Process of and apparatus for recovering selected components from a fluid stream

Claim 1

THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF RECOVERING CONDENSABLES FROM A GAS STEAM IN WHICH AT LEAST THREE ABSORBENT BEDS REMOVE CONDENSABLES FROM THE STREAM AND ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY AND CONTINOULY BUT ALTERNATELY GOING THROUGH AN ADSORPTION CYCLE WHERE THE BE ADSORBS AND BECOMES SATURATED WITH THE CONDENSABLES, A HEATING CYCLE WHERE THE SATURATED BED IS HEATED TO DRIVE THE CONDENSABLES OUT OF THE SATURATED BED, AND A COOLING CYCLE WHERE THE HEATED BED IS COOLED IN PREPARATON FOR THE NEXT ADSORPTION CYCLE COMPRISING, INITIALLY PASSING A SUPPLY OF HEATING GAS SUCCESSIVELY AND CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH A HEATER, A SATURATED BED, AND INTO THE COOLING CYCLE DOWNSTREAM OF THE BED IN THE COOLING CYCLE; AND SIMULTANEOUSLY AND CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING A SUPPLY OF COOLING GAS SUCCESSIVELY THROUGH THE BED WHICH HAS JUST COMPLETED THE HEATING CYCLE AND THEN INTO THE HEATING CYCLE INCLUDING A CONDENSER AND A SEPARATOR DOWNSTREAM OF THE BED IN THE HEATING CYCLE BUT UPSTREAM OF THE SAID CONDENSER AND SEPARATOR; AND, AFTER THE OUTPUT GAS FROM THE BED BEING HEATED BECOMES RICHER THAN THE OUTPUT GAS FROM THE BED BEING COOLED, DIVERTING THE OUTPUT OF THE BED WHICH IS BEING COOLED AND DIRECTING IT INTO THE COOLING CYCLE DOWNSTREAM OF THE BED BEING COOLED; AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DIVERTING THE OUTPUT OF THE BED WHICH IS BEING HEATED INTO THE HEATING CYCLE DOWNSTREAM OF THE BED BEING HEATED BUT UPSTREAM OF THE CONDENSER AND SEPARATOR.