Gas absorption apparatus

Claim 1

GAS AND LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS HAVING AN UPRIGHT VESSEL OF GENERALLY CIRCULAR HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTION, A PLURALITY OF RADICALLY EXTENDING VERTICAL BAFFLE PLATES ARRANGED TO DIVIDE THE ENTIRE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA OF SAID VESSEL INTO A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SUBSTANTIALLY SEPARATE GAS CHAMBERS OF ESECTORAL HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTION, SAID VESSEL HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM FORMING A LIQUID COLLECTING SPACE, SAID BAFFLE PLATES HAVING THEIR LOWER ENDS TERMINATING BELOW THE NORMAL LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID LIQUID COLLECTING SPACE, MEANS PROVIDING A FLOW OF LIQUID IN SAID LIQUID COLLECTING SPACE BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS, MEANS PROVIDING A GAS FLOW SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID CHAMBERS COMPRISING A GAS INLET TO SAID VESSEL AT THE TOP OF A FIRST OF SAID CHAMBERS, A GAS OUTLET FROM SAID VESSEL AT THE TOP OF THE CHAMBER FARTHEST DOWNSTREAM IN A GAS FLOW SENSE FROM SAID GAS INLET, MEANS PROVIDING A GAS FLOW PASSAGE BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDS OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID CHAMBERS, VERTICALLY ARRANGED VENTURISHAPED GAS DUCTS IN AT LEAST TWO OF SAID CHAMBERS HAVING THEIR LOWER ENDS TERMINATING ABOVE THE NORMAL LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID CHAMBERS AND ARRANGED TO RECEIVE GAS FOR A DOWNWARD FLOW SEQUENTIALLY THERETHROUGH, A SPRAY NOZZLE ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED SPRAY OF LIQUID INTO EACH OF SAID VENTURI-SHAPED GAS DUCTS IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE GAS FLOWING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID GAS DUCTS MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING LIQIUD FROM THE PORTION OF SAID LIQUID COLLECTING SPACE BELOW THE FIRST CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING MAKE-UP LIQUID TO THE PORTION OF SAID LIQUID COLLECTING SPACE BELOW A CHAMBER DOWNSTREAM IN A GAS FLOW SENSE OF SAID FIRST CHAMBER.