Patent ID: 7704291

Claim:
An apparatus for separation of the gas components of the Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) exhaust gas from underground Coal Mines, Landfills, or Oil Refinery Fractional Distillation Towers, said apparatus comprising: one or more electrically driven, variable flow, adjustable discharge pressure VAM Gas Compressor(s); a conduit fluidly connecting the VAM compressor(s) to a first exhaust gas separating device; a first exhaust gas separating device that substantially separates exhaust gas into its lighter and primarily combustible components from its heavier and primarily non-combustible components; a conduit fluidly connecting the first exhaust separating device and a second separating device; a second separating device, said second separating device communicating with the atmosphere and having means to substantially separate the heavier non-combustible gases into a first portion comprised substantially of nitrogen and dilution air and negligibly of combustible pollutants for egress to the atmosphere; and a second portion comprised substantially of non-combustible carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide gases, carbon/coal, or silico-ethane or sulfur particles for separate egress to the atmosphere; means to feed the second portion of the heavier non-combustible gases to a plurality of in-line compressed air filter assemblies for discarding in progressive stages, the carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide gases, resulting in purified VAM being released to the atmosphere; means to feed the lighter pollutant and combustible gases separated from the first gas separation device to the engine or turbine of the apparatus; while said non-combustible gases of the first portion of the second separation device egress to the atmosphere from an open end of the second separation device.