Patent ID: 6530979
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: B01D,F23J

Abstract:
A flue gas cleaner apparatus for removing liquids and solids from flue gases and comprising:a source of flue gas to be cleaned and at a flue gas source pressure; a source of liquid water at a pressure greater than the flue gas source pressure; an expander engine means for producing a power output from the flow of flue gases therethrough, and comprising power absorber means for absorbing said power output, and comprising an expander inlet, and an expander outlet; flue gas mixer means for mixing water into flue gas, and comprising a flue gas inlet, a flue gas outlet, at least one water inlet; a flow connection from said liquid water source to one of said water inlets of said flue gas mixer; said flue gas mixer means being interposed between said source of flue gas and said expander inlet, with a flow connection from said source of flue gas to said mixer flue gas inlet, a flow connection from said mixer flue gas outlet to said expander inlet; a vacuum chamber comprising a gas inlet and a gas outlet; at least one separator means for separating solid and liquid portions from gas portions of said flue gas, and comprising a separator gas inlet, a separator gas outlet, and a separated liquid and solids outlet; a flue gas receptor for cleaned flue gas, at a receptor pressure, and comprising a receptor inlet; a compressor means for compressing flue gases up to said receptor pressure, and comprising compressor drive means for driving said compressor, a compressor inlet, and a compressor outlet; a receiver for separated solid and liquid portions of said flue gas at a receiver pressure, and comprising a receiver inlet; a condensate pump means for pumping separated liquids and solids up to said receiver pressure, and comprising a condensate pump inlet, a condensate pump outlet, a condensate pump drive means for driving said condensate pump, and unidirectional flow means for causing flow to occur only from said pump inlet to said pump outlet; a flow connection from said expander outlet to said gas inlet of said vacuum chamber; a flow connection from said vacuum chamber gas outlet to said compressor inlet; a flow connection from said compressor outlet to said receptor inlet; whereby a flue gas flow path is created with flue gas flowing from said flue gas source through said flue gas mixer means, through said expander means, into said vacuum chamber, through said compressor means, and into said flue gas receptor, with the pressure in the vacuum chamber being less than the flue gas source pressure, and also less than the flue gas receptor pressure; each said separator means being interposed at some position between said expander inlet and said compressor outlet, within said flue gas flow path, so that flue gas flows through each said separator means, from said separator gas inlet to said separator gas outlet; a flow connection from each said separator liquid outlet to said condensate pump inlet; a flow connection from said condensate pump outlet to said receiver inlet; wherein said expander means and said compressor means first expand, and then recompress, flue gas flowing therethrough, so that the ratio of said flue gas source pressure, to said pressure in the vacuum chamber, exceeds the saturation pressure ratio of the flue gas entering said expander means.