Abstract: A fluidized bed hearth floor comprises a supporting metal sheet provided with fluidization-gas injection nozzles. The supporting sheet is made of refractory metal, and is covered with a plurality of flat elements made of refractory metal, each flat element being fixed to the supporting sheet by welding in a localized zone, e.g., substantially at a point.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fastening system for fastening a through pipe to a hearth wall, the pipe opening into a box. The fastening system comprises external pipe-securing means for securing the pipe to said screen, and an internal metal guide tube fitted over said pipe and having one of its ends interposed between said pipe and the orifice through which said pipe passes, its other end being externally threaded. The guide tube carries a rigid washer which is disposed so as to abut against the inside face of the inside layer, and against which a wall of the box is mounted, which wall is provided with an orifice that is larger than the cross-section of the guide tube, a sealing device being clamped against the wall of the box by a nut screwed onto the threaded end of the guide tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for regulating the flow of a fluid, the device comprising an inlet receptacle and an outlet receptacle that releases the fluid at a regulated flow rate via an outlet opening, the two receptacles being separated by a common wall. The common wall extends from the bottom walls of the receptacles, and a "bell" contrivance is disposed over the common wall to form on either side of the common wall first and second intermediate receptacles in which a gas pressure is kept constant.

Abstract: A circulating fluidized bed reactor includes a lower zone having a fluidization grid, primary and secondary air injection inlets, and fuel feed inlets, an upper zone, internal bubbling beds at the top of the lower zone collecting solid matter from recirculation internal to the reactor and delivering a fraction thereof to external bubbling bed heat exchangers close coupled with the walls of the reactor level with the internal beds. The external heat exchangers reject the solid matter into the lower zone after exchanging heat with an external fluid. The reactor is simple in structure and benefits from the advantages of bubbling external beds while maintaining conventional design in the lower zone.

Abstract: The reactor includes: a lower zone (I) having a fast circulation fluidized bed; a zone having a dense fluidized bed (13) and located adjacent to the top of the lower zone, being separated therefrom by a dividing wall, the top layer of the dense bed receiving falling particulate materials, and its bottom layer returning these materials to the lower zone (I); and a higher zone having a fast circulation fluidized bed. The invention is applicable to boilers.

Abstract: A boiler having vertical walls of large size constituted by screens of heat exchanger tubes, fitted with a flue gas recycling circuit, and including a prismatic bottom portion referred to as an "ash box". The recycled combustion gases are fed via at least one duct that opens out into one of the end walls of a hopper disposed beneath the ash box.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hot gas recovery boiler comprising a substantially horizontal gas inlet duct, a gas deflection duct connected to the inlet duct and opening out into a generally vertical enclosure that contains a set of superposed and substantially horizontal heat exchange stages plus a flue gas exhaust duct at the top of the enclosure. At least one heat exchanger is disposed in the proximity of the outlet of said inlet duct.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of reducing polluting emissions from a circulating fluidized bed combustion installation including a furnace from which the dust is recovered at least in part by a cyclone, the partially dedusted gases output by the cyclone passing through a recovery boiler, and then into a dust filter, in which method a desulfurizing agent is inserted into the furnace. According to the invention, downstream from said recovery boiler, and upstream from said dust filter, the flue gases are desulfurized in semi-humid manner in a reaction enclosure provided with a water injection inlet. Downstream from said dust filter, the resulting desulfurization products are thermally oxidized.

Abstract: A support device for supporting on a stationary framework a mass which is cantilevered-out from a moving element that moves under the effect of thermal expansion or contraction. The device comprises a rigid stand supporting the mass and connected to the stationary framework via two parallel arms of equal length and situated at two different heights, each of the two arms being hinged at one of its ends to a corresponding point on the stand and at its other end to a corresponding point on the stationary framework, the rigid support being placed on the moving elements via a connection that slides horizontally. The device is applicable to supporting collector manifolds in steam generators or boilers.

Abstract: The reactor includes: a lower zone (I) having a fast circulation fluidized bed; a zone having a dense fluidized bed (13) and located adjacent to the top of the lower zone, being separated therefrom by a dividing wall, the top layer of the dense bed receiving falling particulate materials, and its bottom layer returning these materials to the lower zone (I); and a higher zone having a fast circulation fluidized bed. The invention is applicable to boilers.

Abstract: An adjustable temperature gas feed is available that feeds firstly the grinder and secondly pre-drying means. At the outlet from the grinder, the gas that has passed through the grinder is combined with the gas that has passed through the pre-drying means to convey the ground material. The total gas flow rate Q.sub.A at the oulet lies between a minimum flow rate and a maximum flow rate, and the flow rate Q.sub.1 of the gas passing through the grinder (1) is proportional to the quantity Q.sub.c of material placed in the grinder. According to the invention, a temperature T to be reached by the gas outlet temperature is set (optionally as a function of the moisture content of the material), and the gas feed is adjusted in such a manner that the feed gas is as hot as possible with the quantity of gas passing through the pre-drying means being limited to as little as possible. The method adapts to the material having different moisture contents and improves efficiency while leading to combustion with low NO.sub.x.

Abstract: The lance of the invention includes a sleeve (2A) which conveys air under pressure around a central tube (1) which conveys the pulp that is to be sprayed and dispersed. The wall of this tube is pierced by separation holes (5) to inject a gaseous lining around the pulp, by break-up holes (3) for breaking up said pulp, and by rotation-imparting holes (4) in the vicinity of the outlet (1B) from the lance. The invention is particularly applicable to feeding a boiler with coal powder.

Abstract: Apparatus for cooling the wall of a fluidized bed hearth in a middle join region of generally upsidedown V-shaped vertical right cross-section between the upsidedown truncated pyramid-shaped bottom portions of the furnace above two parallel floors and a top portion of rectangular right cross-section, having a front face and a rear face parallel to the ridge of the upsidedown V-shape and having side faces perpendicular to said ridge, said wall being provided with heat exchanger tubes conveying water or an emulsion of water and steam, wherein the heat exchanger tubes are essentially horizontal and disposed in the flanks of the upsidedown truncated pyramid-shaped lower portions in line with the upsidedown V-shape and open out into tubes lining the side faces perpendicular to the ridge thereof. This makes it possible to perform cooling by natural circulation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an arrangement for supporting and guiding the skirt of a cyclone, and comprising at least three "shoe" components which pass through the cyclone body and the ends of which support the top portion of the skirt. By means of this disposition, the arrangement enables the skirt to be held at its periphery, thereby limiting deformation of the skirt. Preferably, the inner ends of the shoes support the top portion of the skirt via a horizontal annular flange provided on the skirt.

Abstract: A cyclone for separating a mixture of gas and solid particles by centrifuging into a fraction that is enriched in particles and a gaseous fraction that is depleted in particles, the cyclone comprising a cylindrical vessel into which a duct for injecting the mixture of gas and solid particles opens out tangentially, an axial duct for removing the gaseous fraction, means for removing the fraction that is enriched in particles, which means are situated in the bottom portion of the cylindrical vessel, gas injection means serving to fluidize the solid particle enriched fraction as a dense bed, and heat exchanger means for exchanging heat between the dense fluidized bed that is formed and a fluid to be vaporized and/or reheated, together with means for adjusting the level of the dense bed.

Abstract: An oil-burning or gas-burning warm up burner for the hearth of a circulating fluidized bed boiler. The burner has a fuel lance on the axis of the burner, a rectangular peripheral admission channel admits combustion air around the lance. Air flow channelling sheets are on either side of the lance. The fuel lance is retracted during periods of normal operation of the circulating fluidized bed boiler when the warm up burner is not in operation. The lance is isolated in retracted position from the atmosphere of the hearth. The lance is isolated by longitudinal segments of the combustion air flow channelling sheets constituting flaps provided with an axle perpendicular to the axis of the burner. Rotation of the axles enable the segments to take up positions perpendicular to the burner axis closing the corresponding passage of the combustion air admission channel beyond the end of the lance, when the lance is in its retracted position.

Abstract: A superheat bundle for a horizontal tube steam separator-superheater, in which the tubes are disposed inside a rectangular frame (4) which is not rigidly connected to the structure of the separator-superheater. The frame is provided with resilient blades (7, 8) forming a flexible skirt bearing against side plates (2, 3) which are themselves rigidly connected to said structure. The invention is applicable to stations for producing electricity or steam.

Abstract: In a method and device for protecting against erosion and/or corrosion steam pipes of the high-pressure stage of a power and/or steam generation plant saturated steam turbine, at portions of its low-pressure stage and at heaters of the heat exchanger installation of the power and/or steam generation plant, the major part of the water contained in the offtakes and the wet steam outlets of the high-pressure stage is separated out by centrifugal means. A first fraction of the steam partly dried by this means is superheated and/or final dried and then fed into the portions of the low-pressure stage of the turbine and a complementary fraction of the partly dried steam is fed to the heaters. The first fraction and the complementary fraction of the steam are dried together by centrifugal means after which the complementary fraction is final dried by centrifugal means.

Abstract: A machine for remotely lining the inside of a heat exchanger tube end (13) received in a tube plate (14). The machine includes a flexible tube (15) connecting a push-pull device to a motorized unit (16) for driving tools used for fixing the sleeve in the heat exchanger tube. The machine also includes a tool loader (25, 26) at the head of a cable (20) which is driven by the push-pull device and means for applying the end of the flexible tube to the end of any of the heat exchanger tubes which may need lining. The motorized unit (16) includes two superposed fluted hubs (30, 33) one of which is driven by a low speed electric motor while the other is driven by a high-speed pneumatic motor.

Abstract: A superheater bundle for a horizontal steam separator-superheater, the bundle comprising an array of parallel tubes disposed in a triangular pitch inside a frame (3, 4) which is polygonal in shape and symmetrical about its plane of symmetry, with the bottom of the frame delimiting an inlet orifice for steam to be superheatd and with the top of the frame delimiting an outlet orifice for superheated steam. At least two of the sloping sides (11, 13, 15, 15, 17; 12, 14, 16, 18) of th polygon-shaped frame (3, 4) are parallel to the sloping segments formed by the pitch of the tubes.