Abstract: A heat exchanger burn-out process for regenerative thermal oxidizers includes the steps of passing a super-heated gas through one of the heat exchangers and into the combustion chamber. The gas is preferably heated in a selectively opened injection line that includes a burner. The burner is designed to superheat the injection gas to a cleaning temperature. The cleaning temperature is selected to be high enough as to volatilize and/or combust the organic solids that are expected within the heat exchanger. The injection line is associated with one of the heat exchangers, and the other two of the normal three heat exchangers on the regenerative thermal oxidizer are switched between a supplemental injection mode, wherein cooling gas is injected through that heat exchanger, and an outlet mode wherein gas from the combustion chamber leads outwardly through the heat exchanger to an outlet manifold.

Abstract: A regenerative thermal oxidizer includes a heat exchange column formed of body which defines at least one entire flow passage through the heat exchanger. The structure of the heat exchange column assists in purging residual gas to be cleaned from the heat exchanger prior to that regenerative heat exchanger moving into a mode where it receives the cleaned gas. The heat exchanger columns preferably have 70 to 80 percent of their surface area used as the flow passages. In a further geometric arrangement made possible by the inventive heat exchanger described above, two heat exchanger columns are positioned on opposed sides of a combustion chamber. End faces of the two opposed heat exchangers transfer radiative heat energy from the hotter of the two heat exchanger end faces to the cooler of the two heat exchanger end faces. In this way, radiative heat energy is not lost, but is reused to heat the other of the heat exchangers.

Abstract: An air supply plenum for a paint spray booth includes a housing with separating walls positioned between the ceiling and a filter support panel of the plenum housing. The air flow supplied to the paint spray booth area is divided by the walls into three distinct flows: (1) a central flow air, through which the article to be painted travels in the paint spray booth, (2) two outer greater flow areas where the operators and/or equipment for applying paint to the article to be painted are located. Filters are positioned in the supply plenum arrangement adjacent and above the filter support panel separating the plenum and paint spray booth. The filters run longitudinally along the length of the plenum and between the separating walls. The positioning of these filters in this manner minimizes the amount of turbulence of the flow provided to the spray paint booth.

Abstract: A regenerative thermal oxidizer having regenerative heat exchangers includes a heat exchange column formed of a body which defines at least one entire flow passage through the heat exchanger. The heat exchange column assists in purging residual gas to be cleaned from the heat exchanger prior to that regenerative heat exchanger moving into a mode where it receives the cleaned gas. This reduces inadvertent emissions of gas to be cleaned to the environment. In one embodiment, a monolithic body includes all of the flow passages. In a second embodiment, a plurality of blocks are utilized to form the heat exchanger column. In a third embodiment, a number of cylindrical tubes are utilized. The heat exchanger columns preferably have 70 to 80 percent of their surface area used as the flow passages.

Abstract: An improved gas scrubber system is disclosed in which air from a paint spray booth is mixed with a liquid to remove paint particles and other contaminants in the air. A wall is positioned immediately downstream of an outlet of the gas scrubber and a jet of intermixed water, entrained contaminants and air impinges off of that wall, to separate the majority of water and contaminants. The gas scrubber member has a unique structure such that the air and water are directed through a first portion generally aligned with an inlet and into a second portion which extends at a 90.degree. angle with respect to the first portion. A restriction is formed on the first portion to provide a noise barrier. The gas scrubber member is formed by planar walls to ensure that the water continues to adhere to them under surface tension, and in essentially laminar flow, while in the first portion. A top wall is spaced from a base wall to define the second portion.

Abstract: An accumulating pallet chain-dog conveyor has spring-biased roller assemblies attached to the pallet underside for frictionally engaging dogs and spacers which are connected to an endless chain. The roller assemblies include rotatable rollers having a plurality of flats for engaging the surfaces of the dogs and spacers. In operation, the pallets are propelled by the dogs which are engaged by the spring-biased rollers. The conveyor includes a pallet stop which halts the forward movement of the pallet at a predetermined position. When the forward movement of the pallet is stopped, the opposed rollers rotate the distance of one flat whereby the dog passes between the rollers in sliding, frictional engagement therewith. Thus, the pallet stops and the endless chain with its attached dogs and spacers continues to move. After the dog passes from between the opposed rollers, the rollers slidingly, frictionally engage a spacer which also passes between the rollers.

Abstract: An oven heat exchanger system which may be used in conjunction with painting ovens or similar processes. In conventional oven heat exchangers or the like, effluent gases exiting from a painting oven are received through a heating chamber, which causes the temperature of the oven effluent gases to rise to a level required for oxidation. The effluent then reacts with a catalyst to oxidize the effluent, in part, to CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 O. In the claimed invention, the heated effluent leaving the heating chamber enters an elbow duct in which spaced arcuate vanes are located. The curvature of the arcuate vanes are such that the heated effluent gases exiting the elbow duct is substantially laminar in flow. Heated effluent exiting the elbow duct is then received through a perforated plate which causes the heated effluent to be uniformly distributed as it enters a heater catalyst.