Gas flow pervious support and retaining structure for particulate material

Claim 1

A reactor for incinerating fumes and waste gases containing combustible noxious materials, said reactor comprising: an elongated, vertically extending housing having upper and lower ends and a generally cylindrical side wall, said side wall having an inwardly extending circumferential ledge at an elevation intermediate the ends of said housing, a catalyst support structure engaging said ledge and extending across the interior of said housing to divide said housing into upper and lower zones, said catalyst support structure being adapted to receive and support a bed of particulate catalyst material in either a quiescent, agitated or fluidized state and comprising a first set of elongated channel members mounted in parallel, laterally spaced relation, the channel members of said first set having gaps therebetween and being arranged with their webs extending generally horizontally and their flanges extending upwardly from the webs, the ends of said channels resting on said ledge, a second set of elongated channel members mounted in parallel laterally spaced relation above said first set of channel members, the channel members of said second set also having gaps therebetween and being arranged with their webs extending generally horizontally and with their flanges extending downwardly from the webs, the webs of said second set of channel members being horizontally offset with respect to the webs of said first set so as to overlie the gaps between said first set of channel members, and partition means comprising a plurality of vertically elongated plate members located within the gaps between the members of said first set of channel members and adjacent the ends thereof, said plate members extending transversely across said gaps and vertically between the webs of said second set of channel members and said ledge, whereby said catalyst support structure prevents particulate catalyst from falling through the gaps between said first set of channel members either when said reactor is operating and gas under pressure is being supplied to said lower zone to fluidize or agitate said catalyst or when said reactor is inoperative or gas under pressure is not being supplied to said lower zone, said structure also serving to uniformly distribute gas through said catalyst when said reactor is operating.