Inline Flue Gas Cooling via Water Mist Injection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing marine vessel waste treatment installations face challenges in efficiently cooling flue gas without requiring complex and space-consuming cooling systems, which can lead to the generation of dioxin-like chemicals and are prone to functional failures.

Innovation Solution

An inline cooling arrangement within the flue gas pipeline that includes a water injection device with a nozzle and a pressurized air injection device, where the air disperses water into mist to cool the gas effectively over a short distance, eliminating the need for auxiliary reactors and minimizing space requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a separate cooling tower or chamber is used to cool flue gas, then the flue gas temperature can be reduced to prevent dioxin formation, but the device complexity and space requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflue gas temperatureVSAvoidcooling system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling function is merged directly into the flue gas pipeline by installing injection devices within the pipeline itself. The water injection device and pressurized air injection device are integrated into the pipeline structure, eliminating the need for separate cooling towers or chambers. This merging approach reduces device complexity while maintaining the temperature reduction function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions from a separate spatial cooling structure (cooling tower/chamber) to an inline cooling approach within the pipeline. By injecting water and pressurized air directly into the flue gas flow within the pipeline, the cooling function is achieved in a different dimensional configuration - from external separate structure to internal integrated system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If a separate cooling tower is installed to cool flue gas, then cooling effectiveness is achieved, but the installation requires significant space on marine vessels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflue gas temperatureVSAvoidcooling system volume
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling function is merged into the existing flue gas pipeline volume. Instead of adding a separate cooling tower that occupies additional space, the injection devices are installed within the pipeline structure, utilizing the existing pipeline volume for dual purposes (gas transport and cooling).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the essential cooling function from the bulky cooling tower structure and implements it through compact injection devices. By taking out only the necessary water and air injection capabilities and placing them directly in the pipeline, the space requirement is dramatically reduced while maintaining cooling effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Temperature

If complex cooling systems are used to cool flue gas, then temperature control is achieved, but the reliability decreases due to more components prone to failure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflue gas temperatureVSAvoidcooling system reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling function is merged into the simple pipeline structure with minimal additional components. By using straightforward injection devices rather than complex cooling system machinery, the reliability is improved while maintaining temperature control capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the natural mixing and evaporation processes of water and pressurized air with flue gas to achieve cooling. The flue gas itself serves as the medium through which cooling occurs, reducing the need for additional active cooling components that could fail.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution efficiently cools flue gas to under 250°C within 2.5 meters of the incinerator outlet, meeting IMO standards while being technically simple, cost-effective, and space-efficient, thereby reducing the formation of dioxin-like chemicals.

Implementation Method 1

The pressurized air injection device is for feeding pressurized air into the water stream in order to disperse the water into mist that has a maximal surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAtomization: Aerosol

Implementation Method 2

This mist is fed into the flue gas pipeline in order to cool the flue gas as quickly as possible within a short distance of the outlet of the incinerator unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporative cooling: Evaporative Cooler

Implementation Method 3

The flue gas pipeline is provided with a temperature measuring unit, the water injection device is provided with a flow control means for adjusting a flow volume of the water stream based on a temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature measurement: Thermocouple

Data Source

PatentEP3230654B1Waste treatment installation
Publication Date: 2020.03.25 EVAC OY
  • EP3230654B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3230654B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3230654B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A marine vessel (V) waste treatment installation (10), which includes at least one waste receiving unit (2), at least one waste feeding unit (3), at least one incinerator unit (4) provided with an outlet (7), and at least one flue gas pipeline (8) connected to the outlet (7). In order to provide for a desired cooling of the flue gas, the flue gas pipeline (8) is provided with an inline cooling arrangement (10) in order to cool the discharged flue gas to a given temperature. The cooling arrangement (10) includes a water injection device (11) with a water discharge nozzle (12) for feeding a water stream directly into the flue gas pipeline (8). The cooling arrangement (10) is also provided with a pressurized air injection device (16) for feeding pressurized air into the water stream.