Abstract: A pressure-reducing valve for a dust-entraining gaseous or liquid fluent flow comprises a vertical tube containing a bed of particles which are fluidized by the flow. The particles have considerably greater specific weight than the dust in the flow, so that the particles in the bed are not carried away by the flow. The valve may be used to permit the continuous egress of a dust-contaminated flow from a pressurized container, for example a cyclone, while maintaining the pressure in the container. If the fluent flow is hot, the valve tube may be surrounded by a cooling jacket for extracting heat therefrom. The height of the bed in the tube may be adjusted to and from a particle storage, at the lower and upper ends, respectively, of the tube.

Abstract: A gas-to-gas heat exchanger comprises a chamber through which pass upwardly at least one first tube for the passage of a first hot gaseous medium and at least one second tube for the passage of a second cooler gaseous medium. The first and second tubes are disposed in spaced-apart relationship and a fluidized bed of particulate material, for example sand, is created in the chamber in the spaces around the tubes, the fluidized bed serving as a heat transfer medium from the first tube(s) to the second tube(s). The heat exchanger, which is particularly suitable for preheating air by heat exchange with a hot, dust-laden gas, may comprise a plurality of the chambers disposed one above the other.

Abstract: Apparatus for the cooling and distribution of dust-containing gas in a bed containing a powdered or granular material mixture with structure for blowing gas under pressure into the powdered material to obtain a so-called fluidized bed with the powdered material kept in flotation. The gas blowing structure includes straight, horizontally positioned distributing tubes located at the lower portion of the bed. A plurality of tubes may be provided for drawing water through the bed with the powdered material arranged around the tubes.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for transmitting heat between gaseous media includes at least two chambers each partially filled with a solid transmitting medium in the form of pellets, granules or sand. A cold gaseous medium is injected through a first conduit into the bottom of a first of the chambers, and a hot gaseous medium is injected through a second conduit into the bottom of a second of the chambers, both media being injected at a rate for effecting fluidized beds of the transmitting media in the chambers. The chambers intercommunicate with one another via passageways extending from the first conduit so that transmitting media is transported from the first to the second chamber and from the second to the first chamber respectively by the first and second gaseous media to thereby effect an increase in temperature of the hot gaseous medium while passing through the transmitting media.