Furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Abstract

This invention relates to a furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds in exhaust gas. The furnace device has a hollow body (10) with a gas inlet (13) and a gas outlet (11), a positioning device (20) mounted inside the body (10) and an arc generator (30) attached to the positioning device (20). The arc generator (30) has multiple cylindrical chambers (31) for accommodating the exhaust gas and multiple central rods (32) respectively penetrating through the multiple cylindrical chambers (31). In each chamber (31), an inner periphery of the chamber (31) serves as an electrode, and the central rod (32) serves as another electrode. When an effective potential difference is applied to the electrodes, arcs are generated between the inner periphery of the chamber (31) and the central rod (32) inside the chamber (31). Thereby, volatile organic compounds in the exhaust gas are burned and decomposed effectively and completely by the generated arcs.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and more particular a furnace device that uses arcs to burn the volatile organic compounds in an exhaust air.

2. Description of Related Art

Exhaust gases from most factories contain volatile organic compounds such as hydrocarbon compounds having oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur or halogen. These volatile organic compounds are hazardous to the human body and pollute our environment. Conventional methods for eliminating the volatile organic compounds from the exhaust gases are absorbing, chemical oxidation, burning, bio-oxidation and condensing methods. If quantity of volatile organic compounds in the exhaust gas is large, absorbing and condensing methods are carried out to recycle the volatile organic compounds. When the quantity of volatile organic compounds is low or the compounds are worthless, other methods destroy the volatile organic compounds.

An active carbon absorbent is one example of material used in the absorbing method and is held inside an absorbing device. The absorbing device comprises a hollow body with two ends, a gas inlet and a gas outlet and multiple active carbon filtering sheets. The gas inlet and outlet are formed respectively at the two ends, and the active carbon filtering sheets are stacked inside the hollow body between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. When the exhaust gas enters the absorbing device, the active carbon filtering sheets absorb the volatile organic compounds until the exhaust gas meets environmental standards for releasing into the environment. The filtering sheets have to be detached from the absorbing device and regenerated when the active carbon is saturated.

Besides wasting space and being expensive, the absorbing device is a low capacity device and cannot be used in every factory. Additionally, regenerating the active carbon filtering sheets is also expensive, and the active carbon filtering sheets need to be replaced with new ones often because regenerating the active carbon filtering sheets quickly becomes ineffective.

Furthermore, a high power air-extracting system has to be used to draw the exhaust gas through the filtering sheets. Therefore, electric consumption of the air-extracting system is inevitably high and the volatile organic compounds attached to the filtering sheets may cause secondary pollution if the volatile organic compounds are not properly treated.

Catalytic burning is another example of treating the exhaust gas with volatile organic compounds, especially for exhaust gas with low concentrations of VOCs. A catalytic burning operational device comprises a reacting chamber containing catalyst and multiple holes defined in the chamber for entrance and exit of the exhaust gas. When the system is operating, the exhaust gas is transported into the reacting chamber through the holes and burned with flammable gases or diesel oil to decompose the volatile organic compounds. However, the cost to operate the catalytic burning device is high, and the holes are easily clogged with ash after burning, which causes the device to malfunction.

The methods and devices to remove volatile organic compounds from exhaust gas still have some problems. The present invention has arisen to mitigate or obviate the disadvantages in the conventional methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the prevent invention is to provide a furnace device to eliminate volatile organic compounds, which has low cost and small size, and is suitable for exhaust gases with low-concentrations of volatile organic compounds.

Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF ESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side cutaway view of the furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds in FIG. 1, to reveal internal elements;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the arc generator in the furnace device in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a single reacting chamber of the arc generator in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of the reacting chamber in FIG. 4, wherein the reacting chamber is full of arcs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds in exhaust gas comprises a hollow body, a gas inlet, a gas outlet, an arc generator, two positioning plates and multiple optional damping devices. The hollow body has a top and a bottom. The gas inlet is defined near the bottom of the hollow body, and the gas outlet is defined at the top of the hollow body. The arc generator is mounted between the gas inlet and gas outlet and generates arcs to burn the volatile organic compounds when the exhaust gas enters the furnace device. The two positioning plates clamp and hold the arc generators in place. The multiple optional damping devices are mounted between the arc generator and the two positioning plates.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a preferred embodiment of the furnace device in accordance with the present invention comprises a body (10), a positioning device (20), and an arc generator (30).

The body (10) is a hollow cylinder with a flat bottom (not numbered), a tapered top (not numbered) and a sidewall (not numbered) and has a gas outlet (11), an optional gas-extractor (12); a gas inlet (13) and multiple view ports (14). The gas outlet (11) is defined in the tapered top of the body (10) and has the gas-extractor (12) accommodated inside. The gas inlet (12) is defined in the sidewall near the flat bottom of the body (10) to allow the exhaust gas entering the body (10). The multiple optional view ports (14) are defined in the sidewall of the body (10) for reparation.

The positioning device (20) is mounted between the gas inlet (13) and gas outlet (11) inside the body (10) and comprises two conductive positioning plates (21), and multiple isolating obstructors (23). The two positioning plates (21) are respectively located above and below the arc generator (30) inside the body (10). Each positioning plate (21) has multiple rod holes (22) and multiple ventilating holes (201) defined through the positioning plate (21) to communicate with the arc generator (30). The multiple isolating obstructors (23) are attached between the arc generator (30) and the positioning plate (21).

The arc generator (30) is mounted inside the body (10) between the two positioning plates (21) by securing means (not shown) and has a parallelepiped base 301), multiple chambers (31) and multiple conductive central rods (32). The multiple chambers (31) are cylindrical and longitudinally defined through the parallelepiped base (301) to communicate with the ventilating holes (201) on the two positioning plates (21). Each chamber (31) has an inner periphery (not numbered) that serves as a first electrode. The multiple central rods (32) penetrate respectively the multiple chambers (31) and serve as second electrodes. Each central rod (32) has an outer periphery (not numbered), two ends (not numbered) and multiple optional annular ribs (33). The two ends are inserted respectively into the rod holes (12) on the two positioning plates (21). The annular ribs (33) are formed on the outer periphery of the central rod (32) and served as discharging edges to emit arcs.

With further reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the exhaust gas is sucked into the chambers (31) by the gas-extractor (12) when the furnace device operates. Then, the central rods (32) and the corresponding inner periphery of the chambers (31) are connected to a power source to provide an effective potential difference to generate discharging arcs (40). Preferably, the plasma gas is formed in the chambers (31) to generate plasma arcs that has higher energy to burn the volatile organic compounds in the exhaust gas effectively and completely.

The furnace device as described burns the volatile organic compounds in the exhaust gas by simply providing electric arcs (40) so that the operating cost of the furnace is low and the volatile organic compounds can be decomposed completely in a short time. After the VOCs burn, ash drops through an opening in the bottom of the chamber (31) and is deposited on the flat bottom of the body (10) to keep the furnace device from malfunctioning. The isolating obstructors (23) can be replace conveniently through the view ports (14). Additionally, the volume of the furnace device is small to reduce occupied space in the factory.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds in exhaust gas, the furnace device comprising:

a body (10) being a hollow cylinder with a bottom, a top and a sidewall and having: a gas outlet (11) defined in the top of the body (10) and having a gas-extractor (12) mounted inside the gas outlet (11); and a gas inlet (12) defined in the sidewall near the bottom of he body (10);

a positioning device (20) mounted between the gas inlet (13) and gas outlet (11) inside the body (10) and comprising two conductive positioning plates (21); and

an arc generator (30) is mounted inside the body (10) between the two positioning plates (21) and having: a base (301) attached to the sidewall of the body (10); multiple chambers (31) being cylindrical and longitudinally defined through the base (301), and each having an inner periphery serving as an electrode; and multiple central rods (32) penetrating respectively the multiple chambers (31) and each serving as another electrode, wherein each central rod (32) has an outer periphery and two ends attached respectively to the two positioning plates (21).

2. The furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds as claimed in claim 1, wherein each central rod (32) has multiple annular ribs (33) formed on the outer periphery of the central rod (32).

3. The furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds as claimed in claim 1, wherein each positioning plate (21) has:

multiple rod holes (22) defined through the positioning plate (21), wherein each rod hole (22) receives one of the two ends on one central rod (32); and

multiple ventilating holes (201) defined through the positioning plate (21) to communicate with the multiple chambers (31) of the arc generator (30).

4. The furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds as claimed in claim 2, wherein each positioning plate (21) has:

multiple rod holes (22) defined through the positioning plate (21), wherein each rod hole (22) receives one of the two ends on one central rod (32); and

multiple ventilating holes (201) defined through the positioning plate (21) to communicate with the multiple chambers (31) of the arc generator (30).

5. The furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds as claimed in claim 1, wherein multiple isolating obstructors (23) are attached between the arc generator (30) and the two positioning plates (21).

6. The furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds as claimed in claim 4, wherein multiple isolating obstructors (23) are attached between the arc generator (30) and the two positioning plates (21).

7. The furnace device for eliminating volatile organic compounds as claimed in claim 6, wherein multiple view ports (14) are defined in the sidewall of the body (10).