Method and apparatus for effecting the conversion of reactants in contact with particulated solid material

Claim 1

A CONTACTING PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A FLUIDIZED BODY OF SOLID PARTICLES IN THE LOWER PORTION OF A CONFINED CHAMBER HAVING PAR TITIONING MEANS DIVIDING THE CHAMBER INTO SEPARATE VAPOR ZONES AND SAID BODY OF PARTICLES INTO COMMUNICATING FIRST AND SECOND FLUIDIZED BEDS, TRANSFERRING PARTICLES LATERALLY FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FIRST BED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SECOND BED, WITHDRAWING PARTICLES FROM SAID SECOND BED AND PASSING THE SAME DOWNWARDLY IN A COLUMN OF SMALLER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN THE SECOND BED, PASSING A FLUID REACTANT UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID COLUMN AND INTO THE VAPOR ZONE ABOVE SAID SECOND BED COMMINGLING SOLID PARTICLES FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID COLUMN WITH A SECOND FLUID REACTANT AND PASSING THE RESULTANT MIXTURE UPWARDLY THROUGH A CONFINED ELONGATED REACTION PATH OF SMALLER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA THAN AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FIRST BED, DISCHARGING THE MIXTURE FROM SAID CONFINED PATH INTO THE VAPOR ZONE ABOVE SAID FIRST BED AND THERE SEPOARATING THE MIXTURE INTO FLUID PRODUCTS AND SOLID PARTICLES, GRAVITATING THE LATTER TO SAID FIRST FLUIDIZED BED, AND REMOVING REACTED FLUID FROM EACH OF SAID VAPOR ZONES.