Abstract: The downcomer is the key component of a multi-stage fluidized bed.A pneumatically controlleddowncomer has been devised,consisting of a fully fluidized dipleg followed by a conical spout for upwarddischarge in dense phase.Such a design has been found to insure against bridging of solids in descent andagainst spouting of solids from a lower layer caused by gas by-passing.In experimental investigations,flow characteristics are measured including the pressure drops of thedifferent fluidized beds and of the downcomers for various gas and solids flow rates as well as the solidsresidence time distribution,operating either with a multiplicity of gas sources for the various downcomersor with only two gas sources.In a particular design,a multi-stage ftuidized bed with dual gas supply,inwhich one half is incorporated centrally in the other,has been tested on pilot scale for recovering solventfrom low concentration ethylene dichloride streams of a plant waste gas.Main test results obtained wereas follows:adsorption rate>97%concentration of waste gas<25 mg/m~3active carbon loss<0.1%This kind of conical downcomer in which the solids arc either transported from a high- to a low-pressure region,or from a low- to a high-pressure region,is also used to control the solids discharge ofcyclone diplcgs or the feeding and discharging in other solids circulation systems.