Patent ID: 7179426

Claim:
A catalyst activator vessel for heat conditioning a catalyst, comprising: A. an inner vessel for containing a catalyst charge; B. an outer vessel generally surrounding said inner vessel; C. a flue defined by the space between said inner and outer vessels; D. a normally generally horizontal grid plate disposed in said inner vessel, said grid plate having an upper major surface, a lower major surface, and a nominal plate thickness between the upper and lower major surfaces; E. an array of generally conical depressions in said upper major surface that overlap by at least 17% and have a depression depth of 80% or less of the nominal plate thickness; F. holes perforating said grid plate, said holes extending from at least some of said generally conical depressions through said lower surface; and G. a fluid path extending upwardly through said holes and adapted to pass a fluid through said grid plate for fluidizing a particulate material disposed above said grid plate in said inner vessel.