Furnace exhaust treatment system

Claim 2

In a process including a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, an exhaust treatment process comprising the steps of: transporting the contaminated process air to a second furnace; providing separate streams of primary and secondary air to said second furnace, said contaminated air comprising a tertiary air source to the second furnace; providing a flame in said second furnace; introducing the tertiary contaminated air into the second furnace along the length thereof annularly around the axis of the flame; burning said primary air, secondary air and tertiary air for a sufficient period of time to produce substantially contaminant free air; and recycling the contaminant free air back to the first furnace.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 including the step of injecting and mixing outside air with the burned contaminant freE air.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 including the step of venting at least a portion of said contaminant free air to the atmosphere.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein the temperature in the second furnace is higher than the temperature in the first furnace.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 including the step of preheating said secondary source of air.

Claim 7

In a system employing a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, exhaust treatment apparatus comprising: a second furnace for burning said contaminated air, said second furnace including a housing defining a combustion chamber, a burner having a fuel discharge nozzle disposed at one end of the chamber which is adapted to produce a flame by igniting a fluid fuel discharged under pressure through said nozzle, and conduit means disposed in said chamber at positions inwardly of the burner along the length of the chamber annularly around the axis of the flame; burner air supplying means for providing a source of air to be mixed with said fluid fuel in said burner; chamber air supplying means for providing a selected rate of air through said conduit means to furnish air in the chamber around the periphery and along substantially the entire length of the burner flame, said chamber air supplying means providing air which indicates said contaminated air from said first furnace, whereby the air burned in the second furnace results in substantially contaminant free air; third temperature control means for sensing the temperature of the contaminant free air and pressure sensitive means for controlling the rate of primary and secondary air furnished to the second furnace in response thereto; and recycling means for directing said burned contaminant free air to said first furnace.

Claim 8

In a system employing a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, exhaust treatment apparatus comprising: a second furnace for burning said contaminated air, said second furnace including a housing defining a combustion chamber, a burner having a fuel discharge nozzle disposed at one end of the chamber which is adapted to produce a flame by igniting a fluid fuel discharged under pressure through said nozzle, and conduit means disposed in said chamber at positions inwardly of the burner along the length of the chamber annularly around the axis of the flame; burner air supplying means for providing a source of air to be mixed with said fluid fuel in said burner; chamber air supplying means for providing a selected rate of air through said conduit means to furnish air in the chamber around the periphery and along substantially the entire length of the burner flame, said chamber air supplying means providing air which indicates said contaminated air from said first furnace, whereby the air burned in the second furnace results in substantially contaminant free air; third temperature control means for sensing the temperature of the contaminant free air and pressure sensitive means for controlling the rate of primary and secondary air furnished to the second furnace in response thereto; and recycling means for directing said burned contaminant free air to said first furnace.

Claim 9

In a system including a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, exhaust treatment apparatus comprising: a second furnace for burning said contaminated air, said second furnace including a housing defining a combustion chamber, a burner having a fuel discharge nozzle disposed at one end of the chamber which is adapted to produce a flame by igniting a fluid fuel discharged under pressure through said nozzle, and conduit means disposed in said chambers at positions inwardly of the burner along the length of the chamber annularly around the axis of the flame; burner air supplying means including means to supply a primary source of air to be mixed with said fluid fuel and means to supply a secondary source of air to the flame to support said flame along the length of the chamber; chamber air supplying means for providing air through said conduit means in the chamber around the periphery and along substantially the entire length of the burner flame, said contaminated air comprising a tertiary air source, said secondary and tertiary air being burned in the chamber at a temperature greater than the temperature of the first furnace resulting in substantially contaminant free air; mixing means for injecting outside air with the burned contaminant free air and turbulently agitating the resultant air; exhaust means for drawing the contaminant free air out of the chamber and through the mixing means and supplying said contaminant free air to said first furnace; recycling means actuatable for directing at least a portion of the mixed contaminant free air to the first furnace; first temperature sensitive control means for controlling the recycling means whereby the rate of contaminant free air being allowed to enter the first furnace is controlled in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air; second temperature sensitive control means for controlling the exhaust means whereby the rate at which outside air is allowed to be injected by the mixer and the length of time the contaminated air is allowed to be in the chamber is controlled in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air; and third temperature sensitive control means for contrOlling said burner air supply means whereby the rate of primary and secondary air being furnished to the burner is controlled in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air.

Claim 10

In a system including a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, exhaust treatment apparatus comprising: a second furnace for burning said contaminated air, said second furnace including a housing defining a combustion chamber, a burner having a fuel discharge nozzle disposed at one end of the chamber which is adapted to produce a flame by igniting a fluid fuel discharged under pressure through said nozzle, and conduit means disposed in said chambers at positions inwardly of the burner along the length of the chamber annularly around the axis of the flame; burner air supplying means including means to supply a primary source of air to be mixed with said fluid fuel and means to supply a secondary source of air to the flame to support said flame along the length of the chamber; chamber air supplying means for providing air through said conduit means in the chamber around the periphery and along substantially the entire length of the burner flame, said contaminated air comprising a tertiary air source, said secondary and tertiary air being burned in the chamber at a temperature greater than the temperature of the first furnace resulting in substantially contaminant free air; mixing means for injecting outside air with the burned contaminant free air and turbulently agitating the resultant air; exhaust means for drawing the contaminant free air out of the chamber and through the mixing means and supplying said contaminant free air to said first furnace; recycling means actuatable for directing at least a portion of the mixed contaminant free air to the first furnace; first temperature sensitive control means for controlling the recycling means whereby the rate of contaminant free air being allowed to enter the first furnace is controlled in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air; second temperature sensitive control means for controlling the exhaust means whereby the rate at which outside air is allowed to be injected by the mixer and the length of time the contaminated air is allowed to be in the chamber is controlled in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air; and third temperature sensitive control means for contrOlling said burner air supply means whereby the rate of primary and secondary air being furnished to the burner is controlled in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air.

Claim 11

In a system employing a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, exhaust treatment apparatus comprising: a second furnace for burning said contaminated air, said second furnace including a housing defining a combustion chamber, a burner having a fuel discharge nozzle disposed at one end of the chamber which is adapted to produce a flame by igniting a fluid fuel discharged under pressure through said nozzle, and conduit means disposed in said chamber at positions inwardly of the burner along the length of the chamber annularly around the axis of the flame; burner air supplying means for providing a source of air to be mixed with said fluid fuel in said burner; chamber air supplying means for providing a selected rate of air through said conduit means to furnish air in the chamber around the periphery and along substantially the entire length of the burner flame, said chamber air supplying means providing air which includes said contaminated air from said first furnace, whereby the air burned in the second furnace results in substantially contaminant free air; mixing means for injecting outside air with the burned contaminant free air and turbulently agitating the resultant air, said mixing means including a hollow cylinder in fluid communication with said chamber and having a plurality of slots longitudinally formed therein, said slots allowing outside air to flow inwardly toward the center of said cylinder when the contaminant free air is drawn therethrough; first temperature control means to control the amount of outside air to be injected in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air; exhaust means for drawing the contaminant free air out of the chamber and through the mixing means to supply said contaminant free air to said first furnace; and recycling means for directing said burned contaminant free air and outside air to said first furnace.

Claim 12

In a system employing a furnace which produces contaminated air as a by-product thereof, exhaust treatment apparatus comprising: a second furnace for burning said contaminated air, said second furnace including a housing defining a combustion chamber, a burner having a fuel discharge nozzle disposed at one end of the chamber which is adapted to produce a flame by igniting a fluid fuel discharged under pressure through said nozzle, and conduit means disposed in said chamber at positions inwardly of the burner along the length of the chamber annularly around the axis of the flame; burner air supplying means for providing a source of air to be mixed with said fluid fuel in said burner; chamber air supplying means for providing a selected rate of air through said conduit means to furnish air in the chamber around the periphery and along substantially the entire length of the burner flame, said chamber air supplying means providing air which includes said contaminated air from said first furnace, whereby the air burned in the second furnace results in substantially contaminant free air; mixing means for injecting outside air with the burned contaminant free air and turbulently agitating the resultant air, said mixing means including a hollow cylinder in fluid communication with said chamber and having a plurality of slots longitudinally formed therein, said slots allowing outside air to flow inwardly toward the center of said cylinder when the contaminant free air is drawn therethrough; first temperature control means to control the amount of outside air to be injected in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air; exhaust means for drawing the contaminant free air out of the chamber and through the mixing means to supply said contaminant free air to said first furnace; and recycling means for directing said burned contaminant free air and outside air to said first furnace.

Claim 13

The exhaust treatment apparatus of claim 8 including second temperature control means for controlling when said exhaust means is to be actuated in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air.

Claim 14

The exhaust treatment apparatus of claim 8 wherein the temperature of the combustion chamber of the second furnace is greater than the temperature of the combustion chamber of the first furnace.

Claim 15

The exhaust treatment apparatus of claim 8 wherein said secondary source supply means includes means to preheat said second source of air before it reaches the burner.

Claim 16

An exhaust treatment apparatus for eliminating contaminated air emanating from a first furnace including a second furnace connected to said first furnace for burning said contaminated air therein resulting in substantially contaminant free air, mixing means connected to said second furnace for injecting outside air with the burned contaminant free air and recycling means for directing at least a portion of said burned contaminant free air and outside air to said first furnace, the improvement in said mixing means comprising: a hollow cylinder in fluid communication with said second furnace and having a plurality of slots longitudinally formed therein, said slots allowing outside air to flow inwardly toward the center of said cylinder when the contaminant free air is drawn therethrough.

Claim 17

An exhaust treatment apparatus for eliminating contaminated air emanating from a first furnace including a second furnace connected to said first furnace for burning said contaminated air therein resulting in substantially contaminant free air, mixing means connected to said second furnace for injecting outside air with the burned contaminant free air and recycling means for directing at least a portion of said burned contaminant free air and outside air to said first furnace, the improvement in said mixing means comprising: a hollow cylinder in fluid communication with said second furnace and having a plurality of slots longitudinally formed therein, said slots allowing outside air to flow inwardly toward the center of said cylinder when the contaminant free air is drawn therethrough.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 12 including temperature control means to control the amount of outside air to be injected in response to the temperature of the contaminant free air.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 13 including exhaust means for drawing the contaminant free air out of the second furnace and through the mixing means, said temperature control means controlling said exhaust means.