Method and apparatus for decoupled thermo-photocatalytic pollution control

• US 6,342,128 B1
• Filed: 04/10/1999
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• 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:
  US09/289,401
• Time in Patent Office: 1,025 Days
• Field of Search: 422/186, 422/186.3, 422/209, 210/748, 210/763, 423/213.7, 204/157.15, 204/157.3, 204/158.2
• US Class Current: 204/157.15
• 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 2235/30 Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy
• 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 35/70 characterised by their crystalline properties, e.g. semi-crystalline catalysts comprising carbon B01J21/18; molecular sieves B01J29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/77 Compounds characterised by their crystallite size
• 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 photo-thermocatalytic reactor design and scale-up. At low irradiance levels, the method is based on the implementation of low pressure drop biopolymeric and synthetic polymeric support for titanium dioxide and other band-gap media. At high irradiance levels, the method utilizes multifunctional metal oxide aerogels and other media within a novel rotating fluidized particle bed reactor.

Claims

1. A method of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic pollution control comprising the steps of:

providing a target pollutant having a varying flow rate;

loosely positioning at least one combined photocatalytic and thermocatalytic media in a photocatalytic and thermocatalytic reactor to form a fluidized bed, the reactor having at least one light-heat source;

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

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

2. The method of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

rotating the fluidized bed about the al least one light-heat source.

3. The method of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the passing step further includes:

passing the target pollutant from within and through the photocatalytic and thermocatalytic media.

4. The method of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic pollution control of claim 1, wherein the light source includes:

a high flux lamp source.

5. A method of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic pollution control comprising the steps of:

providing a target pollutant having a varying flow rate;

passing the varying flow rate target pollutant into a first reactor having at least one photocatalytic media and at least one light source, wherein the at least one photocatalytic media and the at least one light source include at least one of;

a low flux light source with a solely organic polymer substrate adapted to operate below a sol-gel processing temperature, and a high flux lamp source with loosely positioned photocatalytic media that forms a fluidized bed;

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

passing the varying flow rate target pollutant into a second reactor having at least one thermocatalytic media and at least one heat source; and

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

6. The method of photocatalytic and thermocatalytic pollution control of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

rotating at least one of the first reactor and the second reactor.

7. A method of thermocatalytic and photocatalytic pollution control of claim 5, wherein the passing steps further include:

passing the target pollution from within and through at least one of the photocatalytic media and the thermocatalytic media.

8. The method of thermocatalytic and photocatalytic pollution control of claim 5, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor are in series to one another.

9. The method of thermocatalytic and photocatalytic pollution control of claim 5, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor are in parallel to one another.

10. The method of thermocatalytic and photocatalytic pollution control of claim 5, wherein the target pollutant initially passes into the first reactor and then into the second reactor.

11. The method of thermocatalytic and photocatalytic pollution control of claim 5, wherein the target pollutant initially passes into the second reactor and then into the first reactor.

20. The method of photocatalytic and pollution control of claim 5, wherein the at least one thermocatalytic media includes loosely positioned media forming a fluidized bed.

12. A method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control, comprising the steps of:

providing a target pollutant having a varying flow rate;

passing the varying flow rate target pollutant into a least one reactor having at least one photocatalytic media with a high flux and low flux light source, wherein the at least one photocatalytic media includes at least one of;

a solely organic polymer substrate adapted to operate below a sol-gel processing temperature, and loosely positioned photocatalytic media forming a fluidized bed; and

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

13. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 12, wherein the at least one reactor includes:

a single reactor having a single low flux and high flux activated photocatalytic media.

14. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 12, wherein the at least one reactor includes:

a single reactor having a low flux photocatalytic media and high flux photocatalytic media.

15. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 14, wherein the low flux photocatalytic media and the high flux photocatalytic media are in series to one another.

16. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 14, wherein the low flux photocatalytic media and the high flux photocatalytic media are in parallel to one another.

17. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 12, further comprising:

a first reactor and a second reactor each housing at least one of a low flux photocatalytic media and a high flux photocatalytic media.

18. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 17, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor are in series to one another.

19. The method of low flux and high flux photocatalytic pollution control of claim 17, wherein the first reactor and the second reactor are in parallel to one another.