Abstract: A damper assembly for use in an industrial duct used for venting contaminated gasses having particulate matter suspended therein. The damper assembly removes precipitate from the duct that was deposited by the contaminated gas and particulate matter. The damper assembly includes an articulating member which is movable between an open position and a closed position along a first axial direction. Opposing blades are disposed on opposite sides of the articulating member. Each of the opposing blades define a distal edge and are pivotable about axes that are substantially parallel to one another. A link couples each blade to the articulating member such that the motion from the articulating member is transfer to the blades. Each link is coupled to the blade between the distal edge and the respective parallel axis.

Abstract: An air cooled steam condenser for condensing exhaust steam from a steam turbine including a steam delivery manifold, first and second bundles of aligned elongated tubes extending downwardly at an angle to the axis of the steam delivery manifold, each bundle containing a plurality of elongated tubes having exterior aluminum fins, an exterior coating of aluminum and an interior cladding of stainless steel having a thickness between about 45 and 125 microns, wherein a height measured between the rounded ends of the tubes is greater than 220 mm or between 220 and 280 mm and the length of the tubes is greater than 11 m, preferably between 12 and 14 m or greater.

Abstract: A method of forming a modular collecting electrode for an electrostatic precipitator, including forming a plurality of horizontal collecting electrode sections, each section having vertical planar portions separated by vertical tubular portions, and wherein the method includes inserting interconnecting support elements into the tubular portions of adjacent collector electrode sections and compressing the interconnected electrode sections to form a rigid modular assembly. In one preferred embodiment, the method includes applying stiffening members across the ends of the planar portions of adjacent electrode sections for transmitting rapping forces through the assembled sections.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling or removing mercury, mercury compounds and high molecular weight organics, if present, from a resource recovery exhaust stream by separately adding a carbonaceous char to the flue gas while it is still within the unit. The char can be produced in situ by adding a carbonaceous material and allowing it to thermally decompose.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling or removing mercury, mercury compounds and high molecular weight organics, if present, from a waste incineration apparatus exhaust stream by separately adding a carbonaceous char to the flue gas while the flue gas is still within the unit. The char can be produced in situ by adding a carbonaceous material and allowing the carbonaceous material to thermally decompose.

Abstract: A method for removing sulfur dioxide out of a gas is provided. The sulfur dioxide contaminated gas is contacted with an aqueous solution or slurry that contains a reagent, such as sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate, in a reactor that may be a spray drier or a quench reactor and a gas having a diminished quantity of sulfur dioxide; unreacted reagent; sulfate reaction product, and which is at a temperature in the range of about 130 to 200 ° F. and a humidity in the range of 10 to 70 percent is produced. Particulate calcium hydroxide is blown into this gas through a device, such as dry venturi. The dry venturi removes aerosols out of the gas and helps ensure that the downstream filter cake is porous and non-tacky. The gas is then passed through a filtering device so that solids in the gas accumulate on the filter device, thus forming a filter cake. At least a portion of the sulfur dioxide in the gas is removed via passage of the gas through this filter cake.

Abstract: A wedge-type interferometer is disclosed that is supported three-dimensionally by a cast inner shell, which contains a readily removable optical cartridge supporting the fixed and movable wedge-shape prisms of the interferometer. The fixed prism is supported from one side of a centerpiece of the cartridge while the movable prism is supported from the other side of the centerpiece for linear, scanning movement. The cartridge may be mechanically and optically aligned prior to insertion into the inner shell, and is easily removed if additional adjustments are required. A first corner cube mirror is supported by a plate secured to one wall of the inner shell and is aligned by micropositioner adjustment in the X-axis. A second corner cube mirror is supported by a plate secured to another wall of the inner shell and is aligned by micropositioner adjustment in the Y-axis. After alignment, the micrometers are removed, and the inner shell may be mounted in an outer, hermetically-sealed casting.

Abstract: An infrared microscope is disclosed which provides illumination for reflectance by the sample. This illumination follows a path through the objective toward the sample, and again, after reflection, through the objective toward the detector The reflectance illumination is directed toward the objective and sample by a fully reflective mirror, which injects approximately half of the interferometer beam into the microscope, and permits substantially all of the reflected beam to reach the detector.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for nitrogen oxide reduction and flue gas reheating wherein a catalyst surface is heated to an operating temperature to facilitate a catalytic reduction reaction in the presence of relatively cool flue gas. To avoid conventional complication the catalytic reduction reaction is performed downstream of both particulate control operations and desulfurization procedures. That is, the catalyst surface itself is placed just before the stack. The method of the present invention reheats the flue gas prior to its exit into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring a flue gas is provided. The gas sampling system includes a conditioning unit proximate to a point where the sample is taken, an analyzing unit at a location removed from the point where the sample is taken and a gas sample transport line connecting the conditioning unit and analyzing unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing nitrogen dioxide (NO.sub.2) emissions in a dry sodium scrubbing process without significantly reducing sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) and nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x) removal efficiencies. A sodium additive is injected into a flue gas duct carrying flue gas from a combustor to a particulate collection device to remove sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the flue gas. The flue gas is humidified by introducing water into the flue gas duct at a point upstream of the sodium additive introduction point. Through control of the moisture content of the flue gas and the temperature in the particulate collection device, the amount of NO.sub.2 emissions is reduced to a value below that which causes the creation of a brown plume emanating from the gas stack.

Abstract: A gas flow distribution system for directing the flow of gas across the inlet portion of and into an electrostatic precipitator. The gas distribution system including a corrugated perforated plate for shifting and spreading gas across the inlet portion of an electrostatic precipitator.

Abstract: A laser referencing system is disclosed which is used in a refractively scanning interferometer. The interferometer optics comprise a fixed wedge-shaped prism having a beamsplitter surface, a movable wedge-shaped prism, and two corner cube reflectors. A laser clocking beam enters the interferometer on a path below the infrared analytical beam, and leaves the interferometer on a path above the infrared beam. Quadrature control of the laser beams is used to control the ends of the scanning sweeps, eliminating the need for a third, "white light" interferometer beam. ZPD alignment is accomplished by horizontal adjustment of the fixed beamsplitter prism. The interferometer optics are supported three-dimensionally in a cast shell.

Abstract: A method for the removal of nitrogen oxides from waste gases by contacting the waste gas with the products of the pyrolytic decomposition of methane containing CH and CH.sub.2 radicals to reduce the nitrogen oxides to nitrogen.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for enhanced removal of SO.sub.2 and fly ash from flue gas by directing the flue gas and an SO.sub.2 sorbent through an electrostatic charger and then through a bag filter where electrostatically improved flue gas/sorbent contact occurs and where the suspended fly ash and sodium sulfate are removed and the gas stream is discharged.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for creating high temperature plasmas for enhanced chemical processing of gaseous fluids, toxic chemicals, and the like, at a wide range of pressures, especially at atmospheric and high pressures includes an electro-magnetic resonator cavity, preferably a reentrant cavity, and a wave guiding structure which connects an electro-magnetic source to the cavity. The cavity includes an intake port and an exhaust port, each having apertures in the conductive walls of the cavity sufficient for the intake of the gaseous fluids and for the discharge of the processed gaseous fluids. The apertures are sufficiently small to prevent the leakage of the electro-magnetic radiation from the cavity. Gaseous fluid flowing from the direction of the electro-magnetic source through the guiding wave structure and into the cavity acts on the plasma to push it away from the guiding wave structure and the electro-magnetic source.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the distruction of toxic materials adsorbed on large masses of non-toxic materials by subjecting a mixture of the materials to a high power electron beam or to gamma rays.

Abstract: A splash bar for use in crossflow cooling tower fill assemblies. The splash bar has (1) a substantially horizontal upper surface, (2) two downwardly extending side surfaces terminating at their lower edges in substantially horizontal inwardly directed flanges, and (3) at least one downwardly extending rib intermediate the side surfaces and terminating at its lower edge in a substantially horizontal flange. All of the flanges are in the same substantially horizontal plane, and all are spaced from one another to facilitate extrusion of the splash bar and to prevent accumulation of water and debris in the splash bar. The upper surface may be perforate or imperforate.

Abstract: A method for reduced temperature operation of flue gas collectors is disclosed wherein the benefits of low temperature operation are made possible by avoidance of the acid dewpoint limit. The process increases the specific collecting area of the collector, results in lower pressure drop through the collector and, where the collector is an electrostatic precipitator, allows improved collection efficiency through higher electric field strength and reduced particulate resistivity.

Abstract: A process uses limestone injection into a combustion boiler burning pulverized coal or liquid hydrogen fuel. Effluent gas from the boiler is humidified and cooled to below 200.degree. F. During the humidifying and cooling step, sulfur dioxide removal occurs in addition to that which takes place in the combustion zone of the boiler. The effluent gas and unreacted alkali is then fed into an electron beam irradiation chamber which produces energetic conditions for rapid reaction of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the presence of water vapor. The remaining unreacted alkali reacts rapidly and in-situ with the sulfuric acid and nitric acid formed in the electron beam chamber.