVE FLOW AREA THEREOF HAVING ONE END SECURED TO ONE OF SAID WALL MEMBERS AND OPENING INTO SAID ANNULAR SPACE NEAR THE TOP THEREOF AND ITS OTHER END DICHARGING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER WHEREBY THE REGULATION OF THE EFFECTIVE FLOW AREA IS EFFECTIVE TO CONTROL THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE BETWEEN THE ANNULAR SPACE AND THE INTERIOR OF THE EXTENSION MEMBER WHEN A FLUIDIZED BED IS PRESENT WITHIN THE CENTRAL REACTION SECTION, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID INNER WALL MEMBER FOR INTRODUCING SOLID PARTICLES AND GASEOUS REACTANTS INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER WALL MEMBER FROM A POINT OUTSIDE SAID OUTER WALL MEMBER, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE LOWER END OF THE OUTER WALL MEMBER FOR REMOVING SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID ANNULAR SPACE, AND A THIRD CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID EXTENSION MEMBER FOR REMOVING GASES FROM THE INTERIOR THEREOF.