Method for contacting fluids with solid contact materials

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR CONTACTING A FLUID, AT LEAST PART OF WHICH EXISTS IN THE GASEOUS PHASE UNDER THE CONTACTING CONDITION, AND A SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL OF PALPABLE PARTICULATE FORM WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID CONTACT MATERIAL INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF AN EXPANDED CONTACTING ZONE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE INLET OPENING WITH A FORCE INSUFFICIENT TO MOVE THE CONTACT MATERIAL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID ZONE, SEPARATELY INTRODUCING SAID FLUID INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID ZONE SO AS TO MIX WITH SAID CONTACT MATERIAL, CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLUID INTRODUCTION TO PROVIDE AN UPWARD FLOW OF GASEOUS MATERIAL THROUGH THE CONTACTING ZONE SUFFICIENT WHEN ADDED TO THE FORCE OF CONTACT MATERIAL INTRODUCTION TO PUSH THE CONTACT MATERIAL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID ZONE AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED, EXPANDING SAID BED LATERALLY AT LEAST ALONG AN UPPER PORTION THEREOF TO EFFECT REDUCTION IN THE UPWARD VELOCITY, OF GASEOUS MATERIAL FLOW BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE SURFACE OF SAID BED BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL BOILING OF THE BED AT ITS SURFACE, WHEREBY THE BED IS MAINTAINED IN COMPACTED CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, WITHDRAWING THE CONTACT MATERIAL FROM SAID ZONE NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID BED AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING THE CONTACTED GASEOUS MATERIAL UPWARDLY FROM SAID BED, SAID ZONE HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AT THE REGION OF MIXING OF THE SEPARATELY INTRODUCED FLUID AND SAID CONTACT MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE TOTAL CROSS-SECTION OF SAID OPENING FOR CONTACT MATERIAL INTRODUCTION AND HAVING A CROSS-SECTION FOR FLOW AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THAT AT SAID REGION OF MIXING AT ALL LOCATION INTERMEDIATE THE SAME AND THE LOCATION FOR UPWARD WITHDRAWAL OF CONTACTED GASEOUS MATERIAL FROM SAID BED.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR CONTACTING A FLUID, AT LEAST PART OF WHICH EXISTS IN THE GASEOUS PHASE UNDER THE CONTACTING CONDITION, AND A SOLID CONTACT MATERIAL OF PALPABLE PARTICULATE FORM WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID CONTACT MATERIAL INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF AN EXPANDED CONTACTING ZONE THROUGH AT LEAST ONE INLET OPENING WITH A FORCE INSUFFICIENT TO MOVE THE CONTACT MATERIAL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID ZONE, SEPARATELY INTRODUCING SAID FLUID INTO THE LOWER SECTION OF SAID ZONE SO AS TO MIX WITH SAID CONTACT MATERIAL, CONTROLLING THE RATE OF FLUID INTRODUCTION TO PROVIDE AN UPWARD FLOW OF GASEOUS MATERIAL THROUGH THE CONTACTING ZONE SUFFICIENT WHEN ADDED TO THE FORCE OF CONTACT MATERIAL INTRODUCTION TO PUSH THE CONTACT MATERIAL UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID ZONE AS A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPACT BED, EXPANDING SAID BED LATERALLY AT LEAST ALONG AN UPPER PORTION THEREOF TO EFFECT REDUCTION IN THE UPWARD VELOCITY, OF GASEOUS MATERIAL FLOW BY THE TIME IT REACHES THE SURFACE OF SAID BED BELOW THAT WHICH WOULD CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL BOILING OF THE BED AT ITS SURFACE, WHEREBY THE BED IS MAINTAINED IN COMPACTED CONDITION SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, WITHDRAWING THE CONTACT MATERIAL FROM SAID ZONE NEAR THE UPPER END OF SAID BED AND SEPARATELY WITHDRAWING THE CONTACTED GASEOUS MATERIAL UPWARDLY FROM SAID BED, SAID ZONE HAVING A CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AT THE REGION OF MIXING OF THE SEPARATELY INTRODUCED FLUID AND SAID CONTACT MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE TOTAL CROSS-SECTION OF SAID OPENING FOR CONTACT MATERIAL INTRODUCTION AND HAVING A CROSS-SECTION FOR FLOW AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THAT AT SAID REGION OF MIXING AT ALL LOCATION INTERMEDIATE THE SAME AND THE LOCATION FOR UPWARD WITHDRAWAL OF CONTACTED GASEOUS MATERIAL FROM SAID BED.