US3999329A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for treating flue gas and passing treated constituents into greenhouse
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-11-22
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Granted: 1976-12-28
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Expires: 1994-11-22
Abstract
Abstract A method of producing an atmosphere suitable for plant growth and providing an atmosphere comprising the steps of supplying hot flue gases, cooling the flue gases to condense the water vapor contained therein, allowing said condensed water vapor and the flue gases to remain in intimate admixture for a time period sufficient for the condensed water vapor to absorb at least a portion of the flue gases and promote inter-reaction, spraying the condensed water vapor within a substantially enclosed chamber, and passing the non-absorbed portion of the flue gases through said chamber at a relatively low velocity. There is also disclosed an apparatus adapted to carry out the method of the present invention.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph Jean Pierre Brais
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 16:42
CPC Classifications
A; A01; A01G; A01G9/00; A01G9/24; A01G9/246; Y; Y02; Y02A; Y02A40/00; Y02A40/10; Y02A40/25
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
244 words
An apparatus suitable for treating hot waste flue gases containing water vapor and fly ash and utilizing the same for the promotion of vegetation growth the apparatus comprising a substantially enclosed greenhouse having a bed of vegetation growth therein, heat exchanger means, a flue gas inlet communicating with said heat exchanger means for the entry of said hot waste flue gases thereto, said heat exchanger means being adapted to cool the flue gas from said flue gas inlet to a temperature sufficient and condense the water vapor contained therein, said heat exchanger means having a low heat transfer capacity whereby said condensed water vapor and the flue gases remain in intimate contact for a time period sufficient for at least a portion of said flue gases and fly ash to be absorbed by said condensed water vapor and to permit the components of the flue gas and condensed water vapor to interreact to form a slurry, conveying means communicating with an outlet of said heat exchanger means and distributing means permitting the unreacted portion of said cooled flue gases, which contain a high percentage of CO 2 , in said greenhouse and pass therethrough at a relatively low velocity in contact with the vegetation bed, means to remove said slurry from said heat exchanger means and spray said slurry on said vegetation growth within said greenhouse, and means for removing the cooled flue gases from said chamber after said flue gases have passed therethrough.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
244 words
An apparatus suitable for treating hot waste flue gases containing water vapor and fly ash and utilizing the same for the promotion of vegetation growth the apparatus comprising a substantially enclosed greenhouse having a bed of vegetation growth therein, heat exchanger means, a flue gas inlet communicating with said heat exchanger means for the entry of said hot waste flue gases thereto, said heat exchanger means being adapted to cool the flue gas from said flue gas inlet to a temperature sufficient and condense the water vapor contained therein, said heat exchanger means having a low heat transfer capacity whereby said condensed water vapor and the flue gases remain in intimate contact for a time period sufficient for at least a portion of said flue gases and fly ash to be absorbed by said condensed water vapor and to permit the components of the flue gas and condensed water vapor to interreact to form a slurry, conveying means communicating with an outlet of said heat exchanger means and distributing means permitting the unreacted portion of said cooled flue gases, which contain a high percentage of CO 2 , in said greenhouse and pass therethrough at a relatively low velocity in contact with the vegetation bed, means to remove said slurry from said heat exchanger means and spray said slurry on said vegetation growth within said greenhouse, and means for removing the cooled flue gases from said chamber after said flue gases have passed therethrough.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger means comprises a plurality of conduits through which said heated flue gases pass, said conduits being encased in a shell, and means for passing a cooling medium through said shell proximate said conduits.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for passing said cooling medium through said shell comprises means for passing the cooling medium in a direction opposed to the direction of flow of the flue gases in said conduits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said conduits are sloped in the direction of said flue gas flow such that the slurry flows to said spray means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said conduits are of such a length and said cooling fluid is at such a temperature so as to cool said flue gases to a temperature of below 100° F, condense a substantial portion of said water vapor, and dissolve a portion of acid gases, thus forming a slurry with fly ashes and promote neutralization of acid solution with the alkaline fly ash component thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cooling fluid is air, the apparatus including discharge means for discharging said air to the atmosphere after passing through said shell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising treatment means to treat said slurry before said slurry is passed to said spray means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said treatment means includes chemical feed means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said chemical feed means includes means for adjusting the pH of said slurry.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said spraying means includes a plurality of conduits disposed above said vegetation growth, and pump means associated therewith for transferring said slurry from said treatment means to said conduits.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 10, including collection means, said collection means being disposed under said vegetation growing means so as to collect any excess of said treated water condensate after passing through said vegetation growth.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 11, including cool air inlet means, said cool air inlet means adapted to permit the ingress of cool air from outside said greenhouse to inside said greenhouse to control the temperature thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 12, including heating means, said heating means adapted to control the temperature of the gaseous interior of said greenhouse.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of treating flue gases having fly ash entrained therein to remove pollutants and use the flue gases to produce an atmosphere suitable for plant growth, comprising the steps of cooling the flue gases to condense at least a portion of the water vapor contained therein, allowing said condensed water vapor and the flue gases to remain in intimate admixture for a time period sufficient for the condensed water to absorb at least a portion of the flue gases and fly ash and promote inter-reaction therebetween to thereby form a slurry, separating slurry and unreacted flue gases, spraying the slurry containing said absorbed flue gases and fly ash within a substantially enclosed greenhouse having vegetation growth therein, and passing the non-absorbed portion of the flue gases containing a high percentage of CO 2 through said chamber at a relatively low velocity in contact with the vegetation bed to permit said vegetation growth to utilize said CO 2 and to deposit a further portion of entrained fly ash on said vegetation growth.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of treating flue gases having fly ash entrained therein to remove pollutants and use the flue gases to produce an atmosphere suitable for plant growth, comprising the steps of cooling the flue gases to condense at least a portion of the water vapor contained therein, allowing said condensed water vapor and the flue gases to remain in intimate admixture for a time period sufficient for the condensed water to absorb at least a portion of the flue gases and fly ash and promote inter-reaction therebetween to thereby form a slurry, separating slurry and unreacted flue gases, spraying the slurry containing said absorbed flue gases and fly ash within a substantially enclosed greenhouse having vegetation growth therein, and passing the non-absorbed portion of the flue gases containing a high percentage of CO 2 through said chamber at a relatively low velocity in contact with the vegetation bed to permit said vegetation growth to utilize said CO 2 and to deposit a further portion of entrained fly ash on said vegetation growth.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 14 including the step of chemically treating said slurry and adjusting the pH of the condensed water vapor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the step of cooling the flue gases includes the step of cooling the flue gases in a heat exchanger by passing the flue gases through a plurality of conduits, said conduits being encased in a shell, and passing a cooling fluid through said shell proximate said conduits in a flow direction opposite to that of the flow direction of said flue gases.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 16, wherein the step of passing cooling fluid through said shell comprises the step of passing air through said shell and cooling said flue gases to a temperature of below 100° F.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 17, including the step of exhausting said cooled flue gases from said greenhouse after passing the flue gases over the vegetation growth.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-12-28 | 1980-06-28 | 1980-12-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-12-28 | 1984-06-28 | 1984-12-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-12-28 | 1988-06-28 | 1988-12-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |