Gas-liquid contacting process

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF HYDROGENATING PULVERIZED COAL TO MAKE SYNTHETIC PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS WHICH HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL FRACTION BOILING BELOW 900* F. WHICH COMPRISES FLOWING SAID COAL SUSPENDED IN A HYDROCARBON LIQUID IN LIQUID PHASE TOGETHER WITH A HYDROGEN RICH GAS UPWARDLY THROUGH A CONTACT ZONE CONTAINING A BED OF A PARTICULATE HYDROGENATION CATALYST OF 3 TO 20 MESH AND AT A PRESSURE IN THE ORDER OF FROM ABOUT 5,000 TO 10,000 POUND PER SQUARE INCH GAUGE AND AT A TEMPERATURE AND A SPACE VELOCITY SUCH THAT THE CONVERSION OF THE CARBON IN THE COAL TO THE SYNTHESIS PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS IS ABOUT 80%, WITHDRAWING A REACTION EFFLUENT CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF LIQUID FROM THE UPPER PART OF THE CONTACT ZONE AND RECYCLING A PORTION OF SAID REACTION EFFLUENT TO THE CONTACT ZONE TOGETHER WITH THE LIQUID FEED SUCH THAT THE UPFLOW LIQUID VELOCITY SHALL BE MAINTAINED IN THE RANGE OF 20 TO 120 GALLONS PER MINUTE PER SQUARE FOOT OF THE HORIZONTAL CROSS SECTION OF THE ZONE DEPENDING UPON THE PARTICLE SIZE AND DENSITY OF THE CATALYST AND THE LIQUID DENSITY TO ESTABLISH AT LEAST A 10% EXPANSION OF VOLUME OF THE BED BASED ON THE SETTLED VOLUME OF THE BED TO ACCOMPLISH RANDOM MOTION OF THE CATALYST WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL CARRYOVER OF CATALYST FROM THE CONTACT ZONE.