Abstract A gas scrubber for removing particles carried in suspension by gas is used with or without a specific entrainment separator. The scrubber has (1) a gas-conducting conduit with a portion having an inner surface that diverges in the direction of gas flow, (2) a diverter that is disposed in this portion of the conduit and that has an opposed diverging surface with a greater degree of divergence, and (3) a pipe that feeds scrubbing liquid to that surface of the diverter for flowing liquid into the downward flow of gas. Preferably, the diverter is supported from above and is resiliently urged upwardly so that the diverter is automatically moved by a change in the rate of gas flow. The scrubber provides an annular flow of gas that is changed to a helical downward flow by the specific entrainment separator, disposed below the diverter and having helically extending elongated plates in a vertical conduit within a chamber. A frustoconical diverter is disposed below the bottom open end of that vertical conduit to change the direction of the gas leaving the vertical conduit. The elongated plates are radially disposed within the vertical conduit and extend in a helical manner about the longitudinal axis of that conduit. Another conduit communicates tangentially with a sidewall opening of the chamber adjacent its top to exhaust the gas from the annulus between the chamber and the vertical conduit. Accumulated liquid is removed from the bottom of the chamber.
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the said inner surface portion of the gas-conducting conduit and said upper surface portion of the gas-diverting means are coaxial, and wherein said downwardly diverging upper surface portion of the gas-diverting means is frustoconical in shape and extends at least from the outer periphery toward the longitudinal axis of the gas-diverting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said gas-conducting conduit has a cylindrical inner surface portion extending upwardly and a cylindrical inner surface portion extending downwardly from transverse planes adjacent the upper and lower ends of said downwardly diverging inner surface portion of said gas-conducting conduit and wherein said diverging inner surface portion is frustoconical.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the difference between the larger included angle of said downwardly diverging upper surface portion of gas-diverting means and the included angle of said downwardly diverging inner surface of the gas-conducting conduit is such that the gas pressure drop remains substantially constant with change in gas flow and change in elevation of the gas-diverting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said support means for said gas-diverting means includes: a support rod extending upwardly from and connected at its bottom end to said gas-diverting means; and means connected to the upper portion of the rod to provide resilient support to said rod and to said gas-diverting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said resilient support includes: a pneumatic cylinder having a piston in a cylinder to provide a lower chamber and an upper chamber; and wherein said rod is supported by said piston, whereby automatic vertical movement of said gas-diverting means is attainable upon change in gas flow to adjust automatically the space between the gas-diverting means and the gas-conducting conduit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
84 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the vessel and vertical conduit are cylindrical and coaxial and wherein the means within the vertical conduit to convert generally annular gas flow to helical flow comprises elongated plates extending downwardly and twisted in a helical manner about the longitudinal axis of the vertical conduit and extending inwardly from the inner surface of the vertical conduit to provide the major surfaces of each plate generally at radii of the circle at the various elevations of the vertical conduit.