Apparatus for desulfurizing combustion gases

Claim 1

Apparatus for removing sulfur oxides from the gaseous combustion products of sulfur-containing fossil fuel, including at least one of a heat exchanger and electrostatic precipitator through which said gaseous combustion products at elevated temperature are initially passed, at least one reaction chamber in which sulfur dioxide is converted to sulfur trioxide in the presence of atomic oxygen and absorbed in sulfuric acid, and a discharge to ambient atmosphere, at least two modules in series in each said reaction chamber, each said module comprising a confining housing having top, bottom and side walls, a substantially vertical duct having orifices at the top and bottom thereof and centrally located in said housing, the top orifice being substantially horizontal, the bottom orifice having a non-horizontal configuration such that a portion of said orifice is partially submerged in a reservoir of sulfuric acid in said housing, a plurality of fan blades positioned within said housing closely above said top orifice substantially in axial alignment with said duct, at least a section of each of said fan blades functioning in the manner of backwardly inclined centrifugal blower blades when rotated rapidly, baffle means dividing said housing into inlet and outlet sections, respectively, said baffle means permitting communication between said inlet and outlet sections only through said vertical duct, an inlet to said inlet section through which gaseous combustion products are introduced, a portion of said baffle means sloping downwardly and directing incoming gaseous combustion products toward said non-horizontal bottom orifice in said inlet section where said gaseous combustion products are entrained and raised in an upwardly spiraling vortex through said duct, admixed intimately with a finely divided sulfuric acid mist, impacted against said rapidly rotating fan blades and discharged outwardly and downwardly in said outlet section within said housing to drain liquified components into said reservoir, and an outlet from said housing communicating with an inlet of a succeeding like module in said series, said sloping portion of said baffle means guiding said gaseous products from said outlet section to said inlet of said succeeding module.