Process and apparatus for contacting fluidized solids with gaseous fluids

Claim 1

THE IMPROVED METHOD FOR CONTACTING A GASEOUS FLUID WITH A CONTINUOUSLY REPLENISHED PARTICULATE SOLID WHICH COMPRISES PASSING THE GASEOUS FLUID TO BE CONTACTED IN A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE PARALLEL STREAMS UP THROUGH SEPARATE BEDS OF THE SAID SOLID MAINTAINED IN A FLUIDIZED CONDITION, SAID BEDS DEFINING CONTACTING ZONES SEPARATED BY A STRIPPING ZONE, PASSING A SECOND GASEOUS FLUID STRIPPING MEDIUM UP THROUGH SAID STRIPPING ZONE, WITHDRAWING GASEOUS LIQUD AFTER PASSING THROUGH SEPARATE BEDS ALONG WITH SAID STRIPPING MEDIUM AS A COMMON STREAM, PASSING FLUIDIZED SOLID FROM A PLURALITY OF POINTS BELOW THE SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID BEDS INTO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STRIPPING ZONE, WITHDRAWING FLUIDIZED SOLID FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID STRIPPING ZONE AT A RATE TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF FLUIDIZED SOLID IN SAID STRIPPING ZONE FROM 2 TO 5 FT. BELOW THE LEVEL OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID FLUIDIZED SOLID INTO SAID STRIPPING ZONE THEREBY TO CAUSE THE SAID SOLID TO ENTER SAID STRIPPING ZONE BETWEEN SAID BEDS FROM A PLURALITY OF POINTS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND TO FREELY FALL SAID DISTANCE THROUGH SAID SECOND GASEOUS FLUID STRIPPING MEDIUM.