Compact mass surface level control

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE SURFACE LEVEL OF A DOWNWARDLY GRAVITATING, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED OF GRANULAR SOLIDS, WHICH COMPRIESE: MAINTAINING A DOWNWARDLY GRAVITATING, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED OF GRANULAR SOLIDS WITHIN A CONFINED CONTACTNG ZONE; MAINTAINING A DOWNWARDLY MOVING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT MASS OF GRANULAR SOLIDS WITHIN A CONFINED FEEDING ZONE ABOVE SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING GRANULAR SOLIDS TO THE UPPER END OF SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING GRANDULAR SOLIDS FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID MASS AS A PLURALITYOF CONFINED STREAMS WHICH TERMILNATE ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED; DISCHARGING GRANULAR SOLIDS ONTO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED AS A FREELY FALLNG SHOWER OF SOLIDS, SAID SHOWER CONTAINING ALL OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL TO E SUPPLIED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED; MAINTAINING GAS IMPERVIOUS SURFACES ENTIRELY AROUND SAID SHOWER AND EXTENDING SAID SURFACES DOWNWARDLY TO A LEVEL BELOW THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED; SUPPLYING A CONTROL FLUID AT CONSTANT RATE TO SAID FEEDING ZONE AND PASSING A FIRST PART OF SAID FLUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID MASS AND THROUGH SAID STREAMS INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE, SAID CONTROL FLUID ACTING TO INCREASE THE CONTACT MATERIAL FLOW IN SAID STREAMS BEYOND THE FLOW RATE WHICH WOULD BE ACHIEVED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY ALONE; PASSING A SECOND PART OF SAID CONTROL FLUID AROUND SAID STREAMS AND INTO SIAD BED BENEATH THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID SURFACES; SUPPLYING A FLUID REACTANT TO SAID CONTACTING ZONE; FLOWING SAID REACTANT FLUID AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID CONTROL FLUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID BED; MAINTAINING THE PORTION OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE ABOVE SAID MASS FLUID TIGHT SO THAT NO FLUID MATERIAL IS REMOVED THEREFROM AND REMOVING FLUID MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID ZONE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINING SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THE SURFACE LEVEL OF A DOWNWARDLY GRAVITATING, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED OF GRANULAR SOLIDS, WHICH COMPRIESE: MAINTAINING A DOWNWARDLY GRAVITATING, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED OF GRANULAR SOLIDS WITHIN A CONFINED CONTACTNG ZONE; MAINTAINING A DOWNWARDLY MOVING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT MASS OF GRANULAR SOLIDS WITHIN A CONFINED FEEDING ZONE ABOVE SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING GRANULAR SOLIDS TO THE UPPER END OF SAID BED; CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING GRANDULAR SOLIDS FROM THE LOWER END OF SAID MASS AS A PLURALITYOF CONFINED STREAMS WHICH TERMILNATE ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED; DISCHARGING GRANULAR SOLIDS ONTO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED AS A FREELY FALLNG SHOWER OF SOLIDS, SAID SHOWER CONTAINING ALL OF THE CONTACT MATERIAL TO E SUPPLIED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED; MAINTAINING GAS IMPERVIOUS SURFACES ENTIRELY AROUND SAID SHOWER AND EXTENDING SAID SURFACES DOWNWARDLY TO A LEVEL BELOW THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID BED; SUPPLYING A CONTROL FLUID AT CONSTANT RATE TO SAID FEEDING ZONE AND PASSING A FIRST PART OF SAID FLUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID MASS AND THROUGH SAID STREAMS INTO SAID CONTACTING ZONE, SAID CONTROL FLUID ACTING TO INCREASE THE CONTACT MATERIAL FLOW IN SAID STREAMS BEYOND THE FLOW RATE WHICH WOULD BE ACHIEVED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GRAVITY ALONE; PASSING A SECOND PART OF SAID CONTROL FLUID AROUND SAID STREAMS AND INTO SIAD BED BENEATH THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID SURFACES; SUPPLYING A FLUID REACTANT TO SAID CONTACTING ZONE; FLOWING SAID REACTANT FLUID AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID CONTROL FLUID DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID BED; MAINTAINING THE PORTION OF SAID CONTACTING ZONE ABOVE SAID MASS FLUID TIGHT SO THAT NO FLUID MATERIAL IS REMOVED THEREFROM AND REMOVING FLUID MATERIAL FROM THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID ZONE.