Gas purifier having rechargeable adsorber filter with removeable rechargeable sample canister

A test kit facilitating periodic testing of sample adsorbent material representative of adsorbent material in an associated adsorber filter system, said kit having a straight tube capable of being filled with adsorbent material, a first portion of said kit, including said straight tube, capable of being assembled and connected to an associated adsorber filter system at a position to expose sample adsorbent material contained in said tube to gas flow conditions experienced by adsorbent material in said adsorber filter system, said straight tube portion of said kit being removable from said associated adsorber filter system to facilitate testing of sample adsorbent material contained therein representative of adsorbent material in said adsorber filter system, without affecting filtering efficacy or structural integrity of said adsorber filter system, said kit comprising:

• (a) an imperforate conduit having inlet and outlet ends with a right-angle bend therebetween, said inlet end adapted to be connected to said adsorber filter system at a position to receive gas therefrom before gas passes through granular adsorbent in said adsorber filter system;
• (b) an imperforate straight tube, of length at most equal to a minimum distance for gas flow through granular adsorbent in said associated adsorber system, having inlet and outlet ends, said inlet end adapted to be removably connected in fluid-tight relation to said conduit outlet to receive vertically flowing gas therefrom, for containing a free-standing column of sample adsorbent material for exposure thereof to gas received from said conduit as said gas flows vertically through said tube, said tube including perforate means at said outlet end thereof for retaining any said free-standing column of sample adsorbent material within said tube by preventing vertically downward flow of any said column of sample adsorbent material contained therewithin;
• (c) an imperforate cover adapted to be removably connected in fluid-tight relation to said conduit outlet end in the absence of said tube, for closing said conduit;
• (d) tubular means for filling said straight tube with a free-standing column of sample adsorbent material, adapted to concentrically surround said straight tube, by channelling any downward flow of sample adsorbent material into said straight tube when said kit is disassembled and said straight tube is positioned within said tubular means, said tubular filling means being capable of disassembly and further comprising the combination of:
• (1) a lower tubular portion for concentrically surrounding said straight tube while said straight tube is being filled with sample adsorbent material, adapted to be removably force-fitted to an upper tubular portion of said tubular filling means;
• (2) an upper tubular portion of metering and distributing flow of sample adsorbent material into said straight tube while said straight tube is contained in said lower tubular portion, said upper tubular portion adapted to be removably force-fitted to said lower tubular portion, said upper tubular portion further comprising:
• i. a metering plate contained within said upper tubular portion and perpendicular to the tubular wall thereof, extending across the hollow cross-section of said upper tubular portion and having a hole therein for flow of sample adsorbent material therethrough;
• and
• ii. a rigid distribution mesh substantially parallel to and the same area as said metering plate and rigidly secured to the tubular wall of said upper tubular portion, for distributing a downward flow of sample adsorbent material after said sample adsorbent material has passed through said metering plate;
• wherein said distribution mesh is remote from and below said metering plate such that when said upper and lower tubular portions are force-fitted together in an assembled condition and said straight tube is positioned within said lower portion, any sample adsorbent material poured into said tubular filling means first passes through said metering plate and then through said distribution mesh of said upper tubular portion and then flows into said lower tubular portion and said straight tube contained therein;
• wherein said kit is capable of being assembled with said conduit and said straight tube connected seriatim for gas flow therethrough and is also capable of being assembled alternately with said cover connected to said conduit in fluid-tight relation so no gas can pass therethrough.

Apparatus for use in filtering as a gas purifier, adapted to contain adsorbent material for adsorption of radioactive contamination from a gas stream passing therethrough, including a rechargeable gas adsorber assembly for containing adsorbent material and including apparatus for containing sample adsorbent material, wherein any sample adsorbent material contained in said sample containment apparatus is exposed to contaminated gas flow at least as great as contaminated gas flow through any adsorbent material contained in said adsorber assembly, comprising in combination:

• (a) a gas adsorber assembly for containing absorbent material, comprising:
• (1) A housing having a contaminated gas inlet and a filtered gas outlet and including inlet port means for passage therethrough of granular adsorbent material into filter assemblies within said housing;
• (2) a plurality of vertically oriented vertically rechargeable parallelepiped-shaped filter assemblies within said housing, each filter assembly including two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical perforate walls, having horizontally extending lower margins, and two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical solid walls, said vertical perforate and solid walls connected along their vertically extending edges to form four vertical surfaces of said filter assembly;
• each said filter assembly being disposed for containment of vertically charged free-standing uncompressed adsorbent material in said parallelepiped defined by said two parallel perforate walls and said two parallel solid walls, for horizontal flow of gas therethrough, through said two perforate walls, said filter assemblies being generally parallel with one another and separated from one another and from said housing by spaces for gas flow;
• (3) baffle means, rigidly connecting said filter assemblies together, in parallel spaced disposition one from another, and to said housing, for directing gas flow within said housing so some gas entering said inlet, before exiting said housing through said filtered gas outlet, passes horizontally through said vertical perforate walls of one of said filter assemblies prior to such exit and remaining gas entering said inlet before exiting said housing passes through apparatus for containing sample adsorbent, said baffle means including:
• (i) vertically upstanding imperforate inlet blocking plates extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies and between end assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said vertically extending solid walls of said adjacent filter assemblies and to said housing, proximate said gas inlet;
• (ii) vertically upstanding imperforate outlet blocking plates, extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said adjacent filter assemblies proximate said filtered gas outlet;
• said outlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies and between end filter assemblies and said housing which lack an outboard blocking plate and hence are open at said filtered gas outlet;
• (4) imperforate top cover plates horizontally extending from vertical extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies between adjacent assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along upper horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material entering said housing through said inlet port from occupying space between adjacent filter assemblies or between end filter assemblies and said housing;
• (iii) imperforate bottom plates horizontally extending from lower extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies, between adjacent filter assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along lower horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material from entering space between end filter beds and said housing, from below said filter beds;
• (b) apparatus for containing sample adsorbent, comprising:
• (1) an imperforate conduit having inlet and outlet ends with a right-angle bend therebetween, said inlet end connected in fluid-tight relation to communicate with an orifice in an imperforate outlet blocking plate portion of said baffle means of said gas adsorber assembly to receive gas from within said adsorber assembly, before said gas passes through any of said filter assemblies;
• and
• (2) a generally vertically oriented imperforate straight tube, of length at most equal to the distance by which said parallel vertical perforate walls of one of said filter assemblies are spaced apart, having inlet and outlet ends, said tube inlet end removably connected in fluid-tight relation to said conduit outlet end to receive vertically flowing gas therefrom, said tube outlet end positioned to exhaust any gas passing through said tube to a position downstream of said filter assemblies, for containing a free-standing uncompressed column of sample adsorbent material for exposure thereof to any gas received from within sid adsorber as any said gas flows vertically through said tube, said tube including a mesh at said outlet end thereof for retaining sample adsorbent material within said tube by preventing vertically downward flow of any free-standing uncompressed sample adsorbent material contained within said tube.

A gas purifier for adsorption of radioactive contamination from a gas stream passing therethrough, having a rechargeable gas adsorber assembly and a sample canister, wherein granular sample adsorbent material contained in said sample canister is exposed to contaminated gas flow at least as great as any contaminated gas flow through granular adsorbent material in said adsorber assembly, comprising in combination:

• (a) a gas adsorber assembly comprising:
• (1) a housing having a contaminated gas inlet and a filtered gas outlet;
• (2) a plurality of vertically oriented vertically rechargeable parallelepiped-shaped filter assemblies within said housing, each filter assembly including two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical perforate walls having horizontally extending lower margins and two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical solid walls, said vertical perforate and solid walls rigidly connected along their vertically extending edges to form four vertical surfaces of said filter assembly, each said filter assembly disposed for containment of vertically charged free-standing uncompressed granular adsorbent material in said parallelepiped defined by said two parallel perforate walls and said two parallel solid walls, for horizontal flow of gas therethrough, through said two perforate walls, said filter assemblies being generally parallel with one another and separated from one another and from said housing by spaces for gas flow;
• (3) free-standing upcompressed granular particulate adsorbent material occupying the entire volume of each said parallelepiped-shaped filter assembly;
• and
• (4) baffle means rigidly connecting said filter assemblies in parallel spaced disposition one from another and to said housing, for directing gas flow within said housing so gas entering said inlet before exiting said housing through said filtered gas outlet passes horizontally through one of said filter assemblies by passing through said two perforate walls thereof prior to such exit, said baffle means including:
• (i) vertically upstanding imperforate inlet blocking plates extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies and between end assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said vertically extending solid walls of said adjacent filter assemblies and to said housing, proximate said gas inlet;
• (ii) vertically upstanding imperforate outlet blocking plates, extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said adjacent filter assemblies proximate said filtered gas outlet;
• said outlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies which lack an inlet blocking plate and hence are open at said contaminated gas inlet, said inlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies and between end filter assemblies and said housing which lack an outboard blocking plate and hence are open at said filtered gas outlet;
• (iii) imperforate top cover plates horizontally extending from vertical extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies between adjacent assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along upper horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material entering said housing through said inlet port from occupying space between adjacent filter assemblies or between end filter assemblies and said housing;
• (iv) imperforate bottom plates horizontally extending from lower extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies, between adjacent filter assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along lower horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material from entering space between adjacent filter beds and between end filter beds and said housing, from below said filter beds;
• (b) a sample canister comprising:
• (1) an imperforate conduit having inlet and outlet ends with a right-angle bend therebetween, said inlet end connected in fluid-tight relation to communicate with an orifice in an outlet blocking plate portion of said baffle means of said adsorber assembly to receive gas, from within said adsorber assembly before said gas passes through any of said filter assemblies;
• (2) a generally vertically oriented straight tube, of length at most equal to the distance by which said parallel vertical perforate walls of one of said filter assemblies are spaced apart, having inlet and outlet ends, said tube inlet end removably connected in fluid-tight relation to said conduit outlet end to receive vertically flowing gas therefrom for vertical flow through said tube, said tube outlet end positioned to exhaust any gas passing through said tube to a position downstream of said filter assemblies, said tube including a mesh at said outlet and thereof for retaining sample particulate adsorbent material within said tube by preventing vertically downward flow of sample particulate adsorbent material contained therewithin;
• and
• (3) free-standing uncompressed particulate adsorbent material occupying the entire volume of said tube.

Apparatus for use in gas filtering as a gas purifier, adapted to contain adsorbent material for adsorption of radioactive contamination from a gas stream passing therethrough, including a rechargeble gas adsorber assembly for containing adsorbent material, and apparatus for containing sample adsorbent material wherein any sample adsorbent material contained in said sample containment apparatus is exposed to contaminated gas flow at least as great as contaminated gas flow through any adsorbent material contained in said adsorber assembly, comprising in combination:

• (a) a gas adsorber assembly for containing adsorbent material, comprising:
• (1) a housing having a contaminated gas inlet and a filtered gas outlet and including inlet port means for passage therethrough of granular adsorbent material downward into filter assemblies within said housing;
• (2) a plurality of vertically oriented vertically rechargeble parallelepiped-shaped filter assemblies within said housing, each filter assembly including two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical perforate walls having horizontally extending lower margins and two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical solid walls, said vertical perforate and solid walls connected along their vertically extending edges to form four vertical surfaces of said filter assembly, each said filer assembly being disposed for containment of free-standing uncompressed vertically charged adsorbent material in said parallelepiped defined by said two parallel perforate walls and said two parallel solid walls, for horizontal flow of gas therethrough, through said two perforate walls, said filter assemblies being generally parallel with one another and separated from one another and from said housing by spaces for gas flow;
• and
• (3) baffle means, rigidly connecting said filter assemblies together, in parallel spaced disposition one from another, and to said housing, for directing gas flow within said housing so some of said gas entering said gas purifier passes horizontally through one of said filter assemblies prior to exit from said gas purifier and remaining gas entering said gas purifier passes vertically through a sample canister apparatus prior to horizontal passage through said filter assemblies and exit from said gas purifer;
• said baffle means including:
• (i) vertically upstanding imperforate inlet blocking plates extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies and between end assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said vertically extending solid walls of said adjacent filter assemblies and to said housing, proximate said gas inlet;
• (ii) vertically upstanding imperforate outlet blocking plates, extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said adjacent filter assemblies proximate said filtered gas outlet;
• said outlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies which lack an inlet blocking plate and hence are open at said contaminated gas inlet, said inlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies and between end filter assemblies and said housing which lack an outboard blocking plate and hence are open at said filtered gas outlet;
• (iii) imperforate top cover plates horizontally extending from vertical extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies between adjacent assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along upper horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material entering said housing through said inlet port from occupying space between adjacent filter assemblies or between end filter assemblies and said housing;
• (iv) imperforate bottom plates horizontally extending from lower extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies, between adjacent filter assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along lower horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material from entering space between adjacent filter beds and between end filter beds and said housing, from below said filter beds;
• and
• (b) sample canister apparatus for containing sample adsorbent material, comprising:
• (1) an imperforate conduit having inlet and outlet ends with a right-angle bend therebetween, said inlet end fluid-tightly connected to communicate with an orifice in an inlet blocking plate of said baffle means of said gas adsorber assembly to receive gas flowing horizontally thereinto before said gas passes through any of said filter assemblies;
• (2) a generally vertically oriented imperforate straight tube, of length at most equal to distance by which said parallel vertical perforate walls of one of said filter assemblies are spaced apart, having inlet and outlet ends, said tube inlet end removably fluid-tightly connected to said conduit outlet end to receive vertically flowing gas therefrom, for containing a free-standing uncompressed column of sample adsorbent material for exposure thereof to any gas received as any said gas flows vertically through said tube, said tube including a mesh at said outlet end thereof for retaining sample adsorbent material within said tube by preventing vertically downward flow of any sample adsorbent material contained therewithin.

A gas purifier for adsorption of radioactive contamination from a gas stream passing therethrough, having a rechargeable gas adsorber assembly and a sample canister apparatus, wherein sample adsorbent material contained in said sample canister is exposed to contaminated gas flow at least as great as any contaminated gas flow through adsorbent material in said adsorber assembly, comprising in combination:

• (a) a gas adsorber assembly comprising:
• (1) a housing having a contaminated gas inlet and a filtered gas outlet;
• (2) a plurality of vertically oriented vertically rechargeable parallelepiped-shaped filter assemblies within said housing, each filter assembly including two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical perforate walls having horizontally extending lower margins and two horizontally spaced-apart parallel vertical solid walls, said vertical perforate and solid walls connected along their vertically extending edges to form four vertical surfaces of said filter assembly, each said filter assembly being disposed for horizontal flow of gas therethrough, through said two parallel perforate walls and through granular particulate adsorbent material contained within said filter assembly between said perforate walls;
• (3) free standing uncompressed granular particulate adsorbent material occupying the entire volume of each said parallelepiped-shaped assembly;
• and
• (4) baffle means rigidly connecting said filter assemblies in parallel spaced disposition one from another and to said housing, for directing gas flow within said housing so some gas entering said gas purifier passes horizontally through one of said filter assemblies while remaining gas entering said gas purifier passes vertically through a sample canister prior to horizontal passage through said filter assemblies and exit from said gas purifier;
• said baffle means including:
• i. vertically upstanding imperforate inlet blocking plates extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies and between end assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said vertically extending solid walls of said adjacent filter assemblies and to said housing, proximate said gas inlet;
• ii. vertically upstanding imperforate outlet blocking plates, extending the vertical height of said solid walls of said filter assemblies, positioned alternately between adjacent filter assemblies, secured along vertically extending margins thereof to said adjacent filter assemblies proximate said filtered gas outlet;
• said outlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies which lack an inlet blocking plate and hence are open at said contaminated gas inlet, said inlet blocking plates closing alternate spaces between adjacent filter assemblies and between end filter assemblies and said housing which lack an outlet blocking plate and hence are open at said filtered gas outlet;
• iii. imperforate top cover plates horizontally extending from vertical extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies between adjacent assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along upper horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material entering said housing through said inlet port from occupying space between adjacent filter assemblies or between end filter assemblies and said housing;
• iv. imperforate bottom plates horizontally extending from lower extremities of said inlet and outlet blocking plates the length of said filter assemblies, between adjacent filter assemblies of said plurality and between end filter assemblies of said plurality and said housing, secured to said vertical perforate walls of said filter assemblies along lower horizontally extending margins thereof, for preventing granular adsorbent material from entering space between adjacent filter beds and between end filter beds and said housing, from below said filter beds;
• and
• (b) a sample canister comprising:
• (2) an imperforate conduit having inlet and outlet ends with a right-angle bend therebetween, said inlet end connected fluid-tightly to communicate with an orifice in an inlet blocking plate of said baffle means of said gas adsorber assembly to receive gas flowing horizontally thereinto before said gas passes through any of said filter assemblies;
• (2) a generally vertically oriented imperforate straight tube, of length at most equal to the distance by which said parallel vertical perforate walls of one of said filter assemblies are spaced apart, having inlet and outlet ends, said tube inlet end removably fluid-tightly connected to said conduit outlet end to receive vertically flowing gas therefrom for vertical flow through said tube, said tube including a mesh at said outlet end thereof for retaining a free-standing uncompressed column of sample granular particulate adsorbent material within said tube by preventing vertically downward flow of sample particulate adsorbent material contained therewithin;
• and
• (3) free-standing uncompressed granular particulate adsorbent material occupying the entire volume of said tube.