Abstract An apparatus is disclosed in which a wet gas effluent stream at a high temperature is dehumidified before discharging the stream to the atmosphere. The wet gas is passed through a heat exchanger positioned in a main chamber. Simultaneously, the wet gas stream is cooled by an ambient temperature air stream which is drawn into the main chamber and forced past the heat exchanger. The condensate in the cooled wet stream is removed in a second chamber and the remaining gas phase is dispersed back into a mixing compartment of the main chamber. In the mixing compartment the gas phase of the effluent stream mixes with the ambient air, which dilutes the effluent and reduces its humidity, before the stream is discharged to the atmosphere. Dehumidifying the effluent stream before discharge to the atmosphere reduces the tendency of the effluent to form fog plumes and also avoids any drizzle precipitation.
Apparatus for reducing the humidity and lowering the temperature of an effluent wet gas stream before discharging the dehumidified gas stream to the atmosphere, which includes: a vertically-positioned first chamber having a mixing compartment therein, an extended surface heat exchanger which is positioned horizontally within the first chamber below the mixing compartment, for carrying the effluent stream through the first chamber, an inlet means in communication with the heat exchanger, for directing the effluent stream into the heat exchanger at a temperature above ambient air temperature, an air intake means connected into the first chamber below the heat exchanger, for drawing ambient air into the first chamber at a lower temperature than the temperature of the effluent stream and forcing the air stream past the heat exchanger means into the mixing compartment, a second chamber in communication with the heat exchanger means, for removing condensate produced in the effluent stream during flow through the heat exchanger means, a sparger means in communication with the second chamber and positioned in the mixing compartment of the first chamber, for dispersing the dehumidified effluent stream into the said mixing compartment to thereby mix with the ambient air stream, and a vent means connected into the first chamber, for discharging the dehumidified mixed gas stream into the atmosphere.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
214 words
Apparatus for reducing the humidity and lowering the temperature of an effluent wet gas stream before discharging the dehumidified gas stream to the atmosphere, which includes: a vertically-positioned first chamber having a mixing compartment therein, an extended surface heat exchanger which is positioned horizontally within the first chamber below the mixing compartment, for carrying the effluent stream through the first chamber, an inlet means in communication with the heat exchanger, for directing the effluent stream into the heat exchanger at a temperature above ambient air temperature, an air intake means connected into the first chamber below the heat exchanger, for drawing ambient air into the first chamber at a lower temperature than the temperature of the effluent stream and forcing the air stream past the heat exchanger means into the mixing compartment, a second chamber in communication with the heat exchanger means, for removing condensate produced in the effluent stream during flow through the heat exchanger means, a sparger means in communication with the second chamber and positioned in the mixing compartment of the first chamber, for dispersing the dehumidified effluent stream into the said mixing compartment to thereby mix with the ambient air stream, and a vent means connected into the first chamber, for discharging the dehumidified mixed gas stream into the atmosphere.