Liquid/gas/solid separation vessel apparatus
AssigneeKFx Inc.
InventorDavid Stewart Conochie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and an apparatus for processing a charge of a solid material under conditions which include high mass flow rate of gas through the apparatus and which produce liquid from the solid material is disclosed. The apparatus includes a vessel having (i) an inlet end having an inlet for supplying the solid material to form a packed bed in the vessel; and (ii) an outlet end having at least one solids outlet, at least one liquids outlet. The apparatus is characterised by the at least one gas outlet being positioned above the solids/liquid outlets.
Claims24
In a vessel for processing a charge of solid material under conditions which include high mass flow rate of gas through the vessel and which produce liquid from the solid material, the improvement comprising:
- a solids outlet extending from an outlet end of the vessel;
- a liquids outlet extending from said outlet end of the vessel, said liquids outlet being positioned above said solids outlet;
- and
- a plurality of gas outlets extending from said outlet end of the vessel being separate from said solids outlet and said liquids outlet, said plurality of gas outlets being positioned above said solids outlet and said liquids outlet for maintaining a substantially constant flow velocity of gas in a region of the vessel below said plurality of gas outlets.
An apparatus for processing a charge of a solid material under conditions which include high mass flow rate of gas through the apparatus and which produce liquid from the solid material, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a vessel having:
- (i) an inlet end having an inlet for supplying the solid material to form a packed bed in said vessel;
- and
- (ii) an outlet end having a solids outlet extending therefrom, a liquids outlet positioned above said solids outlet, and a plurality of gas outlets positioned above said solids and liquids outlets for maintaining a substantially constant flow velocity of gas in a region of the vessel below said plurality of gas outlets, said plurality of gas outlets being provided separate from said solids and liquids outlets;
- (b) a means for supplying a fluid to pressurize the packed bed;
- and
- (c) a means for supplying a heat exchange medium to heat the solid material in the packed bed.
A process for processing a charge of a solid material under conditions which include high mass flow rate of gas and which produce liquid from the solid material, which process includes:
- (a) supplying the solid material to a vessel to form a packed bed of the solid material;
- (b) pressurising the packed bed;
- (c) heating the solid material by heat exchange with a heat exchange medium, whereby the combined effect of pressure and heat is to release water and other liquid and/or gaseous compounds from the solid material, with part of the released water being in a gas phase and part of the water being in a liquid phase;
- (d) discharging gas from the packed bed via at least one gas outlet in the vessel;
- and
- (e) discharging liquid from the packed bed via a liquid outlet in the vessel located below the gas outlet.
An improvement to a vessel for processing a charge of solid material under conditions which include high mass flow rate of gas through the vessel, the improvement including providing the vessel with at least one solids outlet for discharging solids from the vessel and a plurality of gas inlets and/or gas outlets for introducing gas into or discharging gas from the vessel at one or more levels of the vessel above the solids outlet or outlets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.