Appeal No. 1998-0425 Page 34
Application No. 08/272,527
11. The apparatus according to claim 9 including means
for controlling the concentration of HCl in the mixture of
treating gas and HCl at a mole fraction within the range from
about 4x10 to about 3.1x10 .-5 -2
12. Liquid treatment apparatus comprising:
a gas distribution network in a tank;
means for introducing treating gas into said network;
a source of cleaning gas;
means including valve means for intermittently
introducing into said network said cleaning gas alone or in
admixture with the treating gas;
a plurality of flow regulating means distributed about a
submerged portion of the network for receiving the
aforementioned gases and for discharging them into a plurality
of plenums downstream of the flow regulating means, said flow
regulating means tending to promote gas flow into said plenums
at similar rates; and
a plurality of at least ten multi-pore area release
diffusion elements sealingly engaged and in communication with
said plenums for receiving said gases, said diffusion elements
being members which comprise a multiplicity of closely spaced
fine pores defining paths for discharge of said gases and
which exhibit an increase in dynamic wet pressure and/or
bubble release pressure as a result of deposition of foulants,
each of said diffusion elements being in communication with
its own individual flow regulating means through its own
individual plenum downstream of the flow regulating means for
tending to promote gas flow through said diffusion elements at
similar rates;
measuring means for monitoring the operation of said
liquid treatment apparatus by measuring changes in operating
parameters of the apparatus that indicate dynamic wet pressure
changes across the diffusion elements with sufficient
precision for initiating the flow of cleaning gas with
sufficient frequency for maintaining the dynamic wet pressure
across the diffusion elements in a range not to exceed about
25 inches of water gauge above said base condition.
Page: Previous 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 Next
Last modified: November 3, 2007