Method for contacting sub-divided solid

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN A DESCENDING BED OF PARTICULATED SOLID IS MAINTAINED IN EACH OF TWO SUPERIMPOSED CONFINED CONTACTING ZONES, A STREAM OF THE PARTICULATED SOLID IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LOWER BED AND TRANSFERRED BY THE LIFTING ACTION OF A GASIFORM TRANSFER MEDIUM THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL STRAIGHT-LINE PASSAGEWAY TO THE UPPER PORTION OF THE UPPER BED, AND PARTICULATED SOLID IS PASSED FROM THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID UPPER BED AS A DESCENDING ANNULAR COLUMN AROUND SAID STRAIGHT-LINE PASSAGEWAY TO THE TOP PORTION OF SAID LOWER BED WHILE A STREAM OF FLUID IS CONTACTED WITH THE SOLID IN SAID LOWER BED AND ANOTHER STREAM OF FLUID IS CONTACTED WITH THE SOLID IN SAID UPPER BED, THE IMPROVED METHOD OF ASSURING FREE GRAVITATIONAL FLOW OF SAID SOLID IN SAID ANNULAR COLUMN AND SUBSTANTIAL PRECLUSION OF FLUID FLOW FROM EITHER ONE OF SAID CONTACTING ZONES INTO SAID ANNULAR COLUMN WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING THE ANNULAR COLUMN IN BETWEEN THE DESCENDING BEDS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER CROSS-SECTION THAN EITHER OF SAID BEDS, REGULATING THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH SAID UPPER BED AT A SELECTED POINT OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE UPPER CONTACTING ZONE AND THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE LOWER BED AT A SELECTED POINT OF THE UPPER PORTION OF THE LOWER CONTACTING ZONE AND ABOVE THE BED IN THE LATTER, INTRODUCING A STREAM OF SEALING FLUID INTO SAID ANNULAR COLUMN AT AT LEAST ONE POINT INTERMEDIATE ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS AND ADJUSTING THE FLUID FLOW AT AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SELECTED POINTS IN RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE FLUID PRESSURES EXITING IN THE IMMEDIATE PROXIMITY OF THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF SAID ANNULAR COLUMN TO MAINTAIN A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF SAID SEALING FLUID BOTH UPWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY TO SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE THROUGH SAID ANNULAR COLUMN.