Method for high flux photocatalytic pollution control

• US 6,315,870 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1999
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Martin, Eric, Tabatabaie-Raissi, Ali, Muradov, Nazim Z.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorgos, Kathryn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nicolas, Wesley A.
• Application Number:
  US09/288,188
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 422/186, 422/186.3, 422/209, 423/213.7, 210/748, 210/763, 204/157.3
• US Class Current: 204/157.3
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2255/802 Photocatalytic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/885 Devices in general for catalytic purification of waste gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/123 Ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/28 Moving reactors, e.g. rotary drums B01J19/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/06 Silicon, titanium, zirconium or hafnium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/063 Titanium; Oxides or hydroxides thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00015 Scale-up
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00191 Control algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0877 Liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0879 Solid
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0892 involving catalytically active material
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/1946 conical
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/30 characterised by their physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/39 Photocatalytic properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/58 Fabrics or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/10 moved by stirrers or by rotary drums or rotary receptacles or endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/02 by heating methods of steam generation F22B; preheating boiler feed-water or accumulating preheated boiler feed-water F22D
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/38 by centrifugal separation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/725 by catalytic oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3223 : Single elongated lamp located on the central axis of a turbular reactor
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/328 : Having flow diverters (baffles)
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2305/10 : Photocatalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 : using solar energy

Abstract

A new method for design and scale-up of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic processes is disclosed. The method is based on optimizing photoprocess energetics by decoupling of the process energy efficiency from the DRE for target contaminants. The technique is applicable to both low- and high-flux photoreactor design and scale-up. The low-flux method is based on the implementation of natural biopolymeric and other low-pressure drop media support for titanium dioxide and other band-gap photocatalysts. The high-flux method is based on the implementation of multifunctional metal oxide aerogels and other media in conjunction with a novel rotating fluidized particle bed reactor.

Claims

1. A method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control comprising the steps of:

providing a target pollutant having a varying flow rate;

loosely positioning a first photocatalytic media and a second photocatalytic media in a first photocatalytic reactor, the reactor having at least one high flux light source;

rotating the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media to form a fluidized bed;

passing the varying flow rate target pollutant into the fluidized bed of the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media; and

photocatalytically converting the varying flow rate target pollutant that passes through the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media at a selected level of destruction and removal efficiency(DRE).

2. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the passing step further comprises the step of:

orienting the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media in series to one another.

3. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the passing step further comprises the step of:

orienting the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media in parallel to one another.

4. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source further includes:

a single high flux lamp for both the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media.

5. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source further includes:

a first high flux lamp for the first photocatalytic media and a second high flux lamp for the second photocatalytic media.

6. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

passing the target pollutant into a second photocatalytic reactor having at least one photocatalytic media, and at least one high flux light source; and

converting the target pollutant that passes through the second photocatalytic reactor to a second selected level of destruction and removal efficiency (DRE).

7. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

orientating the first photocatalytic reactor in series with the second photocatalytic reactor.

8. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

orientating the first photocatalytic reactor in parallel with the second photocatalytic reactor.

9. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media have different lengths.

10. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media have identical lengths.

11. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 6, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor have different lengths.

12. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 6, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor have identical lengths.

13. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

rotating the first photocatalytic media and the second photocatalytic media together with the first reactor.

14. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

rotating the first reactor and the second reactor together.

15. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the rotating step further includes:

rotating the fluidized bed about the at least one high flux light source.

18. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 15, wherein the at least one high flux light source remains stationary while the fluidized bed is rotated.

16. A method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control, comprising the steps of:

providing a target pollutant having a varying flow rate;

loosely positioning at least one photocatalytic media in a photocatalytic reactor, the reactor having at least one high flux light source;

rotating the at least one photocatalytic media to form a fluidized bed;

passing the varying flow rate target pollutant into the fluidized bed of the at least one catalytic media; and

photocatalytically converting the varying flow rate target pollutant that passes through the photocatalytic media to a selected level of destruction and removal efficiency(DRE).

17. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

rotating the photocatalytic reactor.

19. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 16, wherein the rotating step further includes:

rotating the fluidized bed about the at least one high flux light source.

20. The method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 19, wherein the at least one high flux light source remains stationary while the fluidized bed is rotated.

21. A method of high flux photocatalytic pollution control, comprising the steps of:

providing a target pollutant having a varying flow rate;

loosely positioning photocatalytic media in a photocatalytic reactor having a high flux light source;

centrifugally forcing the loosely positioned photocatalytic media to form a fluidized bed in the photocatalytic reactor;

passing the varying flow rate target pollutant into the fluidized bed of the photocatalytic media; and

photocatalytically converting the varying flow rate target pollutant that passes through the catalytic media to a selected level of destruction and removal efficiency(DRE).

22. The method of photocatalytic pollution control of claim 21, wherein the centrifugal step includes:

rotating the fluidized bed about the high flux light source.

23. The method of photocatalytic pollution control of claim 22, wherein the high flux light source remains stationary while the fluidized bed is rotated.