Patent ID: 7875184

Claim:
A process for separating particles from a liquid in a slurry comprising: a. feeding a slurry comprising solid particles and a liquid to an inlet of a separation device maintained at a pressure equal to or greater than the vapor pressure of the liquid, wherein the particles have a number average particle size having a smallest dimension in the range of 0.1 mm to 24 mm, and wherein the separation device contains a porous filter dividing the separation device into an outer annulus defined as a space between the wall of the separation device and the porous filter and an inner annulus defined as a space within the porous filter, and wherein the slurry falls through the inner annulus; b. contacting the slurry in the separation device with the porous filter and separating the liquid from the particles, wherein a portion of the liquid flows through the porous filter into the outer annulus, and wherein the porous filter has a terminal point beyond which the separated liquid does not pass from the outer annulus back through the porous filter to the inner annulus; c. accumulating none of the separated liquid in the outer annulus or accumulating the separated liquid in the outer annulus at a level below the terminal point, and continuously discharging the separated liquid from the outer annulus through a liquid outlet; and d. decoupling the particles from the separation device through a solids outlet using a decoupling device to a low pressure below the vapor pressure of the liquid at the liquid temperature within the separation device while maintaining a pressure on the particles prior to the decoupling at or above the vapor pressure of the liquid within the separation device, wherein the particles form a particle bed in the inner annulus and the solid volume of the particle bed feeding the decoupling device is at least 97%.