# US 2016/0236129 A1 · Pollution control system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0236129 A1 - Document ID: US20160236129A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/138,784 - Filed: 2016-04-26 - Published: 2016-08-18 - Earliest claimed: 2013-05-24 - Inventors: Robert C. Ajemian - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160236129A1 ## CPC - B01D 46/62: connected in series - B01D 46/0036: {by adsorption or absorption} - B01D 46/79: by liquid process - B01D 47/06: Spray cleaning - B01D 50/10: Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00, B01D46/00 and B01D47/00 - B01D 50/60: Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D46/00 and B01D47/00 - B01D 53/007: {by irradiation} - B01D 53/75: Multi-step processes - B01D 53/76: Gas phase processes, e.g. by using aerosols - B01D 53/78: with gas-liquid contact - B01D 53/002: {by condensation} - B01D 2251/104: Ozone - B01D 2258/0275: from food processing plants or kitchens - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) ## Abstract A pollution control system for removing particle and gas phase pollutants in a waste airstream exhausted from commercial cooking operations may include a plurality of filters arranged within a housing for filtering particle and gas phase pollutants in the waste airstream. Various ones of the filters may be composed of a variety of different materials, and ozone may be provided within the housing to assist with removal of the pollutants. In some examples, a wash mechanism may be included to wash surfaces of a filter to remove grease therefrom. In some examples, the system may further include means to spray droplets (such as in a fog or mist form) into the waste airstream to condense a portion of gas phase pollutants into condensed particles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air pollution control system for removing particle and gas phase pollutants in a waste airstream exhausted from commercial cooking operations, comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet, an exhaust fan attached to the outlet for drawing the waste airstream into the inlet and through the housing to the outlet and discharging to the outside atmosphere, a plurality of filters arranged in adjacent spaced relation along the length of the housing between the inlet and outlet for filtering the particle and gas phase pollutants in the waste airstream, a water droplet generation source adapted to spray water droplets into the inlet to mix with the incoming waste airstream, and a wash mechanism arranged in the housing in facing relation to a first of the plurality of filters, the wash mechanism including a plurality of spray nozzles supplying a mix of heated water and detergent for periodically washing surfaces of the first filter to remove grease therefrom. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the water droplet generation source is embodied as a building pressure water source operating at a pressure between 30 to 60 psig, and the building pressure water source adapted to spray a mist of water droplets, the droplets having a diameter between 20 and 100 micrometers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the mixing of droplets with the incoming waste airstream results in a psychrometric shift in the relative humidity of the airstream which evaporatively cools the airstream to a lower temperature, and condenses a portion of gas phase pollutants having boiling points below the lowered temperature of the waste airstream into condensed particles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the water droplet generation source further includes a fogger assembly powered by one of a mechanical or electrical source to spray a fog of water droplets having a diameter of 20 micrometers or less at the inlet to mix with the incoming waste airstream. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters include a first stage washable metal filter arranged at the inlet and having an efficiency rating of MERV 6-10 for filtering out particles in the waste airstream. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters include a second stage filter downstream of a first stage filter arranged at the inlet, the second stage filter including a wool layer attached to a MERV 15 synthetic media and adapted to remove particle and gas phase pollutants remaining in the waste airstream after passing through the first stage filter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the second stage filter further includes a specialized additive incorporated into the wool and synthetic material so that the second stage filter is adapted to achieve an efficiency rating of 95 DOP. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters include a third stage filter arranged downstream of a second stage filter, the third stage filter including a high efficiency (>95 DOP) media adapted to remove sub-micron particle pollutants remaining in the waste airstream after passing through the second stage filter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the third stage filter further includes a proprietary media consisting of nanofibers that enable the third stage filter to achieve a HEPA filter efficiency performance at conventional 95 DOP pressure drop losses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the third stage filter further includes a proprietary oil mist media and is formed from a proprietary embossed manufacturing process to achieve HEPA 99 performance at a cost basis of a conventional 95 DOP filter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter having a hydrophobic synthetic zeolite sorbent adapted to catch particulate and gas phase pollutants having an internal pore diameter size in a range between about 0.3 to 1.0 nanometers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter configured as a two-pass filter system, the first pass filter including a sorbent composed of a hydrophobic synthetic zeolite, and the second pass filter including an activated charcoal sorbent. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter having a sorbent composed of a blend of a hydrophobic synthetic zeolite and activated charcoal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: an optional ozone injection means adapted to inject ozone into the housing downstream of the inlet so as to decompose particle and gas phase pollutants within the waste airstream retained in the plurality of filters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of filters include a third stage filter arranged downstream of a second stage filter, the third stage filter having a fiberglass media resistant to degradation by ozone and Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP). ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter embodied as a photocatalytic oxidation system that oxidizes organic compounds by activation of a catalyst using ultraviolet light. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: means for generating dissolved ozone within the droplets in which the droplets evaporate to leave free ozone which oxidizes any pollutants remaining within the waste airstream after passing through the plurality of filters. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the means for generating dissolved ozone includes a generating system based on a diamond cathode electrolytic technology, the generating system including filtration to remove solids within feed water that is used to generate the droplets. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the dissolved ozone is converted to advanced oxidation processes (AOP) by elevation of the feed water pH and/or by injection of hydrogen peroxide in the feed water. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter embodied as a photocatalytic oxidation system that oxidizes organic compounds by activation of a catalyst using ultraviolet light. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter embodied as a photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) filter including a bank of UV-C lights interposed between a pair of metal filters with interior honeycomb structures that are coated with TiO2. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the bank of UV-C lights operate at a peak wavelength of 254 nm to activate the TiO2 and any excess ozone to Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) so as to decompose volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and eliminate excess ozone. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein plurality of filters include a fourth stage filter downstream of a third stage filter, the fourth stage filter embodied as a photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) filter having a bank of UV-C lights which operate at a peak wavelength of 185 nm to produce ozone. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a bank of UV-C lights, the photons emitted therefrom adapted to activate any excess ozone present in the system to AOP and/or to generate new ozone from any oxygen that still remains present in the waste airstream. ### Claim 25 An air pollution control system for removing particle and gas phase pollutants in a waste airstream exhausted from commercial cooking operations, comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet, an exhaust fan attached to the outlet for drawing the waste airstream into the inlet and through the housing to the outlet and discharging to the outside atmosphere, and a plurality of filters arranged in adjacent spaced relation along the length of the housing between the inlet and outlet for filtering the particle and gas phase pollutants in the waste airstream, wherein media of at least one of the filters is embodied as a wool material. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the filters is embodied as a pleated or bag pocket composed of the wool material. ### Claim 27 An air pollution control system for removing particle and gas phase pollutants in a waste airstream exhausted from commercial cooking operations, comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet, an exhaust fan attached to the outlet for drawing the waste airstream into the inlet and through the housing to the outlet and discharging to the outside atmosphere, a plurality of filters arranged in adjacent spaced relation along the length of the housing between the inlet and outlet for filtering the particle and gas phase pollutants in the waste airstream, and injection means adapted to inject ozone into the housing to decompose particle and gas phase pollutants within the waste airstream that are retained in the plurality of filters. ### Claim 28 An air pollution control system for removing particle and gas phase pollutants in a waste airstream exhausted from commercial cooking operations, comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet, an exhaust fan attached to the outlet for drawing the waste airstream into the inlet and through the housing to the outlet and discharging to the outside atmosphere, and a plurality of filters arranged in adjacent spaced relation along the length of the housing between the inlet and outlet for filtering the particle and gas phase pollutants in the waste airstream, wherein one of the filters is embodied as a photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) filter which further includes a bank of UV-C lamps. ### Claim 29 An air pollution control system for removing particle and gas phase pollutants in a waste airstream exhausted from commercial cooking operations, comprising: a housing having an inlet and an outlet, an exhaust fan attached to the outlet for drawing the waste airstream into the inlet and through the housing to the outlet and discharging to the outside atmosphere, and a plurality of filters arranged in adjacent spaced relation along the length of the housing between the inlet and outlet for filtering the particle and gas phase pollutants in the waste airstream, wherein one of the filters includes a synthetic zeolite sorbent.