Patent ID: 8066789

Claim:
A depressurization system in fluid communication with a high pressure, high temperature fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein, the system comprising: a vessel defining an interior vessel cavity that has an upper portion and an opposed lower portion, the vessel comprising: a vessel inlet defined therein the vessel that is in selective fluid communication with the high pressure, high temperature fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein and the upper portion of the interior vessel cavity; an agitator positioned therein the upper portion of the interior vessel cavity that is configured to mix the fine solid particles within the interior vessel cavity; a means for cooling the high pressure, high temperature fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein to form a high pressure, lower temperature cooled fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein that are at a substantially uniform temperature; and a vessel outlet defined therein the vessel that is in fluid communication with the lower portion of the vessel for egress of the high pressure, lower temperature cooled fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein; a pressure letdown device for separating the cooled fine solid particles therefrom at least a portion of the high pressure, lower temperature cooled fine solid particles stream having entrained gas therein, comprising: a housing defining an interior separator cavity and having a housing wall; a filter disposed within the interior separator cavity and having an inner wall and a spaced outer wall, the outer wall being spaced therefrom the housing wall and defining an enclosed annulus between the filter and the housing wall, wherein the inner wall defines a conduit in fluid communication with the vessel outlet, the inner wall comprising a first plurality of pores having a first pore diameter that is greater than a mean diameter of the fine solid particles, wherein the outer wall comprises a second plurality of pores having a second pore diameter that is less than the mean diameter of the fine solid particles, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall of the filter define an enclosed filtration cavity; a bed of granules disposed therein the filtration cavity, and a gas outlet in selective fluid communication with the annulus for egress of the pressurized gas; wherein at least a portion of the cooled fine solid particles exit the separator via a solids outlet that is positioned adjacent a distal end of the conduit.