Patent Application
20250172292
The present invention relates to a volatile organic compound burner. More particularly, the present invention relates to an energy-saving combustion technique for oxidizing volatile organic compounds at a high temperature to produce carbon dioxide and water, especially rendering the volatile organic compounds harmless, generating heat, and reducing energy consumption.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are mostly toxic, carcinogenic and hazardous, posing a severe threat to ecology and people's health. Environmental protection agencies worldwide announced standards of controlling airborne, volatile, organic pollutants emitted by petrochemical industry, semiconductor industry, PU synthetic leather industry, automotive industry and dry-cleaning industry, indicating strict control over the emission of VOCs under environmental protection laws.
VOCs are mainly organic solvent gas emitted from semiconductor fabs, optoelectronics plants and chemical engineering plants and waste gas generated from means of transportation and through fuel combustion. Household-related VOCs originate from methane and smokes produced as a result of smoking and cooking, and daily necessities, such as decorative materials, furniture, home electrical appliances, and detergents. The VOCs, which cause pollution to environments and are harmful to people's health, must be oxidized to produce carbon dioxide and water so as to meet green emission standards.
External fuel is employed to raise the temperature of conventional volatile organic compound burners to the temperature required for the oxidization of VOCs molecules to eliminate the toxicity of VOCs molecules. However, the external fuel generates high temperature and thus causes fuel loss.
Confronted with the threat posed by VOCs to ecology and people's health, environmental protection agencies worldwide enacted laws of controlling the emission of VOCs. Conventional organic gas burners incur high fuel cost in burning VOCs. In view of the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art, it is necessary to provide a solution to address the aforesaid environmental issues and overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.
Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art and provide a volatile organic compound burner that uses harmful volatile organic compounds as fuel and causes the volatile organic compounds to ignite in a combustion chamber with an energy-saving combustion technique to oxidize the volatile organic compounds at a high temperature for the sake of the elimination of the toxicity thereof, converting the volatile organic compounds into carbon dioxide and water and emitting the carbon dioxide and water to the atmosphere.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a volatile organic compound burner that renders harmful volatile organic compounds harmless, reduces the emission of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere, recycles and reuses the heat generated through combustion of volatile organic compounds, enhances volatile organic compound combustion efficiency, reduces energy consumption, and augments volatile organic compound oxidation.
To achieve the above purposes, the present invention is a volatile organic compound burner comprising: a pre-heating bushing internally circumferentially defining a receiving space and outwardly provided with a pre-heating bushing casing, the pre-heating bushing casing having air inlet outer holes for admitting combustion-enhancing air, the air inlet outer holes being in communication with the pre-heating bushing, the pre-heating bushing being conducive to pre-heating the combustion-enhancing air, cooling the volatile organic compound burner, and recycling heat; a porous medium comprising a heat-storing porous medium and a pre-heating porous medium, the heat-storing porous medium recycling most of heat of a flame and maintaining temperature, and the pre-heating porous medium recycling a portion of the heat of the flame, pre-heating, and preventing tempering; a burner body disposed in the receiving space and comprising a burner wall defining a combustion chamber and a mixing chamber, the mixing chamber having air inlet inner holes in communication with the pre-heating bushing, with a nozzle disposed between the mixing chamber and the combustion chamber, the burner wall having an organic gas inlet for admitting a harmful volatile organic compound (VOC) and a combustion gas outlet for discharging the volatile organic compound to be oxidized at a high temperature to produce carbon dioxide and water, with the heat-storing porous medium disposed between the combustion chamber and the combustion gas outlet, with the pre-heating porous medium disposed between the nozzle and the combustion chamber, the volatile organic compound, in the form of different or different mixtures of volatile organic matter, entering, via the organic gas inlet, the mixing chamber to mix sufficiently therein with the combustion-enhancing air pre-heated by the pre-heating bushing to become a combustible volatile organic compound, wherein the combustible volatile organic compound passes through the gradually-widening nozzle to expand and mix to become a uniform combustible volatile organic compound, wherein the uniform combustible volatile organic compound passes through the pre-heating porous medium to undergo heat exchange with the pre-heating porous medium such that the combustible volatile organic compound gets heated up before entering the combustion chamber, wherein an arc generated by electric power ignites the combustible volatile organic compound in the combustion chamber, allowing the combustible volatile organic compound in the combustion chamber to be oxidized at a high temperature to produce carbon dioxide and water that meet emission standards, wherein the carbon dioxide and water thus produced pass through the heat-storing porous medium before being discharged from the combustion chamber via the combustion gas outlet; and an ignition electric power source having a high-voltage ignition electrode electrically coupled to the combustion chamber through a high-voltage power supply and a power switch connected between the high-voltage power supply and the high-voltage ignition electrode, wherein the power switch can be turned off to start the ignition electric power source, allowing the high-voltage power supply to provide electric power to cause the high-voltage ignition electrode to discharge and generate the arc.
In the aforesaid embodiment of the present invention, the porous medium is made of porous alumina ceramic or a material with high permeability and heat storing capability.
In the aforesaid embodiment of the present invention, the volatile organic compound is organic solvent gas emitted from semiconductor fabs, optoelectronics plants and chemical engineering plants and waste gas generated from means of transportation and through fuel combustion.
In the aforesaid embodiment of the present invention, a production line organic gas device for use with the volatile organic compound burner comprises: a process pipe connected to the burner body and having a pipe wall, a gas inlet and a gas outlet, with an exhaust fan disposed at the gas outlet, the pipe wall having a channel, the channel linking the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the pipe wall having a penetrating hole corresponding in position to the combustion gas outlet, allowing the channel to be in communication with the combustion gas outlet; an organic gas collection apparatus connected to the burner body and having a gas collector, an adsorbing concentrating apparatus and a blower, wherein an organic gas pipe sequentially connects the gas collector, the adsorbing concentrating apparatus and the blower and is in communication with the organic gas inlet of the burner body, and the blower uses the gas collector to withdraw a production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound by suction, wherein the production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound is concentrated by the adsorbing concentrating apparatus to attain a moderate concentration level or above before being delivered long the organic gas pipe to enter the volatile organic compound burner to undergo combustion and high-temperature oxidation to turn into carbon dioxide and water and thereby meet green emission standards, wherein the carbon dioxide and water, together with any other gas admitted via the gas inlet, are removed by the exhaust fan of the process pipe and emitted to the atmosphere via the gas outlet; and an auxiliary fuel apparatus connected to the organic gas collection apparatus and having a tank, the tank containing an auxiliary fuel and having an output pipe in communication with the organic gas pipe, the output pipe having an auxiliary fuel control valve, wherein if the concentration level of the concentrated, production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound is too low for ignition to occur, the auxiliary fuel control valve will be opened, allowing the auxiliary fuel to be outputted via the output pipe to serve as a supplement.
In the aforesaid embodiment of the present invention, an organic solvent device for use with the volatile organic compound burner comprises: a process pipe connected to the burner body and having a pipe wall, a gas inlet and a gas outlet, with an exhaust fan disposed at the gas outlet, the pipe wall having a channel, the channel linking the gas inlet to the gas outlet, the pipe wall having a penetrating hole corresponding in position to the combustion gas outlet, allowing the channel to be in communication with the combustion gas outlet; and an organic gas supply apparatus connected to the burner body and having a container, the container containing an organic solvent and having an organic gas pipe, the organic gas pipe being in communication with the organic gas inlet and having an organic gas valve, the organic solvent evaporating to turn into a volatile organic compound and has a saturated vapor pressure, wherein a difference between the saturated vapor pressure and the suction pressure of the exhaust fan of the process pipe generates a driving force, wherein the driving force and the opening of the organic gas valve together control a volumetric flow rate of the volatile organic compound admitted into the volatile organic compound burner, wherein the organic solvent in the volatile organic compound burner undergoes combustion to enable the volatile organic compound to undergo high-temperature oxidation to turn into carbon dioxide and water and thereby meet green emission standards, wherein the carbon dioxide and water, together with any other gas admitted via the gas inlet, are emitted to the atmosphere via the gas outlet.
Referring to
The pre-heating bushing 11 internally circumferentially defines a receiving space 110 and is outwardly provided with a pre-heating bushing casing 111. The pre-heating bushing casing 111 has air inlet outer holes 112 for admitting combustion-enhancing air 15. The air inlet outer holes 112 are in communication with the pre-heating bushing 11.
The burner body 12 is disposed in the receiving space 110. The burner body 12 comprises a burner wall 121 for defining a combustion chamber 122 and a mixing chamber 124. The mixing chamber 124 has air inlet inner holes 125 in communication with the pre-heating bushing 11. A nozzle 123 is disposed between the mixing chamber 124 and the combustion chamber 122. The burner wall 121 has an organic gas inlet 126 for admitting harmful volatile organic compound and a combustion gas outlet 127 for discharging the volatile organic compound to be oxidized at a high temperature to produce carbon dioxide and water. The volatile organic compound, in the form of different or different mixtures of volatile organic matter, is organic solvent gas emitted from semiconductor fabs, optoelectronics plants and chemical engineering plants and waste gas generated from means of transportation and through fuel combustion.
The porous medium 13 comprises a heat-storing porous medium 131 and a pre-heating porous medium 132. The heat-storing porous medium 131 is disposed between the combustion chamber 122 and the combustion gas outlet 127, made of a low-density porous ceramic material, and adapted to absorb and recycle waste heat, which is otherwise carried by high-temperature gas produced through combustion in the combustion chamber 122, before the emission of the high-temperature gas so as to enhance the combustion efficiency of the combustion chamber 122. The pre-heating porous medium 132 is disposed between the nozzle 123 and the combustion chamber 122, made of a dense porous ceramic material, and adapted to receive heat from the combustion chamber 122 to pre-heat mixed combustible gas admitted into the combustion chamber 122 to enhance the combustion efficiency of the combustion chamber 122. The pre-heating porous medium 132 is made of a dense material and thereby is able to prevent tempering and inhibit the movement of the flames of the combustion chamber 122 in the gas-admission direction, precluding tempering explosions.
The ignition electric power source 14 is electrically coupled to a high-voltage ignition electrode 141 of the combustion chamber 122 through a high-voltage power supply 143 and is connected to a power switch 142 between the high-voltage power supply 143 and the high-voltage ignition electrode 141. Therefore, the structural features disclosed above define the novel volatile organic compound burner 1.
During its operation, the volatile organic compound burner 1 that uses harmful volatile organic compound (hereinafter VOC for short) gas as fuel and causes the VOC gas to ignite to undergo oxidation at a high temperature for the sake of the elimination of the toxicity thereof, converting the VOC gas into carbon dioxide and water and emitting the carbon dioxide and water to the atmosphere. Its operation principles are described below. However, the embodiment described below is provided for exemplary purposes to explain the details and technical features of the present invention but is not restrictive of the claims of the present invention.
In a preferred, specific embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the volatile organic compound burner 1 is shown in
In a preferred, specific embodiment of the present invention,
The process pipe 16 is connected to the burner body 12. The process pipe 16 has a pipe wall 161, a gas inlet 164, and a gas outlet 163. An exhaust fan 162 is disposed at the gas outlet 163. The pipe wall 161 has a channel 165. The channel 165 links the gas inlet 164 to the gas outlet 163. The pipe wall 161 has a penetrating hole 166 corresponding in position to the combustion gas outlet 127, allowing the channel 165 to be in communication with the combustion gas outlet 127.
The organic gas collection apparatus 17 is connected to the burner body 12. The organic gas collection apparatus 17 comprises a gas collector 173, an adsorbing concentrating apparatus 175 and a blower 172, with an organic gas pipe 171 sequentially connecting the gas collector 173, the adsorbing concentrating apparatus 175 and the blower 172. The organic gas pipe 171 is in communication with the organic gas inlet 126 of the burner body 12.
The auxiliary fuel apparatus 19 is connected to the organic gas collection apparatus 17. The auxiliary fuel apparatus 19 has a tank 191. The tank 191 contains an auxiliary fuel 192. The tank 191 has an output pipe 194 in communication with the organic gas pipe 171. The output pipe 194 has an auxiliary fuel control valve 193.
During its operation, the blower 172 uses the gas collector 173 to withdraw a production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound 174 by suction. Then, the production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound 174 is concentrated by the adsorbing concentrating apparatus 175 to attain a moderate concentration level or above. Next, the concentrated, production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound 174 is delivered long the organic gas pipe 171 to enter the volatile organic compound burner 1 to undergo combustion and high-temperature oxidation to turn into carbon dioxide and water and thereby meet green emission standards. The carbon dioxide and water, together with any other gas admitted via the gas inlet 164, are removed by the exhaust fan 162 of the process pipe 16 and emitted to the atmosphere via the gas outlet 163. If the concentration level of the concentrated, production-line, low-concentration volatile organic compound 174 is too low for ignition to occur, the auxiliary fuel control valve 193 will be opened, allowing the auxiliary fuel 192 to be outputted via the output pipe 194 to serve as a supplement.
In a preferred, specific embodiment of the present invention,
The process pipe 16 has the same structure as depicted in
The organic gas supply apparatus 18 is connected to the burner body 12. The organic gas supply apparatus 18 has a container 183. The container 183 contains an organic solvent 184. The container 183 has an organic gas pipe 181 in communication with the organic gas inlet 126. The organic gas pipe 181 has an organic gas valve 182.
During the operation of the volatile organic compound burner 1, the organic solvent 184 in the container 183 evaporates to turn into the volatile organic compound and has a saturated vapor pressure. The difference between the saturated vapor pressure and the suction pressure of the exhaust fan 162 of the process pipe 16 generates a driving force. The driving force and the opening of the organic gas valve 182 together control the volumetric flow rate of the volatile organic compound admitted into the volatile organic compound burner 1. The organic solvent 184 in the volatile organic compound burner 1 undergoes combustion to enable the volatile organic compound to undergo high-temperature oxidation to turn into carbon dioxide and water and thereby meet green emission standards. The carbon dioxide and water, together with any other gas admitted via the gas inlet 164, are emitted to the atmosphere via the gas outlet 163.
Industrial processes involve using volatile organic compound solutions or organic solvents to achieve cleaning purposes. The solutions or solvents evaporate and thereby produce volatile organic compounds harmful to people's health. Since volatile organic compounds are low-enthalpy fuels, the volatile organic compound burner of the present invention functions in the same way as a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The present invention involves using a combustible volatile organic compound as fuel, introducing the combustible volatile organic compound into the combustion chamber, adjusting timely the fuel mixing ratio in the combustion chamber according to the temperature required for the oxidation of the volatile organic compound in the volatile organic compound burner, and igniting the volatile organic compound in the combustion chamber with an electronic ignitor. The volatile organic compound burner of the present invention is structurally simple, has high cost to performance ratio, and is widely applicable to simulation of the environment of oxidation of the volatile organic compound. Compared with conventional burners that use fuel for burning, incinerating and destructing volatile organic compounds, the volatile organic compound burner of the present invention reduces at least 20% of fuel cost and reduces emission of air pollutants.
In conclusion, the present invention is a volatile organic compound burner that overcomes drawbacks of the prior art effectively, uses a harmful volatile organic compound as fuel, and oxidizes the volatile organic compound in a combustion chamber at a high temperature with an energy-saving combustion technique to produce carbon dioxide and water. Therefore, the present invention renders the volatile organic compound harmless, reduces the emission of the volatile organic compound to the atmosphere, recycles and reuses the heat generated through combustion of the volatile organic compound, enhances the combustion efficiency of the volatile organic compound, reduces energy consumption, and augments volatile organic compound oxidation, enabling the present invention to be inventive and practical and thereby meet patentability requirements.
The preferred embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. Therefore, simple modifications or variations belonging to the equivalent of the scope of the claims and the instructions disclosed herein for a patent are all within the scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 112146153 | Nov 2023 | TW | national |
