Recovery of elemental sulphur from gases containing h2s

Claim 1

IN THE RECOVERY OF ELEMENTAL SULPHUR IN LIQUID FORM FROM GASES CONTAINING H2S INVOLVING THE CONTACT OF A CATALYST WITH THE GAS CONTAINING H2S AND AN OXIDANT TO FORM SULPHUR VAPOR AND THE SUBSEQUENT CONDENSATION OF THE SULPHUR VAPOR TO FORM LIQUID SULPHUR, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING AT LEAST ONE BED OF CATALYST IN EACH OF A PLURALITY OF ZONES FORMING A FIRST GROUP OF ZONES AND IN EACH OF A PLURALITY OF ZONES FORMING A SECOND GROUP OF ZONES; MIXING A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF THE GAS TO BE TREATED WITH A PREDETERMINED PROPORTION OF SULPHUR-LIBERATING GAS AND CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING A FLOW OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE AT AN OPTIMUM PRE-RE ACTION TEMPERATURE THROUGH ALL OF THE ZONES FORMING THE FIRST GROUP OF ZONES, SO THAT REACTION WILL TAKE PLACE THEREIN AND THE H2S CONTAINED IN THE GASEOUS MIXTURE WILL BE CONVERTED INTO SULPHUR VAPOR AND STREAM; CONTINUOUSLY DIRECTING THE FLOW OF A HOT OXIDIZING MEDIUM THROUGH ALL OF THE ZONES FORMING THE SECOND GROUP OF ZONES TO REACTIVATE THE CATALYST THEREIN; REDIRECTING THE FLOW OF THE GASEOUS MIXTURE AND THE FLOW OF THE OXIDIZING MEDIUM THROUGH SAID GROUPS OF ZONES BY SHIFTING THE FLOW PASSAGES BY A SIMULTANEOUS ROTARY MOVEMENT OF THE GAS PATHS SO THAT THE TRAILING ZONE, IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, IN EACH GROUP OF ZONES WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE OTHER GROUP OF ZONES, WHEREBY EACH ZONE WILL BECOME IN SUCCESSION A REACTION ZONE AND A REACTIVATION ZONE; CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING THE REACTED GASEOUS MIXTURE FROM THE ZONES IN WHICH REACTION IS TAKING PLACE AND DIRECTING ITS FLOW THROUGH A CONDENSING ZONE; AND THERE CONDENSING THE SULPHUR VAPOR TO FORM LIQUID SULPHUR.