Separation of gases and vapors in a fluidized adsorption process

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR EFFECTING THE CONTINUOUS SEPARATION OF A CHARGE STREAM OF MIXED GASEOUS AND/OR VAPOROUS FRACTIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF SUBDIVIDED ADSORBENT SOLID PARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A DESCENDING FLUIDIZED BED OF SAID PARTICLES WITHIN AN ELONGATED VERTICALLY DISPOSED CONTACTING AND ADSORPTION ZONE CONTAINING LARGER SIZED NON-ADSORPTIVE PACKING MATERIAL WHICH REMAINS RELATIVELY STATIC DURING THE FLUIDIZATION OF SAID PARTICLES, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID MIXED CHARGE STREAM TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE AND UPWARDLY COUNTERCURRENTLY TO SAID DESCENDING FLUIDIZED BED OF PARTICLES AND EFFECTING THEREBY THE CONTACTING AND FLUIDIZING THEREOF, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING SIDE-CUT STREAMS FROM VERTICALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED WITHIN SAID ADSORPTION ZONE WITH DESIRED ADSORBED FRACTIONS ON EACH OF SAID SIDE-CUT STREAMS, SEPARATELY STRIPPING EACH STREAM OF PARTICLES WITHIN SEPARATE CONFINED STRIPPING ZONES WITH A GASEOUS STRIPPING MEDIUM, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING RECOVERED SIDE-CUT FRACTIONS FROM EACH OF SAID STRIPPING ZONES, DISCHARGING RESULTING STRIPPED PARTICLES FROM EACH OF SAID STRIPPING ZONES AND RETURNING SAID STRIPPED PARTICLES TO SAID ADSORPTION ZONE WITH AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL STRIPPING ZONE BEING RETURNED TO THAT PROTION OF SAID ADSORPTION COLUMN FROM WHICH THE PARTICULAR SIDE STREAM WAS WITHDRAWN, WITH THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF SAID STRIPPED PARTICLES BEING RETURNED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ADSORPTION COLUMN.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR EFFECTING THE CONTINUOUS SEPARATION OF A CHARGE STREAM OF MIXED GASEOUS AND/OR VAPOROUS FRACTIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF SUBDIVIDED ADSORBENT SOLID PARTICLES, WHICH COMPRISES, MAINTAINING A DESCENDING FLUIDIZED BED OF SAID PARTICLES WITHIN AN ELONGATED VERTICALLY DISPOSED CONTACTING AND ADSORPTION ZONE CONTAINING LARGER SIZED NON-ADSORPTIVE PACKING MATERIAL WHICH REMAINS RELATIVELY STATIC DURING THE FLUIDIZATION OF SAID PARTICLES, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID MIXED CHARGE STREAM TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID ZONE AND UPWARDLY COUNTERCURRENTLY TO SAID DESCENDING FLUIDIZED BED OF PARTICLES AND EFFECTING THEREBY THE CONTACTING AND FLUIDIZING THEREOF, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING SIDE-CUT STREAMS FROM VERTICALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF SAID FLUIDIZED BED WITHIN SAID ADSORPTION ZONE WITH DESIRED ADSORBED FRACTIONS ON EACH OF SAID SIDE-CUT STREAMS, SEPARATELY STRIPPING EACH STREAM OF PARTICLES WITHIN SEPARATE CONFINED STRIPPING ZONES WITH A GASEOUS STRIPPING MEDIUM, SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING RECOVERED SIDE-CUT FRACTIONS FROM EACH OF SAID STRIPPING ZONES, DISCHARGING RESULTING STRIPPED PARTICLES FROM EACH OF SAID STRIPPING ZONES AND RETURNING SAID STRIPPED PARTICLES TO SAID ADSORPTION ZONE WITH AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL STRIPPING ZONE BEING RETURNED TO THAT PROTION OF SAID ADSORPTION COLUMN FROM WHICH THE PARTICULAR SIDE STREAM WAS WITHDRAWN, WITH THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF SAID STRIPPED PARTICLES BEING RETURNED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ADSORPTION COLUMN.