Contact process and apparatus

Claim 1

The method according to claim 1 wherein the fluid is a liquid and including the step of, controlling the reversing of liquid flow so that substantially all of the solid particles are transported a single stage with each flow reversal.

Claim 9

An apparatus for providing intimate contact between fluids and solid particles, comprising an upright vessel, a plurality of substantially imperforate contacting tray structures mounted in vertically spaced relationship to each other within said vessel, a fluid inlet into said vessel, a fluid outlet from said vessel, a solid particle inlet into said vessel, a solid particle outlet from said vessel, a means defining a plurality of passages through each of said tray structures, a plurality of tubular members defining passages extending through each of said tray structures through which fluid flow is to flow for fluidized fluid-solid contacting on said trays and with reverse flow through said passages for solid transport, each of said tubular members extending substantially above and below said tray structure, the upper end of said tubular members terminating below the next higher tray structure, the lower end of each of said tubular members terminating above the next lower tray structure, and means for reversing the direction of fluid flow in said vessel to transport solid particles on each tray structure to the next subsequent tray structure whereby the solid particles move through said vessel in a direction opposite to the direction of flow of fluid through said vessel from said fluid inlet to said fluid outlet.

Claim 13

The method of providing intimate countercurrent contact between fluid and solid particles in a contacting zone which includes a plurality of stages defined by a plurality of trays having passages therethrough including the steps of, flowing fluid through said plurality of contacting stages within said contacting zone, said fluid flow passing through said passages to fluidize said solid particles in each of said stages, imparting a rotary component of flow to the fluid flowing through said passages in each contacting stage as it comes into contact with the solid particles to more evenly distribute the upward fluid flow and there to agitate the solid particles to a fluidized state whereby improved intimate contact between the solid particles and the fluid is provided in each contacting stage, and intermittently reversing fluid flow through said contacting zone to transport solid particles in each stage through said passages in the tray to the neXt subsequent stage, said reverse fluid flow flowing through said passages in a direction opposite to said contacting flow.

Claim 15

An apparatus for providing intimate countercurrent contact between a fluid and solid particles, comprising means defining a contacting zone having a plurality of substantially imperforate contacting trays each defining a contacting stage, means for directing fluid through said contacting zone, said fluid directing means including a plurality of passages in each of said trays, fluid flow in a forward direction through said passages fluidizing the solid particles in each of said contacting stages, and means for intermittently reversing the fluid flow through said contacting zone and said passages, each of said passages being arranged in size with respect to the particles to transport solid particles in each stage to the next subsequent stage responsive to said fluid flow.