Process and apparatus for cleansing and pumping contaminated industrial gases using a nozzle having a variable throat area

Claim 1

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for varying the throat area of the nozzle means is a plug which is moveable into and out of the throat of said nozzle means.

Claim 12

A method for drawing contaminated gases from a source through ducting and for removing contaminant particles therefrom, the method comprising the steps of: heating a liquid cleansing medium; introducing the heated cleansing medium in its liquid state into nozzle means having a variable throat area for controlling the flow rate of the heated cleansing medium through the nozzle means under conditions of temperature and pressure such that a portion of the heated liquid cleansing medium is converted into vapor, a portion of the heated liquid cleansing medium is converted into atomized droplets, and the atomized droplets are accelerated by the expansion accompanying the vapor formation at an exit velocity at least 200 feet per second greater than the velocity of the contaminated gases; varying the throat area of said nozzle means for controlling the flow rate of said heated liquid cleansing medium through the nozzle means while maintaining the conversion of the heated liquid cleansing medium into vapor and atomized droplets; mixing the accelerated cleansing medium with the contaminated gases in a mixing chamber located downstream of the nozzle means, thereby entrapping the contaminant particles in the accelerated cleansing medium and thereby developing a region of reduced pressure of such a magnitude as to draw the contaminated gases from the source toward the mixing chamber without the provision of a fan; separating the cleansing medium containing the contaminant particles from the contaminated gases, thereby producing a stream of substantially comtaminant-free gas; and discharging the substantially contaminant-free gas to the atmosphere.

Claim 23

An apparatus for drawing hot contaminated gases from a source and for removing contaminant particles therefrom, the apparatus comprising in combination: ducting connected to said source for delivering said contaminated gases to a discharge region; indirect heat exchange means located in said ducting for heating a liquid cleansing medium; nozzle means for receiving the heated cleansing medium in its liquid state, and for converting a portion of the heated liquid cleansing medium into vapor and a portion of the heated liquid cleansing medium into atomized droplets such that the atomized droplets are accelerated by the expansion accompanying the vapor formation and are discharged from the nozzle means at an exit velocity at least 200 feet per second greater than the velocity of the contaminated gases; means for changing the throat area of said nozzle means in response to a change in a variable parameter upstream of said nozzle means for controlling the flow rate of said heated liquid cleansing medium through the nozzle means while maintaining the conversion of the heated liquid cleansing medium into vapor and atomized droplets; pump means for pumping the liquid cleansing medium through the indirect heat exchange means and to the nozzle means such that the nozzle means inlet pressure is above the saturation pressure of the heated liquid cleansing medium; a mixing chamber located downstream of said nozzle means and intermediate said source and said discharge region for mixing the accelerated cleansing medium discharged from said nozzle means with the contaminated gases thereby entrapping the contaminated particles in the accelerated cleansing medium and thereby developing a region of reduced pressure of sUch a magnitude as to draw the contaminated gases from said source toward said discharge region without the provision of a fan; separator means located downstream of said mixing chamber for separating the cleansing medium containing the contaminant particles from the contaminated gases; and discharge means in said discharge region for discharging substantially contaminant-free gas to the atmosphere.

Claim 24

A method for drawing hot contaminated gases from a source through ducting and for removing contaminant particles therefrom, the method comprising the steps of: heating a liquid cleansing medium by indirectly heat exchanging the liquid cleansing medium with the contaminated gases; introducing the heated cleansing medium in its liquid state into nozzle means at a pressure above the saturation pressure of the heated cleansing medium under conditions of temperature and pressure such that a portion of the heated liquid cleansing medium is converted into vapor, a portion of the heated liquid cleansing medium is converted into atomized droplets, and the atomized droplets are accelerated by the expansion accompanying the vapor formation at an exit velocity at least 200 feet per second greater than the velocity of the contaminated gases; controlling the flow rate of the heated cleansing medium through nozzle means by varying the throat area of the nozzle means while maintaining the conversion of the heated liquid cleansing medium into vapor and atomized droplets; mixing the accelerated cleansing medium with the contaminated gases in a mixing chamber located downstream of the nozzle means, thereby entrapping the contaminant particles in the accelerated cleansing medium and thereby developing a region of reduced pressure of such a magnitude as to draw the contaminated gases from the source toward the mixing chamber without the provision of a fan; separating the cleansing medium containing the contaminant paritcles from the contaminated gases, thereby producing a stream of substantially contaminant-free gas; and discharging the substantially contaminant-free gas to the atmosphere.