Regenerative thermal oxidation apparatus and method

Patent · Tue Aug 31 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:6245597

McAnespie, D I

An improved regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) apparatus is described for purifying a contaminated source of air including (1) three heat exchange chambers containing refractory heat exchange media through which the contaminated air may be drawn; (2) an exhaust flow structure including an exhaust duct and exhaust fan means connected to the exhaust duct, for pushing processed air into the exhaust duct, thereby creating a low pressure region upstream of the exhaust fan means; (3) an inlet flow structure and inlet valve means for selectively directing a source of contaminated air to be processed into the first end of each one of the heat exchange chambers at different intervals of time; (4) a flush flow structure connected to the exhaust duct and having flush valve means for selectively directing processed air from the flush flow structure to the first end of each one of the heat exchange chambers at different intervals of time; (5) an outlet flow structure connected to the low pressure region of the exhaust fan means and having outlet valve means for selectively directing contaminated air out of the second end of each one of the heat exchange chambers to the outlet flow structure at different intervals of time; and (6) a combustion chamber common to the second end of each heat exchange chamber; the improvement being for minimizing pressure variations experienced at the inlet of the inlet flow structure, and comprising: a balancing valve structure, connected between and providing a bypass path for air flow between the flush flow structure and the low pressure region of the exhaust fan means, including balancing valve means for selectively substantially closing the bypass path whenever the flush valve means are directing processed air to one of the heat exchange chambers, and for opening the bypass path whenever the flush valve means are not directing processed air to one of the heat exchange chambers. A method is described for continuously operating RTO equipment.

• Assignee: Moco Thermal Industries, Inc., Romulus, MI (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5240403
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-939284
• OSTI ID: 6245597
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR
AIR FLOW
BLOWERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CLEANING
COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
CONTROL
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DECONTAMINATION
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
GAS FLOW
GASES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
OPERATION
OXIDATION
POLLUTANTS
PRESSURE CONTROL
REGENERATION
VALVES