Abstract A liquid screen scrubbing apparatus for effectively and efficiently removing insoluble and soluble solid, liquid and gaseous pollutants and materials valuable for by-product recovery from gases such as products of combustion and other atmospheres of industrial processes. The apparatus is located in a flue between one or more sources of polluted gases and a point of discharge, the apparatus including longitudinally spaced rows of vertically disposed elongated tanks, the rows extending transversely of the flue. The tanks in a row are angularly oriented and spaced from each other, and the tanks in adjacent rows are staggered. Each tank is crescent-shaped in horizontal cross section, and the concave wall thereof faces generally upstream toward the gas source. Liquid such as water continuously flows down the concave upstream walls of the tanks forming liquid screens, and when gases moving through the flue impinge on the flowing liquid, the insoluble and soluble pollutants such as dust, liquid droplets, SO2, SO3, Co, etc. and by product materials are entrained or dissolved in, and carried away by, the liquid. The tanks may be mounted for rotation on vertical axes, and thus subject to variation of the angular orientation in the manner of an adjustable damper between substantially closed position and desired open positions. The gases have tortuous travel paths through the apparatus, and the paths and pressure drop in the apparatus are determined by the angular orientation of the tanks. There are optimum angular settings for the crescent-shaped tanks to provide the most efficient removal of the solid and soluble pollutants and by-product materials of given gases under given conditions of gas velocity.
In a flue between a source of polluted gases, such as a furnace combustion chamber, refuse incinerator, or industrial processing apparatus, and a point of discharge, scrubbing and damping apparatus, comprising: upper and lower supports in effective relation with said flue; a plurality of vertically disposed elongated tanks extending within said flue between said upper and lower supports, each tank crescent-shaped in horizontal cross section, said tanks arranged in a plurality of rows extending transversely of said flue, the tanks in each row spaced from each other with the concave walls thereof facing generally upstream toward the gas source, the tanks having angular orientations providing gas travel paths between adjacent tanks with entrance spaces wider than exit spaces, said rows spaced from eaCh other longitudinally of the flue with the tanks in one row staggered and reversely oriented angularly with respect to the tanks in an adjacent row, whereby gases flowing through the apparatus are guided smoothly by the concave tank walls on tortuous zigzag paths; means mounting said tanks on said supports including means mounting at least some of said tanks rotatably on said supports and means for rotating said rotatable tanks between closed position where transversely adjacent tanks are in engagement to block gas flow and predetermined open positions permitting gas flow through the apparatus, thereby providing adjustable damping action and control of gas travel paths through the apparatus; and means providing a continuous flow of liquid down the concave upstream walls of said tanks, whereby insoluble and soluble particulates and components of polluted gases impinging on said liquid are entrained and dissolved in and carried away by said liquid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
272 words
In a flue between a source of polluted gases, such as a furnace combustion chamber, refuse incinerator, or industrial processing apparatus, and a point of discharge, scrubbing and damping apparatus, comprising: upper and lower supports in effective relation with said flue; a plurality of vertically disposed elongated tanks extending within said flue between said upper and lower supports, each tank crescent-shaped in horizontal cross section, said tanks arranged in a plurality of rows extending transversely of said flue, the tanks in each row spaced from each other with the concave walls thereof facing generally upstream toward the gas source, the tanks having angular orientations providing gas travel paths between adjacent tanks with entrance spaces wider than exit spaces, said rows spaced from eaCh other longitudinally of the flue with the tanks in one row staggered and reversely oriented angularly with respect to the tanks in an adjacent row, whereby gases flowing through the apparatus are guided smoothly by the concave tank walls on tortuous zigzag paths; means mounting said tanks on said supports including means mounting at least some of said tanks rotatably on said supports and means for rotating said rotatable tanks between closed position where transversely adjacent tanks are in engagement to block gas flow and predetermined open positions permitting gas flow through the apparatus, thereby providing adjustable damping action and control of gas travel paths through the apparatus; and means providing a continuous flow of liquid down the concave upstream walls of said tanks, whereby insoluble and soluble particulates and components of polluted gases impinging on said liquid are entrained and dissolved in and carried away by said liquid.