Gas washer apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for recovering or removing entrained particulate matter from gases comprising a settling basin, and a wet scrubber mounted over said settling basin, said scrubber having a tower free of a bottom wall so as to be completely open at the bottom to said settling basin, open at the top to exhaust And open adjacent to its bottom to a source of said gases, liquid spray means mounted in said tower for spraying liquid counter-current into contact with gases rising in said tower to remove the particulate matter therefrom by gravity directly to said settling basin, said tower having an outer shell and an elastic liner, means for introducing a pressurizing medium between said liner and said shell to distort said liner to loosen accumulated matter therefrom for discharge by gravity directly to said basin, said elastic liner being porus to permit discharge of the pressurized medium through said liner to aid in removal of the accumulated matter from the liner, said liquid spray means including a plurality of circular conduits located adjacent to the inner surface of said liner, said conduits containing apertures for discharging spray liquid into said gases and to deliver liquid essentially tangentially against the inner surface of said liner to aid in removal of the accumulated matter from the liner.