Patents by Inventor Patrick Bucher

Patrick Bucher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240361074
    Abstract: A method for burning material, such as carbonate rocks, in a parallel-flow regenerative shaft kiln having two shafts which are operated alternately as a burning shaft and as a regenerative shaft and are connected to one another by means of a connecting channel, wherein the material flows through a material inlet into a preheating zone for preheating the material, a burning zone for burning the material and a cooling zone for cooling the material to a material outlet, wherein a cooling gas is admitted into the cooling zone, wherein exhaust gas is discharged from one of the shafts via an exhaust gas outlet, wherein the exhaust gas discharged from the shaft via the exhaust gas outlet is at least partially introduced into at least one of the shafts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicants: Maerz Ofenbau AG, thyssenkrupp Polysius GmbH, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Hannes PIRINGER, Patrick BUCHER, Roger WALLIMANN, Dirk SCHEFER
  • Patent number: 11703280
    Abstract: A shaft furnace for firing carbonate-containing material may include, in a flow direction of the material, a preheating zone, a firing zone, a cooling zone, and a material outlet for discharging the material from the shaft furnace. Burner lances project into the firing zone. At least one burner lance has a first penetration depth into the firing zone and at least one further burner lance has a second penetration depth into the firing zone that is greater than the first penetration depth. A primary air conduit may be configured to convey combustion air and may be connected to at least one burner lance. An oxygen conduit for conveying oxygen into the firing zone may be arranged such that oxygen flows from the oxygen conduit at least one burner lance having the second penetration depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: MAERZ OFENBAU AG, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Publication number: 20230106711
    Abstract: A method can be used to burn and cool material in a parallel flow-counter flow regenerative shaft kiln having two shafts that are operated alternately as a burning shaft and a regenerative shaft. The material flows through a preheating zone, a burning zone, and a cooling zone to a material outlet. Fuel is supplied in or above the preheating zone, and thus fuel is heated in the preheating zone prior to entering the burning zone. Further, a parallel flow-counter flow regenerative shaft kiln for burning and cooling material may have two shafts that can be operated alternately as a burning shaft and a regenerative shaft. Each shaft has, in a flow direction, a preheating zone for preheating material, a burning zone for burning material, and a cooling zone for cooling material. A fuel inlet that admits fuel into each shaft is arranged above or inside the preheating zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Applicants: Maerz Ofenbau AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Hannes PIRINGER, Patrick BUCHER, Fernand DIDELON
  • Publication number: 20220170698
    Abstract: A shaft furnace for firing carbonate-containing material may include, in a flow direction of the material, a preheating zone, a firing zone, a cooling zone, and a material outlet for discharging the material from the shaft furnace. Burner lances project into the firing zone. At least one burner lance has a first penetration depth into the firing zone and at least one further burner lance has a second penetration depth into the firing zone that is greater than the first penetration depth. A primary air conduit may be configured to convey combustion air and may be connected to at least one burner lance. An oxygen conduit for conveying oxygen into the firing zone may be arranged such that oxygen flows from the oxygen conduit at least one burner lance having the second penetration depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicants: MAERZ OFENBAU AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Hannes PIRINGER, Patrick BUCHER
  • Patent number: 11034616
    Abstract: A method of operating a plant having a furnace including at least two vertical shafts connected by an overflow duct, wherein at least one burner is arranged above the overflow duct in each case such that the burner gases therefrom flow downward in burning operation of the respective shaft. A cooling gas supply is provided beneath the overflow duct in each case such that, in combination with the operation of a burner in the burner-operated shaft, the burner gas flowing downward is deflected in the direction of the overflow duct by the cooling gas ascending in the burner-operated shaft, and a supply of cooling gas is adjusted such that the temperature of the burner charge through which the burner gas flows at least in the burner-operated shaft is kept above the deacidification temperature thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignees: MAERZ OFENBAU AG, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Patent number: 10947125
    Abstract: A furnace may include at least two vertical shafts, each of which may have at an upper end thereof an inlet for material to be burnt and at a lower end thereof a burnt material outlet. The inlet and the outlet may be connected by a transfer channel. In each case, at least one main burner may be positioned above the transfer channel, and a cooling gas inlet may be positioned below the transfer channel. At least one additional burner may be positioned below the transfer channel in each of the shafts. Such a furnace can be operated such that the material to be burnt in the currently fired shaft is at least partially calcined in a main burning zone above the transfer channel, and then thermally aftertreated in an additional burning zone positioned between the transfer channel and the additional burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: MAERZ OFENBAU AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Publication number: 20190345037
    Abstract: A furnace may include at least two vertical shafts, each of which may have at an upper end thereof an inlet for material to be burnt and at a lower end thereof a burnt material outlet. The inlet and the outlet may be connected by a transfer channel. In each case, at least one main burner may be positioned above the transfer channel, and a cooling gas inlet may be positioned below the transfer channel. At least one additional burner may be positioned below the transfer channel in each of the shafts. Such a furnace can be operated such that the material to be burnt in the currently fired shaft is at least partially calcined in a main burning zone above the transfer channel, and then thermally aftertreated in an additional burning zone positioned between the transfer channel and the additional burner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicants: MAERZ OFENBAU AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Hannes PIRINGER, Patrick BUCHER
  • Publication number: 20190077705
    Abstract: A method of operating a plant having a furnace including at least two vertical shafts connected by an overflow duct, wherein at least one burner is arranged above the overflow duct in each case such that the burner gases therefrom flow downward in burning operation of the respective shaft. A cooling gas supply is provided beneath the overflow duct in each case such that, in combination with the operation of a burner in the burner-operated shaft, the burner gas flowing downward is deflected in the direction of the overflow duct by the cooling gas ascending in the burner-operated shaft, and a supply of cooling gas is adjusted such that the temperature of the burner charge through which the burner gas flows at least in the burner-operated shaft is kept above the deacidification temperature thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicants: MAERZ OFENBAU AG, thyssenkrupp AG
    Inventors: Hannes PIRINGER, Patrick BUCHER
  • Patent number: 9919965
    Abstract: A method for burning lumpy stock is performed in at least one shaft which comprises a preheating zone, a burning zone and a cooling zone. Coal with a swelling index >1 is supplied together with a transport medium via burner lances which have burner tips. The coal together with the transport medium emerges into the shaft, wherein the temperature of the coal in the burner lances is kept below a temperature value at which melt phases of the coal that is used are formed. Here, for the transportation of the coal, use is made of a transport medium which, in the shaft, in the region directly adjacent to the burner tip, forms an oxygen-depleted atmosphere in order to delay the ignition of the coal after it emerges from the burner lance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Maerz Ofenbau AG
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Patent number: 9266774
    Abstract: According to the invention, the method for burning fragmented material is carried out in at least one shaft which comprises a preheating zone, a combustion zone and a cooling zone, coal having a swelling index > 1 being supplied via combustion lances, and the temperature of the coal in the combustion lances being maintained below a temperature value at which melting phases of the coal used are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Maerz Ofenbau AG
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Publication number: 20150353421
    Abstract: A method for burning lumpy stock is performed in at least one shaft which comprises a preheating zone, a burning zone and a cooling zone. Coal with a swelling index>1 is supplied together with a transport medium via burner lances which have burner tips. The coal together with the transport medium emerges into the shaft, wherein the temperature of the coal in the burner lances is kept below a temperature value at which melt phases of the coal that is used are formed. Here, for the transportation of the coal, use is made of a transport medium which, in the shaft, in the region directly adjacent to the burner tip, forms an oxygen-depleted atmosphere in order to delay the ignition of the coal after it emerges from the burner lance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Publication number: 20140112848
    Abstract: According to the invention, the method for burning fragmented material is carried out in at least one shaft which comprises a preheating zone, a combustion zone and a cooling zone, coal having a swelling index>1 being supplied via combustion lances, and the temperature of the coal in the combustion lances being maintained below a temperature value at which melting phases of the coal used are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: MAERZ OFENBAU AG
    Inventors: Hannes Piringer, Patrick Bucher
  • Patent number: 7997327
    Abstract: The apparatus (1) which combines a heat exchange between a liquid (8) and a heat transporting medium (7) with a static mixing of the liquid includes installed structures (2) in a jacket (3). The jacket extends longitudinally between a head end (4) and a base end (5). The installed structures form a heat exchanging and mixing structure. The heat transporting medium can be conveyed from the base end to the head end as an inner flow in tubes (21, 22) of the installed structures. The liquid can be conveyed from the head end to the base end as an outer flow. Reinforcement elements (6, 6?, 6?) are provided which stabilise the installed structures in the longitudinal direction against pressure gradients generated by the liquid. The installed structures are connected by the reinforcement elements to form a non-expandable part structure (2a) in a main region; they remain at least partly non-reinforced as a longitudinally expandable part structure (2b) and in a secondary region complementary to the main region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Sulzer Chemtech AG
    Inventors: Patrick Bucher, Kurt Steiner
  • Publication number: 20090165994
    Abstract: The apparatus (1) which combines a heat exchange between a liquid (8) and a heat transporting medium (7) with a static mixing of the liquid includes installed structures (2) in a jacket (3). The jacket extends longitudinally between a head end (4) and a base end (5). The installed structures form a heat exchanging and mixing structure. The heat transporting medium can be conveyed from the base end to the head end as an inner flow in tubes (21, 22) of the installed structures. The liquid can be conveyed from the head end to the base end as an outer flow. Reinforcement elements (6, 6?, 6?) are provided which stabilise the installed structures in the longitudinal direction against pressure gradients generated by the liquid. The installed structures are connected by the reinforcement elements to form a non-expandable part structure (2a) in a main region; they remain at least partly non-reinforced as a longitudinally expandable part structure (2b) and in a secondary region complementary to the main region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Patrick Bucher, Kurt Steiner