Patent ID: 7947326

Claim:
A method of forming a fluidized bed of circulating particles, the method comprising: positioning a bed of particles within a bottom portion having a sidewall, a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end along a centroid between opposed portions of the sidewall, the sidewall defining a curvilinear profile within a cross-sectional view of a plane extending in a parallel direction with the longitudinal axis through the sidewall, and the bed of particles having a top surface within the bottom portion; producing a column of a first gas directed upwardly, in a direction from the first end to the second end of the bottom portion, along the longitudinal axis of the bottom portion comprising: directing the first gas into a single gas inlet formed in a first end of a multi-port injector nozzle positioned at the first end of the bottom portion and in alignment with the longitudinal axis, through the multi-port injector nozzle, and exiting the multi-port injector nozzle at a plurality of outlet ports comprising a central port and a plurality of satellite ports surrounding the central port formed in the multi-port injector nozzle at a second, opposing end of the multi-port injector nozzle; and directing a second, inert gas, separate from the first gas, through a plurality of inert gas passages formed in an outer margin of the multi-port injector nozzle to displace gases from the column of the first gas away from surfaces of the bottom portion proximate to the outer margin of the multi-port injector nozzle; carrying particles from the first end of the bottom portion entrained in the column of the first gas to erupt through the top surface of the bed of particles so as to produce an at least substantially symmetrical fountain of particles over the bed of particles, wherein the particles entrained in the column of the first gas subsequently fall upon the top surface of the bed of particles between the column of the first gas and the sidewall of the bottom portion and subside in the bed of particles; and directing the particles inwardly into the column of the first gas within the bottom portion using the curvilinear profile.