Apparatus and Method for Enhancing Heat and Mass Transfer
An apparatus and method designed to introduce jets of air or other fluids at some velocity into a chamber designed to dry, combust, heat or cool solid materials and gases, such as solid fuels, biosolids, biofuels or other solid materials and their off-gases. The apparatus may be designed to introduce these jets in a particularly beneficial arrangement with some velocity and often with a vertical component (usually downward) to produce large and small scale recirculation regions combined with impingement of the jet stream onto the lower surface of a chamber, thereby greatly increasing the rates of heat and mass transfer between the fluid and the solids near the bottom (as well as other parts) of the chamber, and mixing of the gases and fluids in the chamber. The present invention may be particularly useful to enhance drying of high moisture content solids, heating or cooling materials, and to enhance combustion of solid fuels and other materials inside chambers designed for this purpose, and may result in improved exhaust emissions.
This application claims the benefit of United States Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/708,324, filed on Aug. 16, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field for drying and combusting, or incinerating, solid fuels and materials, such as biomass and biosolids, as well as gases in a combustion chamber where the solid fuels are primarily located at the bottom of the chamber, such as those in a multiple hearth furnace or other machines with similar chambers or arrangement of materials, and more particularly to the creation of a flow field with impingement and recirculation regions to enhance the heat and mass transfer, and hence, the cooling, drying, heating and mixing of gases, vapors, liquids, and solids in a machine or furnace designed to dry, heat, cool, and/or combust solid fuels and materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multiple hearth furnaces and other similar machines for drying and burning solid fuels and materials as well as the off-gases from these fuels and materials are known. Examples of these types of furnaces and machines can be found in patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,108,997 (Schilling), U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,920 (Anderson), U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,023 (Lombana et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,025 (Nell et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,177 (Lado), U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,452 (Leger), U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,064 (Barry et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,436 (Mooney et al.). But the furnaces and systems disclosed in these patents suffer from a variety of problems, such as poor drying, poor cooling, poor heating, poor combustion, poor air-fuel mixing and/or poor heat and mass transfer performance.
As such, as will become apparent from the following description and discussion, the present invention has been conceived and developed to provide an improved apparatus and method for enhancing heat and mass transfer. As will be discussed more fully hereinbelow, the present invention exhibits a variety of advantages and objectives, one or more of which may be applicable depending on various circumstances.
For example, one object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus that will overcome the deficiencies of the prior art. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method that improves the effectiveness of the drying process for high moisture content solid fuels or other materials. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method that improves the combustion process by enhancing the mixing of the air and fuel by creating an impingement and recirculating flow field to repeatedly force the air inside the chamber to come into contact with the solid fuel or other material on or near the floor of the chamber. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method to improve the emissions performance of a furnace by reducing CO and NOx emissions. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method to enhance the cooling of hot materials, such as those inside a chamber with the solid material on the floor of the chamber. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method for heating of cooler materials, such as those inside a chamber with the solid material on the floor of the chamber. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method for heating or cooling of any material with a solid surface, regardless of whether the material is inside or outside a chamber, and regardless of whether the surface of the solid material is horizontal, vertical, inverted, or any angle in between. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method to be used to take advantage of the inherent impingement and recirculation flow field, such as applying coatings (such as paint, epoxies, etc.), air or gas mixing, air or gas and particulate mixing, liquid applications, liquid mixing applications, propulsion and propulsion control systems, and other combustion applications. Another object of the present invention may be to provide an apparatus and method for a new furnace, drying apparatus or machine, or cooling or heating apparatus which is designed to take advantage of the present invention.
It is intended that any other advantages and objects of the present invention that become apparent or obvious from the detailed description or illustrations contained herein are within the scope of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn a broad aspect, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a heat and mass transfer enhancement apparatus and related methods, not offered by the prior art and that result in a much improved machine for drying, heating, cooling, and burning solid materials which is not apparent, obvious, or suggested, either directly or indirectly by any of the prior art.
The apparatus of the present invention can take on many variations in order to produce the intended flow field and fluid motion, with some of these variations depending on the shape of the device into which it is installed. In one form commonly envisioned, it may be installed into a circular chamber which has both a relatively flat, horizontal floor and ceiling. In this configuration, the apparatus could be a pipe curved around to form a circle in the horizontal plane and located between the hearth floor and ceiling. The size of the circle is preferably roughly half the diameter of the outside of the chamber. Holes or slots may be drilled or cut into the pipe to allow air, or another working fluid, to escape in a generally downward direction, preferably with some velocity, such as in the form of a jet. The configuration and placement of the jets in a circular fashion naturally creates a pattern of two opposite rotating recirculation flows in the horizontal plane following the circular arrangement of the jets (called “dual donut vortices” or “double ring vortex”) which greatly promotes drying and combustion of the solid fuels and materials. The pressurized air or other fluid is fed into the pipe through a connection, such as a pipe or tube, from the outside of the chamber. The working fluid is provided to the device at an elevated pressure from an external source, such as a fan, compressor, blower, or other pressurized source. The flow is controlled with usual means of flow control, such as a valve, a pressure controller, and/or a variable speed on the blower or fan.
An alternate form of the jet arrangements may be to have multiple circular pipes in the same plane concentric with the furnace. One alternate mounting of the air or fluid jets can be at the end of multiple straight sections of pipe, entering radially through the outside wall of the furnace and terminating in a circle of the same radius as the circular pipe, with holes or slots for jets near the end of the pipe, or along the pipe in various configurations. This arrangement facilitates ease of removal for maintenance or replacement without interrupting furnace operation. Other arrangements of the jets in multiple circles, or in a linear fashion will also provide large and small-scale dual vortices that will similarly enhance the local heat and mass transfer.
In one aspect, the invention may be an apparatus comprising: a surface upon which a material may be disposed; and at least one conduit spaced apart from the surface and having at least one passageway through which a jet may be directed into contact with the material. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that at least one conduit is circular. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that at least one conduit is straight. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the apparatus is a furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the furnace is a multiple hearth furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the furnace is a traveling grate furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the jet is a stream of air. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the jet is a stream of fluid. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the surface is a hearth or stationary floor. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the surface is a conveyor belt, traveling grate, or other moving floor. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the at least one conduit is above the surface and the jet may be downwardly directed into contact with the material.
In another aspect, the present invention may be a furnace comprising: at least one hearth; a supply conduit; and at least one conduit in fluid communication with the supply conduit, spaced apart from the hearth and having at least one passageway through which a jet may be directed into contact with material on the hearth. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the supply conduit is attached to an exterior surface of a furnace wall, and at least one conduit is a generally straight section of conduit and disposed through the furnace wall. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that at least one passageway is disposed near an inner end of the straight section of conduit, the inner end terminating within the furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the straight section of conduit is disposed through the furnace wall in two places. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the supply conduit is attached to an exterior surface of a furnace wall, and the at least one conduit is a generally circular section of conduit disposed within the furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the at least one conduit is above the hearth and the jet may be downwardly directed into contact with the material.
In yet another aspect, the present invention may be a method of enhancing heat and mass transfer comprising: supplying a fluid into a conduit; allowing the fluid to flow though a passageway in the conduit to create a jet; and directing the jet into contact with a material. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the fluid is air. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the jet is directed into contact with a material in a chamber. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the chamber is in a furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the furnace is a multiple hearth furnace. Another feature of this aspect of the invention may be that the furnace is a traveling grate furnace.
The foregoing has outlined, in general, certain physical aspects of the invention and is to serve as an aid to better understanding the more complete detailed description which is to follow. In reference to such, there is to be a clear understanding that the present invention is not limited to the method or detail of construction, fabrication, material, or application of use described and illustrated herein. Any other variation of fabrication, use, or application should be considered apparent as an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
Other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following discussion and detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe following drawings further describe by illustration the advantages and objects of the present invention. Each drawing is referenced by corresponding figure reference characters within the “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION” section to follow.
While the invention will be described in connection with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONIn view of the poor drying, cooling, heating, poor air-fuel mixing, poor exhaust emissions and other limitations now present in the prior art, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a new and useful method and device for heat and mass transfer enhancement for drying and burning of solid fuels and materials as well as the off-gases from these fuels and materials inside a chamber, such as those in a multiple hearth furnace, stationary or traveling (moving or vibrating) grate furnaces, fluid bed furnaces, and other similar machines. New and more efficient furnaces could be designed around this apparatus in order to utilize and exploit this unique method and apparatus for achieving superior drying, heating, cooling, combustion, emissions or other improved heat and mass transfer performance. This apparatus is simple in construction, universally usable for new as well as existing facilities, and greatly enhances the performance in operation of the machine in comparison to existing machines without this apparatus.
Examples of the prior art machines without the present invention are shown in
Referring now to
As can be seen in
This same flow field shown in
The apparatus of the present invention can take on many variations in order to produce a beneficial flow field and fluid motion. Some depend on the shape of the device into which it is installed or other limitations or requirements. For example, the embodiment shown in
Another variation of the apparatus of the present invention may be the linear arrangement shown in
While the present invention has thus far been primarily described and illustrated in the context of a multiple hearth furnace, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited for use only with multiple hearth furnaces or with furnaces in general. Instead, it may be used and installed in any other type of furnace or device to which the invention is applicable. For example, as shown in
It will also be understood that, in addition to heat and mass transfer enhancement, the device can also be used to advantage in several other ways where jets, impingement and recirculation are beneficial. These include applying coatings (such as paint, epoxies, etc.), air or gas mixing, air or gas and particulate mixing, liquid applications, liquid mixing applications, propulsion and propulsion control systems, and other combustion applications.
It is further intended that any other embodiments of the present invention that result from any changes in application or method of use or operation, method of manufacture, shape, size, or material which are not specified within the detailed written description or illustrations contained herein yet are considered apparent or obvious to one skilled in the art are within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a surface upon which a material may be disposed; and
- at least one conduit spaced apart from the surface and having at least one passageway positioned to direct a jet into contact with the material.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit is circular.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit is straight.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a furnace.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the furnace is a multiple hearth furnace.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the furnace is a traveling grate furnace.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the jet is a stream of air.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the jet is a stream of fluid.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface is a hearth.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface is a conveyor belt.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit is above the surface and the jet may be downwardly directed into contact with the material.
12. A furnace comprising:
- at least one hearth;
- a supply conduit; and
- at least one conduit in fluid communication with the supply conduit, spaced apart from the hearth and having at least one passageway positioned to direct a jet into contact with material on the hearth.
13. The furnace of claim 12, wherein the supply conduit is attached to an exterior surface of a furnace wall, and the at least one conduit is a generally straight section of conduit and disposed through the furnace wall.
14. The furnace of claim 13, wherein the at least one passageway is disposed near an inner end of the straight section of conduit, the inner end terminating within the furnace.
15. The furnace of claim 13, wherein the straight section of conduit is disposed through the furnace wall in two places.
16. The furnace of claim 12, wherein the supply conduit is attached to an exterior surface of a furnace wall, and the at least one conduit is a generally circular section of conduit disposed within the furnace.
17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one conduit is above the surface and the jet may be downwardly directed into contact with the material.
18. A method comprising:
- supplying a fluid into a conduit;
- allowing the fluid to flow though a passageway in the conduit to create a jet; and
- directing the jet into contact with a material.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fluid is air.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the jet is directed into contact with a material in a chamber.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the chamber is in a furnace.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the furnace is a multiple hearth furnace.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the furnace is a traveling grate furnace.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 15, 2006
Publication Date: Mar 22, 2007
Inventors: Darren Habetz (Houston, TX), Richard Echols (Fulshear, TX)
Application Number: 11/464,818
International Classification: F23G 5/00 (20060101);