Apparatus and process for treating a liquid with a gas

Claim 2

APPARATUS COMPRISING A REACTION VESSEL, A GENERALLY VERTICAL RECYCLE CONDUIT DISPOSED IN SAID VESSEL AND SPACED FROM THE INTERIOR WALLS THEREOF, SAID RECYCLE CONDUIT HAVING A CLOSED TOP AND AN OPEN BOTTOM, A PUMP INLET IN SAID REACTION VESSEL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE LIQUID WITHIN THE UPPER PART OF THE REACTION VESSEL, A PUMP DISCHARGE OUTLET WITHIN THE TOP OF THE RECYCLE CONDUIT FOR DISCHARGING LIQUID FROM SAID INLET INTO THE RECYCLE CONDUIT, A FEED LINE PASSING THROUGH A WALL OF THE REACTION VESSEL IN FLUID COMMUNICATION WITH AN UPPER PORTION OF THE RECYCLE CONDUIT BELOW THE PUMP DISCHARGE OUTLET, SAID PUMP DISCHARGE OUTLET AND SAID CLOSED TOP OF THE RECYCLE CONDUIT PREVENTING FEED FROM PASSING OUT THROUGH THE TOP OF THE RECYCLE CONDUIT AND A PRODUCT OUTLET PASSING THROUGH A WALL OF SAID REACTION VESSEL.

Claim 3

AN EXOTHERMIC CONVERSION PROCES WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A MASS OF CATALYST PARTICLES WITHIN A REACTION ZONE, SAID MASS SPACED FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE, CONTACTING A MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND GASEOUS REACTANTS WITH THE CATALYST BY PASSING THE RECTANTS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID CATALYST MASS AND EXOTHERMICALLY REACTING THE SAME, CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATING LIQUID THROUGH THE REACTION ZONE BY PASSING A PORTION OF LIQUID WITHIN THE REACTION ZONE ABOVE THE CATALYST MASS DOWNWARDLY IN A CONFINED STREAM WITHIN THE REACTOR, PROVIDING THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING STREAM WITH A DOWNWARD VECTOR OF FORCE EFFECTIVE TO INCREASE ITS DOWNWARD VELOCITY, INTRODUCING LIQUID REACTANT FEED AND GASEOUS REACTANT INTO SAID DOWNWARDLY FLOWING STREAM AT AN ELEVATION BELOW THAT AT WHICH THE DOWNWARD VECTOR OF FORCE IS APPLIED WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PREVENTING THE LIQUID REACTANT FEED AND GASEOUS REACTANT FROM MOVING UPWARD BEYOND THE ELEVATION AT WHICH THE DOWNWARD VECTOR OF FORCE IS APPLIED, AND DISCHARGING SAID STREAM IN THE SPACE BELOW THE SAID CATALYST MASS.

Claim 4

AN EXOTHERMIC CONVERSION PROCES WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A MASS OF CATALYST PARTICLES WITHIN A REACTION ZONE, SAID MASS SPACED FROM THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID ZONE, CONTACTING A MIXTURE OF LIQUID AND GASEOUS REACTANTS WITH THE CATALYST BY PASSING THE RECTANTS UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID CATALYST MASS AND EXOTHERMICALLY REACTING THE SAME, CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATING LIQUID THROUGH THE REACTION ZONE BY PASSING A PORTION OF LIQUID WITHIN THE REACTION ZONE ABOVE THE CATALYST MASS DOWNWARDLY IN A CONFINED STREAM WITHIN THE REACTOR, PROVIDING THE DOWNWARDLY FLOWING STREAM WITH A DOWNWARD VECTOR OF FORCE EFFECTIVE TO INCREASE ITS DOWNWARD VELOCITY, INTRODUCING LIQUID REACTANT FEED AND GASEOUS REACTANT INTO SAID DOWNWARDLY FLOWING STREAM AT AN ELEVATION BELOW THAT AT WHICH THE DOWNWARD VECTOR OF FORCE IS APPLIED WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PREVENTING THE LIQUID REACTANT FEED AND GASEOUS REACTANT FROM MOVING UPWARD BEYOND THE ELEVATION AT WHICH THE DOWNWARD VECTOR OF FORCE IS APPLIED, AND DISCHARGING SAID STREAM IN THE SPACE BELOW THE SAID CATALYST MASS.