Process and apparatus for contacting solids and vapors

Claim 1

IN AN OPERATION WHEREIN DOWNFLOWING FLUIDIZED SOLIDS COUNTERCURRENTLY CONTACT UPFLOWING GASES IN A SERIES OF SUPERIMPOSED CONTACT CHAMBERS IN A CONTACTING VESSEL SAID CHAMBERS BEING SEPARATED BY MEANS OF PERFORATED PLATES AND WHEREIN A DENSE PHASE OF FLUIDIZED SOLIDS EXTENDS ACROSS THE TOP OF EACH PALTE, AND WHEREIN UPFLOWING VAPORS PASS THROUGH SAID PERFORMATIONS INTO AND THROUGH SAID DENSE PHASE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING FLUIDIZED SOLIDS FROM THE DENSE PHASE OF ONE PLATE TO THE DENSE PHASE OF A LOWER PLATE BY MEANS OF A DOWNCOMER, AND FLOWING SAID SOLIDS INTO SAID DOWNCOMER FROM THE UPPER VOLUME OF SAID DENSE PHASE IN A MULTIPLICITY OF DISCRETE STREAMS AT DIFFERENT INITIAL LEVELS SOME OF WHICH ARE APPRECIABLY BELOW THE TOP OF SAID DENSE PHASE WHEREBY ENTRAINMENT OF GASES BY SAID SOLIDS IN SAID DOWNCOMER IS SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTED.