The Anaconda Company

Thomas F Payne

Philip D Sauer

An apparatus and method particularly adapted for use in preventing accumulation of material on at least a portion of a monitoring device for a foam scrubber or the like. The foam scrubber apparatus comprises a container having a layer of foam material therein, the improvement comprising monitoring means for monitoring said foam material, said monitoring means comprising a first means connected to the container, a second means centrally mounted in said first means, and extending into said foam layer, and fluid supply means in fluid-flow communication with a passage in said first means for supplying a stream of fluid into said first means through said passage and through said first means around said second means to prevent foreign material from accumulating on said second means. The method for preventing accumulation of foreign material on the monitoring means having first and second means which monitoring means monitors a foam layer in a container of a foam scrubber, comprises the steps of supporting the second means in the foam layer by the first means which establishes fluid-flow communication between the outside and inside of the container, and creating at least a partial vacuum in the foam scrubber for drawing a fluid medium through the first means from the outside to the inside of the container and at least along a portion of the second means for preventing accumulation of foreign material along the second means.

Method and apparatus for foam scrubber level detector

An improved apparatus and method for separating gaseous pollutants and particles from a gas with a foam layer wherein the apparatus includes means for monitoring the foam layer composition and/or height of the foam layer, dispensing means for dispensing a liquid to said foam layer, and means responsive to said monitoring means for activating said dispensing means to control the dispensing of liquid through the dispensing means. The method comprises the steps of monitoring the pressure drop and/or height of the foam layer and dispensing a liquid to the foam layer, when its composition and/or thickness varies beyond a predetermined point, for a time sufficient to bring the composition and/or level of the foam layer back to said predetermined point.

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Flathead, MT, United States of America

Thomas F Payne