Patent ID: 7448603

Claim:
An inlet sparger for distribution of a feedstream across a cross-sectional area of the reactor vessel, comprising: a substantially circular or curved sparger conduit in fluid communication with a feedstream inlet conduit and positioned below a grid plate of a reactor vessel, said sparger conduit forming a continuous loop having an inlet opening for receiving feedstream into said sparger conduit; a plurality of rows of downward directed elongate slits in said sparger conduit, wherein one of said rows comprises slits oriented in a direction that is different from slits in another of said rows in order to provide more even distribution of a feedstream across a cross-sectional area of the reactor vessel, said downward directed elongate slits comprising the only outlet in said sparger conduit through which the feedstream can be discharged, thereby causing substantially even distribution of feedstream through said sparger conduit; and means for supportively attaching said sparger conduit to a grid plate of a reactor vessel.