Mixing device for vertical flow fluid-solid contacting

Claim 1

A fluid mixing apparatus for use in a vertical flow fluid-solid contacting column having at least one fluid inlet and a fluid outlet at opposite ends of said contacting column, two or more vertically spaced discrete beds of particulate material, and single or dual phase fluid flow, said fluid mixing apparatus comprising: a. a flow barrier, for substantially preventing the vertical flow of fluid positioned intermediate any two adjacent beds, said flow barrier having a substantially imperforate outer area and at least one central opening for passing fluid between beds; b. a fluid impingement compartment located at the center of said flow barrier having a hollow interior, an imperforate top, vertical sides containing at least two substantially identical inlet openings restricted in size to produce a fluid jet, said inlet openings communicating the upstream side of said flow barrier with the interior of said compartment, and each of said inlet openings having an axial centerline, said inlet openings being arranged such that the axial centerlines of all of said inlet openings lie in a common horizontal plane and intersect at a centerpoint equidistant from all of said inlet openings with the path of each of said centerlines being unobstructed between its corresponding inlet opening and said centerpoint, said fluid impingement compartment having at least one fluid outlet comprising said central opening of said flow barrier and having an open area greater than the combined area of all said inlet openings; c. means on the upstream side of said flow barrier for conveying an equal amount of fluid from the periphery of said flow barrier to each said inlet openings; and d. means for redistributing fluid from said fluid impingement compartment outlet of said fluid impingement compartment over the downstream bed of particulate material.