Patent ID: 6488899
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
In an absorber tower having a lower large diameter tank section for containing an absorbing liquid slurry rising to a liquid slurry level in the tank section, an upper smaller diameter absorber section where liquid scrubbing agent in the form of recycled liquid slurry and fresh liquid slurry is mingled with flue gas from which impurities are to be absorbed, a low pressure drop inlet assembly comprising:a conical transition structure extending at an angle between the lower large diameter tank section and the upper smaller diameter absorber section which forms a liquid tight and gas tight pathway for gases and liquids between the lower large diameter tank section and the upper smaller diameter absorber section, the upper smaller diameter absorber section limiting an area where the liquid slurry falls from the upper smaller diameter absorber section to a center of the lower large diameter tank section, leaving an annular transition area around the upper smaller diameter absorber section void of the falling liquid slurry and available for gas flow to provide the flue gas with a path of low resistance so that the flue gas spreads around the annular transition area and is evenly distributed around the upper smaller diameter absorber section; and an inlet housing connected to and communicating with the conical transition structure for inlet of flue gas into the absorber tower via the conical transition structure between the lower large diameter tank section and the upper smaller diameter absorber section, the inlet housing having a top plate which extends from about 1 to about 10 feet beyond a lower plate of the inlet housing to provide protection to the inlet housing from backflow of liquid slurry into the inlet housing.