Adsorption process and apparatus

Claim 1

IN A SELECTIVE ADSORPTION PROCESS FOR SEPARATING A GASEOUS MIXTURE THROUGH CONTACT WITH A DOWNWARDLY MOVING BED OF SOLID GRANULAR ADSORBENT WHEREBY MORE READILY ADSORBABLE CONSTITUENTS ARE ADSORBED THEREON IN AN ADSORPTION ZONE FORMING A RICH ADSORBENT LEAVING A LEAN GAS CONTAINING LESS READILY ADSORBABLE CONSTITUENTS, SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERING ADSORBED CONSTITUENTS FROM SAID RICH ADSORBENT BY INDIRECT HEATING AND DIRECT CONTACT WITH A SEPARATELY ADDED STRIPPING GAS IN A DESORPTION ZONE LEAVING A HOT LEAN ADSORBENT SATURATED WITH ADSORBED STRIPPING GAS, SUBSEQUENTLY COOLING SAID HOT LEAN ADSORBENT IN A COOLING ZONE PRIOR TO CONTACTING FURTHER QUANTITIES OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES COOLING SAID HOT LEAN ADSORBENT IN SAID COOLING ZONE SIMULTANEOUSLY BY INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH A COOLING MEDIUM AND BY PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID LEAN GAS THROUGH SAID MOVING BED OF INDIRECTLY COOLING ADSORBENT TO DESORB ADSORBED STRIPPING GAS THEREFROM AND THEREBY REMOVE AT LEAST ABOUT 5% OF THE HEAT BY DIRECT DESORPTION, AND RETURNING THE COOLED ADSORBENT TO CONTACT FURTHER QUANTITIES OF SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE.