Apparatus for separating solid-liquidgas mixtures

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SOLID-LIQUID-GAS PHASE MIXTURES AND SEPARATING THE COMPONENTS OF SAID MIXTURES, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER HAVING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GAS, LIQUID, AND SOLID PHASES THEREINTO, SAID CHAMBER BEING IN FLUID CONNECTION WITH A VESSEL ADAPTED FOR SEPARATION OF SOLID-LIQUID-GAS PHASES, SAID VESSEL BEING POSITIONED ABOVE SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED, AND CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED OPEN-END CONDUITS THERIN SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF, THE INNER OF SAID CONDUITS HAVING MEANS PROVIDING FOR FLUID FLOW THEREFROM TO THE ANNULUS BETWEEN SAID CONDUITS, THE OUTER OF SAID CONDUITS BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SEPARATE MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING GAS FROM SAID VESSEL, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF THE LIQUID PHASE FROM SAID VESSEL AT A LEVEL THEREIN BELOW THAT AT WHICH GAS IS WITHDRAWN THEREFROM AND ABOVE THE LOWER TERMINI OF SAID CONDUITS, THE FLUID CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND SAID VESSEL COMPRISING A FIRST PASSAGEWAY OPENING INTO SAID VESSEL BELOW THE INNER OF SAID CONDUITS THEREIN, AND A SECOND PASSAGEWAY THE OPENINGS THEREOF INTO SAID VESSEL AND SAID CHAMBER BEING POSITIONED BELOW THOSE OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY, AND MEANS FOR IMPOSING A GAS PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER WHEREBY THE LIQUID LEVEL THEREIN IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE OPENING OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY AND IN SAID VESSEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID CONDUIT FOR REMOVING A PORTION OF THE LIQUID PHASE THEREFROM.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR FORMING SOLID-LIQUID-GAS PHASE MIXTURES AND SEPARATING THE COMPONENTS OF SAID MIXTURES, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER HAVING MEANS FOR INTRODUCING GAS, LIQUID, AND SOLID PHASES THEREINTO, SAID CHAMBER BEING IN FLUID CONNECTION WITH A VESSEL ADAPTED FOR SEPARATION OF SOLID-LIQUID-GAS PHASES, SAID VESSEL BEING POSITIONED ABOVE SAID CHAMBER AND HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED, AND CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED OPEN-END CONDUITS THERIN SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF, THE INNER OF SAID CONDUITS HAVING MEANS PROVIDING FOR FLUID FLOW THEREFROM TO THE ANNULUS BETWEEN SAID CONDUITS, THE OUTER OF SAID CONDUITS BEING IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH SEPARATE MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING GAS FROM SAID VESSEL, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF THE LIQUID PHASE FROM SAID VESSEL AT A LEVEL THEREIN BELOW THAT AT WHICH GAS IS WITHDRAWN THEREFROM AND ABOVE THE LOWER TERMINI OF SAID CONDUITS, THE FLUID CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND SAID VESSEL COMPRISING A FIRST PASSAGEWAY OPENING INTO SAID VESSEL BELOW THE INNER OF SAID CONDUITS THEREIN, AND A SECOND PASSAGEWAY THE OPENINGS THEREOF INTO SAID VESSEL AND SAID CHAMBER BEING POSITIONED BELOW THOSE OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY, AND MEANS FOR IMPOSING A GAS PRESSURE IN SAID CHAMBER WHEREBY THE LIQUID LEVEL THEREIN IS MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE OPENING OF SAID FIRST PASSAGEWAY AND IN SAID VESSEL ABOVE THE LEVEL OF SAID CONDUIT FOR REMOVING A PORTION OF THE LIQUID PHASE THEREFROM.