Apparatus for quenching high temperature gases

Claim 1

IN GAS QUENCHING APPARATUS WHEREIN GASES PASS IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH LIQUID, A GAS QUENCHING VESSEL, MEANS FORMING A LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE IN SAID QUENCHING VESSEL, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING LIQUID INTO SAID APPARATUS TO PROVIDE THE LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE WITH THE LIQUID, GAS CONDUCTING MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH A SOURCE OF GAS TO BE QUENCHED AND WITH THE LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE OF THE VESSEL TO DISCHARGE GAS INTO THE LIQUID IN SAID SPACE FOR INTIMATE MIXING OF THE GAS WITH LIQUID TO PROVIDE A GAS-LIQUID MIXTURE IN SAID SPACE, MEANS FORMING A LIQUID-VAPOR DISENGAGING SPACE AND A LIQUID RESERVOIR SPACE, SAID LIQUID-VAPOR DISENGAGING SPACE BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE TO RECEIVE THE MIXTURE OF GAS AND LIQUID FROM THE LATTER FOR SEPARATING THE GAS FROM THE LIQUID, GAS OUTLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID LIQUID-VAPOR DISENGAGING SPACE TO DISCHARGE SEPARATED GAS THEREFROM, THE LIQUID RESERVOIR SPACE BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE LIQUID-VAPOR DISENGAGING SPACE FOR RECEIVING THE SEPARATED LIQUID AND WITH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE TO PROVIDE THE LATTER WITH SEPARATED LIQUID OF GREATER DENSITY THAN THE GASLIQUID MIXTURE, SAID LIQUID RESERVOIR SPACE PROVIDING A LEVEL OF LIQUID WITH RESPECT TO THE GAS-LIQUID MIXTURE IN SAID LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE TO PROVIDE A HEAD OF LIQUID EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE BOTH DISPLACEMENT OF THE GAS-LIQUID MIXTURE UPWARDLY IN THE LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE FOR FLOW TO THE LIQUID-VAPOR DISENGAGING SPACE AND CONTINUOUS CIRCULATION OF THE LIQUID BETWEEN THE LIQUID RESERVOIR SPACE AND THE LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE, SAID DISPLACEMENT AND CIRCULATION BEING EFFECTIVE BOTH DURING FLOW OF LIQUID INTO THE LIQUID AND VAPOR SPACE FROM THE LIQUID INTRODUCING MEANS AND FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL AFTER REDUCTION OR CESSATION OF SAID LAST MENTIONED FLOW OF LIQUID.