Recovery of enthalpy from hot industrial effluents
OwnerAlberto E. Molini, Clarence Zenerinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Pollutants are removed from a hot industrial effluent after which enthalpy is recovered from the hot effluent by converting a working fluid into a foam in a flashing unit and using the foam to propel a turbine. For liquid effluents the effluent itself serves as the working fluid. For gaseous effluents the scrubbing fluid used to remove pollutants is used as the working fluid.
Claims25
A method for concurrently recovering enthalpy and removing pollutants from a hot gaseous industrial effluent comprising:
- a. spraying the hot effluent with a scrubbing fluid to entrap within the fluid pollutants from the effluent,
- b. collecting the scrubbing fluid,
- c. cleansing the entrapped pollutants from the scrubbing fluid,
- d. conducting the scrubbing fluid into a flashing unit having an inlet and outlet and operating with a pressure differential between its inlet and its outlet such that the differential will induce flow within it,
- e. forming the scrubbing fluid into a foam,
- f. permitting the foam to flow within the flashing unit,
- g. separating the foam into its liquid and vapor phases,
- h. conducting the liquid phase to a turbine means,
- i. recovering the liquid phase,
- j. condensing the vapor to maintain the pressure differential, and
- k. recovering the condensed vapor.
A method for concurrently recovering enthalpy and removing pollutants from a hot liquid industrial effluent comprising:
- a. cleansing the hot effluent to remove pollutants therefrom,
- b. conducting the effluent into a flashing unit having an inlet and outlet and operating with a pressure differential between its inlet and outlet such that the differential will induce a flow of fluid within it,
- c. forming the effluent into a foam,
- d. permitting the foam to flow within the flashing unit,
- e. separating the foam into its liquid and vapor phases,
- f. conducting the liquid phase to a turbine means,
- g. recovering the liquid phase,
- h. conducting the vapor phase to a condenser for condensing the vapor,
- i. cooling the condensed vapor, and
- j. recovering the condensed vapor.
An apparatus for concurrently recovering enthalpy and removing pollutants from hot gaseous industrial effluents comprising:
- a. a scrubbing tower having (i) an input means and an output means for receiving and expelling the effluent (ii) an input means and output means for receiving and expelling a scrubbing agent,
- b. a cleaning unit for removing pollutants from the scrubbing agent which is expelled from the scrubbing tower,
- c. conduit means between the scrubbing tower and the cleaning unit for conducting expelled scrubbing agent from the scrubbing tower to the cleaning unit;
- d. a flashing unit operating with a pressure differential between its inlet and outlet in which the scrubbing agent can be formed into a foam, allowed to move, separated into its liquid and vapor phases and having means for separately expelling the liquid and vapor phases;
- e. conduit means between the cleaning unit and the flashing unit for conducting the scrubbing agent from the cleaning unit to the flashing unit,
- f. turbine means,
- g. conduit means between the flashing unit and turbine means for conducting the liquid phase to the turbine;
- h. conduit means between the turbine means and scrubbing tower for conducting the liquid phase from the turbine to the scrubbing tower, and
- i. means for collecting the vapor phase.
An apparatus for recovering energy and removing pollutants from hot liquid industrial effluents comprising:
- a. a cleaning unit for removing pollutants from the effluent,
- b. a flashing unit operating with a pressure differential between its inlet and outlet in which the scrubbing agent can be formed into a foam, allowed to rise, separated into its liquid and vapor phases and having means for separately expelling the liquid and vapor phases,
- c. conduit means between the cleaning unit and flashing unit for conducting the effluent from the cleaning unit to the flashing unit,
- d. turbine means,
- e. conduit means between the flashing and turbine means for conducting the liquid phase to the turbine,
- f. conduit means from the turbine means for expelling the liquid phase;
- and
- g. means for collecting the vapor phase.
A method for recovering enthalpy from a hot gas comprising:
- a. spraying the hot gas with a fluid,
- b. collecting the fluid,
- c. conducting the fluid into a flashing unit having an inlet and an outlet and operating with a pressure differential between its inlet and its outlet such that the differential will induce flow within the flashing unit,
- d. forming the fluid into a foam,
- e. permitting the foam to flow within the flashing unit,
- f. separating the foam into its liquid and vapor phases,
- g. conducting the liquid phase to a turbine means,
- h. recovering the liquid phase,
- i. condensing the vapor to maintain the pressure differential, and
- j. recovering the condensed vapor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.