Paint spraying booth with split-flow ventilation

• US 5,221,230 A
• Filed: 11/01/1990
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arcadis Geraghty & Miller Inc. (Arcadis N.V.), United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Original Assignee: Acurex Environmental Corporation
• Inventors: Ayer, Jacqueline, Darvin, Charles H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Application Number:
  US07/609,166
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 98/115.2, 118/326
• US Class Current: 454/53
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/60 Ventilation arrangements specially adapted therefor

Abstract

A facility including a booth for solvent or paint application or drying process is provided with ventilation inlets and outlets to cause stratification of constituents such as VOCs or particulate in the booth. The ventilation air withdrawn from the booth is split into two air streams, one air stream contains a relatively low volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration, and the other a relatively high VOC concentration. The ventilation air from the low concentration stream is vented to the atmosphere (or alternatively back in the booth) and the ventilation air from the high concentration stream is conducted to a VOC emission control device. Thus, adequate VOC emission control is achieved, and the volume of air processed by the VOC emission control device is reduced, along with the corresponding VOC emission control costs.

Claims

1. A facility for paint or solvent application, spraying or drying, comprising:

a working area that is enclosed or partially enclosed comprising a first region of high concentration of volatile organic compounds and a second region of low concentration of volatile organic compounds relative to said first region;

a means for driving air in a cross-flow through said working area whereby said air is driven through said working area in a laminar pattern comprising a first flowing zone of high concentration of volatile organic compounds and a second flowing zone of lower concentration of volatile organic compounds relative to said first flowing zone; and

a smooth split-flow transition duct for splitting exhaust air from said facility containing volatile organic compounds into two zones comprising a first exhaust zone through which said first flowing zone is conducted containing a major portion of said volatile organic compounds, and a second exhaust zone through which said second flowing zone is conducted containing a minor portion of said volatile organic compounds.

2. The facility of claim 1, further comprising:

a first exhaust channel for withdrawing said exhaust air from said first zone; and

a second exhaust channel for withdrawing said exhaust air from said second zone.

3. The facility of claim 2 wherein said first exhaust channel includes a first duct and a first fan assembly, and said second exhaust channel includes a second duct and a second fan assembly.

4. The facility of claim 1 wherein said working area comprises an enclosed or partially enclosed booth.

5. The facility of claim 4 wherein said driving means drives the air horizontally through said booth.

6. The facility of claim 4 wherein said driving means drives the air vertically through said booth.

7. The facility of claim 1 wherein said driving means comprises fan means.

8. A method for processing exhaust air contaminated with volatile organic compounds to reduce organic compound emissions from a working area, which is enclosed or partially enclosed comprising a first region of high concentration of volatile organic compounds and a second region of low concentration of volatile organic compounds relative to said first region comprising the steps of;

driving air in a cross-flow through said working area whereby said air is driven through said working area in a laminar flow pattern comprising a first flowing zone of high concentration of volatile organic compounds and a second flowing zone of low concentration of volatile organic compounds relative to said first flowing zone;

collecting and splitting the exhaust air in a transition duct into a first exhaust zone for collection of said first flowing zone containing a major portion of said volatile organic compounds and into a second exhaust zone for collection of said second flowing zone containing a minor portion of said volatile organic compounds;

withdrawing the air from said first exhaust zone through a first channel; and

withdrawing the air from said second exhaust zone through a second channel.

9. A method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

returning at least a portion of the air which passes through said second channel into said working area.