Drying of adsorbent solids

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR TREATMENT OF LIQUID OILS WITH GRANULAR ADSORBENTS WHEREIN THE ADSORBENT AFTER CONTACT WITH THE LIQUID OIL IS WASHED WITH A SUITABLE SOLVENT TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF OCCLUDED OIL, DRIED TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF SOLVENT AND REGENERATED BY SUBJECTION TO AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES TO EFFECT REMOVAL OF CARBONACEOUS CONTAMINANT DEPOSITS FROM THE ADSORBENT, THE IMPROVED CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR DRYING THE ADSORBENT AND TRANSFERRING THE DRIED ADSORBENT TO THE REGENERATION ZONE WITHOUT ESCAPE OF VAPORS FROM THE DRYING ZONE WITH THE ADSORBENT, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES, PASSING ADSORBENT FROM THE WASHING ZONE INTO A CONFINED DRYING ZONE, MAINTAINING A BED OF SAID ADSORBENT IN THE DRYING ZONE IN A STATE OF EBULLIENT MOTION WHICH RESEMBLES A BOILING LIQUID BY PASSING A STREAM OF INERT GAS UPWARDLY THROUGH THE BED, FLOWING A STREAM OF THE DRIED CONTACT MATERIAL FROM THE SURFACE OF SAID BED IN SAID DRYING ZONE INTO A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING DISCHARGE PASSAGE AND DISCHARGING THE ADSORBENT FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE ONTO A BED OF SAID ADSORBENT MAINTAINED IN A CONFINED COMBINING ZONE, WITHDRAWING ADSORBENT FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID CONFINED COMBINING ZONE AT A LOCATION SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY BELOW SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE AS A CONFINED COMPACT DRAIN STREAM AT A RATE ABOVE THE RATE OF FLOW IN SAID DISCHARGE PASSAGE SO THAT THE ADSORBENT DROPS FREELY THROUGH THE DISCHARGE PASSAGE, DELIVERING THE ADSORBENT FROM SAID COMPACT STREAM INTO A COMFINED CONVEYING ZONE AND CONVEYING THE ADSORBENT UPWARDLY TO A LOCATION ABOVE THE REGENERATION ZONE, FLOWING A PORTION OF THE ADSORBENT FROM SAID LAST NAMED LOCATION DOWNWARDLY TO THE REGENERATION ZONE AND FLOWING THE REMAINDER OF THE ADSORBENT DOWNWARDLY AS A CONFINED, COMPACT RECYCLE STREAM INTO THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID CONFINED COMBINING ZONE, DISCHARGING THE ADSORBENT FROM SAID CONFINED RECYCLE STREAM ONTO SAID BED OF ADSORBENT IN SAID CONFINED COMBINING ZONE AT A LOCATION LATERALLY OFF-SET FROM THE LOCATION OF ADSORBENT ENTRY INTO SAID COMPACT DRAIN STREAM, THE RATE OF FLOW FROM SAID RECYCLE STREAM BEING EQUAL TO THE DIFFERENCE IN RATES OF FLOW IN SAID DRAIN STREAM AND SAID CONFINED PASSAGE FROM SAID DRYING ZONE WHEREBY SAID BED IS CONSTANTLY MAINTAINED, AND INTRODUCING AN INERT SEAL GAS INTO SAID CONFINED COMBINING ZONE AT A PRESSURE SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF THE PRESSURE IN THE UPPER SECTION OF SAID DRYING ZONE, WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID GAS PASSES UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID CONFINED PASSAGE TO STRIP VAPORS FROM THE EFFLUENT ADSORBENT.