Method and apparatus for the removal of granular solids from a columnar mass thereof

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR REMOVING GRANULAR SOLIDS AT A CONTROLLED RATE FROM THE CONTACTING ZONE OF A PROCESS FOR COUNTER-CURRENT CONTACTING OF A LIQUID WITH GRANULAR SOLIDS AND DISCHARGING SAID SOLIDS INTO A CONDUIT FILLED WITH GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE AT THE POINT OF DISCHARGE, WHICH COMPRISES: MAINTAINING A COLUMN OF THE LIQUID BELOW THE CONTACTING ZONE; ALLOWING GRANULAR SOLIDS TO SETTLE FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF THE CONTACTING ZONE THROUGH SAID LIQUID COLUMN; PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF CONFINED WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS BENEATH SAID COLUMN; CAUSING EACH OF SAID WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS TO BE OPERATED ON A CYCLE COMPRISING, FILLING THE COMPARTMENT SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY WITH A SUITABLE FLUSH LIQUID WHILE OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COLUMN, THEN OPENING THE COMPARTMENT TO SAID COLUMN TO ALLOW GRANULAR SOLIDS TO SETTLE INTO THE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANTIAL NET FLOW OF LIQUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE LIQUID COLUMN, CLOSING OFF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT AND THE COLUMN AND THEN DISCHARGING LIQUID AND GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM THE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT INTO A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE SO THAT GAS ENTERS THE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT AND REFILLING THE COMPARTMENT WITH FLUSH LIQUID THEREBY DRIVING OUT OF SAID COMPARTMENT AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID GAS; CONTROLLING THE CYCLES FOR ALL OF SAID WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS SO THAT AT LEAST ONE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT IS ALWAYS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COLUMN; AND CONTROLLING THE RATE OF OPENING AND CLOSING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS AND SAID COLUMN TO CONTROL THE RATE OF GRANULAR SOLIDS REMOVAL FROM THE COLUMN AT THE DESIRED LEVEL.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR REMOVING GRANULAR SOLIDS AT A CONTROLLED RATE FROM THE CONTACTING ZONE OF A PROCESS FOR COUNTER-CURRENT CONTACTING OF A LIQUID WITH GRANULAR SOLIDS AND DISCHARGING SAID SOLIDS INTO A CONDUIT FILLED WITH GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE AT THE POINT OF DISCHARGE, WHICH COMPRISES: MAINTAINING A COLUMN OF THE LIQUID BELOW THE CONTACTING ZONE; ALLOWING GRANULAR SOLIDS TO SETTLE FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF THE CONTACTING ZONE THROUGH SAID LIQUID COLUMN; PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF CONFINED WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS BENEATH SAID COLUMN; CAUSING EACH OF SAID WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS TO BE OPERATED ON A CYCLE COMPRISING, FILLING THE COMPARTMENT SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY WITH A SUITABLE FLUSH LIQUID WHILE OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COLUMN, THEN OPENING THE COMPARTMENT TO SAID COLUMN TO ALLOW GRANULAR SOLIDS TO SETTLE INTO THE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANTIAL NET FLOW OF LIQUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE LIQUID COLUMN, CLOSING OFF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT AND THE COLUMN AND THEN DISCHARGING LIQUID AND GRANULAR SOLIDS FROM THE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT INTO A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE SO THAT GAS ENTERS THE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT AND REFILLING THE COMPARTMENT WITH FLUSH LIQUID THEREBY DRIVING OUT OF SAID COMPARTMENT AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF SAID GAS; CONTROLLING THE CYCLES FOR ALL OF SAID WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS SO THAT AT LEAST ONE WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENT IS ALWAYS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COLUMN; AND CONTROLLING THE RATE OF OPENING AND CLOSING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN WITHDRAWAL COMPARTMENTS AND SAID COLUMN TO CONTROL THE RATE OF GRANULAR SOLIDS REMOVAL FROM THE COLUMN AT THE DESIRED LEVEL.