Gas trap for removing atmospheric pollutants and method of operation

Claim 1

A gas trap, comprising, a vertically disposed hermetic enclosure having top and bottom portions with upper and lower chamber portions disposed therebetween, and a restricted diameter vertical passageway extending between and connected to said upper and lower chamber portions, said passageway having an effective flow path diameter substantially less than that of said upper and lower chamber portions, and wherein said enclosure is adapted to contain a reacting fluid for reacting with the pollutants in the gas to be tested, a discharge outlet and an inlet opening in said enclosure adjacent the top of said enclosure, said discharge outlet and inlet opening both being open for continuous gas flow into said input opening, through said enclosure and out of said discharge outlet, a noncapillary tube hermetically sealed to said inlet opening extending downwardly therefrom through and in spaced relation with said chamber portions and said vertical passageway and terminating adjacent the bottom of said lower chamber portion, a fritted material encasing the bottom of said tube, and a reacting liquid filling said enclosure to a point including at least the lower portion of said upper chamber, the space between said tube and said vertical passageway being less than the space between said tube and said lower chamber so that when gas is introduced into said tube and through said fritted material to enter said reacting fluid as gas bubbles, the upward movement of said gas bubbles will be prolonged by the restricted space between said passageway and said tube to provide a longer exposure time for said bubbles in said reacting fluid.

Claim 6

A method of removing pollutants from a continuous flow of gas comprising: providing a hermetically restricted passageway with cross-sectional dimensions sufficiently small to prolong the free flow of gas bubbles rising in a liquid reactant and entering said passageway from a lower chamber of larger cross-sectional dimensions, but large enough to substantially prevent the creation of back pressure at the entrance to said passageway; said passageway being connected to a second, upper chamber of cross-sectional dimensions, substantially larger than said passageway, thereby forming a hermetic enclosure; said lower chamber communicating with an inlet to said enclosure at a point below the entrance to said passageway and said upper chamber communicating with an outlet to said enclosure above said passageway, maintaining said inlet and outlet open for continuous gas flow into said inlet, through said enclosure and out of said outlet, filling said enclosure with a liquid reactant for reacting with said pollutants to a point including at least the lower portion of said upper chamber; and introducing said continuous flow of gas into said enclosure below said passageway whereby gas bubbles are formed in and rise through said reactant; whereby the upward movement of said gas bubbles is prolonged by the restricted passageway, thus providing a longer exposure time for said bubbles to said reacting fluid.

Claim 7

A method of removing pollutants from a continuous flow of gas comprising: providing a hermetically restricted passageway with cross-sectional dimensions sufficiently small to prolong the free flow of gas bubbles rising in a liquid reactant and entering said passageway from a lower chamber of larger cross-sectional dimensions, but large enough to substantially prevent the creation of back pressure at the entrance to said passageway; said passageway being connected to a second, upper chamber of cross-sectional dimensions, substantially larger than said passageway, thereby forming a hermetic enclosure; said lower chamber communicating with an inlet to said enclosure at a point below the entrance to said passageway and said upper chamber communicating with an outlet to said enclosure above said passageway, maintaining said inlet and outlet open for continuous gas flow into said inlet, through said enclosure and out of said outlet, filling said enclosure with a liquid reactant for reacting with said pollutants to a point including at least the lower portion of said upper chamber; and introducing said continuous flow of gas into said enclosure below said passageway whereby gas bubbles are formed in and rise through said reactant; whereby the upward movement of said gas bubbles is prolonged by the restricted passageway, thus providing a longer exposure time for said bubbles to said reacting fluid.