Patent ID: 7914673

Claim:
A mixer-distributor-collector apparatus located between an upper and a lower bed of solid particles in a vessel having a vertical axis, said apparatus comprising: an upper boundary comprising means for retaining the upper bed of solid particles and permitting the downward flow of a fluid having a fluid velocity profile through the mixer-distributor-collector apparatus; a fluid distributor located below and spaced apart from the upper boundary, the fluid distributor improving the uniformity of the fluid velocity profile; a fluid deflection plate extending horizontally across the cross sectional area of the vessel and being located between and spaced apart from the upper boundary and the fluid distributor, a passageway through the fluid deflection plate which provides fluid communication between the upper boundary and fluid distributor; and a flow manipulator selected from the group consisting of perforated plates, screens, grids, porous solids, honeycombs, and combinations thereof; wherein the upper boundary, the fluid distributor, and the flow manipulator are oriented substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the vertical vessel axis, and the flow manipulator being located below and spaced apart from the fluid distributor by a distance, X, and has an open area, OA M , such that the ratio OA M /OA D is greater than 1 where, OA D is the open area of the fluid distributor.