Process and apparatus for controlling the rate of addition of fluidized particles

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR ADDING MAKE-UP SOLIDS TO A CONTACTING PROCESS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, GRADUAL RATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH INCLUDES FLUIDIZING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS IN A CONFINED STORAGE ZONE PROVIDING A SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID SOLIDS IN A FLUIDIZED CONDITION IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE, WITHDRAWING A CONFINED STREAM FO FLUIDIZED SOLIDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE AND PASSING THE FLUIDIZED SOLIDS DOWNWARDLY INTO A DISPERSION ZONE, INTRODUCING SUSPENDING GAS AT A SUSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RATE INTO SAID DISPERSION ZONE TO FORM A SUSPENSION, PASSING THE RESULTING SUSPENSION UPWARDLY THROUGH A VERTICAL CONFINED PATH AT A LINEAR VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 5 TO 30FT./SECOND AND CORRESPONDING TO A SOLIDS MASS VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF 500 TO 5000 LBS./MIN./SQ. FT. TO CREATE A PRESSURE DROP, MEASURING THE PRESSURE DROP ALONG SAID CONFINED PATH FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP OF SAID VERTICAL PATH AND UTILIZING ANY VARIATION IN SAID PRESSURE DROP TO CONTROL THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE TO VARY THE BACK PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERING THE CONSTANT RATE OF FLOW OF THE SUSPENDING GAS PASSING INTO SAID DISPERSION ZONE WHEN SAID PRESSURE DROP VARIES TO MAINTAIN THE FLOW OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS TO SAID DISPERSION ZONE AND TO SAID VERTICAL CONFINED PATH SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR ADDING MAKE-UP SOLIDS TO A CONTACTING PROCESS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT, GRADUAL RATE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH INCLUDES FLUIDIZING FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS IN A CONFINED STORAGE ZONE PROVIDING A SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID SOLIDS IN A FLUIDIZED CONDITION IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE, WITHDRAWING A CONFINED STREAM FO FLUIDIZED SOLIDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE AND PASSING THE FLUIDIZED SOLIDS DOWNWARDLY INTO A DISPERSION ZONE, INTRODUCING SUSPENDING GAS AT A SUSTANTIALLY CONSTANT RATE INTO SAID DISPERSION ZONE TO FORM A SUSPENSION, PASSING THE RESULTING SUSPENSION UPWARDLY THROUGH A VERTICAL CONFINED PATH AT A LINEAR VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 5 TO 30FT./SECOND AND CORRESPONDING TO A SOLIDS MASS VELOCITY IN THE RANGE OF 500 TO 5000 LBS./MIN./SQ. FT. TO CREATE A PRESSURE DROP, MEASURING THE PRESSURE DROP ALONG SAID CONFINED PATH FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP OF SAID VERTICAL PATH AND UTILIZING ANY VARIATION IN SAID PRESSURE DROP TO CONTROL THE PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE TO VARY THE BACK PRESSURE IN SAID CONFINED STORAGE ZONE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERING THE CONSTANT RATE OF FLOW OF THE SUSPENDING GAS PASSING INTO SAID DISPERSION ZONE WHEN SAID PRESSURE DROP VARIES TO MAINTAIN THE FLOW OF FINELY DIVIDED SOLIDS TO SAID DISPERSION ZONE AND TO SAID VERTICAL CONFINED PATH SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT.