Method and apparatus for solar destruction of toxic and hazardous materials
AssigneeFocus Environmental Systems
InventorGeorge W. Gibson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Toxic and hazardous organic materials are photochemically and thermally changed into innocuous and environmentally acceptable products through the proper application of solar energy. The present invention is especially well-suited for the destruction of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) which are resistant to conventional incineration. The method and apparatus described herein are also capable of handling liquids, solids or vapors, with only minor operating modifications. In an enhanced alternative, the rate of oxidation is controlled through the entire transformation process, or portions thereof, to reduce energy needs in de-toxifying biological or chemical ordinance or the like.
Claims40
An apparatus for the destruction of toxic and hazardous materials having specific chemical bonding energies, comprising:
- a reactor comprising a reaction chamber and defining a reaction zone within said reaction chamber;
- a transparent window set in one surface of said reactor, said window being transparent to solar radiation at the wave lengths corresponding to the bonding energies of said materials;
- means for collecting solar radiation, directing solar radiation into said reaction chamber through said transparent window, concentrating said solar radiation to within said reaction zone, and focusing solar energy in said reaction zone;
- means for feeding toxic and hazardous materials into said reaction chamber of said reactor at said reaction zone;
- means for controlling the rate of oxidation of said materials within said reaction chamber;
- and
- means for withdrawing byproducts of said toxic and hazardous materials from said reaction chamber;
- wherein the high intensity specific wave length energy present in said concentrated sunlight breaks chemical bonds in said toxic and hazardous materials and accelerates decomposition of the chemical compounds of said toxic and hazardous materials, degrading said compounds in direct proportion to the original concentration of the compounds.
An apparatus for the destruction of toxic and hazardous materials having specific chemical bonding energies, comprising:
- a reactor comprising a reaction chamber and defining a reaction zone within said reaction chamber;
- means for feeding said materials to said reaction zone of said reaction chamber;
- means for collecting and directing solar radiation into said reaction chamber and concentrating said solar radiation within said reaction zone so that the high intensity specific wave length energy present in said concentrated solar radiation facilitates breakage of the chemical bonds in said materials and accelerates decomposition of the chemical compounds of said materials;
- means for controlling the rate of oxidation of said materials in the vicinity of said reaction zone within said reaction chamber;
- and
- means for withdrawing byproducts of said materials from said reaction chamber.
In a system including a working chamber, a method for destruction of toxic and hazardous materials, comprising:
- feeding said materials into a working chamber;
- collecting and filtering solar energy and focusing said filtered solar energy into said working chamber to directly act upon said materials in said working chamber;
- controlling the rate of oxidation within said working chamber;
- and
- exhausting the byproducts of said materials out of said working chamber while minimizing any need for any large volumes of gaseous throughput through said working chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.