Patent ID: 7677185
Filing Date: 2010-03-16
Classification: B01D,B01J,C10G

Abstract:
1. A system for neutralizing liquid and gas phase chemical waste products that result from a chemical production process and are collected from the production line, said system comprising: a pyrolysis/reaction chamber having opposed first and second facing side walls and a top wall, and having at least one first opening in the first facing side wall, a plasma torch having electrodes inserted through each said opening in the first facing side wall for creating a plasma in said chamber directed toward said second facing wall, at least one second opening in the second facing side wall oriented toward the plasma torch, and a third opening in the top wall of said chamber; electrical means for supplying current and voltage to the plasma torch for generating plasma in the chamber; a pre-pyrolysis subsystem comprising a first inlet to receive liquid and gas phase chemical waste products from a chemical production line; a first inlet conduit connected to said first inlet and to each second opening in said second facing wall; a valve connected to regulate the flow rate in the first inlet conduit, and a variable speed pump to pump chemical waste products from said first inlet through said first inlet conduit to each said second opening in said second facing wall and into said pyrolysis/reaction chamber; a post-pyrolysis subsystem comprising an exit conduit connected to said third opening in the top wall of said chamber, and means connected to said exit conduit for separating and/or neutralizing various components of gaseous mixture that exits said pyrolysis/reaction chamber through said third opening; a plurality of sensors for sensing and outputting signals indicative of a plurality of system parameters selected from the group consisting of pressure in an inlet conduit; flow rate in an inlet conduit; current being applied to said plasma torch, voltage of said plasma torch, inter-electrode distance of a plasma torch, interelectrode distance between a plurality of plasma torches; flow rate of plasma forming gas; temperature of gas stream in said post-pyrolysis subsystem, pressure of gas stream in said post-pyrolysis subsystem, and composition of gas stream in said post-pyrolysis subsystem; a control unit for storing information and performing computations responsive to signals output by the plurality of sensors to control the system by maintaining a constant flow rate of waste into said pyrolysis/reaction chamber; adjusting the flow rate of plasma forming gas, maintaining a predetermined plasma temperature; and optimizing the operation of said post-pyrolysis system; a display system for displaying signals indicative of output by said sensors; and an atomizer attached to the end of each said inlet conduit connected to the second opening of the second facing side wall, said atomizer pointing into said chamber directly opposite said plasma torch for atomizing liquid and gas phase chemical waste being pumped through said inlet conduit as a jet of small droplets directly into plasma being created by the plasma torch, whereby the molecules of the jet of small droplets are instantaneously disassociated by the plasma into their constituent atoms or ions, which rise in the chamber toward the third opening in the top wall while recombining to form a gas phase of stable molecules, which exits the pyrolysis/reaction chamber via the third opening and is processed by the post-pyrolysis subsystem.