US4089088A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thermal regeneration and decontamination apparatus and industrial oven
Assignee: Moco Thermal Industries Inc
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Filing: 1977-03-02
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Granted: 1978-05-16
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Expires: 1997-03-02
Abstract
Abstract An air-permeable reactor medium of large surface area and high thermal capacity, coated with a catalyst, is cycled along a closed path across a first duct carrying an air stream laden with oxidizable contaminants and a second duct carrying a stream of fresh air, enabling contaminants in the first air stream to be oxidized to innoucuous byproducts, releasing heat which is transferred to the fresh air in the second duct, the reaction medium moving at a variable speed which is a function of the temperature of one of the air streams; considerable improvement in the efficiency of an industrial oven may therefore be achieved by positioning the reactor medium to exchange heat between an incoming stream of fresh air and a stream of hotter exhaust gas so that the temperature of fresh air delivered elsewhere to the oven may be controlled without having to rely on dampers and mixtures of air volumes with inherent damper malfunctions or mis-metering; also a second burner may be eliminated because of the manner in which the reactor medium is utilized to exchange heat.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald L. Konczalski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 04:00
CPC Classifications
F; F23; F23G; F23G7/00; F23G7/06; F23G7/07; B; B01; B01J; B01J19/00; B01J19/0006; B01J19/0013; F23L; F23L15/00; F23L15/02; B01J2219/00; B01J2219/00049; B01J2219/00051; B01J2219/00054; B01J2219/00056; B01J2219/00058; B01J2219/00069; B01J2219/0015; B01J2219/00155; B01J2219/00157; B01J2219/00159; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E20/00; Y02E20/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
Thermal regeneration and decontamination apparatus comprising: an air-permeable reactor medium of large surface area and high thermal capacity incorporating an oxidation catalyst; cycling means for continuously moving the reactor medium around a closed path traversing a first duct carrying an air stream laden with oxidizable contaminants, a first inter-duct cutoff zone, a second duct carrying a stream of relatively clean air, and a second inter-duct cutoff zone, whereby the contaminants in the first duct are catalytically oxidized to innocuous byproducts with release of substantial heat, which heat is exchanged to the air in the second duct; a sensor for sensing the temperature of one of the air streams and combined with control means for varying the rate of movement of the reactor medium, to vary the rate of heat exchange, so as to maintain a desired temperature in said one airstream.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
Thermal regeneration and decontamination apparatus comprising: an air-permeable reactor medium of large surface area and high thermal capacity incorporating an oxidation catalyst; cycling means for continuously moving the reactor medium around a closed path traversing a first duct carrying an air stream laden with oxidizable contaminants, a first inter-duct cutoff zone, a second duct carrying a stream of relatively clean air, and a second inter-duct cutoff zone, whereby the contaminants in the first duct are catalytically oxidized to innocuous byproducts with release of substantial heat, which heat is exchanged to the air in the second duct; a sensor for sensing the temperature of one of the air streams and combined with control means for varying the rate of movement of the reactor medium, to vary the rate of heat exchange, so as to maintain a desired temperature in said one airstream.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
Thermal regeneration and decontamination apparatus according to claim 1, in which the reactor medium is of annular configuration, mounted in a carrier cylinder, and the cycling means rotates the carrier cylinder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
Thermal regeneration and decontamination apparatus according to claim 1, in which the cycling means comprises a variable speed electric drive motor, and in which the thermal sensor is located in the second duct at the fresh air output from the apparatus, said control means being coupled to the thermal sensor and the drive motor for adjusting the speed of the drive motor in response to changes in the fresh air output temperature to maintain a substantially constant temperature for the fresh air output .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
77 words
Apparatus according to claim 3 incorporated in an oven, having an elongated vertical axis, equipped with a burner at a predetermined level, the reaction medium being located in position to receive exhaust gases emitted by the oven, a duct for delivering ambient fresh air to the reaction medium for heat exchange with the exhaust gases and a duct for delivering the fresh air output from the reactor medium to the oven at a level below the burner.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the ambient fresh air stream and the stream of exhaust gases are directed through the reactor medium in opposite directions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the oven has a stack for the exhaust gas outlet and in which there is a duct for delivering heat exchanged exhaust gas from the reactor medium to the stack.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
161 words
In an industrial oven oriented on an elongated vertical axis and equipped with a stack for emitting exhaust gas: a burner at a predetermined level inside the oven chamber; a thermal regenerator moveable continuously about a closed path which alternately traverses both a first duct carrying a stream of hot exhaust gas and a second duct carrying a stream of fresher, cooler entrant air thereby to exchange heat between the two gas streams so that the temperature of the outgoing fresh air leaving the regenerator is raised and that of the exhaust gas is lowered; cycling means to so move the regenerator; a sensor, for sensing the temperature of one of the streams, combined with control means for varying the rate of movement of the regenerator, to vary the rate of heat exchange, so as to maintain a desired temperature in said one airstream; and a duct for directing into the oven the outgoing stream of fresh air leaving the regenerator.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
161 words
In an industrial oven oriented on an elongated vertical axis and equipped with a stack for emitting exhaust gas: a burner at a predetermined level inside the oven chamber; a thermal regenerator moveable continuously about a closed path which alternately traverses both a first duct carrying a stream of hot exhaust gas and a second duct carrying a stream of fresher, cooler entrant air thereby to exchange heat between the two gas streams so that the temperature of the outgoing fresh air leaving the regenerator is raised and that of the exhaust gas is lowered; cycling means to so move the regenerator; a sensor, for sensing the temperature of one of the streams, combined with control means for varying the rate of movement of the regenerator, to vary the rate of heat exchange, so as to maintain a desired temperature in said one airstream; and a duct for directing into the oven the outgoing stream of fresh air leaving the regenerator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
An oven according to claim 7 in which the stream of entrant air is ambient fresh air.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
An oven according to claim 7 in which the outgoing stream of air is directed into the oven at a level beneath the burner.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
An oven according to claim 7 in which the streams move through the regenerator in opposite directions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
An oven according to claim 7 including a duct for directing to the stack the stream of exhaust gas leaving the regenerator and in which the entrant stream of air is ambient air.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
An oven according to claim 11 in which the stream of air leaving the regenerator is directed into the oven chamber of a level beneath the burner.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
An oven according to claim 12 in which the regenerator is rotary and in which the cycling means is a variable speed electric-drive motor, said sensor being located to sense the temperature of the air leaving the regenerator.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
An oven according to claim 7 wherein a pre-burner is located in the first duct upstream of the thermal regenerator to oxidize entrained chemicals inimical to a catalyst.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
An oven according to claim 14 wherein a stationary catalytic chamber is positioned in the first duct between the pre-burner and the catalytic chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
An oven according to claim 15 wherein a blower is located in the first duct upstream of the pre-burner.
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) | 1981-05-15 | 1981-11-14 | 1982-05-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-05-15 | 1985-11-14 | 1986-05-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-05-15 | 1989-11-14 | 1990-05-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |