Continuous transfer of solids against pressure for bottom feeding of fluidbed reactors

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS TRANSFER OF SOLIDS AGAINST PRESSURE FOR BOTTOM FEEDING OF A FLUID-BED REACTOR COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN ELARGED PRESSURE-WALLED HOUSING, A FEED INLET OPENING INTO SAID HOUSING INCLUDING GAS LOCK MEANS TO INTRODUCE INTERMITTENTLY AN AMOUNT OF SOLIDS INTO SAID HOUSING, A ROTATABLE WHEEL IN THE HOUSING HAVING A PLUARLITY OF POCKETS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SOLIDS INTRODUCED INTO THE HOUSING THROUGH SAID FEED INLET, THE POCKETS IN SAID WHEEL FORMED BY A PLURALITY OF BLADES HAVING THEIR OUTER END SPACED FROM THE HOUSING AND AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BLADE DISCHARGE SURFACE RADIALLY OFFSET AND REPOSED ABOVE THE RADIAL PLANE INTERSECTING THE BLADE OUTER END TO SPILL THE SOLIDS FROM THE SEVERAL POCKETS AS A CONTINUOUS FREE FALLING STREAM A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE FROM SAID FEED INLET ON ROTATION OF THE WHEEL, AN ENTRAINING ZONE POSITIONED TO RECEIVED THE SOLDS CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGED FROM SAID WHEEL, AND A SOURCE OF HIGH VELOCITY GAS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ENTRAINING ZONE TO ENTRAIN SAID SOLIDS FOR TRANSFER AGAINST PRESSURE.