Gas trap for removing atmospheric pollutants and method of operation

A method of removing pollutants from a continuous flow of gas comprising:

• providing a hermetically restricted passageway with cross-sectional dimensions sufficiently small to prolong the free flow of gas bubbles rising in a liquid reactant and entering said passageway from a lower chamber of larger cross-sectional dimensions, but large enough to substantially prevent the creation of back pressure at the entrance to said passageway;
• said passageway being connected to a second, upper chamber of cross-sectional dimensions, substantially larger than said passageway, thereby forming a hermetic enclosure;
• said lower chamber communicating with an inlet to said enclosure at a point below the entrance to said passageway and said upper chamber communicating with an outlet to said enclosure above said passageway,
• maintaining said inlet and outlet open for continuous gas flow into said inlet, through said enclosure and out of said outlet,
• filling said enclosure with a liquid reactant for reacting with said pollutants to a point including at least the lower portion of said upper chamber;
• and introducing said continuous flow of gas into said enclosure below said passageway whereby gas bubbles are formed in and rise through said reactant;
• whereby the upward movement of said gas bubbles is prolonged by the restricted passageway, thus providing a longer exposure time for said bubbles to said reacting fluid.

A gas trap comprising:

• a hermetic enclosure having top and bottom portions and at least one vertically disposed and connected chamber therebetween,
• said enclosure further including a substantially vertical restricted passageway in communication with the top of said at least one chamber and the top portion of said enclosure, and
• wherein the largest cross-sectional dimension of said restricted passageway is substantially less than that of the largest cross-sectional dimension of said at least one chamber;
• a reacting fluid filling said at least one chamber and substantially filling said passageway;
• a discharge outlet in said enclosure above said passageway;
• inlet means for introducing gas to be treated into said enclosure at a point below said passageway whereby said gas is formed into bubbles when said reactant fills said at least one chamber and substantially fills said passageway;
• said discharge outlet and inlet means both being open for continuous gas flow into said inlet means, through said enclosure and out of said discharge outlet;
• and the largest cross-sectional dimension of said passageway being small enough so as to impede the free flow of said gas bubbles at a point below said passageway but large enough to prevent substantial back pressure from being created in said gas trap due to said impeding;
• whereby the upward movement of gas to be treated, which is introduced into said enclosure is prolonged by the restricted passageway, thereby providing a longer exposure of the pollutants to the reacting fluid.