Apparatus and method for liquid scrubbing contaminants from a gas flow
OwnerDan Hopkinsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scrubber more effectively mixes air or gas with water or a liquid cleaning agent to entrain and thereby clean contaminants from an airflow. An improved baffle-defining structure forces a more complete interaction between the air and water and buffets the mixture into an air/water mixing zone while preventing the water from collecting on an inner surface of the water scrubber and draining down out of the airflow path. A cyclonic, centrifugal dewatering apparatus removes the mist and residual contaminants after the water scrubbing removes most of the contaminants from the air.
Claims45
A scrubber for removing contaminants from a gas flow passing through the scrubber, comprising:
- a baffle-defining structure comprising a plurality of vertically spaced and interdigitated deflection plates which define a serpentine-shaped flow passageway through which contaminated gas flows generally upward;
- and
- a liquid distributor positioned above each passageway of the baffle-defining structure to flow liquid cleaning agent downward through each passageway and generally onto the deflection plates;
- the baffle-defining structure further comprising a plurality of vertically spaced deflection plates extending generally horizontally in the passageway, each deflection plate having a main portion sloping downward and an outer end lip portion extending from the main portion, vertically adjacent and consecutive deflection plates in the passageway extending in opposite directions with respect to one another, the vertically spaced deflection plates interdigitating with one another, and the lip portions horizontally overlapping the main portion of at least one vertically adjacent deflection plate to form the passageway in a serpentine manner having repeated alternating-direction turns around the lip portions of the deflection plates;
- the liquid flows off the lip portion of each deflection plate into and through the gas flow turning around the lip portion to mix the gas and the liquid and entrain contaminants in the gas flow with the liquid.
A scrubber for removing contaminants from a gas flow passing through the scrubber, comprising:
- a scrubber module having a flow passageway through which contaminated gas flows generally upward and through which a liquid cleaning agent flows generally downward by which to entrain contaminants from the gas flow within the liquid;
- and
- a cyclone connected to receive the gas flow from the scrubber module, the gas flow from the scrubber module containing a mist of the liquid, the cyclone centrifugally removing liquid from the air flow.
A method for liquid scrubbing contaminants from a gas flow containing contaminants flowing generally upward through a passageway while flowing a cleaning agent liquid generally downward through the passageway, comprising the steps of:
- turning the gas flow in the passageway through a serpentine-shaped flow path around exterior lip portions of overlapping deflection plates located in the passageway;
- flowing the liquid generally off of the lip portions of the deflecting plates;
- mixing the liquid flowing off of the lip portions in the gas flow turning around the lip portions;
- and
- entraining a substantial portion of the contaminants in the liquid.
A method for removing contaminants from a gas flow comprising the steps of:
- flowing a gas containing contaminants generally upward through a flow passageway;
- flowing a cleaning agent liquid generally downward through the passageway to entrain contaminants from the gas flow in the liquid;
- and
- removing a liquid mist remaining in the gas flow exiting from the passageway by centrifugal force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.