Apparatus and method for distributing liquid containing evolvable glass

Abstract

A reactor for treating a liquid containing evolvable and entrained gas has a vessel for containing a bed of particulate media, and a liquid flow distributor mounted in the vessel that includes a manifold connected to receive liquid and introduce it into the bed. The manifold includes a liquid conveying passage having an upper region where any gas that evolves from the liquid can collect and at least one discharging nozzle having an inlet in open communication with the upper region for receiving the liquid, evolved gas or a mixture thereof, and an outlet for uniformly discharging the liquid, gas or mixture thereof into the bed. A method for treating a liquid containing evolvable and entrained gas includes the steps of providing a reactor vessel having a bed of particulate media and a manifold with a liquid conveying passage having a lower region wherein liquid predominates and an upper region wherein evolved gas can collect; introducing the liquid into the passage; providing a discharging nozzle in the manifold having a nozzle inlet located in open communication with the upper region; introducing liquid, evolved gas, or a mixture thereof into the nozzle inlet only from the upper region to avoid coalescing of gas into large pockets; passing the liquid, evolved gas or mixture thereof generally downward through the nozzle outlet into the reactor bed; passing the liquid, gas or mixture through the bed of the reactor to treat the liquid; and removing treated liquid from the reactor.