US3905784A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for removing pollutants from combustion products generated by hydrocarbon fuel combustion, and system therefor
Assignee: Corp OF GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
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Filing: 1971-06-29
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Granted: 1975-09-16
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Expires: 1991-06-29
Abstract
Abstract Pollutant removal from industrial exhaust gases such as combustion products generated by combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, such pollutant removal being characterized by refrigerating the products of combustion to remove most of the pollutants as a liquid phase. Pollutants thus removed include the water formed by the combustion process, together with those pollutants having a substantial solubility in the water in liquid phase. Precooling of the hot combustion products to about ambient temperature is highly desirable to reduce energy requirements in the refrigerating stage or stages. Single or plural stages of refrigeration and liquid phase separation are employed. Water soluble pollutants formed during the hydrocarbon fuel combustion process include formaldehyde and formic acid (which are also describable as water affinitive in the sense of forming azeotropic mixtures with the condensed water), and also hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline bases, and pyridine bases, for example. The pollutants removed by combining with the water condensed from the combustion products can be chemically or physically treated to neutralize and/or extract the pollutants from the water so that the resulting liquid can be discharged to the environment essentially pollutant-free. The water insoluble pollutants such as carbon monoxide which are not removed from the gaseous phase by refrigeration can be largely removed by passing the exhaust gases, after removal of the water and water soluble pollutants therefrom, through adsorber means or the like, such as a molecular sieve. By reason of the removal of the water and water soluble pollutants prior to passing of the gaseous phase through the adsorber means, the effective life of the adsorber means is increased by factor of at least 20 to 1.
Inventors
- 👤 Raymond L Kelleher
- 👤 Ivan A Shirk
- 👤 Timothy J O'leary
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:05
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01N; F01N3/00; F01N3/02; F01N3/0205; B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/34; B01D53/46; B01D53/60; F01N13/00; F01N13/009; F01N3/038; F01N3/04; F01N3/043; F01N3/08; F01N3/0892; F01N2240/00; F01N2240/04; F01N2240/18; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/10; Y02T10/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
THE METHOD OF GENERATING AND TREATING COMBUSTION PRODUCT TYPE INDUSTRIAL EXHAUST GASES TO REMOVVE WATER SOLUBLE ATMOSPHERE POLLUTANTS THEREFORM, SAID METHOD COMPRISING A. GENERATING THE EXHAUST GASEOUS FORM, THE PRODUCTS IN HOT GASEOUS FORM B. COOLING THE HOT COMBUSTION PRODUCTS TO ABOUT 35*F. AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURSR9SR98NDENSE THE CONTAINED WATER AND CONVERT WATER SOLUBLE POLLUTANTS INCLUDING ANY FORMALDEHYDE, FORMIC ACID, HYDROGEN, SULFIDE, SULFUR DIOXIDE, OXIDES OF NITROGEN, QUINOLINE BASES AND PYRIDINE BASES TO AQUEOUS LIQUID PHASE AS SOLUTES IN THE CONDENSED WATER, C. SEPARATING THE CONDENSED WATER AND ITS SOLUTES FROM THE REMAINING GASES, AND D. DISCHARGING AT LEAST MOST OF THE REMAINING GASES TO THE ATMOSPHERE.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
107 words
THE METHOD OF GENERATING AND TREATING COMBUSTION PRODUCT TYPE INDUSTRIAL EXHAUST GASES TO REMOVVE WATER SOLUBLE ATMOSPHERE POLLUTANTS THEREFORM, SAID METHOD COMPRISING A. GENERATING THE EXHAUST GASEOUS FORM, THE PRODUCTS IN HOT GASEOUS FORM B. COOLING THE HOT COMBUSTION PRODUCTS TO ABOUT 35*F. AT SUBSTANTIALLY ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURSR9SR98NDENSE THE CONTAINED WATER AND CONVERT WATER SOLUBLE POLLUTANTS INCLUDING ANY FORMALDEHYDE, FORMIC ACID, HYDROGEN, SULFIDE, SULFUR DIOXIDE, OXIDES OF NITROGEN, QUINOLINE BASES AND PYRIDINE BASES TO AQUEOUS LIQUID PHASE AS SOLUTES IN THE CONDENSED WATER, C. SEPARATING THE CONDENSED WATER AND ITS SOLUTES FROM THE REMAINING GASES, AND D. DISCHARGING AT LEAST MOST OF THE REMAINING GASES TO THE ATMOSPHERE.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
127 words
The method of removing atmosphere pollutants from combustion products generated by combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, said method comprising: a. generating hot gaseous combustion products under conditions wherein the gaseous combustion products include carbon dioxide and water as the principal products of combustion and also include trace amounts of various water soluble pollutants, including formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline bases and pyridine bases pollutants; b. cooling the hot combustion products to about 35*F. at substantially atmospheric pressure to condense the water and convert such water soluble pollutants to aqueous liquid phase as solutes in the condensed water; c. separating the condensed water and its solutes from the remaining gases; and d. discharging at least most of the remaining gases to the atmosphere.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
127 words
The method of removing atmosphere pollutants from combustion products generated by combustion of hydrocarbon fuels, said method comprising: a. generating hot gaseous combustion products under conditions wherein the gaseous combustion products include carbon dioxide and water as the principal products of combustion and also include trace amounts of various water soluble pollutants, including formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline bases and pyridine bases pollutants; b. cooling the hot combustion products to about 35*F. at substantially atmospheric pressure to condense the water and convert such water soluble pollutants to aqueous liquid phase as solutes in the condensed water; c. separating the condensed water and its solutes from the remaining gases; and d. discharging at least most of the remaining gases to the atmosphere.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 2, further comprising separating at least some of the water soluble pollutants in the condensed water.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 2, further comprising separating at least some of the pollutants from the condensed water and removing additional pollutants from the remaining gases prior to discharge thereof to the atmosphere.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 4, further including the steps of extracting or neutralizing at least some of the water soluble pollutants in the separated aqueous liquid phase and removing additional pollutants from the remaining gases prior to discharge thereof to the atmosphere.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
156 words
The method of treating gaseous combustion products including principally carbon dioxide and water and also material amounts of water soluble pollutants, including formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline bases and pyridine bases, to remove said pollutants therefrom, comprising: a. cooling the combustion products to a temperature between about 60* and about 100*F. by using water from a convenient source, to form first intermediate exhaust products, a portion of said exhaust products being condensed to liquid phase; b. cooling the first intermediate exhaust products by using a first refrigerated coolant to form second intermediate exhaust products the temperature of which is about 35*F., a further portion of said second intermediate exhaust products being condensed into liquid phase; c. separating the liquid portion of the second intermediate exhaust products, leaving third intermediate exhaust products; d. removing selected pollutants from said liquid portion; and e. removing selected pollutants from the third intermediate exhaust products.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
156 words
The method of treating gaseous combustion products including principally carbon dioxide and water and also material amounts of water soluble pollutants, including formaldehyde, formic acid, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline bases and pyridine bases, to remove said pollutants therefrom, comprising: a. cooling the combustion products to a temperature between about 60* and about 100*F. by using water from a convenient source, to form first intermediate exhaust products, a portion of said exhaust products being condensed to liquid phase; b. cooling the first intermediate exhaust products by using a first refrigerated coolant to form second intermediate exhaust products the temperature of which is about 35*F., a further portion of said second intermediate exhaust products being condensed into liquid phase; c. separating the liquid portion of the second intermediate exhaust products, leaving third intermediate exhaust products; d. removing selected pollutants from said liquid portion; and e. removing selected pollutants from the third intermediate exhaust products.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method defined by claim 6, wherein the step of removing selected pollutants from the third intermediate exhaust products includes filtering or adsorbing the selected products.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method defined by claim 6, further including the steps of further cooling the third intermediate exhaust products with a second refrigerated coolant at a temperature lower than the temperature of the first refrigerated coolant to form fourth intermediate exhaust products, a portion of which is condensed into liquid phase; separating the liquid portion of the fourth intermediate products, leaving fifth intermediate exhaust products; and then filtering or adsorbing selected pollutants from the fifth intermediate exhaust products.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method defined by claim 7, wherein the liquid portion includes formaldehyde and formic acid which are oxidized with a hypochlorite, with the hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline base and pyridine base pollutants in the liquid phase being precipitated or neutralized by suitable reagents.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method defined by claim 8, wherein the liquid portion includes formaldehyde and formic acid which are oxidized with a hypochlorite, with hydrOgen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, quinoline base and pyridine base pollutants in the liquid portion being precipitated or neutralized by suitable reagents.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said first refrigerated coolant is at a temperature between about 25* and about 30*F.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said second refrigerated collant is at a temperature less than about 20*F.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
130 words
The method of burning a hydrocarbon fuel and treating the combustion products thereof to remove atmosphere pollutants from such combustion products, said method comprising: a. generating such combustion products under conditions wherein the combustion products are in hot gaseous form at substantially atmospheric pressure and include carbon dioxide and water as the principal products of combustion and also include material amounts of various water soluble pollutants, including formaldehyde, formic acid, and oxides of nitrogen; b. cooling the hot combustion products to about 35*F. at substantially atmospheric pressure to convert most of the water and most of said pollutants to aqueous liquid phase; c. separating the aqueous liquid phase of the cooled combustion products from the remaining gases; and d. discharging at least most of the remaining gases to the atmosphere.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
130 words
The method of burning a hydrocarbon fuel and treating the combustion products thereof to remove atmosphere pollutants from such combustion products, said method comprising: a. generating such combustion products under conditions wherein the combustion products are in hot gaseous form at substantially atmospheric pressure and include carbon dioxide and water as the principal products of combustion and also include material amounts of various water soluble pollutants, including formaldehyde, formic acid, and oxides of nitrogen; b. cooling the hot combustion products to about 35*F. at substantially atmospheric pressure to convert most of the water and most of said pollutants to aqueous liquid phase; c. separating the aqueous liquid phase of the cooled combustion products from the remaining gases; and d. discharging at least most of the remaining gases to the atmosphere.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-09-15 | 1979-03-17 | 1979-09-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-09-15 | 1983-03-17 | 1983-09-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-09-15 | 1987-03-17 | 1987-09-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |