Abstract A method for improved separation of liquids, gases and particulate solid materials in a liquid gas contacting process wherein a liquid feed and gas usually hydrogen are passed upwardly through a bed composed of a particulate contact agent, the velocity of the gas and the liquid being such that the particles are put in a state of random motion and the volume of the bed is expanded over its static volume and wherein an area of high liquid gas and liquid turbulence and mixing is created and wherein liquid effluent and gaseous effluents are removed from the contact zone. The method consists of effecting essentially complete disengagement of the gas from the mixture of particulate solids and liquid. The gas-free liquid-solid mixture is then introduced to a zone of relatively low turbulence and liquid is then removed from this zone at a rate whose lineal velocity is less than the settling velocity of the solid, thereby allowing substantial settling of the solid and resulting in the removal of a clarified liquid. The disengaged gaseous effluent may then be removed separately or recombined and removed with the liquid effluent. Apparatus for efficiently carrying out this process are described.
In a process of conTinuously contacting liquid, gas and particulate solids in a reaction zone wherein the liquid and gas are passed upwardly through a bed of said particulate solids contained in the reaction zone and wherein the velocities of the liquid and gas are such that the bed expands to a volume at least 10 percent greater than its static volume and the particulate solids are in a state of random motion in the reaction mixture and wherein the velocities of liquid and gas are regulated to provide an interface between said reaction mixture and said gaseous effluent discharging from said mixture and wherein liquid and gaseous effluents are removed from the reaction zone with some carryover of said particulate solids in said liquid effluent, the improvement which comprises: a. minimizing the carryover of particulate solids in said liquid effluent by first disengaging gaseous effluent from the gas-liquid-solid mixture below the interface to produce disengaged gas and dilute slurry; b. introducing the gas-free dilute slurry to a solids separation zone contained within the reaction zone, said separation zone comprising a vessel having a closed upper end with a discharge conduit from said end for passing liquid effluent to the exterior of said reaction zone, an opening in the bottom of said vessel for passing said gas-free dilute slurry into said vessel; c. removing a substantially solid-free liquid effluent from said operation zone at a rate whose linear velocity in the separation zone is less than the settling rate of the solids of the dilute slurry in the separation zone; d. settling the solids out of the dilute slurry to form a concentrated slurry in the lower part of the separation zone; e. removing said concentrated slurry from said separation zone and returning the slurry to the reaction zone; and f. separately removing gas from the upper part of said reaction zone and liquid effluent from the vessel through the discharge conduit out of the reaction zone.