Patent ID: 7591866

Claim:
A method of separating components of the Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) exhaust gas from underground Coal Mines, or Landfills or Oil Refinery Fractional Distillation Towers for subsequent re-cycling of pollutant and combustible components, thereby reducing air pollution generated by such installations, and increasing the fuel economy of internal combustion engines/turbines of these installations, said method comprising: compressing the exhaust gas; allowing turbine expansion of the compressed gas; wherein compressing and allowing expansion effects a first separation of the exhaust gas into heavier and lighter components wherein the lighter components are primarily combustible pollutants; effecting a second separation in which the heavier components are separated into a first portion comprising substantially of nitrogen, dilution air, and negligibly of combustible pollutants for egress to the atmosphere; and a second portion comprised substantially of non-combustible carbon dioxide gas and particulate matter (PM) particles: carbon/coal (in coal mines), or silico-ethane (in landfills), or sulfur (in oil refinery) for controlled egress to the atmosphere; providing means for periodical and automatic removal of the carbon/coal, or silico-ethane, or sulfur particles respectively; and providing means for transporting the lighter combustible components effected in the first separation for re-cycle to said engines.