Method and apparatus for uniformity of spills from fluid-entry faces of a panel bed

A method for achieving uniformity of spills from the renewal of fluid-entry faces of a panel bed of granular material, comprising:

• fixing the position of said panel bed in space,
• providing the fluid-entry faces along the panel bed,
• providing a generally horizontally deflecting flexible fluid-exit wall spaced from the fluid-entry faces,
• providing a movable deflector adjacent to the fluid-exit wall,
• providing a constant push downward on the deflector thereby contacting and displacing the fluid-exit wall of said panel bed towards the fluid-entry faces, said deflector being a downwardly moving horizontal rolling cylinder,
• said constant push causing a motion of said deflector to occur at a constant combination of speed and displacement of said fluid-exit wall toward said fluid-entry faces, said constant combination causing body movement of said granular material toward said fluid-entry faces, thereby causing the spills of said granular material to occur from said fluid-entry faces, renewing said fluid-entry faces, said constant combination in said motion of said deflector guaranteeing that said spills are uniform.

Apparatus for achieving uniformity of spills from the renewal of fluid-entry faces of a panel bed of granular material, comprising:

• a horizontal cylinder,
• a first set of rods fixing the position of said panel bed in space,
• the fluid-entry faces disposed along the panel bed,
• a generally horizontally deflecting flexible fluid-exit wall spaced from the fluid-entry faces,
• a movable deflector adjacent to the fluid-exit wall,
• a second set of rods,
• a source of a constant downward push on each rod of said second set of rods, said constant downward push moving said horizontal cylinder downward in contact with the fluid-exit wall of said panel bed and displacing the fluid-exit wall towards the fluid-entry faces, thereby causing said horizontal cylinder to assume the role of a cylinder deflector, said constant downward push on each said rod of said second set of rods causing said downward push of said cylinder deflector to occur at a constant combination of speed and displacement of said fluid-exit wall toward said fluid-entry faces, said constant downward push being sufficiently strong so that said constant combination causes body movement of said granular material in the direction of said fluid-entry faces, thereby causing said spills of said granular material to occur from said fluid-entry faces, renewing said fluid-entry faces, said constant combination in said cylinder deflector's motion guaranteeing that said spills are uniform.

Apparatus comprising a panel bed for granular material having:

• fluid entry faces,
• a flexible fluid exit wall spaced from the fluid entry faces, and
• deflector adjacent to the fluid exit wall,
• a movable deflector in contact with the fluid exit wall displaceable towards the fluid entry faces for pushing the granular material in the panel bed in a direction of the fluid entry faces and for causing spills of the granular material from the fluid entry faces and renewing the fluid entry faces with the granular material.