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Low pressure drop static mixing system

  • US 10,350,545 B2
  • Filed: 11/24/2015
  • Issued: 07/16/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A contaminated gas treatment system, comprising:

  • a thermal unit to produce a contaminated gas stream comprising a contaminant;

    an air heater positioned in a flow path of the contaminated gas stream downstream from the thermal unit to transfer thermal energy from the contaminated gas stream to air prior to introduction of the air into the thermal unit;

    an in-line mixing device positioned in the flow path of the contaminated gas stream downstream from the thermal unit to induce turbulent flow in the contaminated gas stream, the in-line mixing device being positioned in a duct defining the flow path of the contaminated gas stream, wherein the in-line mixing device comprises a static mixing device, wherein the static in-line mixing device comprises one or more stationary mixing elements fixed in a housing of the mixing device, wherein the static in-line mixing device rotates relative to a flow direction of the contaminated gas stream, wherein, when the static in-line mixing device is in a first position relative to the flow direction, the contaminated gas stream has a first pressure drop over the in-line mixing device, wherein, when the static in-line mixing device is in a different second position relative to the flow direction, the contaminated gas stream has a second pressure drop over the in-line mixing device, wherein the first and second pressure drops are different, and wherein at least one of the following is true;

    (a) a width of the in-line mixing device is no more than about 75% of a width of the duct at the position of the in-line mixing device;

    (b) a height of the in-line mixing device is no more than about 75% of a height of the duct at the position of the in-line mixing device; and

    (c) a cross-sectional area of the in-line mixing device normal to a direction of gas flow is no more than about 75% of a cross-sectional area of the duct at the position of the in-line mixing device; and

    an additive injection system positioned in the flow path of the contaminated gas stream upstream or downstream of the in-line mixing device to introduce an additive into the contaminated gas stream, the additive controlling a contaminate level in a treated gas stream prior to discharge of the treated gas stream into the environment, wherein the in-line mixing device and additive injection system cause the additive-containing gas stream to comprise a substantially homogeneous distribution of the additive in the additive-containing gas stream; and

    a particulate control device positioned in the flow path of the contaminated gas stream downstream of the in-line mixing device to remove particulates from the additive-containing gas stream and form the treated gas stream;

    a computer;

    a rotation sensor to determine a degree of angular rotation of the in-line mixing device and/or a mixing element of the mixing device relative to the flow direction;

    one or more gas stream sensors to determine one or more sensed parameters comprising one or more of the pressure drop over the in-line mixing device, an additive consumption level, and a contaminant concentration in the gas stream prior to or after additive injection;

    a rotation system to rotate the in-line mixing device and/or mixing element; and

    a computer operated control system in communication with the rotation sensor, one or more gas stream sensors, and rotation system and comprising a set of mapping data structures mapping one or more sensed parameters against a degree of angular rotation of the mixing device and/or mixing element and instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer operated control system to;

    receive a degree of current angular rotation of the in-line mixing device and/or mixing element and the one or more sensed parameters;

    based on the received degree of current angular rotation of the in-line mixing device and/or mixing element and the one or more sensed parameters, determine, from the mapping data structures, a new degree of angular rotation of the in-line mixing device and/or mixing element; and

    cause the in-line mixing device and/or mixing element to rotate from the current angular rotation to the new angular rotation.

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