Apparatus for separating solid material in a circulating fluidized bed reactor

Claim 1

In a fluidized bed reactor wherein the solid material being reacted is introduced at the bottom of the reactor, flue gases are generated, said flue gases carry solid material and the solid material is separated from the flue gases in a separator and is recirculated to the reactor through return ducts, the improvement which comprises said separator comprising at least two adjacent, concentric vortex chambers of different diameter, said at least two vortex chambers having concentric gas discharge openings, the vortex chamber having a smaller diameter having a gas inlet concentric with said smaller diameter vortex chamber, said inlet being connected with the gas discharge opening of the vortex chamber having a greater diameter; the reactor has a gas outlet, a gas inlet duct connected tangentially with the vortex chamber having greater diameter and with said gas outlet of the reactor; said discharge openings being at the periphery of each of the vortex chambers, each of said discharge openings being in communication with said return ducts connected with the reactor for recirculating the separated solid material.