Patent 7695696 was granted and assigned to Honeywell UOP on April, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
An apparatus for contacting a bed of particulate material with a cross flowing fluid, which maintains the bed of particulate material within a retention volume. The apparatus includes partitions for retaining particles, with apertures disposed within the partitions. The apertures are covered by louvers that extend above the edges of the apertures to prevent solid particles from spilling through inlet apertures.