Recirculating fluidized bed reacter

The invention relates to a circulating fluidized bed reactor comprising a centrifugal separator and a method for separating particles from gases. The centrifugal separator (12) is a vortex chamber composed of cooling planar plates or panels (32, 34, 36) (i.e. they are distinctly non-cylindrical), having at least one gas inlet (40), at least one gas outlet (52) and at least one outlet (46) for the separated particles. The cross section of the side walls (32, 34, 36) of the vortex chamber forms a distinctly non-circular gas space (31) (e.g. a polygonal cross section), have a circularity of greater than 1, e.g. > 1.1, and preferably > 1.15. One or more vertical, parallel gas vortices may be created in the vortex chamber, the gas introduced into vertical narrow slots. The outlets (46) for separated particles are not one the same symmetrical axes as the outlets for purified gas (52). Two adjacent vortices may be provided in a common rectangular chamber. The separator (12) is preferably in conjunction with a circulating fluidized bed reactor (10).