System for recovering and disposing of volatile organic contaminants from water containing such contaminants, which system includes:
- A) water supply means for supplying water to said system and capable of being connected to a supply of water contaminated with minor amounts of volatile organic components;
- B) a furnace and a heat exchange means, said heat exchange means disposed within said frame, said heat exchange means having a first inlet connected to said water supply means, having a first internal volume for heating said contaminated water by indirect heat exchange with hot product water, said internal volume communicating with a first outlet, and also having a second inlet, said second inlet communicating with a second internal volume in heat exchange relation with said first internal volume, and a second outlet communicating with said second internal volume;
- C) an upright stripping vessel containing packing or trays for contacting contaminated water with a stripping gas, said vessel having a water inlet and a gas outlet each disposed in the upper part of said vessel and having a water outlet and a gas inlet disposed in the lower part of said vessel;
- D) a conduit for stripping vessel feed water connecting the first outlet of said heat exchange means to the water inlet of said vessel;
- E) steam supply means disposed to supply steam from said furnace and connected to said conduit for vessel feed water for heating wagers in said conduit to a desired temperature;
- F) a conduit for vessel product water connecting the water outlet from said vessel with the second inlet of said heat exchange means;
- G) a conduit connected to the second outlet of said heat exchange means for passing water having reduced level of volatile organic contaminants from the system;
- H) means for supplying gas connected to said gas inlet of said stripping vessel for stripping volatile organic contaminants from water in said stripping vessel;
- I) at least one adsorber vessel containing a bed of solid adsorbent capable of selectively adsorbing the volatile organics from the contaminated gas;
- J) a conduit for stripper vessel product gas connecting the gas outlet of the stripping vessel to said at least one adsorber vessel;
- K) a vent to the atmosphere form said adsorber vessel;
- L) a valved inlet into said adsorber vessel on the other side of the adsorber vessel from said vent, said inlet being connected to said conduit for stripper vessel product gas;
- M) a valved conduit from said adsorber vessel, connecting the inlet side of said bed to the inlet of said furnace;
- N) means for passing backwash air through said bed for desorbing volatile organics therefrom and discharging said desorbed organics in said furnace;
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- O) means for stopping said discharge of backwash air to said furnace when the organics are substantially desorbed from the bed.