A METHOD OF PURIFYING AIR FROM COMBUSTIBLE POLLUTANTS AND AN APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for purifying air polluted with combustible substances. In accordance with the teachings of the invention is used a device known as a ''combustion exchanger'', i.e. a device comprising an air-pervious, heat-accumulating bed in which the combustible pollutants, by reversing their direction of flow, contribute to sustaining the temperature of spontaneous combustion inside the bed in order to regenerate the regular purifying device in the form of an absorption bed. This is achieved by incorporating the latter in the channeling system of the combustion exchanger channeling system and by making heated and purified air pass from said exchanger through the absorption bed in a direction opposite to the direction of regular through-flow through the absorption bed.

Description: A METHOD OF PURIFYING AIR FROM COMBUSTIBLE POLLUTANTS AND AN APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD The present invention concerns a method of purifying air from combustible pollutants and an apparatus for per¬ forming said method. In cleaning air from combustible impurities, such as solvents present in the ventilating air emitted from painting or printing works, an old and well-known method is to burn the impurities by heating the air up to a suitabl temperature of reaction. However, such combustion consumes energy for the heating purposes. One method of reducing the energy that is required for this purpose is to utilize a regenerative combustion technique, preferably with the aid of an apparatus known as a "combustion exchanger", that is an apparatus comprising an air-pervious, heat-accu¬ mulating bed which may be heated up to the spontaneous combustion temperature of the impurities and in which bed the combustible impurities, by reversing their direction of flow, contribute to sustaining the spontaneous combustion temperature inside the bed. An apparatus of this kind is described e.g. in US-A-4,741 ,690. When the contents of pollutants in the air are com¬ paratively normal the combustion heat generated during the reaction is sufficient to supply the necessary thermal energy. When the contents are very low, which they may be in large ventilation systems, supplementary energy in the form of fuel or electricity must however be added. If large air flows are involved the required amount of energy may be considerable and consequently the operational costs may become very high. In case of such low concentrations it may be preferable to use some kind of absorption technique. This involves passing the polluted air through a layer of an absorbing material, such as carbon, zeolites or an absorbing polymer material. A disavantage connected with these methods is, however, that the absorbed pollutants must be resorbed and be driven off the absorption material with the aid of heat. Consequently all of the absorption material must be heated and warm nitrogen gas or other regeneration gas (frequently steam) must be added. Also in this case the required energy amounts may be comparatively large and the impurities in the regeneration gas must be treated in a separate system. The main purpose of the subject invention is to eliminate the disadvantages inherent in the purification methods outlined in the aforegoing and to provide an installation which may be used for cleaning of air wherein the contents of pollutants are very low, and which requires addition of only very small amounts of energy. In accordance with the invention this purpose is achieved by forcing the air to pass through a heat- regenerative absorption body which is arranged to absorb the pollutants and to allow passage-through of purified air, said absorption body being regenerated at intervals by connecting said absorption body to a channeling system of a device known as a "combustion exchanger", i.e. a device comprising an air-pervious, heat-accumulating bed which may be heated to the temperature of spontaneous combustion of the pollutants and in which bed the combustible pollutant contribute to sustaining the spontaneous combustion tempera¬ ture in the bed by reversing their direction of flow. This method may be realized with the aid of a device comprising means to effect the regeneration phase by communicating the channeling system of the combustion exchanger with the channeling system incorporating the absorption body. In accordance with the teachings of the invention the two air purifying systems mentioned initially thus have been combined, i.e. the energy-saving collection of the pollutants in an absorption bed is combined with the feature of making use of the reaction heat generated in a combustion exchanger for the purpose of regenerating the absorption bed. One embodiment of the invention will be described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: FIG. 1 illustrates an air-purification system incorpora ing, in accordance with the invention, a channeling system including an absorption body and a combustion exchanger connected to said channeling system, and FIG. 2 illustrates an absorption body combined with a filter. In Fig. 1 reference numeral 1 designates a cleaning installation generally, in which an absorption body 3 is positioned inside a housing 2. Numeral reference 4 designate a "combustion exchanger" generally. By "combustion exchanger should be understood an apparatus comprising an air-pervious, heat-accumulating bed which may be heated to the spontaneous combustion temperature of the pollutants and in which bed the combustible pollutants, owing to the reversal of their direction of flow, contribute to sustaining the spontaneous combustion temperature inside the bed. A device of this kind is described in US-A-4,741 ,690 and therefore does not need to be described in closer detail herein. By numeral reference 5 is designated a reversing valve which is designe to alternatingly communicate the two conduits 6 and 7 into communication with the conduits 8 and 9, respectively in- corporated in the combustion exchanger in order to thus reverse the flow of direction through the reaction bed included in the combustion exchanger. Reference numeral 10 designates the inlet conduit through which polluted air to be treated flows into the installation, and by numeral 11 is designated the outlet conduit through which treated air leaves the installation. By reference numeral 12 is designated a fan or similar means and by 13 a valve included in the conduit 10. Conduit 6 leading to the combustion exchanger is branched off from conduit 10 on the inlet side of the absorption installation 1 and the conduit 7 leading from the combustion exchanger debouches into the outlet conduit 11 on the outlet side of the absorption device. By reference numeral 14 is designated a circulation fan included in the conduit circuit 6, 7. By 15 is designated a supply line for intake of air, rich in oxygen, in order to improve the combustion in the combustion exchanger 4. A valve 16 is inserted in the air supply line 15. In Fig. 2 the absorption body is designated by numeral reference 3 like in the preceding drawing figure. However, in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 2 the absorption body is supplemented by a filter body 16 which is positioned on the inlet side and which is designed to trap dust particles from the air to be treated entering through the inlet channel 10. During normal operational conditions the installation functions in the following manner: The polluted air is propelled by a fan 12 through the absorbing material 3 in which the polluted material is trapped while the treated, cleaned air exits through the outlet channel 11. In order to increase the flow capacity, the combustion exchanger 4 may be operated simultaneously without de-parting from the inventive idea, in which case part of the air passes through the exchanger via the channels 6 and 7 and con¬ sequently this air flow, too, is cleaned. Owing to the connection of the combustion exchanger 4 in parallel with the regular cleaning system, the absorption device 1 need not be dimensioned for maximum capacity conditions, since peak loads may be handled by the combustion exchanger. In the treatment of pollutants which are low in energy it is, however, preferable to pass the entire flow through the absorption device 1 to the extent that the capacity thereof is sufficient. The installation may be run in this manner until the absorbing bed 3 becomes too saturated to clean the air efficiently. At this stage, the bed must be regenerated. Preferably, this is affected at intervals, such as once every 24 hours, preferably at night, or once a week, depending on the contents in pollutants, on the air flow and on the size of the bed. For the purposes of regeneration clean air is forced to flow in a reverse flow from the combustion exchanger 4 via the channel 7 and through the absorption medium 3, where it picks up pollutants which, in a highly concentrated form, together with the air flow via the channel 6 into the combustion exchanger 4, wherein it is cleaned in order to be recirculated repeatedly by passing through the absorption bed. When the air passes through the combustion exchanger it is heated by the reaction bed of the combustion exchanger. The circulating air and also the absorption bed 3 thus are heated successively which facilitates the regeneration process. For the supply of oxygen required for the combustion and in order to adjust the temperature, some of the circulating air is replaced by fresh air through intake of air via the valve 16 while the corresponding amount is exhausted through the regular outlet channel 11. In this manner, regeneration of the absorption the pollutants are effected simultaneously at low energy con¬ sumption levels. An advantageous feature of the invention is the ability of the combustion exchanger to operate economically without supply of supplementary fuel, also when the contents of pollutants are comparatively low, which is due to the concentration of combustible pollutants that is obtained during the regenerative circulation. A central feature of the invention is that combustion inside the combustion exchanger may be effected economically, also when the contents of pollutants in the circulating regeneration air are low, with the result that the tempera¬ ture of the latter may be maintained at a comparatively low temperature. The low concentration and the low tempera¬ ture reduce the fire hazards and make it unnecessary to use inert gases or steam to effect the regeneration, which otherwise is customary in the regeneration of absorption beds and which is mainly responsible for the high investment and operational costs. When one wishes to operate the purifying equipment continously, it may be fitted with two or more absorption beds, one bed being regenerated with the aid of the com¬ bustion exchanger part whereas the other one purifies the air. In some cases the polluted air is laden with dust particles which tend to adhere to the absorption material and not to be loosen therefrom during the regeneration phase. In order to prevent such particles from passing through the absorption material, the absorption bed may be supplemented with a filter body 16 positioned on the inlet side, as appears from Fig. 2. The filter body 16 could be a layer of filter material, such as paper, rockwool, wood fiber or similar material which is deposited on top of the absorption bed 3. Preferably, the filter layer is exchangeable and may be replaced by fresh material when the old one is too laden by particles. By using a cheap filter material it is thus possible to prolong the useful and servicable life of the more expensive absorption material. In order to prevent interruption of the cleaning operation upon reversals of the flow directions through the combustion exchanger and also to prevent air from being admitted to the atmosphere in non-purified condition while the change-over takes place, the valve 16 may be made to close for some seconds in connection with this change of direction. The entire uncleaned volume of air is then recirculated to the combustion exchanger, whereby the overall cleaning level is raised. The invention is not limited to the single embodiment described in the aforegoing and illustrated in the drawing but may be varied as to its details within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the inventive idea.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 25 February 1991 (25.02.91); original claims 1 and 2 replaced by amended claim 1; claims 6 and 7 replaced by amended claim 6; remaining claims unchanged but renumbered accordingly (3 pages) ] 1. A method of purifying air from combustible pollutants, c h a r a c t e r i z e d by forcing the air through a heat-regenerative absorption body (3) which is arranged to absorb said pollutants and allow passage-through of purified air, said absorption body being regenerated at intervals by connecting said absorption body to the channeling system (6,7) of a device known as a "combustion exchanger", i.e. device comprising an air-pervious, heat-accumulating bed which may be heated to the temperature of spontaneous combustion of the pollu¬ tants and in which bed the combustible pollutants contribute to sustaining the spontaneous combustion temperature in the bed by reversal of their direction of flow, in that air, rich in oxygen, is supplied during the regeneration phase to the circuit of circulation through the combustion exchanger (4) and the absorption body (3) . 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that the supply to the absorption body (3) of air to be purified is interrupted during the regenerating phase. 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that a plurality of absorption bodies (3), interconnected in parallel, are inserted in the system in mutually parallel channeling systems, and in that said bodies (3) are alternatingly regenerated in such a manner that the system is capable of non-interrupted through-flow and purification of polluted air. 4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the regenerat- ing flow is guided in counter-current flow with the regular flow of air through the absorption filter (3). 5. An apparatus for performing the method as claimed in claim 1, i.e. for purification of air from combustible pollutants, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises a heat-regenerative absorption body (3) which is designed to absorb said combustible pollutants, and a device known as a "combustible exchanger" (4), i.e. a device containing a heat-accumulating, air-pervious bed which may be heated to the temperature of spontaneous combustion of said pollutants, in which bed the combustible pollutants, by reversing their direction of flow, contribute to sustaining the temperature of spontaneous combustion inside the bed, as well as devices for maintaining communication between the absorption bed and the combustion exchanger for the purpose of regenerating the absorption bed, in addition to which inlets (15) are provided for admission of air, rich in oxygen, into the regeneration circuit (6,4,7,1). 6. A device as claimed in claim 5, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that it comprises means (14) controlling the direction of flow inside the regenerating circuit in counter-current flow to the regular through-flow direction through the absorption body (3), i.e. in the course of the regular purification phase. 7. A device as claimed in any one of claim 5 or 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that means (13) are provided for interrupting the regular through-flow through the absorption filter (3) during the regeneration phase. 8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 5-7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the absorption filter (3) is combined with a replaceable dust-separation filter (16). 9. A device as claimed in claim 5, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that means (13) are provided to close said inlets that admit air, rich in oxygen, during the change of flow direction through the combustion exchanger (4). 10. A device as claimed in any one of claims 5-9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it comprises at least two absorption bodies (3) inserted in parallel systems, and means for alternatingly incorporating said absorption bodies into the regenerating circuit.

Inventors: HEED BJOERN, HEED, BJOERN
Applicants: HEED BJOERN, HEED, BJOERN
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B01D53
IPC codes: B01D53, F23G7