GB770394A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus suitable for treating liquids with moving adsorbents - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0770394/III/1> <PICT:0770394/III/2> In apparatus for effecting countercurrent contacting of liquids with a column of downwardly moving adsorbent particles in an upright contacting vessel, means are provided for uniform withdrawal of wet concentrated adsorbent and occluded liquid from the lower section of the vessel, comprising an upright symmetrical funnel-shaped member positioned centrally below the vessel and having an upper flared portion terminating at its lower end in a vertical spout portion having a throttling device, a roof member extending downwardly and inwardly over this portion to define therebetween an annular passageway closure plate across the upper end of the passageway, and a plurality of conduits extending from spaced points across the horizontal crosssectional area of the lower section of the vessel. There are sufficient conduits so that there is less than 17 square feet of vessel horizontal cross-sectional area per conduit. The withdrawal conduits may extend downwardly at slopes of at least 45 degrees. The process is applicable to treating lubricating oils and petroleum fractions with adsorbents and to washing occluded oil from adsorbents with solvents such as petroleum naphtha, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulphide or heptane. The adsorbent used is made up of particles of size 4-100 mesh (Tyler); adsorbents referred to are Fuller's earth, bauxite, bentonite, bone char, charcoal, magnesium silicate, heat and acid activated kaolin, activated carbon, synthetic silica and alumina and silica-alumina gel. In Fig. 1, adsorbent is fed via conduit 12 and vertical slots 15 into pipes 18 and thus into the treater 10; the particles of adsorbent fall through the liquid oil in the lower portions to the surface of the column 55. Spent adsorbent is withdrawn through lines 37 which converge in an annular stream 84 in the flow collector 38 (Fig. 4), to form a single discharge stream 81. The flow in stream 81 is controlled by a valve in section 87; this valve may also be controlled by motor 61 actuated by motor controller 49 connected to instrument 60 which measures the pressure differential due to oil flow between taps 47 and 48. An alternative arrangement for a collecting device is also described. Specifications 576,058, 770,392, 770,395 and U.S.A. Specification 2,188,007 are referred to.