Recirculating air cleaner

Claim 2

A gas cleaning device, comprising an elongated housing having opposite axial ends, intake means connected to one of said axial ends for conducting an axial inflow of gas with particulate contaminants entrained therein, exhaust means connected to said other of the axial ends for discharging an outflow of said gas, impeller means operatively mounted within said housing adjacent said intake means for inducing said inflow of gas and producing a vortical flow thereof toward the exhaust means, liquid injection means extending into the intake means for injecting liquid into the housing to form a mixture of said contaminated gas and the liquid centrifugally maintained radially outwardly of the exhaust means, separating means connected to the housing in radially spaced relation to the exhaust means for receiving said mixture from the housing and separating a slurry of the liquid and contaminants therefrom, drain means connected to the separating means for removing the slurry therefrom, and gas flow conduit means connecting said separating means to the intake means for recycling the gas separated from the slurry.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein said separating means includes a slurry box enclosing the housing in radially spaced relation to the exhaust means and having a lower collection zone within which the slurry accumulates upon gravitational separation from the gas, and an upper zone from which the gas is withdrawn through the gas flow conduit means.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 2 wherein said separating means includes a second slurry box, said slurry boxes being respectively positioned on the housing adjacent said opposite axial ends.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 2 wherein said drain means includes a drain conduit connected to the slurry box at the lower collection zone below the housing.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 1 including a drive motor mounted externally on the housing and drive means extending radially into the housing for drivingly connecting the motor to the impeller means.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 1 wherein said separating means includes a collection manifold having a lower zone within which the slurry accumulates and an upper zone connected to the gas flow conduit means into which gas escapes from the accumulated slurry.

Claim 8

A gas cleaning device, comprising an elongated housing having opposite axial ends, intake means connected to one of said axial ends for conducting an axial inflow of gas with particulate contaminants entrained therein, exhaust means connected to said other of the axial ends for discharging an outflow of said gas, impeller means operatively mounted within said housing adjacent said intake means for inducing said inflow of gas and producing a vortical flow thereof toward the exhaust means, liquid injection means extending into the intake means for injecting liquid into the housing to form a mixture of said contaminated gas and the liquid centrifugally maintained radially outwardly of the exhaust means, separating means connected to the housing in radially outer relation thereto for receiving said mixture from the housing and separating a slurry of the liquid and contaminants therefrom, drain means connected to the separating means for removing the slurry therefrom, and gas flow conduit means connecting said separating means to the intake means for recycling the gas separated from the slurry, said separating means including a slurry box enclosing the housing in radially spaced relation to the exhaust means and having a lower collection zone within which the slurry accumulates upon gravitational separation from the gas, and an upper zone from which the gas is withdrawn through the gas flow conduit means, said separating means including a second slurry box, said slurry boxes being respectively positioned on the housing adjacent said opposite axial ends, said gas flow conduit means including an axially extending tube interconnecting the slurry boxes at the upper zones and a return tube connecting one of the slurry boxes at the upper zone thereof to the intake means.

Claim 9

A gas cleaning device, comprising an elongated housing having opposite axial ends, intake means connected to one of said axial ends for conducting an axial inflow of gas with particulate contaminants entrained therein, exhaust means connected to said other of the axial ends for discharging an outflow of said gas, impeller means operatively mounted within said housing adjacent said intake means for inducing said inflow of gas and producing a vortical flow thereof toward the exhaust means, liquid injection means extending into the intake means for injecting liquid into the housing to form a mixture of said contaminated gas and the liquid centrifugally maintained radially outwardly of the exhaust means, separating means connected to the housing in radially outer relation thereto for receiving said mixture from the housing and separating a slurry of the liquid and contaminants therefrom, drain means connected to the separating means for removing the slurry therefrom, and gas flow conduit means connecting said separating means to the intake means for recycling the gas separated from the slurry, said separating means including a slurry box enclosing the housing in radially spaced relation to the exhaust means and having a lower collection zone within which the slurry accumulates upon gravitational separation from the gas, and an upper zone from which the gas is withdrawn through the gas flow conduit means, said separating means including a second slurry box, said slurry boxes being respectively positioned on the housing adjacent said opposite axial ends, said gas flow conduit means including an axially extending tube interconnecting the slurry boxes at the upper zones and a return tube connecting one of the slurry boxes at the upper zone thereof to the intake means.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 7 wherein said drain means includes a drain conduit connected to the slurry boxes at the lower collection zones below the housing.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 8 wherein said gas is air and the liquid is water.

Claim 12

In combination with a gas cleaning device having a housing through which a vortical flow stream of contaminated gas is conducted toward an exhaust outlet and liquid is injected into the flow stream to form a slurry of liquid and contaminants centrifugally separated from the gas discharged from the outlet; the improvement comprising collection means connected to the housing in radially spaced relation to the outlet for receiving said slurry, said collection means eNclosing a lower collection zone within which the slurry accumulates and an upper zone within which gas evolving from the accumulated slurry is received, and gas recycling means connected to the upper zone of the collection means in radially spaced relation to the outlet for returning said evolving gas to the vortical flow stream within the housing.

Claim 13

In combination with a gas cleaning device having a housing through which a vortical flow stream of contaminated gas is conducted toward an exhaust outlet and liquid is injected into the flow stream to form a slurry of liquid and contaminants centrifugally separated from the gas discharged from the outlet; the improvement comprising collection means connected to the housing in radially spaced relation to the outlet for receiving said slurry, said collection means eNclosing a lower collection zone within which the slurry accumulates and an upper zone within which gas evolving from the accumulated slurry is received, and gas recycling means connected to the upper zone of the collection means in radially spaced relation to the outlet for returning said evolving gas to the vortical flow stream within the housing.