Method and apparatus for removing smog and smoke

March 23, 1971 j. f. mercer 3,572,264

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMOG AND SMOKE

Filed Sept. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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FIG. 1

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FIG. 2

INVENTOR

JOE F MERCER

BY

ATTORNEY ^X

March 23, 1971 j. _F. mercer 3,572,264

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMOG AND SMOKE

Filed Sept. 11, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

<img file="US3572264A_D0003.tif" />

FIG. 3

INVENTOR . :

JOE, F. MERCER ' ATTORNEY '

United States Patent Office

3,572,264

Patented Mar. 23, 1971

3,572,264 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMOG AND SMOKE Joe F. Mercer, 302 E. Wallace St., Gonzales, Tex. 78629 Filed Sept. 11,1969, Ser. No. 857,127 Int. Cl. F23g 3/00 U.S. CI. 110—8 4 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An improved method and apparatus for receiving the effluent or smoke discharge from a smoke stack or incinerator and removing visible smoke and suspended particles by washing and filtering the products of burning including a method of re-circulating the burned gases from the cleaning process into the combustion chamber.

Various devices have been designed for controlling the discharge from smoke stacks and incinerators; many of which involve complicated costly equipment. The method and device of this invention incorporates two embodiments which are closely related in that identical components are used; however, the structure and arrangement and method varies.

(1) The first embodiment receives the effluent or smoke from the incinerator or stack, passes the burned gases through a U-shaped washing tower, propels the gases by blower through a conduit into a washing filter and into a discharge stack (FIG. 1).

(2) The second embodiment or method utilizes a similar combination; however, the products of burning is recycled, washed, filtered and returned into the incinerator as disclosed in FIG. 3. This re-cycling process possesses certain advantages in maintaining the discharged gases at an elevated temperature reducing condensation in the components.

(3) In an area of abundance of water, a fresh supply of water may be used in the washing towers as well as the washing filter with run-off discharged into a drain or otherwise recovered or processed. If water conservation is a problem, the fluids may be re-cycled, filtered and reused by means of a device of the type illustrated in FIG. 2.

One object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, uncomplicated method and device for removing objectionable residue from a smoke stack or an incinerator discharge.

A second object is to provide the relative small, inexpensive incinerator free of objectionable smoke embodying a re-cycling of the burning gases through the washing and filtering process in removing the objectionable burned products from the gases.

For a detailed description and construction of various embodiments of the device, particular reference is made to the attached drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of one embodiment of the device partially fragmented and schematic.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a sub-combination of an embodiment of the device partially fragmented and schematic illustrating a re-cycling of the washing fluid employing an auxiliary fluid filter.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an embodiment of the device partially fragmented and schematic illustrating a recycling of the burned gases into the incinerator or furnace.

The improved method and the construction of the various embodiments and their operations will be described in detail in which reference will be made to the several views referred to above wherein like reference characters refer to identical or equivalent components through60 out the several views in the following detailed description.

The first device and method referred to incorporates a conventional incinerator or furnace 10. Attached to the smoke stack or discharge of the incinerator 10 is the intake 11 of the washing tower 12. The tower 12 may be constructed of a variety of types of piping or tubing. The intake arm 13 of the washing tower 12 extends downward and into a base leg 14 which includes a drain 15. The washing tower 12 then projects upward through the exhaust arm 16. Projecting into the intake 13 and the exhaust arms 16 are a multiplicity of fluid spray nozzles 17. These nozzles 17 are similar in construction to the nozzle of a garden hose or spray gun set to atomize or fog an area. In a preferred embodiment of the device, improved results were obtained with an extremely fine spray approaching a mist or fog like discharge. The nozzles 17 are mounted on pipe or tubing 18 which is connected to an external high pressure fluid supply (not shown). The spray nozzles 17 are mounted in the center of the intake 13 and the exhaust arm 16 of the washing tower 12. Nozzles 17 discharge downward in the tower 12 and should be so constructed as to emit a spray filling the entire passageway in the tower 12.

Attached to the washing tower 12 is a blower intake conduit 19 which connects to a centrifugal blower 20 or air pump. The blower discharge conduit 21 projects into a filter chamber 22 and discharges in the lower area of the filter medium 23. This filter medium 23 is supported in the filter chamber 22 by a screen or grill 24. This structure creates a fluid recess 25 in chamber 22. Positioned above the filter medium 23 is a multiplicity of filter spray nozzles 26 which are also connected by a pipe or tubing 18 to an external source of high pressure fluid (not shown). The gases discharged from the filter chamber 22 are discharged into the atmosphere through the stack 27. The fluid from washing tower 12 and the filter chamber 22 is collected through drain tubes 28 and discharged or further processed as desired.

A cleaning and re-cycling of the fluid into the device described above might well be accomplished in a manner similar to the structure disclosed in FIG. '2. The fluids from the washing tower 12 or the filter chamber 22 may be re-cycled in the system by means of drain pumps 29 through drain tube 28 and the pipe 18 creating a source of high pressure fluid (not shown). Fluid discharge from the filter chamber 22 can, in the process, be pumped into a filter bed 30. Fluid is preferably sprayed or disbursed over the cleaning medium 31 by dispensing nozzles 26. Cleaning medium 31 is preferably sand, crushed graphite ore, anthracite. The filtering of the fluid through the cleaning medium 31 will result in a reusable fluid. The filter bed 30 may be cleaned by back washing which is well known in the art and need not be described in detail. The filter bed 30 is constructed with a discharge 32 which is connected through a re-cycling tubing 33 to a re-cycling pump 34. In this re-cycling configuration, the pipe or tube 18 supplying the primary system first described can be connected to the re-cycling tubing 33 or the re-cycling pump 34 in this re-cycling embodiment of the invention.

For a description of the construction operation of the method and embodiment of the device re-cycling the gases into the combustion chamber 35 of the incinerator or furnace 10, reference is made to FIG. 3. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 visualizes a relatively small, compact incinerator 10 of somewhat conventional construction including a door 36, grate 37 and ash door 38, exhaust stack 39. Attached to incinerator 10 at the upper most extremity opposite the exhaust stack 39 is the intake 11 of the washing tower 12. This washing tower 12 is constructed and functions exactly as previously described in the embodiment first mentioned. The exhaust arm 16

3,572,264 of the washing tower 12 in this second embodiment in essence terminates in discharge conduit 21 projecting into the filter medium 23 in the filter chamber 22. Filter spray nozzles 26 are employed above the filter medium 23. A structure similarly positioned to the discharge stack 27 of the first embodiment is the blower intake conduit 19. The blower intake conduit 19 is connected to the blower 20 by an air inlet conduit 40, mounted in the air inlet conduit 40 is a slidingly adjustable air inlet door 41. The blower 20 receives the filtered smoke or effluent from the filter chamber 22 mixed with fresh air and discharges the air and filtered effluent mixture into the combustion chamber 35 of the incinerator 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the exhaust stack 39 was approximately one-half (½) the cross section of the intake 11 of the washing tower 12 and the blower inlet conduit 19 and blower discharge conduit 21. This ratio resulted in a recycling of the vast majority of the smoke, burned gases, or effluent prior to discharge through exhaust stack 39. Even in the instance of burning diesel fuel in a smudge fire condition, the emissions of the exhaust stack 39 was clear.

Having described my invention in detail in two embodiments and suggested one auxiliary modification the method and apparatus desired to be claimed is as defined in the appended claims.