Gas separation: processes – With control responsive to sensed condition – Concentration sensed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-25
2001-09-04
Simmons, David A. (Department: 1724)
Gas separation: processes
With control responsive to sensed condition
Concentration sensed
C095S149000, C095S217000, C096S244000, C096S265000, C261S111000, C261S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of pollution control systems.
More particularly, this invention relates to apparatus for removing contaminants from fluid.
In a further and more specific aspect, the present invention relates to a system and method for removing pollutants from a fluid.
2. Prior Art
Industrialized processes normally produce undesirably large measures or quantities of contaminants or pollutant material that can be toxic to the environment and highly odoriferous. Normally, the pollutants are carried within fluid that may be in the form of a liquid or a gas. In this regard, to control the odoriferous and toxic pollutants, various apparatus and systems have been devised to filter or otherwise remove pollutants from fluid.
Of particular concern are waste treatment facilities located near municipalities. Although necessary for the proper treatment of municipal wastewater and other potential waste material, waste treatment facilities produce large amounts of toxic and highly odoriferous gaseous emanations. In this regard, odor scrubbers have been devised to remove undesirable toxic and odoriferous pollutants from the gaseous emanations produced from waste treatment facilities for substantially eliminating foul smells, reducing worker exposure to hazardous compounds and reducing corrosion to the facility equipment.
The largest odor component released by waste treatment facilities is hydrogen sulfide. Other odorous compounds that may be generated when treating waste material include mercaptans, dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl di-sulfide and other uncharacterized organic sulfide based constituents. In addition to the foregoing toxic and odoriferous constituents, toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may also be produced. Nevertheless, the foregoing odorous and non-odorous compounds are treated using some form of removal technique. In this regard, most waste treatment plants are forced to deal with these compounds in addition to a variety of other air-borne contaminants that can be detrimental to the operation of odor removal systems. The current trend is to minimize releases into the atmosphere that may cause odor complaints from residential communities surrounding the waste treatment plant. Local air quality boards are also generating more stringent air quality guidelines due to increased federal requirements.
Current odor removal systems are expensive, difficult to construct and difficult to maintain. Although considerable effort has been invested toward the improvement of scrubber systems, existing scrubber system technology requires large amounts of energy, water, chemical reagents and maintenance in order to ensure proper operation. Therefore, the foregoing and other deficiencies replete throughout the art necessitate certain new and useful improvements.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful scrubber system and method for removing toxic and/or odoriferous pollutants from a fluid.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a scrubber system that is easy and relatively inexpensive to construct.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a scrubber system that utilizes a simple and efficient multi-stage scrubbing system.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a scrubber system that is highly efficient.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a scrubber system that is easy and inexpensive to maintain.
Yet still another object of the instant invention is to provide a scrubber system that conserves chemical reagents.
And a further object of the invention is to provide a scrubber system that is safe for workers and for municipalities.
Still a further object of the immediate invention is to provide a scrubber system that is dependable and requires little monitoring.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a scrubber system that conserves utilities and natural resources.
And still a further object of the invention is to provide a scrubber system that occasions no adverse environmental impacts as a result of operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of cleaning a sensor for monitoring a polluted fluid.
And another object of the present invention is to provide a method of monitoring a sensor for monitoring a polluted fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, to achieve the desired objects of the instant invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, provided is a scrubber for removing pollutants from a fluid and having an inlet for receiving the fluid and an outlet for emitting the fluid. The scrubber is generally comprised of a primary scrubber assembly coupled with the fluid intermediate the inlet and the outlet for removing a primary measure of pollutants from the fluid, and a secondary scrubber assembly coupled with the primary scrubber assembly intermediate the inlet and the outlet, the secondary scrubber assembly for removing a secondary measure of pollutants from the fluid.
The primary scrubber assembly may be comprised of a first stage scrubber coupled with the fluid intermediate the inlet and the outlet for removing a first measure of pollutants from the fluid, and a second stage scrubber coupled with the first stage scrubber intermediate the inlet and the outlet, the second stage scrubber for removing a second measure of pollutants from the fluid. In a particular embodiment, the first stage scrubber may include a housing, a source of a filtering agent coupled with the housing in fluid communication, and means for communicating the filtering agent into the housing, the filtering agent reactive with the pollutants to remove the first measure of pollutants from the fluid. The means for communicating the filtering agent into the housing of the first stage scrubber may include a pump mounted with the source of a filtering agent and the housing in fluid communication, and at least one dispersing element mounted for communicating the filtering agent from the pump into the housing. The present invention may further include a control assembly for monitoring the measure of pollutants present within the fluid adjacent the inlet and for actuating the pump to either increase or decrease the amount of filtering agent supplied to the housing in response to the measure of pollutants.
Regarding a preferred embodiment, the second stage scrubber may include a housing, a source of a filtering agent coupled with the housing in fluid communication and means for communicating the filtering agent into the housing, the filtering agent reactive with the pollutants to remove the second measure of pollutants from the fluid. Regarding the second stage scrubber, the means for communicating the filtering agent into the housing may include a pump mounted with the source of a filtering agent and the housing in fluid communication, and at least one dispersing element mounted for communicating the filtering agent from the pump into the housing. Further regarding the second stage scrubber, the present invention may also provide a control assembly for monitoring the measure of pollutants present within the fluid intermediate the second stage scrubber and the secondary scrubber assembly and for actuating the pump to either increase or decrease the amount of filtering agent supplied to the housing in response to the measure of pollutants.
The secondary scrubber assembly of the present invention may be comprised of a housing and a plurality of filtering layers carried by the housing, the plurality of filtering layers cooperating together to remove the secondary measure of pollutants from the fluid. The plurality of filtering layers are preferably mounted with the housing in substantially vertical series and are each comprised of a plurality of trays removably carried by the housing, and filtering media removably carried by each of the plurality of trays.
Consistent
Lamb Edward A.
Sorensen Ian W.
Goltry Michael W.
Hopkins Robert A.
Parsons Robert A.
Parsons & Goltry
Simmons David A.
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