Gas-liquid contact apparatus

Claim 1

A GAS-LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A FIRST GENERALLY VERTICAL CAPILLARY TUBE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A GAS INTO THE APPARATUS; (B) A SECOND GENERALLY HORIZONTAL CAPILLARY TUBE ENTERING INTO THE FIRST TUBE AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THERETO; (C) A SMOOTH WALLED GAS-LIQUID CONTACT CAPILLARY TUBE, THE CONTACT TUBE FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE FIRST TUBE AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE JUNCTION OF THE FIRST AND SECOND TUBES; (D) A SEPARATOR SECTION AT THE LOWER TERMINAL END OF THE CONTACT CAPILLARY TUBE, SAID SEPARATOR SECTION COMPRISING AN ENLARGED CHAMBER HAVING A GENTLY FLARED ENTRANCE LEADING FROM THE CONTACT TUBE; (E) A SIDE CAPILLARY TUBE LEADING AT RIGHT ANGLES FROM THE SEPARATOR SECTION; (F) AN ENLARGED TUBE LEADING FROM SAID SEPARATOR SECTION AND EXTENDING GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM; (G) A BARRIER EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEPARATOR SECTION BETWEEN THE SIDE CAPILLARY TUBE AND THE ENLARGED TUBE; (H) SAID TUBES BEING SO PROPORTIONED THAT LIQUID WILL FLOW DOWN THE WALLS OF THE CONTACT AND SEPARATION SECTIONS WITH GAS FLOWING DOWNWARDLY AT THE CENTER OF THE HOLLOW, LIQUID-WALL COLUMN SO FORMED AND SAID BARRIER AND SAID SEPARATOR SECTION BEING SO CONSTRUCTED TO CAUSE A POOL OF LIQUID TO FORM IN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SEPARATOR SECTION SO THAT A PORTION OF THE LIQUID HAVING GAS DISSOLVED THEREIN WILL FLOW OUT THE SIDE CAPILLARY TUBE AND THE BALANCE OF THE GAS AND LIQUID WILL FLOW OVER SAID BARRIER AND OUT THE ENLARGED TUBE.