Poppet valve stabilizer

Abstract

A stabilizing assembly for a poppet valve in a regenerative thermal oxidizer comprises a plurality of rigid bars, spanning a poppet valve gap, arranged circumferentially around a chamber outlet.

1 . A regenerative thermal oxidizer comprising 
 a first chamber having an inlet for receiving contaminated process effluent gas, and an outlet in a first wall for allowing gas to exit the chamber,    a second wall located outside the first chamber substantially parallel to the first wall, a gap being defined between the first and second walls,    a poppet valve assembly operatively installed between the first and second walls to control opening and closing of the outlet, the poppet valve having a shaft oriented centrally relative to the outlet and perpendicularly relative to the first and second walls, and a disc member connected to the shaft, the disc member being dimensioned to cover the outlet,    a drive mechanism connected to the shaft configured to move the shaft back and forth along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the outlet so that the disc moves between an open position in which gas can pass through the outlet and a closed position in which the disc substantially seals the outlet preventing gas from escaping the first chamber,    a plurality of rigid rod structures spanning the gap and connecting the first and second walls, arranged circumferentially around the outlet.    
     
     
         2 . The oxidizer of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet in the first chamber is circular.  
     
     
         3 . The oxidizer of  claim 1 , wherein the rod structures are made of steel.  
     
     
         4 . The oxidizer of  claim 1 , wherein the there are at least eight rods evenly spaced around the outlet.  
     
     
         5 . The oxidizer of  claim 1 , wherein the first wall includes an annular rigid structure circumscribing the outlet.  
     
     
         6 . A regenerative thermal oxidizer comprising 
 a first chamber having an inlet for receiving contaminated process effluent gas, and an outlet in a first wall for allowing gas to exit the chamber,    a second wall located outside the first chamber substantially parallel to the first wall, a gap being defined between the first and second walls,    a poppet valve assembly operatively installed between the first and second walls to control opening and closing of the outlet, the poppet valve having a shaft oriented centrally relative to the outlet and perpendicularly relative to the first and second walls, and a disc member connected to the shaft, the disc member being dimensioned to cover the outlet,    a drive mechanism connected to the shaft configured to move the shaft back and forth along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the outlet so that the disc moves between an open position in which gas can pass through the outlet and a closed position in which the disc substantially seals the outlet preventing gas from escaping the first chamber,    a rigid support structure spanning the gap and connecting the first and second walls, arranged circumferentially around the outlet.    
     
     
         7 . The oxidizer of  claim 6 , wherein the rigid support structure includes a plurality of rigid connecting the first and second walls, evenly spaced around the outlet.