Slurry reactor

A slurry reactor comprising:

• a vessel for containing a liquid slurry or suspension of solid particles or a settled bed of solid particles in a fluid;
• a conduit extending into the interior of said vessel, said conduit being constructed to receive fluid directed to the interior of said vessel;
• a stirrer blade within said vessel, said blade being in fluid and rotatable connection with said conduit, said stirrer blade having a first end, a hollow inside, and a second end, there being a fluid inlet to the hollow inside of the blade at its first end, and said stirrer blade having a leading side and a dissimilar trailing side, there being a fluid outlet opening at or near the leading side of the blade, so that, when a fluid is directed to the interior of said vessel through said conduit, said fluid flows into said stirrer blade and out from it through said opening and said stirrer blade fluidizes the slurry particles near the leading side of the blade as a result of the flow of said fluid through said opening;
• moves more easily through said settled bed, and provides agitation of said solid particles within said vessel.

A method for operating a slurry reactor which comprises:

• providing a settled bed of slurry particles at the bottom of a reactor vessel;
• directing fluid flow through a conduit to the settled bed within said reactor vessel;
• and
• passing said fluid flow through a stirrer blade within said settled bed within said reactor vessel, said stirrer blade being in fluid and rotatable connection with said conduit, said stirrer blade having a first end, a hollow inside, and a second end, there being a fluid inlet to the hollow inside of the blade at its first end, and having a leading side and a dissimilar trailing side, there being a fluid outlet opening at or near the leading side of the blade, so that the stirrer blade fluidizes the slurry particles near the leading side of the blade as a result of the flow of said fluid through said opening, moves more easily through said settled bed, and provides agitation of said slurry particles within said reactor vessel.