Abstract: The present invention relates to fluid bed processors used in various industries for drying, coating, agglomerating, and performing other specific processes on particle materials. The processor is especially useful for processing particles, utilizing a hydro dynamically active layer (HDAL) produced by introducing a high speed gas jet through said particulate material under controlled conditions. The processor is adapted to be implemented in a plurality of different fluid bed applications and results in much more efficient particle processing, and a significant savings in energy consumption. The present invention also relates to a method comprising the steps of introducing particulate material into the processing chamber and passing a high-speed jet gas through a plurality of nozzles located in the base of said processing chamber, thereby producing distinct regions of low pressure so as to create an intense, substantially circulatory pattern of gas circulation into which said particulate material is picked up.