Gas-liquid contact apparatus

Claim 1

IN GAS-LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS, A HOUSING PROVIDING A VERTICAL GAS FLOW PATH WITH A GAS INLET AT ITS LOWER END, MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE FLOW OF A STREAM OF GAS SPIRALLY UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID PATH, AND LIQUID SPRAY GENERATING MEANS OPERABLE FOR CREATING AND DISCHARGING A SPRAY OF LIQUID ACROSS SAID PATH, SAID SPRAY GENERATING MEANS COMPRISING LIQUID PUMPING MEANS ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE A COLUMN OF LIQUID INTO SAID GAS STREAM LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF, A SHAFT ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID GAS PATH AND A SERIES OF IMPELLERS ON SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND BEING SPACED ALONG SAID AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENTGH OF SAID COLUMN, EACH OF SAID IMPELLERS INTERSECTING AND ACTING UPON A PORTION ONLY OF SAID COLUMN TO PERMIT THE REMAINDER OF THE COLUMN TO FLOW PAST SUCH IMPELLER TO OTHER OF SAID IMPELLERS, AND POWER MEANS FOR EFFECTING ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT AT A SPEED SUFFICIENT TO BREAK UP THE LIQUID IMPACTED BY SAID IMPELLERS INTO PARTICLES AND TO IMPART AN OUTWARD VELOCITY TO THE LIQUID PARTICLES TO FORM A LIQUID DISPERSION WHICH EXTENDS IN A SPIRAL PATH ACROSS SAID GAS STREAM THROUGHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID GAS PATH.