Improved regenerative thermal oxidizer

Abstract: A regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) is constructed to receive polluted waste gases from an industrial process, cleanse the gas and permit cleansed gas to exit the RTO to the environment. The RTO includes a lower section (18) having an inlet to receive polluted or incoming gas, and a centrally positioned rotary distributor (20) in the lower section for cooperation in controlling gas flow via a segmented center section. The rotary distributor is substantially smaller than the lower section and is of a substantially smaller cross section. Incoming gas is directed to a middle section segment(s), fills the segment(s) and then flows through a peripheral opening to a segmented upper section (30) where it passes through a heat exchanger (38) to a combustion chamber where it is oxidized or cleansed. From there cleansed gas passes through another upper section segment (40) through a heat exchanger (42) and back to center section segment(s). In the center section the cleansed gas flows to the rotary distributor where it is divided into outgoing and purge gases. The outgoing gas flows through the rotor to a manifold and then to an outlet. The purge gas flows through a purge segment in the rotor to a center discharge pipe. From the pipe the purge gas is directed to a conduit for exiting the RTO and the purge gas is then recycled to the incoming gas to the RTO.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for efficiently cleaning polluted Waste gases from an industrial process, and more particularly to an apparatus known as a regenerative thermal oxidizer (hereinafter an RTO). it is desirable to clean polluted gases which exit an industrial process so as to emit or release clean gases to the environment. There are many devices which provide cleaned gases. See for example, U.S. Patents 3,172,251; 3,914,088; 3,997,294; 4,280,416; 4,454,826; 4,650,414; 4,678,643; 4,850,862; 4,867,949; 5,016,547; 5,024,817; 5,163,829; and German Patent 133,704. See also European patent document No. 0 548 630 Al, which discloses a regenerative thermal oxidizer. Incineration systems may employ a combustion chamber to burn or incinerate incoming polluted gases and related delivery and valving mechanisms. There is an inlet to receive incoming polluted gas and a structure or mechanism to direct the incoming gas to a combustion chamber. In some systems the incoming gas passes through heat exchanger material (which has been heated) before it reaches the combustion chamber to raise the incoming gas temperature. In the combustion chamber the gas is burned Or cleaned and the cleansed or outgoing gas is directed, sometimes, through heat exchanger material, where it gives up heat and then to an outlet for outgoing cleaned gas. The heat exchanger materials are used to transfer heat from the outgoing gas to the incoming gas. It has been found to be desirable to segment the combustion chamber construction and sequentially pass incoming gas to selected segments and receive outgoing gas from other, generally oppositely positioned, selected segments. This is sometimes done using a distribution device which may be rotary. It has also been found to be desirable to purge a segment before cleaned or outgoing gas passes through that segment. The purge gas is usually from external sources. Rotary valving for the sequential delivery of incoming and purge gases and expulsion of outgoing gas is shown. Also see for example U.S. Patents 4,280,416 and 5,016,547. European Patent document 0548630A1 discloses an RTO device where the purge gas is drawn from the cleaned outgoing gas and exits an upper section via a rotating segment that is as large in radius as the RTO housing. Gas passes directly from the heat exchanger material in the upper section to the rotating segment. The features of the present invention are set out in Claim 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) showing parts of the lower section in phantom or by broken line; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lower section of the RTO with the inlet, outlet and rotary distributor shown; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the rotary distributor shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the interior of the RTO and depicting the gas flow path; Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4 and showing the center section; and Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view, similar to Figure 5, taken along line 6-6 of Figure 4 and showing the lower section with the inlet, outlet, purge conduit and distributor. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown a RTO 10 that is generally vertical, cylindrical and elongated and has an inlet 12 for polluted or incoming gas and an outlet 14 for cleansed or outgoing gas. A combustion chamber is provided at the top of the RTO and is suggested by the flame 16. Referring now to Figure 4 and 6, incoming gas enters the RTO via inlet 12 and flows into a plenum or space 18 defined by the lower section. The incoming gas fills the plenum and flows to a centrally-positioned rotary distributor 20 generally and is deflected by the angular plate 22 to the center section 26. A wall-like partition or plate 25 separates the lower and center sections and there is provided a central opening 24 in the plate. The center section is somewhat disc-like, cylindrical, stationary and defines eleven (11) pie-shaped segments. 'Incoming gas enters a segment or segments of the center section at the center and fills the segment. The gas flows toward the periphery to a peripheral opening such as 28 in the upper plate 29. An opening such as 28 is provided for each segment and leads to the upper section 30. The upper section 30 is also segmented into 11 pie-shaped sogments which are aligned with the center section segments and the peripheral opening such as 28. Each segment in the upper section has a small space 34 adjacent the opening such as 28. A perforated metal plate 36 that supports heat exchange material also defines the top of the space. Each upper section segment is filled with heat exchange material, such as ceramic granules 38. The perforated plate 36 acts as a support for the ceramic. The incoming gas flows through the heat exchange material or granules 38 to the combustion chamber 16 where the pollutants are oxidized, The heat exchange material has been previously heated and thus the incoming gas picks up heat. The incoming polluted and heated gas is then burned, oxidized and forms outgoing or cleansed gas which passes through the other segment 40 and the heat exchange material 42. The segment(s) for the incoming gas may be diametrically opposite the segment(s) for the outgoing gas. The cleansed gas exits the upper section via an opening such as 28 and enters the center section via peripheral opening 31. As it exits the upper section, the outgoing gas loses heat to the heat exchange material. As will be recalled, the center section is segmented, the outgoing gas fills the segment, passes to the center and then down through the center opening 24 and to the rotary distributor 20. From the distributor, the cleansed gas passes to the exit 14. A small portion of the cleansed gas is separated from the outgoing gas and becomes purge gas. The purge gas is directed to the center of the rotary distributor and then outwardly through the purge gas conduit 44. The Rotary pistributor In considering the rotary distributor 20, reference is made to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 6. The rotary distributor 20 is a cylindrical member which is adapted to rotate about a central axis. Its outside diameter is significantly less than the housing diameter or the distance from the center to the periphery of the housing. Rotation in this embodiment is in a counter-clockwise direction. A motor drive and transmission shaft arrangement 46 generally located on the outside of the housing drives or rotates the distributor. The rotor is positioned between a stationary manifold 48 in the lower section and a stationary segmented grate-like member 50 that is mounted at the center of plate 25 that forms the lower section/middle section interface. The rotor itself is made up of a cylindrically shaped body 54 and a circular or disc-like distribution plate 56 that is secured to the top of the body by elongated screw-like members such as 58 and 60. The rotary distributor transmits, provides communication and distributes gas between the lower section and segments of the center section. The body 54 includes a formed and partially cylindrical housing part that defines the angle or deflection plate 22, a purge gas receiving segment 64 and a large arc-shaped outgoing gas section 66. It is noted that the outgoing gas section is open at the top to receive outgoing gas and is open at the bottom to permit the outgoing gas to flow through the rotor into the manifold 48. The purge gas section is pie-shaped, has a bottom plate 68 which closes the bottom and an open center pipe 70 that communicates with the segment 64 and a conduit 72 in the manifold 48. From Figure 4 it is seen that the outgoing gas fills the body interior, and passes through the body to the manifold 48 and from there to the exit 14. From Figures 2 and 6, it is seen that the purge gas flows into the segment 64, fills the segment, flows to the center pipe 70 and through the center pipe to the purge conduit 44. Incoming gas enters the inlet 12, fills the lower section 18, surrounds the rotary distributor 20 and is deflected by plate 22 through the grate 50 to the center section. The distributor plate 56 includes an elongated arc-shaped incoming gas aperture 74, a small pie-shaped purge gas segment aperture 76, and a large arc-shaped outgoing gas aperture 78. It is to be noted that the incoming aperture 74 is generally opposite the outgoing gas aperture 78. Moreover, the incoming aperture is smaller than the outgoing aperture 78. The purge aperture 76 is positioned between the incoming gas aperture 74 and outgoing gas aperture 78 and is smaller than the other apertures. The distributor plate is mounted to the rotor body 54 in a particular orientation. The incoming gas aperture 74 is aligned with the deflection plate 22 so gas does not flow through the rotary distributor but is deflected off plate 22. The purge aperture 76 is aligned with the purge segment 64. The outgoing gas aperture 78 is aligned with the remainder of the rotor and not the purge aperture 64 or deflection plate 22. The grate 50 fits in the plate 25 at the center 26, and the plate divides the lower section and center section. The grate defines the openings through which incoming gas enters the center section and outgoing gas and purge gas exits the center section. The grate is segmented and the grate segments are aligned with the section segments. Operation In operation, incoming gas fills the lower section 18 and is deflected by plate 22 through the grate to the center section. The incoming gas fills center section segments and flows to the upper section and the combustion chamber. At the combustion chamber the polluted gas is cleansed to form outgoing gas and from the combustion chamber, outgoing or cleansed gas flows through the upper section segments, to the center section segments and to the center grate 50. Outgoing gas flows through the grate 50, a small portion of the gas flows to the purge aperture 76 and the rest to the outgoing gas aperture 78. The outgoing gas fills the body 54, flows through the body bottom, to the manifold 48 and then flows to the exit 14 via conduit 80. Some cleansed gas enters the purge aperture 76, flows into the purge segment 64 and to the center pipe 70. At the pipe, the gas flows downwardly to the conduit 72 and out through the purge conduit 44. It will be noted that the purge gas cannot flow upwardly in the center pipe as the top of the pipe is closed off by a plug-like construction 82. As the distributor is rotated, the incoming, purge and outgoing gas flow to and from different center section segments. The incoming gas is heated by the heat exchange granules which have been heated by the outgoing gas when it passed downwardly through an upper section segment which is now used for incoming gas. Thus, the outgoing gas loses heat to the heat exchange granules as it passes from the combustion chamber to the center section and incoming gas picks up heat. In this embodiment, the distributor is rotating counter clockwise and thus the purge aperture 76 leads the outgoing gas aperture 78 so that the purge segment captures the beginning portion of the outgoing gas and thus minimizes the contaminant content of the outgoing gas that exits the system. The purge gas is normally directed back to the incoming gas and is in a sense recycled through the system.

Claims: A regenerative thermal oxidizer which includes: an elongated housing which includes a lower section, a center section (26) and an upper section (30); the lower section including an incoming gas inlet (12), a purge gas outlet (44) and an outgoing gas outlet (14); a rotary distributor (20) centrally positioned in the lower section, for cooperation in transmitting gas between the lower section and the center section (26) and defining purge and outgoing gas sections (64,66); the center section (26) separated by respective apertured walls (25,29) from the upper and lower sections respectively, and defining a plurality of segments, to receive incoming polluted gas transmitted from the distributor (20) and to transmit the gas to the upper section (30), and to receive cleansed gas from said upper section (30) and transmit it to the purge and outgoing gas sections (64,66) of the rotary distributor (20); said upper section (30) defining a plurality of segments aligned with the center section segments and a combustion chamber (16) at the top thereof; heat exchanger material positioned in each segment of the upper section (30) whereby pollutant-containing incoming gas can pass from the center section (26) through the heat exchanger material in a segment and cleansed gas after burning in the combustion chamber (16) can pass through the heat exchanger material in a segment. A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 1in which the apertured wall (25) between said center section (26) and lower section, defines a centrally positioned opening (24) which is substantially smaller in cross section than the cross section of the housing and is adjacent said rotary distributor, and the apertured wall (29) between the center section (26) and the upper section (30) defines a plurality of openings (28), each opening being associated with a segment of the upper section and each opening being positioned adjacent the periphery of the housing, whereby gas is caused to flow in the center section (26), between the center opening and the openings adjacent the periphery of the housing. A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary distributor (20) includes a cylindrically-shaped body and an apertured disc-shaped distribution plate (56) mounted on the body, which together control gas flow between the lower and center sections. A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 3 wherein said body dofines an angular surface (22), for defleoting incoming gas from the lower section toward the center section (26), and said distribution plate (56) includes an aperture (74) aligned with the angular surface (22) through which incoming polluted gas passes as it moves to the center section (26) from the lower section. A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 3, wherein said body defines an open top and an open bottom chamber (66) for directing outgoing cleansed gas from the center section (26) to the outgoing gas outlet (14) in the lower section, and said distribution plate (56) includes an outgoing gas aperture (78) aligned with the outgoing gas chamber (66) through which outgoing gas passes from the center section (26) to the lower section and the outlet (14). A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 5 wherein there is provided a manifold (48) connected to the bottom of the outgoing gas chamber (66) and the outgoing gas outlet (14). A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 5 or 6, wherein said body defines a purge gas chamber (64), having an open top, a closed bottom (68) and center conduit (70), whereby gas from the center section (26) flows through the purge chamber (64) to the center conduit (70) and to the purge gas outlet (44), and said distribution plate (56) includes a purge gas aperture (76) aligned with the purge gas chamber (64) through which purge gas passes from the center section (26) to the lower section. A regenerative thermal oxidizer as in claim 2 wherein each peripheral opening (28) defined in the wall (29) separating the center (26) and upper (30) sections provides communication between a center section segment and an upper section segment. A regenerative thermal oxidizer according to claim 7, in which, in the distributor plate (56) the incoming gas aperture (74) is positioned on one side of the center, the outgoing gas aperture (78) is positioned on the other side of the center and the purge gas aperture (76) is positioned between the incoming gas aperture and outgoing gas aperture and adjacent the outgoing gas aperture, and the distributor plate is adapted to rotate in a direction; whereby the incoming gas aperture (74) leads the purge gas aperture (76) which leads the outgoing gas aperture (78); and the three apertures are located approximately the same radial distance from the center of the plate (56). A method for cleansing polluted industrial gases, using the apparatus of claim 2, comprising the steps of: causing incoming polluted gases to flow into the lower section of the apparatus; passing the incoming gas from the lower section to selected segments of the center section (26) through the center aperture (24) in the wall (25) between the center section (26) and lower section; causing the polluted gas to flow from the canter of the center section (26) toward the periphery thereof; causing the polluted gas to pass upwardly through a peripheral opening (28) in the wall (29) between the upper section (30) and center section (26) into the upper section segments; flowing the polluted gas through heat exchanger material in an upper section segment to the combustion chamber (16) for oxidation and cleansing; flowing the cleansed gas downwardly through selected segments of the upper section (30) to the peripheral opening (28) in the upper section center section wall (29); flowing cleansed gas from the periphery of the center section to the center opening (24) of the center section lower section wall (25); separating the cleansed gas into a purge gas portion and an outgoing gas portion in the lower section; flowing the outgoing gas through the lower section to the outgoing gas (14); and flowing the purge gas through the lower section to the purge gas outlet (44).

Inventors: WILHELM FRIEDRICH DR, WILHELM, FRIEDRICH, DR.
Applicants: EISENMANN CORP, EISENMANN CORPORATION
Application year: 1995
Main classification: F23G7
IPC codes: F23G7