Patent ID: 7172738

Claim:
A liquids/solids reaction vessel configured to contain a mixture of at least one liquid and at least one solid, the vessel comprising: a closed perimeter wall defined by an effective height; a bottom connected to the closed perimeter wall to thereby define a vessel volume configured to contain the mixture of the at least one solid and the at least one liquid; a solids extraction system located in at least one of the bottom or in the perimeter wall proximate the bottom, wherein the effective height of the perimeter wall is selected to: produce a pressure proximate the bottom of the reaction vessel selected to eject the at least one solid through the solids extraction system under the influence of gravity alone; and one of initiate, or cause an increase in, a reaction rate between the at least one liquid and the at least one solid; and further wherein: the perimeter wall comprises two substantially parallel sidewalls, and two generally parallel endwalls which are connected to the sidewalls to thereby form a generally rectangular form of the perimeter wall when viewed in a plan view; and the sidewalls are each defined by an interior sidewall length, and the ratio of the interior sidewall length to the effective height of the perimeter wall is greater than about 0.15:1.