Process for putting phases in contact and device for carrying out the process

DETAILED DESCRIPTION What is claimed is: 1.
A process for putting phases into intimate contact wherein at least one of the phases is in the form of a particulate solid and at least one other phase is a fluid comprising: providing a chamber having a fluid distributor at its base and including at least one circulation cell formed by a conduit having a cross sectional area S and at least one baffle at the base of said cell, said baffle being arranged asymmetrically in relation to the axis of said conduit and inclined from the horizontal at an angle at least as great as the natural slope angle of said particulate solid, said at least one baffle defining an opening into said cell having an area s defined by 0.
12.
ltoreq.
s/S.
ltoreq.
0.
60, feeding into said cell said particulate product having a granulometry of at least 1 mm at a sufficient quantity so as to establish a maximum height of said product in said cell approximately equal to the height H.
sub.
c of said baffle, causing said fluid to flow through said opening into said cell at a velocity V at least equal to the minimum fluidization velocity V.
sub.
mf of said particulate product and less than the pneumatic transport velocity V.
sub.
t of said particulate product.
2.
Process as in claim 1, wherein the flow of fluid in each cell is such that the fluid velocity V at the level of section S is between 1.
5 V.
sub.
mf and 2.
5 V.
sub.
mf.
3.
A process as in claim 2, wherein said cells have dimensions along the three axes at least equal to ten times the mean granulometry of said particulate solid.
4.
A process as in claim 3 wherein said particulate product has a natural slope angle of less than 45.
degree.
, said ratio s/S equals approximately 0.
5, and said baffle is inclined at an angle of about 45.
degree.
.
5.
A process as in claim 1 including a plurality of said cells each having a single baffle arranged on one side of the axis of the cell and extending to the wall of the cell.
6.
A process as in claim 5, wherein each of said cells has a height from the inlet section of the cell to the next cell above approximately between the height H