Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention pertains to gas separation,
and more particularly to gas separation devlces using a solid
sorbe~t for a vaporous or gaseous constituent.
In gas separation devices, particularly those used
in the nuclear field to remove radioactive constituents from
a gas stream, it is necessary to, from time to time, remove
the radioactive solid sorbent material from the gas separation
device prior to recharging the gas separation device with fresh
uncontaminated solid sorbent material. It is not only important
that all of the radioactive solid sorbent material be removed,
but also that it be removed without contaminating the ambient
atmosphere, or equipment and personnel which may be nearby.
~n additional consideration is that the contaminated radioactive
sorbent material be rapidly removed in order to reduce expensive
down time of the gas separator device.
The present invention recognizes these requirements
and provides a discharge apparatus for removing a granular solid
sorbent gas trea-ting material from the interior of a filter
housing which fulfills these requirements and further which
is straightforward, and inexpensive to ma~e and maintain in
service.
More particularly, the present invention provides a
discharge apparatus for removing a granular solid sorbent gas
treating matexial from the interior of a filter housing, the
discharge apparatus comprising:
a discharge apparatus for removing a granular gas
treating material from the interior of a filter housing, -the
discharge apparatus comprising:
means defining a gas treating material conveying channel
disposed within and extending across the filter housing
proximate the bottom thereof, the lnterior of the channel being
open to the interior of the housing along the longitudinal sides
~. `?
2~7
of the channel de~ining means;
means defining a conveying gas inlet aperture through
one wall of the filter housing into the interior of the channel
defining means at one end of the channel defining means; and,
means defining a gas treating material and conveying
gas outlet aperture from the interior of the channel defining
means through the filter housing wall at the other end of the
channel defining means, the outlet aperture being larger in
area than the inlet aperture.
In addition, the present invention provides a filter
apparatus comprising: .
a) a filter housing comprising:
1) a gas treating enclosure portion having at least one
dirty gas inlet aperture formed in one of its walls and at
least one clean gas outlet aperture formed in at least one of
its walls;
2) a hopper portion disposed below and open to the gas
treating portion having at least two facing walls sloping
downwardly toward and intersecting each other, thus, defining
a V-shaped configuration in cross-section, the V-shaped hopper
being symmetrically disposed beneath and open to the gas treat-
in~ enclosure portion;
b) means defining a plurality of filter cells to be
filled with a granulated gas treating material, disposed within
the gas treating enclosure portion of the filter housing, and
the filter cell defining means being open to the hopper portion
of the filter housing so that when the filter cell defining means
are filled with granulated gas treating material, granula-ted gas
treating material will fall into the hopper portion of the
0 filter housing,
c) means cooperatiny with the sloping walls o-f the
hopper portion to define a gas treating material conveying
L7
channel within and extending across the hopper portion of the
filter housing proximate the bot~om thereof, the interior of
the channel being open to the interior of the hopper portion
of the housing only along the longitudinal sides of the channel
defining means,
d) means defining a conveying gas inlet aperture
t~rough one wall of the hopper portion of the filter housing
into the interior of the channel defining means at one end of
the channel defining means' and,
e) means defining a gas treating material and conveying
gas outlet aperture from -the interior of the channel defining
means through the wall of the hopper portion of the filter
housing at the other end of the channel defining means, the
outlet aperture being larger in area than the inlet aperture.
The descxiption herein makes reference to the accompany-
ing drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout,
and in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric, partially broken away view
of a filter device incorporating the present invention,
Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken in
the direction of arrows 2-2 in Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken in
the direction of arrows 3-3 in Figure l;
Figure 4 is an enlarged segmented end view taken in
the direction of arrows 4-4 in Figure 1,
Figure 5 is an enlarged segmented end view taken in
the direction of arrows 5-5 in Figure 1,
Figure 6 is an isometric partially broken away view of
another filter device incorporating the present invention,
Figure 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view -taken
in the direction of arrow.s 7-7 in Figure 6,
Figure 8 is an enlarged segmented end view taken in
2~7
the direction o~ arrows 8-8 in Figure 6;
Figure 9 is an enlarged segmented end view take~ in
the direction of arrows 9-9 in Figure 6;
Fiyure 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view
taken in the direction of arrows 10-10 in Figure 1 and arrows
10-10 in Figure 6;
Figure 11 is an enlarged isometric fragmented view of
the present invention, and,
Fi~ure 12 is a schematic sketch of a filter housing
incorporating the present invention operatively connected to
a pneumatic conveying system.
Referring more specifically to the drawings, Figure 1
shows a rechargeable gas filter apparatus 10 which is particularly
suitable for use in the nuclear field for removing radioactive
constituents from a gas stream. The filter apparatus 10 com-
prises a housing 11 with an upper gas treating enclosure portion
12 and a lower hopper portion 14 open to the gas treating
enclosure portion 12.
A plurality of spaced apart filter cells 16 are disposed
within the upper gas treating enclosure portion 12. Each filter
cell 16 comprises spaced apart parallel planar foraminous front
and back walls 18 and 20, respectively, an open top face 22,
closed end surfaces 24 and 26, and an open bottom face 28. The
filter cells 16 are vertically disposed within the gas treating
enclosure portion 14 with the foraminous front and back walls
18, 20 of each filter cell being spaced from ancl parallel to
adjacently disposecd filter cells and the open bottom faces 28 of
each filter cell facing toward and open to -the hopper portion 14
of the filter apparatus 10. A plurality of alternating dirty ~
gas inlet passageways 30 and clean yas outlet passageways 32 are
defined between the spaced apart filter cells 16.
The gas treating enclosure portion 12 of the gas filter
2~7
apparatus 10 further comprises a plurality of dirty gas inlet
apertures 34 formed in its upstream wall 36, each dir-ty gas
inlet aperture 34 communicating with a different one of the
dirty gas inlet passageways 30. Likewise, a plurality of
clean gas outlet apertures 38 are formed in the downstream
wall 40 of the gas treating enclosure portion 12, each clean
gas outlet aperture 38 communicating with a dif~erent one of
the clean gas outlet passageways 32.
Means for charging the filter cells 16 with un-
contaminated solid sorbent gas treating material, such asa granulated charcoal or activated car~on, may be situated
in the gas treating enclosure portion 12 of the filter apparatus
10~ Such a charging means is illustrated, for exemplary pur-
poses, in the figures as a plurality of openings 42 in the top
wall 44 of the gas treating enclosure portion 12. Each opening
42 can be closed by a cover 45 secured in place by virtually
any one of a number of conventional means~ Any one of a number
of solid sorbent charging means can be used. However, because
the charging means does not comprise any part of the present
invention, it will not be further discussed herein.
With continued reference to Figures 1 and 2, the
hopper portion 14 of the filter apparatus 10 has at least two
of its facing walls 46 and 48 sloping downwardly toward each
other and intersecting each other at their depending edges,
generally denoted at the numeral 50, thus, defining a V-shaped
configuration in transverse cross-section. The V-shaped hopper
portion 14 is symmetrically disposed relative to the gas treat-
ing enclosure portion 12. Preferably, the slopiny wall 46 is
the wall of the hopper portion 14 which is adjacent -the up-
stream wall 36 of the gas treating enclosure portion 12 andthe sloping wall 48 is the wall of the hoppe~ portion 1.4 which
is adjacent the downstream wall 40 of the gas treating enclosure
2~7
portion 12 so that the intersection of the slopiny walls 46,
48 is oriented transverse to the planar foraminous ~ront and
back walls 18 and 20 of the filter cells 16.
Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, means such as an
elongated baffle plate 52 is disposed within the hopper portion
14 and cooperates with the sloping walls 46, 48 of the hopper
portion 10 to define a gas treating material conveying channel.
The elongated baffle plate 52 is spaced above the intersection
50 of the sloping walls 46, 48 of the hopper portion 14. The
baffle pla~e S2 preferably has a chevron shape in transverse
cross-section with the apex of the chevron in line ~ith and
projecting upwardly away from the intersection 50 of the sloping
walls 46, 48. The included angle of the chevron shaped baffle
is advantageously approximately 90. The baffle plate 52 extends
completely across the hopper portion 14 and is attached at one
of its ends 56 to one side wall 58 of the housing 11 and at its
other end 60 to the opposite side wall 62 of the housing 11.
The,baffle plate 52 comprises two generally parallel longitudinal
edges 64 and 66. The longitudinal edge 64 of the baffle plate
52 is spaced from the sloping wall 48 ad~acent to it. Thus,
two mutually parallel elongated slots 68 and 70 are defined,
slot 68 between the longitudinal baffle edge 64 and the sloping
hopper wall 46, and slot 70 between the longitudinal baffle edge
66 and sloping hopper wall 48. These elongated slots 68 and 70
are also parallel to the intersection 50 of the sloping hopper
walls 46 and 48. The interior 72 of the gas treating material
conveying channel is thus open to or com~unicates with the
interior of the hopper portion 12 only through the elongated
slots 68 and 70.
Now with reference to Figures 1, 4 and 5, a conveying
gas inlet aperture 74 is formed through the filter housing side
wall and opens into the interior 72 of the channel at one of
-- 6
the ends cf the channel. Similarly, a gas treating material
and conveying gas outlet is formed through the opposite filter
housing side wall 62 and opens into the interior 72 of the
channel at the other end of the channel from the inlet aperture
74.
The gas treating material and conveying gas outlet
aperture 76 is larger in area than the conveying gas inlet
aperture 74 so that a greater negative pressure is created in
the channel interior 72 proximate the conveying gas inlet 74
than at the other end of the channel interior 72 proximate the
gas treating material and conveying gas outlet 76. The convey-
ing gas inlet aperture 74 is advantageously rectangular in
peripheral shape, while the gas outlet aperture 76 is oval in
peripheral shape, however, other shapes may be used. Preferably,
the conveying gas inlet 74 is located so that at least 50% of
its area is in that region, at the end of the channel, which is
bounded by an imaginary transverse line A-~ (see Figure 4)
intersecting both the longitudinal edges 64, 66 of the chevron
shaped baffle plate 56, the sloping surfaces of the chevron
shaped ba~fle plate and the apex of the chevron shaped baffle
plate 52. Likewise, the gas treating material and conveying
gas outlet aperture 76 is located so that at least 50% of its
area in that region, at the other end of the channel, which is
bounded by an imaginary transverse line B~B (see Figure 5)
intersecting both longitudinal edges 64, 66 of the chevron
shaped baffle plate 52, the sloping surfaces of the chevron
shaped baffle plate 52, and the apex of the chevron shaped
baffle plate 52. It is also preferable that the intersection
50 of the sloping hopper walls 46 and 48 is as near to being
tangential to the outlet aperture 76 as possible.
Now with reference to Figures 10 and 11, the conveying
gas inlet aperture 74 comprlses a converging nozzle 78, the
aperture 74 being the outlet openiny of the nozzle 78. The
convergent nozzle 78 is fitted through an appropriate opening
in the housing side wall 58 and is secured to the side wall
58, for example, by welding~
As can be seen in Figuxe 10, a collar 80 can be fit-ted
around the periphery of the gas treating and conveying outlet
aperture 76 so that a pneumatic hose may be connected thereto.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another advantageous filter
apparatus 110 which is also particularly suitable for use in
the nuclear field for removing radioactive constituents from
a gas stream. The filter apparatus 110 comprises a housing 111
with an upper gas treating enclosure portion 112 and a lower
hopper portion 114 open to the gas treating enclosure portion
112.
A plurality of the filter cells 16 are disposed
within the upper gas treating enclosure portion 112 in the same
manner as they are in the filter housing 111 previously described,
and likewise define the plurality of alternating dirty gas inlet
passageways 30 and clean gas outlet passageways 32 therebetween.
The gas treating enclosure portion 112 of the filter
apparatus 110 further comprises a plurality of dirty gas inlet
apertures 134 formed in its upstream wall 136, each dirty gas
inlet aperture 134 communicating with a different one of the
dirty gas inlet passageways 30. Similarly, a plurality of
clean gas outlet apertures 138 are formed in the downstream
wall 140 of the gas treating enclosure portion 112, each clean
gas outlet aperture 138 communicating with a different one of
the clean yas outlet passageways 32.
As with filter apparatus 10, the filter apparatus 110
also includes means for charging or filling the filter cells 16
with fresh or uncontaminated solid sorbent material. The
charging means is illustrated for exemplary purposes as the
plurality o~ openings 42 in the top wall 144 of the gas treat-
ing portion 112. Each opening 42 can be closed by a cover 45.
Because the charging means does not comprise a par-t of the
present invention, and because any one of a number of solid
sorbent charging means may be used, it will not ~e further
discussed.
With continued reference to Figures 6 and 7, the hopper
portion 114 of the filter apparatus 110 has at least two of its
facing walls 146 and 148 sloping downwardly toward each other
from their points of attachment to the upstream wall 136 and
downstream wall 140, respectively, of the gas treating enclosure
portion 112. The sloping walls 146 and 148 each terminate at
distal ends 147 and 149, respectively. Elongated trough means
151 having a generally rectangular shape in transverse cross-
section is disposed between and connected to, or integrally
formed with, the distal ends 147 and 149 of the sloping walls
146 and 148. Elongated trough means 151 is open to the interior
of the hopper portion 114 and extends completely across the
hopper portion from one side wall 158 of the filter housing 111
; 20 to the other side wall 162 of the filter housing 111 with the
longitudinal axis of the elongated trough 151 being transverse
to the planar foraminous surfaces 18 and 20 of the filter cells
16 disposed in the upper gas treating enclosure portion 112.
Still re~erring to Figures 6 and 7, means, such as
the elongated baffle plate 52 is disposed within the trough 151
and cooperates with the walls of the trough 151 to define a gas
treating materia3 conveying channel. ~he elongated baEfle plate
52 preferably has a chevron shape in transverse cross-section
with the apex of the chevron projecting upwardly out of -the
trough 151 and toward the filter cells 16 located above it in
the gas treating enclosure portion 112. The baffle 52 extends
completely across the hopper portion 114, and therefore the full
length of the trough 151, and is attached at one of its encds
56 to one side wall 158 of the housing 111 and at the other
of its ends 60 to the opposite side wall 162 of the housiny
111. The longitudinal edge 64 of the baffle plate 52 is
spaced from the wall of the trough 151 adjacent to it, and
the other longitudinal edge 66 of the elonga-ted baffle plate 52
is spaced from the walls of the trough 151 adjacent to it. Thus,
the two mutually parallel elongated slots 68 and 70 are defined,
slot 68 between the longitudinal baffle edge 64 and the walls
of the trough 151 adjacent thereto, and slot 70 between the
longitudinal baffle edge 66 and the walls of the trough 151
adjacent thereto. The interior 72 of the gas treating material
conveying channel is thus open to, or communicates with, the
interior of the hopper portion 112 only through the elongated
slots 68 and 70.
Now referring to Figures 6, 8 and 9, a conveying gas
inlet aperture 74 is formed through the filter housing side wall
158 and opens into the interior 72 of the channel at one of the
ends of the channel. Similarly, a gas txeating material and
conveying gas outlet 76 is formed through the opposite filter
housing side wall 162 and opens into the interior 72 of the
channel from the inlet aperture 74. The gas treating material
and conveying outlet aperture 76 is larger in area than the
conveying gas inlet aperture 74 so that a greater negative
pressure is created in the channel interior 72 proximate the
conveying gas inlet aperture 74 than at the other end of the
channel interior 72 proximate the gas treating material and
conveying gas outlet aperture 76. The conveyiny gas inlet
aperture 74 is aclvantageously rectangular in peripheral shape
and the outlet aperture 76 is oval in peripheral shape, however,
other shapes may be used. Preferably, the conveying gas inlet
aperture 74 is located so that at least 50% of its area is in
- 10 -
3Z~7
that region, at the end of the channel, which is boun~ed by
an imaginary transverse line C-C (see Figure 8) intersecting
the longitudinal edges 6~ and 66 o:E the chevron shaped baffle
plate 56, the sloping surfaces of the chevron shaped baf-fle
plate 52, and the apex of the chevron shaped baffle plate.
Likewise, the gas treating material and conveying gas outlet
aperture 76 is located so that at least 50% of its area is in
that region, at the other end o-f the channel, which is bounded
by an imaginary transverse line D-D (see Figure 9) intersecting
both lo~gitudinal edges 64, 66 of the chevron shaped baffle
plate 52, the sloping surfaces of the chevron shaped baffle
plate 52, and the apex of the chevron shaped baffle plate 52~
It is also preferable that the bottom wall of the trough 151 is
as near to being tangential to the outlet aperture 76 as poss-
ible.
With reference again to Fiyures 10 and 11, as with
the filter apparatus 10, the conveying gas inlet aperture 74 of
the filter apparatus 110 comprises the converging nozzle 78,
the inlet aperture 74 being the outlet opening of the nozzle 78,
The convergent nozzle 78 is fitted through an approprlate open-
ing in the housing side wall 158 and is secured to the side wall
158, for example, by welding.
As can be seen in Figure 10, a collar 80 can be fitted
around the periphery of the gas treating material and conveying
gas outlet aperture 76 so that a pneumatic hose may be connected
thereto.
Referring now to Figure 12, there is shown a close~
loop pneumatic gas treating material removlng system, generally
denoted as the numeral 210, which comprises either -the gas
filter apparatus 10 or 110. The closed loop pneumatic gas
treating material removing system 210 also comprises a blower
213 having its outlet or pressure side 215 operatively connected
-- 11 --
2~
to the conveying gas inlet aperture 7~ into the interior 72 of
the gas treating material conveying channel of the filter
apparatus 10, 110 by means of, ~or example, a conveying gas
conduit 217. rrhe inlet or suction side 219 to the blower 213
is operatively connected to the gas treating ma-terial and con-
veying gas outlet 76 from the interior 72 of the gas treating
material conveying channel of the filter apparatus 10, 110 by
means of, for example, a conveying gas conduit 221. Interposed
between the blower inlet 219, and the gas treating material and
conveying gas outlet 76 in the conveying gas conduit 221 is a
gas treating material separator and reservoir device 223 for ;
separating the contaminated gas treating material, and at least
one high efficiency gas filter device 225.
The conveying gas conduit 221 is comprised of three
sections: 227, 229 and 231~ rrhe first section 227 connects
the gas treating material and conveying gas outlet aperture 76
with the separator and reservoir device 223. The end 231 of
the conduit 221 which is connected to the separator and reservoir
device 223 projects downwardly through the top 233 o~ the
separator and reservoir device 223 a short distance into its
interior. The second conduit section 229 interconnects the
separator and reservoir device 223 with the gas filter device
225. The end 235 of the conduit section 229 connected to the
separator and reservoir device 223 also projects downwardly
through the top 233 a short distance into its interior. The
other end 237 of the second conduit section 229 terminates at
the upstream side 239 of the gas filter device 225. The third
conduit section 231 interconnects the downstream side 2~1 of
the filter device 225 and the low pressure inlet 219 of the
blower 213.
In operation, in order to evacuate or remove contaminat-
ed solid sorbent gas treating material (indicated by the mottling
- L2 -
z~7
in the various figures) from the filter housing 11, 111 the
blower 213 is actuated to provide a flow of high pressure
conveying gas, in this instance, air. This flow of high
pressure air is conveyed through the conveying gas inlet
aperture 74 and into the interior 72 of the gas treating mater-
ial conveying channel. As the conveying gas stream passes
through the conveying nozzle 79 and into the interior 72 of
the channel, it is accelerated. AS the conveying gas stream
flows along the interior of the channel to the gas treating
material and conveying gas outlet aperture 76 it causes the
solid sorbent gas treating material in the hopper section 14,
114 to be asperated through the longitudinal slots 68, 70 into
the interior 72 of the conveying channel firsk at the end of
the channel proximate an inlet aperture 74, and then progressing
along the entire length of the channel. The accelerated convey-
ing gas stream in the channel interior proximate the conveying gas
inlet aperture 74 causes a part of the static gas pressure at
this point to be converted into velocity pressure thereby in-
creasing the negative static pressure. Therefore, there is a
greater negative static pressure in the channel interior 72
proximate the inlet aperture 7~ than there is toward the other
end of the channel interior 72 proximate the outlet aperture 76
and this causes the hopper to be emptied from the end proximate
the inlet aperture 74 first. If the negative static pressure
in the channel interior 72 was constant along its length, or
if the negative static pressure in the channel interior proxi-
mate the outlet aperture 76 was greater than the neya-tive static
pressure proximate the inlet aperture 7~, solid sorbent yas
treating material would asperate lnto khe channel interior 72
first proximate the outlet aperture 76 but would not progressive-
ly asperate into the channel interior 72 along the longitudinal
slots 68,70 toward the inlet aperture 74 and the blower 213 would
- 13 -
merely suck air instead. I~he gas treating material with the
channel interior 72 is carried by the conveying gas stream
out of the channel interior 72 through the gas treating
material and conveying gas outlet aperture 76 due to the
suction in the conveying gas conduit 221 due to the fact that
the conveying gas conduit 221 is interconnected to the suction
side of the blower 215. The conveying gas borne gas treating
material passes through the first conduit section 227 to the
gas material separator and reservoir device 223. The gas 'borne
gas treating material exits the first conduit section 227
through its downwardly projecting open end 231 into the interior
of the separator and reservoir 223. secause the open end 235 of
the second conduit section 229 is covered with a particulate
matter separating material (not shown) essentially all of the
solid sorbent gas treating material is separated out of the
conveying gas stream. The conveying gas stream, now relatively
free of solid sorbent gas treating material, passes through -the
second conduit section 229 to the upstream side 230 of the gas
filter device 225, and through the gas filter device 225 from
its upstream side 239 to its downstream side 241 wherein any
residual gas treating material is separated from the conveying
gas stream. Upon leaving the downstream side 241 of the filter
device 239 the conveying gas enters the third conduit section
231 and passes there along to the inlet or suction side 219 of
the blower 213 wherefrom it is recirculated through the pneumatic
conveying system 210.
~hen the gas treating material separator and reservoir
223 become full of separated gas treating materlal, the blower
213 is temporarily deactivated. The top 233 is removed from
the separator reservoir 223 which is then removed from the
pneumatic conveying system 210 and disposéd of. An empty
separator and reservoir device 223 is put in place of the
14 -
$~
removed full one and the top 233 is put in place over the
empty separator and reservoir device 223~ The blower is
reactivated and the above described process is continued.
The foregoing detailed description is given primarily
~or clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations
should be understood therefrom for modifications will be obvious
to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure and
may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention
or the scope of the appended claims.
- 15 -
