Axial-flow centrifugal vapor-liquid contacting and separating device and method

Claim 1

METHOD FOR CONTACTING IN STAGES A LIQUID WITH UPWARDLY FLOWING STREAMS OF GASEOUS FLUIDS IN CONDUITS EACH GASEOUS FLUID IN EACH CONDUIT HAVING A CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION WHILE PASSING THROUGH THE STAGES IN SERIES AND SEPARATING THE CONTACTED LIQUID IN EACH STAGE FOR COUNTERCURRENT FLOW TO A LOWER STAGE, WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID STREAMS OF GASEOUS FLUID IN PARALLEL AND CONTINUOUSLY UPWARDLY THROUGH A SERIES OF TEH STAGES, COLLECTING A POOL OF LIQUID SEPARATED FROM THE GASEOUS FLUID STREAMS IN A STAGE ABOVE IN THE LOWER PART OF EACH STAGE, INJECTING LIQUID FROM THE POOL IN EACH UPFLOWING STAGE THROUGH A PERIPHERAL ORIFICE IN EACH CONDUIT INTO EACH STREAM OF GASEOUS FLUID AND PERPENDICULARLY THERETO FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION, CONTACTING THUS INJECTED LIQUID IN COCURRENT FLOW WITH THE GASEOUS FLUID, INDUCING UPWARD SPIRALING TO THE STREAMS OF GASOUS FLUID AND INJECTED LIQUID AND THERE-