Leslie C Hardison
Engineers at Apple Tree Ln, Hoffman Estates, IL

5139753, Aug 18, 1992

Apr 8, 1991

7/682546

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

C01B 1716

423220

A method and apparatus for removing H. sub. 2 S from a process gas, including a reaction chamber between an absorption chamber and an oxidizer chamber, in the polyvalent metal redox catalyzed removal of H. sub. 2 S from a process gas. The process and apparatus of the present invention inclues a first gas-liquid mass transfer zone or absorber chamber for intimately containing an H. sub. 2 S-containing process gas with an oxidized polyvalent metal redox solution for absorption of the H. sub. 2 S; and a reaction chamber in fluid communication with polyvalent metal redox solution exiting the absorption chamber through a valve-controlled cross-flow conduit. Cross flow of solution from the absorber chamber through a valve or other circulation control device to the reaction chamber provides controlled, continuous and sequential gas-liquid contact with two or more different gases in separate absorption, reaction and oxygenation zones within a single or multiple vessels.

4784775, Nov 15, 1988

Mar 2, 1987

7/020568

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

C02F 174

210712

Sour water is treated to remove dissolved hydrogen sulfide by means of an aqueous chelated polyvalent metal solution in a continuous recirculating system, particularly an autocirculation system, having reaction and oxygenation zones. The solution contains a small catalytic amount of chelated polyvalent metal, and the dissolved hydrogen sulfide is catalytically oxidized to sulfur in the liquid phase by means of dissolved oxygen in the solution. The sour water feed to the reaction zone is diluted by a massive recycle of oxygenated solution from the oxygenation zone before the sour water is contacted with air or other oxidizing gas used for oxygenating the used solution. A portion of the oxygenated solution containing chelated polyvalent metal is removed as the sweet water product, and replacement chelated polyvalent metal is added. The operating variables are controlled to maintain in the solution a predetermined polyvalent metal content and an effective dissolved oxygen content, and also to maintain a predetermined residence time so as to obtain high efficiency of hydrogen sulfide removal.

4730369, Mar 15, 1988

Jun 16, 1986

6/874869

Gary J. Nagl - Hoffman Estates IL
Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

C01B 17027

23293S

Method and apparatus for recovering sulfur from an aqueous slurry. The slurry is passed downwardly through a shell-and-tube heat exchanger having vertically arranged tubes, wherein it is heated sufficiently to melt the sulfur. The liquid mixture leaving the heat exchanger is discharged into a first separation zone, in which a phase separation between the lighter aqueous phase and the denser liquid sulfur occurs. The upper aqueous phase is then transported to an intermediate point in the height of a vertically elongated second separation zone, while the molten sulfur is transported from the lower end of the first separation zone to a point adjacent the lower end of said second separation zone, in which an interface between the phases is maintained at a point below the entry point of the aqueous liquid phase into the second separation zone. The aqueous liquid is discharged from the top of the second separation zone, while molten sulfur is discharged from the bottom of said zone.

5296205, Mar 22, 1994

Apr 8, 1991

7/682543

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

C01B 1716

423220

A packed mass transfer tower for establishing intimate gas-liquid contact and efficient mass transfer that is less susceptible to gas or liquid channeling, gas surging and uneven distribution of gas or liquid across the cross-sectional area of the tower. In one embodiment, the packed tower includes a packing arrangement including a loosely packed bed of mobile packing material, and an adjacent, tightly packed bed of mobile packing material. The relatively tightly packed bed of mobile packing material acts as a gas distributor, as well as being a material that causes good gas-liquid contact, to provide an even flow of gas across essentially the entire cross-sectional area of the loosely packed bed of mobile packing material. In another embodiment, mobile packing elements and fixed packing elements are intermixed between the same spaced fluid-pervious grids. In the second embodiment, the fixed packing elements hug the lower pervious grid to evenly distribute gas and liquid to the mobile packing elements that are aerated above the fixed packing elements during mass transfer.

4482524, Nov 13, 1984

Nov 24, 1980

6/210026

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

B01D 5336, B01J 1000, B01J 1926

422170

Apparatus for contacting a liquid reaction solution with a gas in separate reaction chambers within a single reaction vessel wherein the liquid reaction solution is continuously circulated between a first reaction chamber and a second reaction chamber within the reaction vessel but providing at least two side-by-side reaction chambers in open flow communication at their upper and lower ends with a gas supply means associated with each said chamber for introducing a gas in a finely divided form into the lower ends of each said chamber, and said gas supply means including flow control means whereby the rate of upward flow of gas in one of the chambers is greater than the rate of upward flow of gas in the other chamber so as to lower the density of the liquid reaction solution in the one chamber and provide continuous upward flow of liquid reaction solution and gas in the one chamber and downward flow of liquid reaction solution countercurrent to the flow of gas in the other chamber. The process and apparatus are particularly adapted for continuously carrying out two distinct chemical reactions between a liquid reaction solution and two different gases in a single reaction vessel, such as a catalytic oxidation-reduction process for removing hydrogen sulfide gas from a process gas stream.

5126118, Jun 30, 1992

Apr 8, 1991

7/682592

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

C01B 1716

423220

A method and apparatus including a reaction chamber interposed in a polyvalent metal redox solution flow path between an absorber chamber and an oxygenation chamber, including one or more oxygenation stages, for contact in the reaction chamber of H. sub. 2 S-laden catalytic polyvalent metal redox solution form the absorber chamber with highly oxidized polyvalent metal redox solution from the last oxygenation stage to accomplish oxidation of the dissolved H. sub. 2 S species by interaction with the oxidized redox catalyst essentially in the absence of gaseous dissolved oxygen. The highly oxidized polyvalent metal redox solution, including Fe. sup. +3 or V. sup. +5, contacts the H. sub. 2 S-laden solution from the absorber chamber for reoxidation of the dissolved HS. sup. -, S. sup. = and any of the polyvalent metal sulfur compounds (presumably a chelated iron sulfide or a vanadium sulfide), to avoid formation of sulfate or thiosulfate salts which reduce the yeild of sulfur and build up in the solution.

5160714, Nov 3, 1992

Apr 8, 1991

7/682598

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

C01B 1716

423220

An apparatus and method of contacting a liquid with different gases sequentially in separate mass transfer zones within a single vessel, the mass transfer zones operatively connected in liquid communication with each other, including intimately contacting the liquid with a first process gas in cocurrent flow in a first mass transfer zone to effect mass transfer between the first liquid and the process gas, and introducing the liquid into a second mass transfer zone with a second gas, different from the first gas, in cocurrent flow with the second liquid, thereby effecting mass transfer between the second liquid and the second gas. The rate of flow of the liquid from said first mass transfer zone to second mass transfer zone and recirculation to the first mass transfer zone is motivated by the difference in density of the contents of the liquid phase portion of each mass transfer zone and a following liquid downcomer or flow channel connecting it to the next sequential mass transfer zone, such that after passing through the last mass transfer zone, the liquid recirculates to the first mass transfer zone. The apparatus and method are ideally suited to carrying out the process of hydrogen sulfide removal from gases by means of an air-regenerated liquid redox catalyst, such as chelated iron.

4289505, Sep 15, 1981

Jun 13, 1980

6/159303

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL
Joseph P. Eng - Schaumburg IL
Gary J. Nagl - Roselle IL

Air Resources, Inc. - Palatine IL

B01D 5306, C02F 128

55 59

A bed of spent solid adsorbent material previously used for removal of mixed solvent vapors from an air stream is steam stripped; the mixture of steam and vaporized solvent is passed through a condenser; and the resultant liquid condensate is passed to a decanter where the condensate separates into an upper layer of water insoluble solvent components and a bottom layer of water containing the water soluble solvent components. The upper layer is withdrawn for reuse, and the decanter bottoms stream is passed through another bed of solid adsorbent material which removes the organic solvent so as to produce substantially pure water suitable for discharge or reuse. After a period of use this adsorbent bed is also regenerated by steam stripping, and the effluent steam and solvent vapors are recycled to the same condenser serving the air treating adsorbent bed so that a combined condensate is passed to the decanter.

4402273, Sep 6, 1983

Mar 1, 1982

6/353198

Gary J. Nagl - Hoffman Estates IL
Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Palatine IL

F23G 500

110229

Reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions from thermal incinerators is accomplished in installations for calcining solid carbonaceous materials such as petroleum coke and anthracite coal. A hot effluent gas stream containing hydrocarbon vapors and entrained carbonaceous solid particles is removed from the calciner, and means are provided to effect preliminary combustion of the hydrocarbon vapors but not the carbonaceous solid particles in the gas stream using substantially the stoichiometric amount of combustion air. The resultant gas that is substantially free of hydrocarbons and oxygen is introduced into the thermal incinerator, and combustion of the carbonaceous solid particles is effected with additional combustion air.

5437819, Aug 1, 1995

Jan 26, 1994

8/187639

Leslie C. Hardison - Barrington IL

ARI Technologies, Inc. - Barrington IL

B01F 304

261 94

A fluid contacting apparatus is constructed by coiling a ribbed, net-like material into a cylindrical core which is then placed in a retaining vessel through which fluids flow.