Patent ID: 7353847

Claim:
A method of loading a granulated solid into a vessel having a containment zone for the granulated solid, the method comprising: (a) providing in a bottom portion of the containment zone a first substantially vertical rigid columnar portion having a horizontal cross section large enough to accommodate an operative's body; (b) providing support means associated with the substantially vertical rigid columnar portion upon which an operative can stand within the substantially vertical rigid columnar portion to supervise at close hand loading of the containment zone with the granulated solid; (c) charging granulated solid into the containment zone under control of an operative standing on the support means within the rigid columnar portion so as to distribute granulated solid around the substantially vertical rigid columnar portion; (d) discontinuing charging of the granulated solid into the containment zone before the upper surface of the granulated solid in the containment zone reaches the top of the substantially vertical rigid columnar portion; (e) positioning on top of the first columnar portion a further substantially vertical rigid columnar portion having a similar horizontal cross section to that of the first rigid columnar portion, thereby forming with the first columnar portion a substantially vertical conduit within the reactor; and (f) repeating steps (b) to (e) a sufficient number of times until the desired amount of granulated solid has been charged to the containment zone.