Patent Application
20070284343
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. The aspects and features of the present invention and methods for achieving the aspects and features will be apparent by referring to the embodiments to be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed hereinafter, but can be implemented in diverse forms. The matters defined in the description, such as the detailed construction and elements, are nothing but specific details provided to assist those of ordinary skill in the art in a comprehensive understanding of the invention, and the present invention is only defined within the scope of the appended claims. In the entire description of the present invention, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements across various figures.
In the waste gas treatment apparatus 10, a body 11 is formed into a cylinder shape and provided with a waste gas inlet 12 at one side of the top of the body 11 to flow a waste gas thereinto and a waste gas outlet 13 on the bottom of the body 11 to discharge the waste gas therefrom. Considering that the apparatus 10 is manufactured to treat the noxious PFC gas generated from manufacturing processes of TFT, LCD, OLED, and others, one or more waste gas inlets 12 may be formed on the top of the body 11 so as to treat waste gases generated in several places with only one apparatus. Meanwhile, the waste gas outlet 13 may be configured to collect fluids, which spread widely while passing through the body 11, and then discharge the fluids.
The waste gas inlet 12 is communicated with a main combustion chamber 14 provided on the inside top of the body 11. The main combustion chamber 14 is formed into a circular space. A plasma torch 30 is equipped at the top of the main combustion chamber 14. A nozzle 31 of the plasma torch 30 faces toward the top of the main combustion chamber 14.
Especially, when flames emitted through the nozzle 31 of the plasma torch 30 flows into the main combustion chamber 14, a steam injection nozzle 21 injects steam so as to prevent the reduction (recombination) of substances in a waste gas and induce the substitution of the pyrolyzed waste gas into a hydrogen compound and an oxide. The steam injection nozzle 21 is communicated with a steam generator 20 via a steam supply line 22. The steam generator 20 is formed separately from the body 11 of the waste gas treatment apparatus 10. The steam injection nozzle 21 may be formed in several positions.
Especially, a first reaction accelerating compound inlet 23 is communicated with the sidewall of the main combustion chamber 14. The first reaction accelerating compound inlet 23 supplies a reaction accelerating compound for accelerating oxidation-reduction reaction of a harmful substance, while the waste gases supplied to the main combustion chamber 14 cause chemical reaction and is pyrolyzed through the plasma torch. A liquid phase of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) mixed with water (H2O) is supplied through the first reaction accelerating compound inlet 23. The supplied water protects the wall surface of a reaction tube 25 from the high temperature heat released from the plasma torch as well as induces the generation of a sodium compound and a hydrogen compound by chemical reaction with a substance of the pyrolyzed waste gas.
Meanwhile, the reaction tube 25 is formed into a tube shape at the bottom of the main combustion chamber 14. The reaction tube 25 is longitudinally extended toward an inner space 15 of the body 11. The bottom end of the reaction tube 25 is extended to the middle of a partition 17 that forms the boundary with a filter 26 provided on the inside bottom of the body 11. In other words, as shown in the drawing, the filter 26 is formed in the bottom periphery of the inner space 15 of the body 11 so as to filter a substance produced by pyrolysis and isolation of the waste gas. The partition 17 is provided between the inner periphery of the filter 26 and the reaction tube 25 to prevent the fluid passed through the reaction tube 25 from passing through the filter 26 directly. The reaction tube 25 has a narrower diameter but a longer length than the main combustion chamber, thereby increasing the plasma density and concentrating energy.
A second reaction accelerating compound inlet 24 is formed so as to supply a reaction accelerating compound for inducing chemical reaction one more time, when the waste gas, which has chemically reacted first while passing through the reaction tube 25, runs against the partitions 16, and 17, and then flows upwardly. A gas phase of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) mixed with water (H2O) is supplied through the second reaction accelerating compound inlet 24. The gas phase of water mixed with sodium hydroxide cool down the gas flowing toward the filter 26 and neutralize gas acidity.
As shown in
Meanwhile, in order to generate Arc discharge in each gap between the cathode electrode body 32 and ignition electrode 35, and between the ignition electrode 35 and anode electrode 37, a cathode electrode 33 is assembled so as to stand up longitudinally in the middle of the cathode electrode body 32. Especially, the bottom end of the cathode electrode 33 is exposed toward a first combustion chamber provided on the bottom of the cathode electrode body 32. The first combustion chamber 38 becomes wider downwardly so that the sectional shape thereof looks like a roof. The ignition electrode 35 is assembled on the outside bottom surface of the cathode electrode 32 via the upper insulator 34 as a mediator, while maintaining a predetermined gap. The ignition electrode 35 is not electrically connected to the cathode electrode 32.
The ignition electrode body 35 is made of a metal (copper) like the cathode electrode 32. A penetrating hole having a similar diameter to the bottom diameter of the first combustion chamber 38 is formed in the middle of the ignition electrode body 35. A second combustion chamber 39, which is larger than the size of first combustion chamber 38, is formed on the bottom of the penetrating hole. The diameter of second combustion chamber 39 also becomes wider downwardly so that the sectional shape thereof looks like a roof. The inner periphery of the penetrating hole is an anode electrode that corresponds to the cathode electrode 33 and a terminal for connecting a positive (+) power cable from a power supply 40 is formed at one side of the ignition electrode body 35.
A gas injection nozzle 34a provided on the upper insulator 34 ejects a working gas supplied from the outer periphery of the upper insulator 34 toward the inner periphery thereof. In order to cause the working gas to swirl without concentrating in the center of the upper insulator 34, 2˜4 number of gas injection nozzles are preferably formed into a helical shape at a predetermined angle. More preferably, 4 gas injection nozzles are formed at an angle interval of 90°. Similarly, in the case where a gas injection nozzle 36a is provided on the lower insulator 36, 2˜4 number of gas injection nozzles are preferably formed into a helical shape at a predetermined angle so as to cause a gas ejected toward the second combustion chamber 39 to swirl over. More preferably, 4 gas injection nozzles are formed at an angle interval of 90°.
Especially, as shown in
The operation state of a waste gas treatment apparatus using a plasma torch according to the present invention will be briefly explained below.
First, using the plasma torch 30 for providing flames burning the waste gas flowing into waste gas treatment apparatus 10, a negative (−) current of a power supply 40 is applied to the cathode electrode 32 and a positive (+) current is applied to the ignition electrode 35 in the plasma torch 30. Thus, the cathode electrode body 32 has negative polarity, while the ignition electrode body 35 has positive polarity. In the first combustion chamber 38, sparks are created by discharging electrons of the cathode electrode 32 into the ignition electrode body 35, and simultaneously, a working gas is supplied through the gas injection nozzle 34a. Therefore, flames are generated by discharging and combusting the working gas in the first combustion chamber 38.
Meanwhile, the ignition electrode body 32 has negative polarity by the negative electric current discharged from the cathode electrode 32 to the ignition electrode 35, and thus, sparks are also created in a second combustion chamber 39 provided between the ignition electrode body 35 and the anode electrode body 37. During this, the working gas is also supplied into the second combustion chamber 39 through the gas injection nozzle 36a and then is burnt by Arc discharge, so that more active and high temperature flames are generated. The generated flames are emitted to the main combustion chamber 14 of the waste gas treatment apparatus 10 through the nozzle 31 provided on the bottom of the plasma torch 30.
Then, the waste gas generated from the manufacturing processes of TFT, LCD, OLED, and others, flows into the main combustion chamber 14 through the waste gas inlet 12 provided on the top of the body 11 of the waste gas treatment apparatus 10, and is pyrolyzed through combustion. When the waste gas flows into the main combustion chamber 14, the steam generated from the steam generator 20 through the steam injection nozzle 21 is ejected against the flames emitted from the nozzle 31 of the plasma torch 30 through the stem supply pipe 22. As described above, the steam injection nozzle 21 ejects H2O activated into a steam phase and air in parallel with the flames, so that substitution into a hydrogen compound and an oxide may be accelerated during the pyrolysis of the waste gas in the main combustion chamber 14.
Further, a liquid phase of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) mixed with water (H2O) is supplied to the main combustion chamber 14 through the first reaction accelerating compound inlet 23, so that the fluid produced during pyrolysis of the waste gas may be substituted into a sodium compound and a hydrogen compound.
The compound supplied through the first reaction accelerating compound inlet 23, waste gas and flames are chemically reacted while flowing downwardly through a reaction tube 25. The reaction tube 25 is extended toward the bottom of the main combustion chamber 14.
The partitions 16 and 17 placed on the bottom of and inner periphery of a filter 26 change the flow direction of waste gas, which that passed through the reaction tube 25, into up and outward directions. Here, the sodium hydroxide and water mixture is ejected in gas phase through the second reaction accelerating compound inlet 24, so that the flow direction of fluids is changed from outward flow to downward flow. Furthermore, the high temperature waste gas is cooled and acid waste gas is neutralized.
The waste gas, which flows downward past the second reaction accelerating compound inlet 24, passes through the filter 26. At this time, particular substances are collected in the filter 26. Furthermore, the waste gas, which passed through the filter 26, is discharged through the waste gas outlet 13.
As described above, the waste gas treatment apparatus using the plasma torch, according to the present invention, produces the following effects.
The harmful substances contained in a waste gas are pyrolyzed by the high temperature flames emitted from the plasma torch, and then chemically react with a reaction accelerating compound, which is supplied to a combustion chamber and the inner space thereof, thereby allowing the waste gas to be discharged into a harmless state.
It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various replacements, modifications and changes in the form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Therefore, it is to be appreciated that the above described embodiments are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limitations of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2006-0050821 | Jun 2006 | KR | national |
