Patent US5486341A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5486341A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Entrainment separator for high velocity gases
Assignee: Alstom Power Inc
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Filing: 1994-06-09
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Granted: 1996-01-23
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Expires: 2014-06-09
Abstract
Abstract Sulfur oxides (SO x ) are scrubbed from combustion effluents with aqueous limestone slurries with greater efficiency due to the use of an improved entrainment separator. In the preferred embodiment of a single-loop, counter-current limestone wet scrubber operating at bulk gas flow rates of greater than 4.5 meters per second, a vertical stream of flue gas is freed of a substantial portion of slurry droplets and diverted for effective mist removal by a well-drained, horizontal-flow mist eliminator. The entrainment separator is a single-pass device with individual blades aligned for effective operation with reduced droplet impingement on the upper walls (e.g., roof) of the scrubber and to permit periodic washing.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald E. Bresowar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:13
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D45/00; B01D45/04; B01D45/08; B01D45/10; B01D47/00; B01D47/06; B01D53/00; B01D53/34; B01D53/46; B01D53/48; B01D53/50; B01D53/501; B01D53/504; B01D2277/00; B01D2277/20; F; F23; F23J; F23J2215/00; F23J2215/20; F23J2219/00; F23J2219/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
An improved wet scrubbing process for reducing the concentration of SO 2 in flue gases, comprising: (a) directing a flow of flue gas upwardly through a scrubbing tower; (b) introducing a spray of droplets of an aqueous slurry of finely-divided calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, calcium sulfite, and other non-reactive inerts to contact the flue gas in a vertical scrubbing section, the slurry descending through the tower countercurrently to the flow of flue gas and being collected as a liquid after contact; and (c) passing the flue gas through a single pass entrainment separator positioned above and across the vertical scrubbing section at an angle within the range of about 10° to about 45 degrees relative to the horizontal effective to reduce or consolidate a substantial quantity of droplets entrained in the gas and to also turn the direction of flow of the flue gas from the vertical said entrainment separator includes individual single-pass separator blades, said individual blades are oriented at an angle within the range of about 35° to about 55 degrees from the vertical.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
An improved wet scrubbing process for reducing the concentration of SO 2 in flue gases, comprising: (a) directing a flow of flue gas upwardly through a scrubbing tower; (b) introducing a spray of droplets of an aqueous slurry of finely-divided calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, calcium sulfite, and other non-reactive inerts to contact the flue gas in a vertical scrubbing section, the slurry descending through the tower countercurrently to the flow of flue gas and being collected as a liquid after contact; and (c) passing the flue gas through a single pass entrainment separator positioned above and across the vertical scrubbing section at an angle within the range of about 10° to about 45 degrees relative to the horizontal effective to reduce or consolidate a substantial quantity of droplets entrained in the gas and to also turn the direction of flow of the flue gas from the vertical said entrainment separator includes individual single-pass separator blades, said individual blades are oriented at an angle within the range of about 35° to about 55 degrees from the vertical.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the entrainment separator is effective to reduce the quantity of droplets by at least 40% and to turn the direction of flow of the flue gases by at least 45° from the vertical axis of the tower.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the flue gas is passed through a well-drained, horizontal flow mist eliminator downstream of the entrainment separator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the vertical bulk gas velocity is greater than about 4.5 meters per second.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the entrainment separator causes a pressure drop of less than about 0.15 inches of water, and removes or consolidates at least 40% of droplets smaller than about 100μ Sauter mean diameter.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the entrainment separator utilizes single pass separator blades to collect droplets by impingement and to turn the gas in a direction most suitable for further mist elimination, the individual blades being held parallel to one another in each of a plurality of assemblies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein and the spacing between individual blades will typically be from about 40 to about 70% of the minor dimension of the individual blades.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the entrainment separator comprises a plurality of assemblies of individual blades, said assemblies being oriented at an angle in the range of from about 120° to about 150° with respect to one another, whereby said assemblies form a chevron pattern.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein the blades are washed periodically by spraying wash water directly onto the blades from both the top and the bottom.
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) | 1999-01-22 | 1999-07-24 | 2000-01-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-01-22 | 2003-07-24 | 2004-01-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-01-22 | 2007-07-24 | 2008-01-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |