Radial flow retorting process with trays and downcomers

Solid heat carrier material and solid hydrocarbon-containing material, such as oil shale, tar sands or coal, are deflected be conical baffles into radially moving fluid beds which alternately flow radially outwardly and inwardly over a series of trays and downwardly into a series of peripheral and axial downcomers for a sufficient residence time to liberate hydrocarbons from the solid hydrocarbon-containing material. A fluidizing gas is injected upwardly into the beds to mix and fluidize most of the solids in the beds as well as to strip and transport the liberated hydrocarbons away from the beds for further processing downstream. Upright annular baffles can be positioned in the beds to minimize radial backmixing of solids and can also extend above the surface of the beds to minimize wave propagation. Any unfluidized coarse particles can be moved downwardly at an angle of inclination by gravity flow and jet deflectors.