METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING HIGH-TEMPERATURE MATERIALS USING ROTARY GENERATED THERMAL ENERGY

Abstract

A method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium in a high-temperature material production process by at least one rotary apparatus comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a stator configured as an assembly of stationary vanes arranged at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively. The method further comprises: integration of said at least one rotary apparatus into a high-temperature material production facility configured to carry out high-temperature material production, such as the production of glass, glass wool, carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, and clay-based materials at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), and conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility, the input energy comprises electrical energy. A rotary apparatus and related uses are further provided.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for inputting thermal energy (heat) into fluids. In particular, the invention relates to tools and processes for optimizing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas and particle emissions in high-temperature material production carried out at high and extremely high temperatures.

BACKGROUND

Industry and governments have been combating to find technologies to achieve significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. Heavy industrial processes such as high-temperature material production have a key role to reach low emission targets set by companies, governments and international organizations. Electrification of these processes has been seen as a solution to reduce emissions. One of the obstacles for electrification was achieving high temperatures needed in high-temperature material production. By way of example, the core processes involved in production of high-temperature materials, such as glass, glass wool, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, and a variety of clay-based materials (bricks, ceramics, porcelain, etc.), require very high temperatures, such as within a range of about 850 to 1600 degrees Celsius (° C.). By way of example, the processes of heating and melting precursors used in glass manufacturing, such as sand and recycled glass, proceed at temperatures of about 1400° C. to 1500° C., and some carbonization processes involved in production of carbon fibers proceed at temperatures of about 1300-1500° C. This sets strict requirements for energy sources and utilized technologies. In particular, while electricity already is used for some high temperature processes, in most cases, neither the technologies nor the economics are yet in place to do so.

A number of rotary solutions have been proposed for heating purposes. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 11,098,725 B2 (Sanger et al) discloses a hydrodynamic heater pump device operable to selectively generate a stream of heated fluid and/or pressurized fluid. A mentioned hydrodynamic heater pump is designed to be incorporated in an automotive vehicle cooling system to provide heat for warming a passenger compartment of the vehicle and to provide other capabilities, such as window deicing and engine cooling. The disclosed device may also provide a stream of pressurized fluid for cooling an engine. Disclosed technology is based on friction; and, since the fluid to be heated is liquid, the presented design is not suitable for conditions involving extreme turbulence of gas aerodynamics.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,367 B1 (Frick) discloses a system and method for flamelessly heating, concentrating or evaporating a fluid by converting rotary kinetic energy into heat. Configured for fluid heating, the system may comprise a rotary kinetic energy generator, a rotary heating device, and a primary heat exchanger, all in closed-loop fluid communication. The rotary heating device may be a water brake dynamometer. The document discloses the use of the system for heating water in offshore drilling or production platforms. However, the presented system is not suitable for heating gaseous media, neither is it feasible for use with high and extremely high temperatures (due to liquid stability, vapor pressure, etc.).

Additionally, some rotary turbomachine-type devices are known to implement the processes of hydrocarbon (steam) cracking and aim at maximizing the yields of the target products, such as ethylene and propylene.

In this regard, an update in the field of technology related to design and manufacturing of efficient heating systems, in particular those suitable for high- and extremely high temperature related applications, is still desired, in view of addressing challenges associated with raising temperatures of fluidic substances in efficient and environmentally friendly manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An objective of the present invention is to solve or to at least mitigate at least some of the problems arising from the limitations and disadvantages of the related art. One or more objectives are achieved by various embodiments of the methods for generation of a heated fluidic medium described herein, the rotary apparatuses and related uses as defined herein.

In an aspect, a method for high-temperature material production comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into a high-temperature material production facility.

As used herein, “high-temperature materials” refers to materials that require one or more manufacturing steps involving high temperatures. Examples of high-temperature materials that may be produced by the methods described herein, or that may benefit from the methods described herein, include glass, glass wool, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, bricks, ceramics, porcelain, and tile formed from ceramics or porcelain, for example. In embodiments, “high-temperature” means temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), or to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1200° C., or to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C.

According to an embodiment, a method for high-temperature material production, which comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into a high-temperature material production facility, improves energy efficiency or reduces greenhouse gas and particle emissions, or both.

In embodiments, the method for high-temperature material production comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into a high-temperature material production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising: a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, wherein an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated, the method further comprises: conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, the input energy comprising electrical energy, supplying the stream of heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus into the high-temperature material production facility, and operating said at least one rotary apparatus and said high-temperature material production facility to carry out high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.).

In another aspect, a method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium during high-temperature material production.

In an embodiment, the method comprises inputting thermal energy into a process or processes related to producing high-temperature materials in a high-temperature material production facility, the method comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into a high-temperature material production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a plurality of stationary vanes arranged upstream the at least one row of rotor blades, the method further comprises: integrating the at least one rotary apparatus into the high-temperature material production facility configured to carry out process or processes related to production of high-temperature material at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.); conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, the input energy comprising electrical energy, and operating the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility such, that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated.

In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected and/or integrated into to at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out heat-consuming process or processes related to production of high-temperature materials at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.). The heat-consuming unit can be configured to process raw feedstocks/precursor materials, through melting and/or reacting, to form high-temperature materials in the high-temperature material production facility. In additional or alternative configurations, the heat-consuming unit is adapted to heat-process feedstocks/precursor materials without changing their composition, such as through heating and/or drying, for example. In embodiments, the heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln, including any one of shaft furnace, rotary kilns, multiple hearth furnace, and the like. In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected to at least one furnace configured to heat sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass to produce glass in a glass production facility. In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected to at least one furnace configured to melt glass to produce molten glass or cure glass in a glass wool production facility in the high-temperature production of glass wool. In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected to at least one furnace configured to carbonize polyacrylonitrile fibers to form carbon fibers in a carbon fiber production facility in the high-temperature production of carbon fiber. In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected to at least one furnace configured to effect disproportionation of high-pressure carbon monoxide to form carbon nanotubes in a carbon nanotube production facility in the high-temperature production of carbon nanotubes. In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected to at least one kiln configured to thermally process, such as to burn, bricks in a brick production facility in the high-temperature production of bricks. In embodiments, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus operatively connected to at least one kiln configured to thermally process high-temperature clay-based material in a facility for manufacturing of clay-based products. In embodiments, the clay-based material is ceramic or porcelain, and the facility for manufacturing of clay-based products is configured as a ceramic production facility and/or as a porcelain production facility.

In manufacturing of high-temperature materials, the feedstocks/precursors may be sand, limestone, soda ash, or recycled glass or a combination thereof, so that the method is effective to produce glass wool from those precursors. The feedstock/precursor may be polyacrylonitrile fiber or another carbon fiber precursor, so that the method is effective to produce carbon fiber from those precursors. The feedstock/precursor may be acetylene or other carbon nanotube precursors, so that the method is effective to produce carbon nanotubes from those precursors. The feedstock/precursor may be clay, so that the method is effective to produce clay-based materials, such as any one of brick, ceramic or porcelain. The feedstock/precursor may be clay, shale, lime, sand, concrete or other precursors, so that the method is effective to produce bricks from these precursors. The feedstock/precursor may be clay or other ceramic precursors so that the method is effective to produce ceramic from those precursors. The feedstock/precursor may be clay or other porcelain precursors, so that the method is effective to produce porcelain from those precursors.

In some other embodiments, the heat-consuming unit is configured as any one of: an oven, a reactor, a heater, a burner, a dryer, a boiler, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof.

In embodiments, the method comprises generation of the fluidic medium heated to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), or to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1200° C., or to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C.

In embodiments, the method comprises adjusting velocity and/or pressure of the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus, to produce conditions at which the stream of the heated fluidic medium is generated.

In embodiments, in said method, the heated fluidic medium is generated by at least one rotary apparatus comprising two or more rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged along the rotor shaft.

In an embodiment, in said method, the heated fluidic medium is generated by at least one rotary apparatus further comprising a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, the method furthers comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility such, that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium successively passes through the stationary guide vanes, the at least one row of rotor blades and the diffuser area, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated. The diffuser area may be configured with or without stationary vanes.

In embodiments, in said method, the amount of thermal energy added to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus is controlled by adjusting the amount of input energy conducted into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility.

In embodiment, the method further comprises arranging an additional heating apparatus downstream of the at least one rotary apparatus and introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus and/or through said additional heating apparatus, whereupon the amount of thermal energy is added to said stream of fluidic medium through exothermic reaction(s). In embodiment, the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced to the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a predetermined temperature. In embodiment, the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced to the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C.

In an embodiment, the method comprises generation of the heated fluidic medium by at least two rotary apparatuses integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, wherein the at least two rotary apparatuses are connected in parallel or in series. In embodiments, the method comprises generation of the heated fluidic medium by at least two sequentially connected rotary apparatuses, wherein the stream of fluidic medium is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotary apparatus in a sequence, and wherein said stream of fluidic medium is further heated in at least a second rotary apparatus in the sequence by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the stream of preheated fluidic medium propagating through said second rotary apparatus. In embodiments, in said method, in at least the first rotary apparatus in the sequence, the stream of fluidic medium is preheated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C. In embodiments, in said method, the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through said at least second rotary apparatus in the sequence by virtue of introducing the reactive compound or a mixture of compounds into said stream. In embodiments, the method comprises introducing the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into a process or processes related to production of high-temperature materials.

In embodiments, in said method, the fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a feed gas, a recycle gas, a make-up gas, and a process fluid. In embodiments, in said method, the fluidic medium that enters the rotary apparatus is an essentially gaseous medium.

In embodiments, the method comprises generation of the heated fluidic medium in the rotary apparatus. In embodiments, in said method, the fluidic medium to be heated in the rotary apparatus comprises any one of: air, steam (H₂O), nitrogen (N₂), hydrogen (H₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄), or any combination thereof. Any other gas can be utilized where appropriate. In embodiments, in said method, the fluidic medium to be heated in the rotary apparatus is a recycle gas recycled from off-gases, such as exhaust gases, generated during production of high-temperature materials.

In embodiments, the method comprises generation of the heated fluidic medium, such as gas, vapor, liquid, and mixtures thereof, and/or heated solid materials, outside the rotary apparatus through a process of heat transfer between the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus and any one of the above-mentioned substances bypassing the rotary apparatus.

In embodiments, the method further comprises supplying the heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus or in the at least one rotary apparatus into at least one heat-consuming unit within the high-temperature material production facility, the heat-consuming unit being provided as any one of: a furnace or a kiln. In embodiments, the method further comprises supplying the heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus or in the at least one rotary apparatus into at least one heat-consuming unit within the high-temperature material production facility, the heat-consuming unit being provided as any one of: an oven, a reactor, a heater, a burner, a dryer, a boiler, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof.

In embodiments, the method further comprises increasing pressure in the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus.

In embodiments, in said method, the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the high-temperature material production facility is within a range of about 5 percent to 100 percent.

In embodiment, in said method, the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the high-temperature material production facility is obtainable from a source of renewable energy or a combination of different sources of energy, optionally, renewable energy.

In embodiment, in said method, the at least one rotary apparatus is utilized to balance variations, such as oversupply and shortage, in the amount of electrical energy (obtained through supply and/or production, for example), optionally renewable electrical energy, by virtue of being integrated, into the high-temperature material production facility, together with an at least one non-electrical energy operable heater device.

In another aspect, a high-temperature material production facility is provided, said high-temperature material production facility comprising at least one rotary apparatus configured to generate a heated fluidic medium and at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out a process of processes related to high-temperature material production, in accordance with the present disclosure.

In an embodiment, the high-temperature material production facility comprises at least one rotary apparatus configured to generate a heated fluidic medium and at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out a process of processes related high-temperature material production, the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production apparatus and comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, wherein an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated; and wherein said at least one rotary apparatus is configured to receive an amount of input energy, the input energy comprising electrical energy, and to generate a heated fluidic medium for inputting thermal energy into at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out a process or processes related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.).

In embodiments, the at least one heat-consuming unit provided within the high-temperature material production facility is a furnace or kiln, and wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is connected to said furnace or kiln.

In embodiments, the at least one heat-consuming unit is configured as any one of: an oven, a reactor, a heater, a burner, a dryer, a boiler, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof, and the at least one rotary apparatus is connected to any one of these heat-consuming units or any combination thereof within the high-temperature material production facility.

In embodiments, in said high-temperature material production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprises two or more rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged along the rotor shaft. In an embodiment, stationary vanes arranged into the assembly upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades are configured as stationary guide vanes. In an embodiment, the at least one rotary apparatus further comprises a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. The diffuser area may be configured with or without stationary diffuser vanes. In some configurations, vaned diffuser may be implemented as a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

In embodiments, the at least one rotary apparatus provided within said high-temperature material production facility is further configured to increase pressure in the fluidic stream propagating therethrough.

In some configurations, the at least one rotary apparatus provided within said high-temperature material production facility is configured to implement a fluidic flow, between the inlet and the exit, along a flow path established in accordance with any one of: an essentially helical trajectory formed within an essentially toroidal-shaped casing; an essentially helical trajectory formed within an essentially tubular casing, an essentially radial trajectory, and along the flow path established by virtue of the stream of fluidic medium in the form of two spirals rolled up into vortex rings of right and left directions.

In a further aspect, an assembly is provided and comprises at least two rotary apparatuses according to some previous aspect, said rotary apparatuses being connected in parallel or in series.

In a further aspect, an arrangement is provided and comprises at least one rotary apparatus according to some previous aspect, said at least one rotary apparatus being connected to at least one heat-consuming unit configured as a furnace or kiln.

In a further aspect, a high-temperature material production facility is provided and is configured to implement a high-temperature material production process through a method according to some previously defined aspects and embodiments; and it comprises at least one rotary apparatus according to some previous aspect.

The utility of the present invention arises from a variety of reasons depending on each particular embodiment thereof.

Overall, embodiments offer an electrified rotary fluid heater to provide high temperature fluids, such as gases, to be used in the production of high-temperature materials instead of fuel-fired heaters, for example. The presented method enables inputting thermal energy into furnaces used in the production of high-temperature materials operating at high- and extremely high temperatures, such as temperatures generally exceeding 500° C. The invention offers apparatuses and methods for heating the fluidic substances to the temperatures within a range of about 500° C. to about 2000° C., i.e. the temperatures used in high-temperature material production. The rotary apparatus disclosed hereby allows for heating fluids to a predetermined temperatures (up to 1700° C., for example), which can be further elevated (to up to 2000° C. and beyond) through a concept of so-called booster heating.

High-temperature material production typically employs utility with high demand for thermal energy and hence, for heat consumption, such as fired heaters, for example. Said heat-consuming utilities are used to heat fluids to the temperatures needed for the high-temperature material production. The invention presented herewith enables replacing conventional heat-consuming utilities, such as fuel fired heaters, by a rotary apparatus. In the method, the advantages accompanied by replacing fired heaters with the rotary apparatus include at least:

• • Support for electrified heating;
  • Elimination or at least significant reduction of greenhouse gas (such as NO, CO₂, CO, NO_X), other harmful components (such as for example HCl, H₂S, SO₂, and heavy metals) originating from fuels, particle emissions and soot emissions;
  • Reduced volume of a heater: the volume of the rotary apparatus is at least one order of magnitude smaller as compared to the volume of conventional process heaters or heat exchangers;
  • Improved safety in case of using flammable, hazardous fluids/gases;
  • Feasibility in handling large volumes of gases;
  • Absence of pressure drop;
  • Possibility of using the rotary (heater) apparatus also for compression of gases (a blower function);
  • Independency on temperature difference in direct heating of gases. Temperature rise in the rotary apparatus can be in range of about 10 to 1700° C. or more;
  • Possibility for using the rotary apparatus in indirect heating of fluids optionally by optimizing temperature difference in heat exchanger(s);
  • Possibility for at least partial recycling of hot process gases, thus improving and making simpler the heat recovery and improving energy efficiency;
  • Possibility for further raising the temperature of gases to be heated by adding reactive chemicals which further increase the gas temperature up to e.g. 2000° C. or higher by exothermic reactions.

In embodiments, the rotary apparatus can be used to replace conventional fired heaters or process furnaces for direct or indirect heating in high-temperature material production. Traditionally such heat has been mainly produced through burning of fossil fuels leading to significant CO₂ emissions. Replacing fossil fuels with wood or other bio-based materials has significant resource limitations and other significant environmental implications such as sustainable land use. With the increased cost-efficiency of renewable electricity, namely the rapid development of wind and solar power, it is possible to replace fossil fuel firing with the rotary apparatus powered with renewable electricity leading to significant greenhouse gas emission reductions. The rotary apparatus allows electrified heating of fluids to temperatures up to 1700° C. and higher. Such temperatures are difficult or impossible to reach with current electrical heating applications.

The rotary apparatus can be used for direct heating of process gases, inert gases, air or any other gases or for indirect heating of process fluids (liquid, vapor, gas, vapor/liquid mixtures etc.). Heated fluid generated in said rotary apparatus can be used for heating any one of gases, vapor, liquid, and solid materials. In particular, the rotary apparatus can be used for direct heating of recycled gas recycled from exhaust gases generated from the production of high-temperature materials. The rotary apparatus can at least partly replace- or it can be combined with (e.g. as pre-heater) multiple types of furnaces, heaters, kilns, gasifiers, and reactors that are traditionally fired or heated with solid, liquid or gaseous fossil fuels or in some cases bio-based fuels, including furnaces used in high-temperature material production. Heated gases can be flammable, reactive, or inert and can be recycled back to the rotary apparatus. In addition to heating, the rotary apparatus may act as combined blower and heater allowing to increase pressure and to recycle gases.

Heated fluids, such as gases, can be used in a variety of applications. A heated object can be a solid material, liquid or gas, which gas further takes part in a number of reactions or is used as a heating media. Hence, hot gases can be used for heating solid materials like in heating the feed into a catalytic or thermal reactor. An example of catalytic reactions is a reverse water gas shift reaction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen to synthesis gas, further allowing carbon capture to valuable chemicals. One embodiment is to use hot gases as heating media in heat exchanger to heat process gases or liquids or use as an evaporator. Use of inert hot gases as heating media is a preferred mean when process fluids are at high pressure or in vacuum.

Furthermore, the rotary apparatus(es) 100 can be applied, within the high-temperature material production process(es)/facilities, for heat provision and fluidization in fluidized bed applications, including, but not limited to: drying of solids, gas-solid heating processes/reactions, and solid-catalysed reactors with gaseous reactants.

The invention enables the reduction of greenhouse gas (CO, CO₂, NOR) and particle emissions when replacing fired heaters. By using the rotary apparatus, it is possible to have closed or semi-closed heating loops for processes, and to improve energy efficiency of the processes by reducing heat losses through flue gas. In conventional heaters, flue gases can be recycled only partly.

Additionally, the present solution enables improved optimization of the temperature difference(s) in the heat exchangers in indirect heating.

The invention further provides for flexibly using electrical energy, such as electrical energy obtainable from renewable sources. Production of renewable energy varies on daily basis and even on hourly basis. The invention allows for balancing renewable electricity production by integration of the rotary apparatus disclosed herewith with conventional fuel-operated (fuel-fired) heaters to provide heat to the high-temperature material production process, for example.

The invention further enables a reduction in the on-site investment costs as compared to traditional fossil fired furnaces.

The expression “a number of” refers hereby to any positive integer starting from one (1), e.g. to one, two, or three. The expression “a plurality of” refers hereby to any positive integer starting from two (2), e.g. to two, three, or four. The terms “first” and “second”, are used hereby to merely distinguish an element from another element without indicating any particular order or importance, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

The term “gasified” is utilized hereby to indicate matter being converted into a gaseous form by any possible means.

Different embodiments of the present invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram representing, at 1000, a layout for a high temperature heat-consuming process facility provided as a facility for manufacturing high-temperature materials and configured to implement a method according to the embodiments.

FIGS. 2A-2D are exemplary layouts of arranging rotary apparatus(es) 100 within the high-temperature material production facility, according to the embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein with the reference to accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram representing, at 1000, a layout for a high-temperature material production facility configured to implement a method according to the embodiments. FIGS. 2A-2D describe apparatuses and methods according to the embodiments. Figures and related examples serve illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit applicability of the inventive concept to the layouts expressly presented in this disclosure. Block diagram sections shown by dotted lines are optional.

Manufacturing high-temperature materials, such as glass, glass wool, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, and clay-based materials, including but not limited to bricks, ceramics, porcelain, and tile, wherein tile may be formed from ceramics or porcelain, for example, has high thermal (heat) energy demand and consumption and, in conventional solutions (viz. outside the heat integration scheme 1000 presented herewith), produce considerable industrial emissions such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The present disclosure offers apparatuses and methods for inputting thermal energy into high-temperature material manufacturing process or processes 101, whereby energy efficiency of said process can be markedly improved and/or the amount of air pollutants released into the atmosphere can be reduced. Layout 1000 (FIG. 1) schematically outlines these improved facility and method.

The heat-consuming process facility 1000 is a facility configured to carry out a heat-consuming industrial process or processes related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.). Facility 1000 can be represented with an industrial plant, a factory, or any industrial system comprising equipment designed to perform the above-mentioned heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production.

The heat-consuming industrial process or processes 101 is/are provided as any one: heating of sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass to form glass and/or glass wool; anaerobic carbonization of oxygenated polyacrylonitrile to form carbon fibers; disproportionation of high-pressure carbon monoxide to form carbon nanotubes; catalytic chemical vapor deposition acetylene over carbon and iron catalysts to form carbon nanotubes; or thermally processing clay-based material, through heating, drying or burning, for example, to form bricks, ceramic, or porcelain, depending on the shape and precise composition of the clay.

In embodiments, facility 1000 is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures within a range of 500-1700° C. In embodiments, facility 1000 is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production which start at temperatures essentially within a range of about 800-900° C. or higher. In embodiments, facility 1000 is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to- or exceeding 1000° C. In embodiments, facility 1000 is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production which start at temperatures essentially within a range of about 1100-1200° C. or higher. In embodiments, the facility is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to- or exceeding 1200° C. In embodiments, the facility is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures within a range of about 1300-1700° C. In embodiments, the facility is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to- or exceeding 1500° C. In embodiments, the facility is configured to carry out the heat-consuming industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to- or exceeding 1700° C. In some embodiments, the facility can be configured to carry out industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at temperatures that exceed 1700° C., such as at 2000° C. or higher, such as within a range of about 1700° C. to about 2500° C. The facility can be configured to carry out industrial process(es) related to high-temperature material production at about 1700° C., at about 1800° C., at about 1900° C., at about 2000° C., at about 2100° C., at about 2200° C., at about 2300° C., at about 2400° C., at about 2500° C., and at any temperature value falling in between the above-mentioned temperature points. It should be pointed out that facility 1000 is not excluded from carrying out of at least a part of industrial processes at temperatures below 500° C.

In embodiments, the method comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium such as air, oxygen, fuel enriched air, steam, nitrogen (N₂), hydrogen (H₂), carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane or any other (flue) gas, by virtue of a rotary heater unit 100 comprising or consisting of at least one rotary apparatus, hereafter, the apparatus 100. For the sake of clarity, the rotary heater unit is designated in the present disclosure by the same reference number, 100, as the rotary apparatus. The rotary heater unit is preferably integrated into the high-temperature material production facility 1000. In an embodiment, the heated fluidic medium is produced by the at least one rotary apparatus, however, in some embodiments, a plurality of rotary apparatuses may be used in parallel or series.

The rotary apparatus 100 can be provided as a standalone apparatus or as a number of apparatuses arranged in series (in sequence) or in parallel. One or more apparatuses may be connected to a common heat-consuming unit 101, such as a furnace or a kiln, for example. Connection may be direct or through a number of heat exchangers.

The heat-consuming unit(s)/utility(/ies) 101 for manufacturing of high-temperature materials includes various kilns, furnaces, heaters, dryers, mixers, etc. In some configurations, a number of rotary apparatus units 100 can be connected to several heat-consuming utilities 101. Different configurations may be conceived, such as n+x rotary apparatuses connected to n utilities (e.g. furnaces), wherein n is equal to or more than zero (0) and x is equal to or more than one (1). Thus, in some configurations, the facility 1000 and, in particular, the rotary heater unit 100, may comprise one, two, three or four parallel rotary apparatus units connected to the common heat-consuming unit, such as a furnace, for example; the number of rotary apparatuses exceeding four (4) is not excluded. When connecting, in parallel, a number of rotary apparatuses to the common heat-consuming unit, one or more of said apparatuses 100 may have different type of drive engine, e.g. the electric motor driven reactor(s) can be combined with those driven by steam turbine, gas turbine and/or gas engine.

In an embodiment, an amount of input energy E₁ is conducted into the at least one rotary apparatus 100 integrated, as a (rotary) heater unit, into the process facility 1000. The input energy E₁ preferably comprises electrical energy. In embodiments, the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the heat-consuming process facility is provided within a range of about 5 to about 100 percent, preferably, within a range of about 50 to about 100 percent. Thus, the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the heat-consuming process facility can constitute any one of: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, and 100 percent (from the total energy input), or any intermediate value falling in between the above indicated points.

Electrical energy can be supplied from external or internal source. In practice, electrical input energy E1 supplied into the apparatus can be defined in terms of electric power, the latter being defined as a rate of energy transfer per unit time (measured in Watt).

In embodiments, the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus 100 is supplied into a process or processes related to producing high-temperature materials in a high-temperature material production facility 1000 and implemented in heat-consuming units within the high-temperature material production facility. In embodiments, the heat-consuming process(es)/units 101 include, but are not limited with: a process of heating heat sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass to produce glass in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a high-temperature glass production facility; a process of melting glass to produce molten glass or a process of curing glass in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a high-temperature glass wool production facility; a process of carbonizing polyacrylonitrile fibers to form carbon fibers in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a high-temperature carbon fiber production facility; a process of effecting disproportionation of high-pressure carbon monoxide to form carbon nanotubes in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a high-temperature carbon nanotube production facility; a process of burning bricks in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a high-temperature brick production facility, a process of burning ceramic in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a high-temperature ceramic production facility, a process of burning porcelain in the high-temperature material production facility 1000 configured hereby as a porcelain production facility, or a combination thereof.

The method, according to the embodiments, concerns generating heated fluidic medium for inputting thermal energy into a number of processes 101 aiming at producing various materials, including but not limited to: glass, glass wool, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, bricks, ceramics, porcelain, and tile formed from ceramics or porcelain, for example. Mentioned high-temperature materials are typically produced and optionally post-processed in furnaces operating at high temperatures. Thus, production of these high-temperature materials is an energy demanding process.

A number of heat-consuming processes 101 configured to exploit heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus 100 include at least the ones described herein below.

Production of glass and glass wool.

Feedstock materials for glass and glass wool production comprise sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass. The sand and recycled glass are heated to temperatures of around 1400° C. to 1500° C. to produce glass. In some embodiments, the glass is subsequently heated in a furnace to around 1100° C. to produce molten glass, which is subsequently spun into fibers. In other embodiments, the initial production of glass is directly spun into glass fibers without an intervening cooling step. The glass fibers are then cured in an oven at around 250° C. to produce glass wool. In embodiments, the method is effective to produce glass wool from sand and recycled glass, including the intermediate steps of producing glass, producing molten glass, and curing glass fibers. In embodiments, the method is effective to produce glass from sand and recycled glass. In embodiments, the method is effective to produce molten glass from glass. Since the production of glass wool includes several high-temperature steps, a plurality of rotary apparatus may be used to recycle heat and/or energy between the high-temperature steps.

Manufacturing of carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes.

Manufacturing of carbon fiber involves both chemical and mechanical processes. About 90% of the carbon fibers that are produced are made from polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The raw material, also called precursor, is drawn into long strands or fibers and then heated to a very high temperature without allowing it to come in contact with oxygen in so called carbonization process.

Before the fibers are carbonized, they need to be stabilized chemically to convert their linear atomic bonding to a more thermally stable ladder bonding. This is accomplished by heating the fibers in air to about 200-300° C. for 30-120 minutes. This causes the fibers to pick up oxygen molecules from the air and rearrange their atomic bonding pattern. In the carbonization step, the raw materials are heated to high temperatures (1000-3000° C.) in an oxygen-free environment. Rather than burning, the extreme heat causes the fiber atoms to vibrate so that almost all non-carbon atoms are expelled.

The gas pressure inside the furnace is kept higher than the outside air pressure and the points where the fibers enter and exit the furnace are sealed to keep oxygen from entering. As the fibers are heated, they begin to lose their non-carbon atoms, plus a few carbon atoms, in the form of various gases including water vapor, ammonia, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, and others. As the non-carbon atoms are expelled, the remaining carbon atoms form tightly bonded carbon crystals that are aligned more or less parallel to the long axis of the fiber. The carbonization may involve two furnaces in order to better control the temperatures and the carbonization process: one for temperatures of around 700-900° C. and another one with temperatures of typically around 1300-1500° C.

After the carbonization process is complete, the remaining fiber is made up of long, tightly interlocked carbon atom chains with few or no non-carbon atoms remaining. These fibers are subsequently woven into fabric or combined with other materials that can be shaped to the desired shape and form.

The rotary apparatus 100 is ideal for providing the high temperatures and process conditions required in carbon fiber manufacturing. The fluid heated in the rotary apparatus can be oxygen-free and used directly in the carbonization process or alternatively a heat exchanger can be used.

The rotary apparatus can also be used for supplying the required heating in the stabilization part of the manufacturing process.

Carbon nanotubes can be manufactured using high-pressure carbon monoxide disproportionation (HiPCO), which takes place at temperatures between 900-1100 C. Application of heating carbon monoxide to such high reaction temperatures would be ideal for the rotary apparatus.

Also, several other technologies for carbon nanotube manufacturing requiring temperatures of 500° C. to 1400° C. have been developed. These involve production of carbon nanotubes through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) where carbon nanotubes can be formed by catalytic CVD of acetylene over cobalt and iron catalysts supported on silica or zeolite. The rotary apparatus can provide the required heating and process conditions for the CVD based carbon nanotube manufacturing processes.

Another process to produce carbon nanotubes is the so-called ball milling process where temperatures of around 1400° C. are required for the annealing of grinded graphite powder. The rotary apparatus can be utilized to create the required heat for the annealing of the graphite powder to produce the carbon nanotubes.

Manufacturing of clay-based materials.

Clay-based materials encompass a wide variety of materials and products, including, but not limited to ceramic, porcelain (being technically a type of ceramic), and related products, as well as bricks and tile.

Clay is a major precursor material for producing bricks, typically admixed with other precursors (e.g. shale, lime, concrete, fly ash etc.). The process of manufacturing of bricks from clay involves preparation of clay, molding and hydraulic compaction, and thermal processing, such as drying and burning, of the bricks.

In the burning phase of the process the dried bricks are burned in clamps (small scale) or in kilns (large scale) in order to achieve the required hardness and strength for the final product. The required maximum temperature is approximately 1000-1200° C. to optimize the brick strength and to avoid the chances of moisture absorption from the atmosphere. Traditionally, the kilns have been mostly fired with solid fossil fuels, namely coal and more recently also natural gas and other gaseous or liquid fossil fuels. The kilns may consist of several stages with different temperature levels. The rotary apparatus can act as a heat source to the kilns that are used in the burning of the bricks.

Ceramic tiles follow the manufacturing process of bricks rather closely apart from the shape and form of the tiles. However, the manufacturing of glazed tiles requires pouring or spraying of the glaze liquid onto the tile prior to the burning phase. The burning takes then place in similar temperatures as for ordinary bricks. Porcelain bricks contain approximately 50% of feldspar and require higher temperatures in the burning phase than ceramic tiles or bricks. In porcelain manufacturing temperatures of 1300-1400° C. are required. The rotary apparatus is directly applicable to produce the required heating for ceramic tile and porcelain manufacturing regardless of the shape of the furnace or kiln used.

Other clay-based materials include expanded clay aggregates, such as LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate), which is manufactured by expanding a mixture of clay and additives at high temperatures, typically around 1150° C. Manufacturing is usually implemented in a rotating kiln (101) where fossil fuel is fired in a burner and thus generated hot flue gases flow counter-currently to the solid materials. Rotation of the slightly inclined kiln improves the gas-liquid contact and enables flow of the solid material towards. The LECA product is a sintered, expanded granulated material that is both lightweight and durable and can be used as material-efficient construction material.

Manufacturing of lime, cement, and/or aluminum oxide.

In addition to production processes aiming at manufacturing of clay-based materials, as described above, other processes that require high temperatures and moderate to high residence times in order to implement gas-solid heating processes include but are not limited to: manufacturing and recovery of lime, manufacturing of cement and/or manufacturing of aluminum oxide. These processes are conducted in corresponding heat-consuming units 101 configured as kilns or furnaces.

Kilns, such as rotary kilns are process units that are commonly used for industrial production of high temperature materials, typically through a process of calcination. Calcination can be defined as heating of solids to a high temperature for the purpose of removing volatile substances, oxidizing a portion of mass, or rendering them friable (pulverized). Kilns typically operate counter-currently with a hot gas originating from fuel burning, wherein the hot gas flows counter-currently to solid materials being heated. To enable the flow of solid materials, kilns are typically slightly inclined towards the hot gas source and rotate along their axis. Rotation provides mixing for the solid and improves the contact between hot gas and heated solid. The kiln can be equipped with specially designed lifters to improve the heat and mass exchange in the kiln.

Lime manufacturing and recovery processes utilize fresh limestone (calcium carbonate, CaCO₃), or limestone recovered from chemical processes that involve calcination or re-calcination of limestone to lime, such as for example pulp manufacturing. Lime (calcium oxide, CaO) is formed when carbon dioxide is released from calcium carbonate in an endothermic reaction that takes place at temperatures of about 550° C. to about 1150° C., preferably, within a range of about 850-950° C. Lime calcination, sometimes referred to as lime burning, is carried out in kilns or calciners of various designs that include shaft furnaces, rotary kilns, multiple hearth furnaces, and fluidized bed reactors. Independent of a process type, hot gas from fuel firing is typically used as heat source for calcination.

Calcination of limestone to lime is also a core process in cement manufacturing.

Aluminum oxide (alumina, Al₂O₃) is a ceramic material that has a variety of uses ranging from electrical insulation to a catalyst carrier material. Aluminum oxide is produced from aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH)₃) that is typically refined from bauxite (the latter being the most important aluminium-containing mineral). Aluminium hydroxide is calcined into aluminium oxide at high temperatures, typically exceeding 1100° C., in a kiln-type calciner.

In cement manufacturing, reactivity of a cement product can be improved by mixing it with thermally or chemically activated clay. Clay can be mixed with cement raw materials (e.g. limestone) and thermally activated in a clinker kiln, or a separate clay activation kiln may be utilized. In the kiln, clay is dried, heated and activated at temperatures up to about 900° C. using hot flue gases originating from burning fuels. The method disclosed herein enables connecting and/or integrating the at least one rotary apparatus 100 to any one of the above mentioned processes to supply thermal energy into kilns, furnaces or other heat-consuming units used in manufacturing of high-temperature materials. Indeed, all above example involve utilization of fossil-derived fuels, such as natural gas, crude oil-derived fuels or coal, which are combusted in the furnace or kiln to produce high-temperature flue gases needed to heat solid materials in said furnace or kiln to required temperatures. The rotary apparatus 100 connected to said furnace or kiln can effectively replace fuel-fired burners and the heated fluidic medium generated in said apparatus 100 can thus be used instead of hot flue gases produced in the furnace/kiln. By heating inert gases, such as air, (water) steam or nitrogen, to temperatures sufficient to be used in production of high-temperature materials in accordance with the examples above, e.g. in heating solids to required temperatures, the rotary apparatus (hence replacing the fuel-fired burners in the furnace or kiln) allows for reducing an amount of fossil-derived fuels required for manufacturing processes and for markedly decreasing greenhouse gas emissions produced in said processes, accordingly. In an event recycling of kiln/furnace flue gases is implemented, energy efficiency of the manufacturing process can be increased (see description to FIG. 2D).

Particulars of some embodiments of the invention, as implemented in the facility layout of FIG. 1, are described along the following lines. For FIG. 1, the following designations are used for the members. Streams: 1. Feed; 2. Preheated feed or feed mixture; 3. Feed heated by virtue of a rotary apparatus 100; 4. Feed further heated in an additional (booster) heater unit configured to raise/enhance temperature through (exothermic) chemical reactions, for example; 5. Hot fluidic medium exiting the heat-consuming process 101; 6. Fluidic medium directed to purification; 7. Product stream and/or waste gas; 8. Reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds, e.g. a reactive chemical or chemicals, or a support fuel used to increase temperature of the fluid/gas in the additional heater unit 103; 9. Process stream (solid, liquid, gas, vapor or a mixture thereof) to be heated by the hot fluidic medium in the heat-consuming process 101 (indirect heater applications); 10. Heated process stream (solid, liquid, gas, vapor or a mixture thereof) sent for further processing and/or storage (indirect heater applications); 11. Recycle stream exiting from purification; 12. Feed stream to heat recovery; 13. Hot fluidic stream from heat recovery. Sections (units): 100. Rotary heater unit (rotary apparatus(es)); 101. Heat-consuming operational (process) unit, such as a furnace or kiln, depending on the particular high-temperature material being produced; 102. Preheater unit; 103. Additional heating apparatus (booster heater unit); 104. Heat recovery unit; 105. Purification unit.

The heat-consuming process(es) is/are designated by a reference numeral 101 and in this embodiment is a furnace or kiln for making any one of: glass, glass wool, carbon fiber, carbon nanotubes, bricks, ceramic, or porcelain, each of which include one or more high temperature processing steps where typically fuel gas or coal is incinerated to achieve high temperatures. Such operating steps include pre-heating of gases prior to the gases entering the furnace or kiln.

The rotary apparatus 100 is configured to receive a feed stream 1, hereafter, the feed 1. Overall, the feed 1 can comprise or consist of any fluid, such as liquid or gas or a combination thereof, provided as a pure component or a mixture of components. The feed can be a feedstock gas, a process gas, a make-up gas (a so-called replacement/supplement gas), and the like. Gaseous feed can include inert gases (air, nitrogen gas, and the like) or reactive, e.g. oxygen, flammable gases, such as hydrocarbons, or any other gas like hydrogen and ammonia. Selection of the feed is process-dependent; that is, the nature of the heat-consuming process 101 (and indeed a specific industry/an area of industry said heat-consuming process 101 is assigned to) implies certain requirements and/or limitations on the selection of feed substance(s). Therefore, in the manufacture of glass, glass wool, carbon nanotubes, and clay-based materials the feed 1 is typically air or a combination or air and additional oxygen or combustion fuel. In the manufacture of carbon fiber, the feed 1 is typically an oxygen-free gas, such as pre-heated carbon dioxide or an inert gas. Additionally or alternatively, feed 1 may include any one of: (water) steam, nitrogen (N₂), hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and methane (CH₄).

It is preferred that the feed 1 enters the apparatus 100 in essentially gaseous form. Preheating of the feed or conversion of liquid or essentially liquid feed(s) into a gaseous form can be performed in an optional preheater unit 102 configured as a (pre)heater apparatus or a group of apparatuses. In the preheater unit 102, the feed stream(s) originally provided in a gaseous form (e.g. the process gas or gases) can be further heated (e.g. superheated). In the preheater unit 102, the feed 1 can be vaporized if not already in gas form and optionally superheated.

The preheater unit 102 can be any conventional device/system configured to provide heat to fluidic substance. In some configurations, the preheater unit 102 can be a fired heater (viz. a direct-fired heat exchanger that uses hot combustion gases (flue gases) to raise the temperature of a fluidic feed, such as a process fluid, flowing through the coils arranged inside the heater). Additionally or alternatively, the preheater unit 102 can be configured to exploit energy made available by the other units in the heat-consuming facility (for example by extracting thermal energy from hot stream 13 arriving from heat recovery). The preheater unit 102 can thus be configured to utilize other steam streams, as well as electricity and/or waste heat streams (not shown).

Depending on a heat-consuming process and related equipment, which in this embodiment is the production of high-temperature materials, the feed stream 1 used to produce the heated fluidic medium, such as air, by virtue of the rotary heater unit (the apparatus 100) comprises a virgin feed (fresh feed) and/or recycle stream(s). Hence, the feed 1 may consist of any one of fresh feed, recycle (fluidic) stream, and a mixture thereof. Stream 2 representing (pre)heated feed may include, in addition to feed 1, all recycle streams, such as those arriving from a purification section 105 and/or a heat recovery section 104.

In the rotary heater unit/the rotary apparatus 100, the temperature is raised to a level which is required by the heat-consuming process 101 or to a maximum level achieved by the rotary apparatus. In an event the temperature rise achieved by the rotary apparatus 100 is not sufficient for the heat-consuming process and/or if, for example, the temperature of the fluid needs to be raised again after it has transferred its heat to the heat-consuming process, further temperature rise can be achieved by virtue of arranging additional heater units (100B, 103), further referred to as “booster” heater(s), downstream of the rotary heater unit 100 (100A); rf. description to FIG. 2B. Each additional heater unit comprises or consists of an additional heating apparatus implemented according to the description below.

In heat-consuming processes such as the production of high-temperature materials described herein, the main sources of heat consumption are heating of working fluids and/or associated equipment and endothermic reactions (reactions that require external energy to proceed). In some applications it is feasible to recover heat from heat-consuming processes 101. Heat recovery section is indicated on FIG. 1 with ref no. 104. Recovered heat can be further used for heating the feed stream 1 and/or a recycle stream (separate recycle stream is indicated on FIG. 1 with ref. no. 11).

Heat recovery may be arranged through collecting gases exiting the process unit 101 and recycling these gases to the preheater unit 102 and/or the rotary apparatus 100. The heat recovery installation 104 may be represented with at least one heat exchanger device (not shown). Heat exchangers based on any appropriate technology can be utilized. Heat recovery may be optional for heating feed gas if the heat is consumed elsewhere or if it is not possible to recover heat due to safety- or any other reason.

In the facility layout 1000, the heat recovery unit 104 can be arranged before and/or after the preheater 102. In the latter configuration, the heat recovery unit 104 is arranged to recover heat from the hot fluidic medium (stream 5) flowing from the high-temperature material manufacturing process 101, which may be further utilized to heat the feed stream 1 and recycle stream 11. On the other hand, when the heat recovery unit 104 is arranged before the preheater 102, the feed 1 is first led to the unit 104 (as stream 12) and then returned to preheating 102 as stream 13. In such a case, unit 104 acts as a first preheater.

In some instances, gases require purification, e.g. from dust and fine particles, before being directed to heat recovery. Purification can be done by a series of filters, for example, arranged before the heat recovery section 104 (not shown). Additionally or alternatively the gases exiting the process unit 101 may be directed to a purification unit 105 (bypassing the unit 104), and, after purification, returned to the heat recovery (not shown).

Process gas may contain in addition to valuable products also unwanted impurities and side products which may accumulate or/and be harmful for heater apparatus(-es) 100, 103 and/or the process units 101 through causing corrosion and poisoning catalytic beds. Purification and separation of streams discharged from heat-consuming processes 101 is performed in the purification unit 105. Unit 105 can comprise a number of appliances, such as filters, cyclones etc., adapted to mechanically remove dust and solid particles. Any conventional purification/separation methods and devices may be utilized. Exemplary purification/separation methods include, but are not limited to: cryogenic separation methods, membrane processes, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA), distillation, absorption, and any combination of these methods. The unit 105 may also comprise device configured to increase gas pressure by compression, for example. Typically, purification units 105 operate at lower temperatures than process units 101; therefore, prior to entering the purification unit, a product gas stream is cooled down (in the heat recovery 104, for example). To minimize the extent of deterioration of reactor beds in 101, it is also important to control composition of the recycle gas 11.

Purification unit 105 can be further adapted to purify waste gas(es), e.g. carbon dioxide, for further carbon capture. Waste gases discharged from the high-temperature material production facility as stream 7 (FIG. 1) can thus be further directed to carbon capture (not shown). Suitable methods for purification of waste gases include for example PSA, distillation, absorption, etc.

Heated fluidic medium required for carrying out the heat-consuming process(es) 101 is generated by virtue of at least one rotary apparatus 100.

In an embodiment, the heated fluidic medium is generated in the rotary apparatus 100, where an amount of thermal energy is added directly into fluidic medium propagated through said apparatus. In such an event, the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus may be for example a process gas, such as hydrocarbon-containing gas (see FIG. 1, streams 1-4, particularly stream 2), while the hot fluidic medium 5 that exits the heat-consuming unit 101 may represents a product-containing stream. In direct heating, streams 1-5 relate to a working-or process fluid.

The heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus can be further used as a carrier to transfer thermal energy to the heat-consuming unit 101 configured to implement or mediate a heat-consuming process or processes (101) related to manufacturing of high-temperature materials. For example, an inert gas such as air, nitrogen or steam (H₂O) can be heated in the rotary apparatus 100 and further used to convey the heat generated by the rotary apparatus to the furnace adapted to perform the process 101 related to manufacturing of high-temperature materials. In this regard, generation of a heated medium (e.g. fluidic or solid streams exploited by the process 101) can be performed outside the rotary apparatus through a process of heat transfer between the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus and a suitable medium exploited by the process 101 and thus bypassing the rotary apparatus. FIG. 1 thus shows stream 9 (a process stream) bypassing the rotary apparatus 100 and designating, in present context, the feed/process stream (e.g. sand, limestone, concrete, ash, recycled glass and other precursor materials used in high-temperature materials manufacturing), while streams 1-4 arriving to the process unit 101 via the rotary heater 100 designate fluidic medium (e.g. air, nitrogen, steam or other inert heating media) directed to the process unit 101 for heating the “cold” process stream 9. Use of optionally inert hot gases as heating media in indirect heating applications may be preferred when the process streams to be heated are at high pressure or under vacuum. Stream 10 represents a “hot” process stream and/or a product stream, respectively. In indirect heating, streams 9 and 10 relate to a working- or process fluid, whereas streams 1-5 represent a heat-transfer medium. Hence, in indirect heating, the unit 101 acts as a “heat-exchanger” type of device which enables transfer of thermal energy between two fluids flowing therethrough without any direct contact between said fluids. In an event of indirect heating, the fluid heated in 100 may be same or different from the process fluid used in the heat-consuming unit/process 101; however, typically it is different.

The rotary apparatus 100 configured for generating the heated fluidic medium to be supplied into the high-temperature material production facility according to the embodiments comprises a rotor comprising a plurality of rotor blades arranged into at least one row over a circumference of a rotor hub or a rotor disk mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, the rotor being enclosed within the casing. In the apparatus 100, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the at least one row of rotor blades when propagating inside the casing of the rotary apparatus, between the inlet and the exit, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated.

Implementation of the rotary apparatus 100 may generally follow the disclosures of a rotary reactor apparatus according to the U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,937 (Bushuev), U.S. Pat. No. 9,494,038 (Bushuev) and U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 (Seppälä et al), and of a radial reactor apparatus according to the U.S. patent U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 (Xu & Rosic), the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herewith. Any other implementation, which can be configured to adopt the method according to the embodiments, can be utilized.

In the patent documents referenced above, the rotary turbomachine-type apparatuses were designed as reactors for processing hydrocarbons, in particular, for steam cracking. General requirements for these applications are: rapid heating of gases, high temperature, short residence time, and plug flow (a flow model which implies no axial mixing). These requirements have led to designs where the turbomachine type reactors have several heating stages accommodated in a relatively small volume.

The present disclosure is based on an observation that the rotary apparatus (including, but not limited to the ones referenced above) can be electrified and used as a heater to generate the heated fluidic medium further supplied in the heat-consuming process 101, such as a process or processes related to high-temperature material production. By integration of the rotary apparatus heater unit(s) into the heat-consuming process or processes, significant reductions in greenhouse gas- and particle emissions can be achieved. By way of example, the rotary apparatus can replace fuel-fired heaters in a variety of applications (described hereinbelow). The temperature range can be extended from about 1000° C. (generally achievable with the above referenced reactor devices) to up to at least about 1700° C. and further up to 2500° C. Construction of the rotary apparatuses capable of achieving these high temperatures is possible due to an absence of aerodynamic hurdles.

The rotary apparatus 100 integrated into the high-temperature material production facility according to the embodiments and configured to generate the heated fluidic medium for the method(s) according to the embodiment thus comprises the rotor shaft positioned along a horizontal (longitudinal) axis with at least one rotor unit mounted onto the rotor shaft. The rotor unit comprises a plurality of rotor (working) blades arranged over the circumference of a rotor hub or a rotor disk and together forming a rotor blade cascade. The rotary apparatus 100 thus comprises a plurality of rotor (working) blades arranged into at least one row over the circumference of a rotor hub or a rotor disk mounted onto the rotor shaft, and forming an essentially annular rotor blade assembly or rotor blade cascade.

In embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly disposed at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In this configuration, the rotary apparatus is operated such that the amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated.

In some embodiments, the plurality of stationary vanes can be arranged into a stationary vane cascade (a stator), provided as an essentially annular assembly upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. The stationary vanes arranged into the assembly disposed upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades may be provided as stationary guide vanes, such as (inlet) guiding vanes (IGV), and be configured, in terms of profiles, dimensions and disposition thereof around the central shaft, to direct the fluid flow into the rotor in a predetermined direction such, as to control and, in some instances, to maximize the rotor-specific work input capability.

The rotary apparatus can be configured with two or more essentially annular rows of rotor blades (rotor blade cascades) sequentially arranged on/along the rotor shaft. In such an event, the stationary guide vanes may be installed upstream of the first row of the rotor blades, upstream of each row of rotor blades in the sequence, or upstream of any selected row of rotor blades in a sequential arrangement of the latter.

In embodiments, the rotary apparatus 100 further comprises a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades (rotor blade cascade). In this configuration, the rotary apparatus is operated such that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium successively passes through the stationary guide vanes, the at least one row of rotor blades and the diffuser area, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated. The diffuser area can be configured with or without stationary diffuser vanes. In some configurations, a vaned or vaneless diffuser is arranged, in said diffuser area, downstream of the at least one rotor blade cascade. In some configurations, the diffuser can be implemented as a plurality of stationary (stator) vanes arranged into a diffuser vane cascade, provided as an essentially annular assembly downstream of the rotor.

The rotor, the stationary guide vanes and the diffuser area are enclosed within an internal passageway (a duct) formed in the casing.

In some configurations, such as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic, provision of a diffuser (device) may be omitted, and the diffuser area may be represented with an essentially vaneless portion of the duct (a so-called vaneless space) located downstream of the rotor and configured, in terms of its geometry and/or dimensional parameters, to diffuse a high speed fluid flow arriving from the rotor.

Provision of the vaneless portion of the duct is common for all configurations of the rotary apparatus 100 described above. Depending on configuration, the vaneless portion (vaneless space) is arranged downstream of the rotor blades (rf. U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic) or downstream of the diffuser vane cascade (rf. U.S. Pat. No. 9,494,038 to Bushuev and U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 to Seppälä et al). In some configuration described for example by Seppälä et al, arrangement of rotating and stationary blade rows in the internal passageway within the casing is such that vaneless portion(s) is/are created between an exit from the stationary diffuser vanes disposed downstream of the rotor blades and an entrance to the stationary guide blades disposed upstream of the rotor blades of a subsequent rotor blade cascade unit.

The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer hereby to spatial and/or functional arrangement of structural parts or components with relation to a predetermined part- or component, hereby, the rotor, in a direction of fluidic flow stream throughout the apparatus (from inlet to exit).

Overall, the rotor with the working blade cascade can be positioned between the rows of stationary (stator) vanes arranged into essentially annular assemblies (referred to as cascades) at one or both sides of the working blade row. Configurations including two or more rows of rotor blades/rotor blade cascades arranged in series (in sequence) on/along the rotor shaft may be conceived with or without stationary blades in between. In an absence of stationary vanes between the rotor blade rows, the speed of fluidic medium propagating through the duct increases in each subsequent row. In such an event, a plurality of stationary vanes may be arranged into assemblies upstream of a first rotor blade cascade in said sequence (as stationary guide vanes) and downstream of a lastmost rotor blade cascade (as stationary diffuser vanes).

The row of rotor blades (rotor blade cascade) and a portion of the duct downstream said rotor blades enclosed inside the casing optionally provided with an assembly of stationary diffuser vanes (diffuser area) may be viewed as a minimal process stage (hereafter, the stage), configured to mediate a complete energy conversion cycle. Hence, an amount of kinetic energy added to the stream of fluidic medium by at least one row of rotating blades is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluidic medium to a predetermined value when said stream of fluidic medium exits the rotor blades and propagates, in the duct, towards a subsequent row of rotor blades, or enters the same row of rotor blades following an essentially helical trajectory formed within the essentially toroidal-shaped casing. The duct (which encloses the periphery of the rotor) is preferably shaped such, that upon propagation of the fluidic stream in the duct, the stream decelerates and dissipates kinetic energy into an internal energy of the fluidic medium, and an amount of thermal energy is added to the stream of fluidic medium.

The stationary guide blade row(s) disposed upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades prepare required flow conditions at the entrance of the rotating blade row (cascade) during the energy conversion cycle.

In some configurations, the process stage is established with the assembly of stationary guide vanes (upstream of the rotor blades), the row of rotor blades and the diffuser area arranged downstream of said rotor blades, the diffuser area provided as the essentially vaneless portion of the duct optionally supplied with diffuser vanes. During the energy conversion cycle, enabled with successive propagation of the stream of fluidic medium through the stationary guide vanes, the at least one row of rotor blades and the diffuser area, respectively, in a controlled manner, mechanical energy of the rotor shaft is converted into kinetic energy and further—into internal energy of the fluid, followed by the rise of fluid temperature. An amount of kinetic energy added to the stream of fluidic medium by rotating blades of the rotor is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluidic medium to a predetermined value when said stream of fluidic medium exits the rotor blades and passes, inside the duct, through the diffuser area, whereupon the stream decelerates and dissipates kinetic energy into an internal energy of the fluidic medium, and an amount of thermal energy is added to the stream of fluidic medium. In the rotor blade row, the flow accelerates, and mechanical energy of the shaft and rotating blades is transferred to fluidic stream. In at least part of each rotor blade row the flow may reach a supersonic flow condition. In the diffuser area, the high-speed fluid flow arriving from the rotor is diffused with the significant entropy increase, whereby the flow dissipates kinetic energy into the internal energy of the fluidic substance, thus providing thermal energy into the fluid. If the flow upstream of the diffuser is supersonic, the kinetic energy of the fluidic stream is converted into internal energy of the fluid through a system of multiple shocks and viscous mixing and dissipation. An increase in the internal energy of the fluid results in a rise of fluid temperature. The energy conversion function may be performed by the vaneless portion of the duct located downstream of the rotor blades (rf. U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu & Rosic) and/or by an assembly of diffusing vanes, for example (rf. U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 to Seppälä et al).

The rotary apparatus 100 can be configured as a multistage- or a single-stage solution. Multistage configurations can be conceived comprising a number of rotor units (e.g. 1-5 rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged on/along the rotor shaft) alternating with common diffuser area(s) (vaneless or vaned).

In an exemplary configuration outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 to Seppälä et al, the rotary apparatus 100 can be implemented substantially in a shape of a ring torus, where a cross-section of the duct in the meridian plane forms a ring-shaped profile. The apparatus comprises a rotor unit disposed between stationary guide vanes (nozzle vanes), and stationary diffusing vanes. The stages are formed with rows of stationary nozzle vanes, rotor blades and diffusing vanes, through which the fluidic stream propagates, in a successive manner, following a flow path established in accordance with an essentially helical trajectory. In this configuration, fluidic stream circulates through the rotating rotor blade cascade a number of times while propagating inside the apparatus between the inlet and the exit. Similar ring-shaped configuration is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,494,038 to Bushuev.

In another exemplary configuration outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 to Seppälä et al, the rotary apparatus 100 can be configured as an essentially tubular, axial-type turbomachine. In such configuration, the apparatus comprises an extended (elongated) rotor hub, along which a plurality of rotor blades is arranged into a number of sequential rows. The rotor is enclosed within the casing, inner surface of which is provided with the stationary (stator) vanes and diffuser vanes, arranged such that blades/vanes of the stator, rotor- and diffuser cascades alternate along the rotor hub in a longitudinal direction (along the length of the rotor shaft, for inlet to exit). Blades of the rotor cascade at certain position along the rotor in the longitudinal direction form the stage with the adjacent pairs of stationary guide (nozzle) vanes and diffusing vanes, respectively.

In described configurations, the subsequent stages have blade/vane-free space between them.

In still another exemplary configuration outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic, the rotary apparatus 100 can be configured as a radial turbomachine that generally follows a design for centrifugal compressors or centrifugal pumps. The term “centrifugal” implies that fluid flow within the device is radial; therefore, the apparatus may be referred, in the present disclosure, as a “radial-flow apparatus. The apparatus comprises a number of rotor units mounted onto elongated shaft, wherein each rotor unit is preceded with stationary guide vanes. A vaneless portion of the duct shaped in a manner enabling energy conversion (U-bend or S-bend, for example) is located after the rotor unit(s). Additionally, configuration may comprise a separate diffuser device (vaned or vaneless) disposed downstream of the rotor.

In all configurations described above, the rotary apparatus 100 performs, in the method disclosed herein, in similar manner. In operation, the amount of input energy conducted into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility is converted into mechanical energy of the rotor. Conditions in the rotary apparatus are adjusted such, as to produce flow rate conditions, at which an amount of kinetic energy added to the stream of fluidic medium by rotating blades of the rotor is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluidic medium to a predetermined value when said stream of fluidic medium exits the at least one row rotor blades and passes through the duct and/or through the diffuser area to enter the subsequent row of rotor blades or the same row of rotor blades in accordance to the description above. The row(s) of rotor blades may be preceded with stationary guide vanes. Hence, the adjustable condition comprises adjusting at least a flow of fluidic medium propagating inside the casing of the rotary apparatus, between the inlet and the exit. Adjusting the flow may include adjusting such apparatus operation related parameters, as temperature, mass flow rate, pressure, etc. Additionally or alternatively, flow conditions can be adjusted by modifying shape of the duct formed inside the casing.

In some exemplary configurations, the rotary apparatus can be configured to implement a fluidic flow between its inlet(s) and outlet(s) along a flow path established in accordance with any one of: an essentially helical trajectory formed within an essentially toroidal-shaped casing, as discussed in any one of the patent documents U.S. Pat. No. 9,494,038 to Bushuev and U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 to Seppälä et al; an essentially helical trajectory formed within an essentially tubular casing, as discussed in the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 9,234,140 to Seppälä et al; an essentially radial trajectory as discussed in the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu & Rosic; and along the flow path established by virtue of the stream of fluidic medium in the form of two spirals rolled up into vortex rings of right and left directions, as discussed in the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,937 to Bushuev). The aerodynamic design of the rotary apparatus can vary.

The rotary apparatus utilizes a drive engine. In preferred embodiments, the apparatus utilizes electrical energy as the input energy and is therefore electric motor-driven. For the purposes of the present disclosure, any appropriate type of electric motor (i.e. a device capable of transferring energy from an electrical source to a mechanical load) can be utilized. Suitable coupling(s) arranged between a motor drive shaft and the rotor shaft, as well as various appliances, such as power converters, controllers and the like, are not described herewith. Additionally, the apparatus can be directly driven by gas- or steam turbine, for example, or any other appropriate drive device. In layouts involving parallel connection of a number of rotary apparatuses 100 to a common heat-consuming unit 101, such as a furnace, for example, one or more of said apparatuses may utilize different type of drive engine, e.g. the electric motor driven apparatuses can be combined with those driven by steam turbine, gas turbine and/or gas engine.

Electric power (defined as the rate of energy transfer per unit time) can be supplied into the rotary apparatus through supplying electric current to the electric motor used to propel a rotary shaft of the apparatus. Supply of electric power into the rotary apparatus can be implemented from an external source or sources (as related to the rotary heater unit/the apparatus 100 and/or the heat-consuming process facility 1000). Additionally or alternatively, electrical energy can be produced internally, within the facility 1000.

An external source or sources include a variety of supporting facilities rendered for sustainable energy production. Thus, electric power can be supplied from an electricity generating system that exploits at least one source of renewable energy or a combination of the electricity generating systems exploiting different sources of renewable energy. External sources of renewable energy can be provided as solar, wind- and/or hydropower. Thus, electric power may be received into the process from at least one of the following units: a photovoltaic electricity generating system, a wind-powered electricity generating system, and a hydroelectric power system. In some exemplary instances, a nuclear power plant may be provided as the external source of electrical power. Nuclear power plants are generally regarded as emission-free. The term “nuclear power plant” should be interpreted as using traditional nuclear power and, additionally or alternatively, fusion power.

Electricity can be supplied from a power plant that utilizes a turbine as a kinetic energy source to drive electricity generators. In some instances, electric power to drive the at least one apparatus 100 can be supplied from at least one gas turbine (GT) provided as a separate installation or within a cogeneration facility and/or a combined cycle power facility, for example. Electric power can thus be supplied from at least one of the following units: a combined cycle power facility, such as a combined cycle gas turbine plant (CCGT), and/or a cogeneration facility configured for electricity production combined with heat recovery and utilization through combined heat and power (CHP), for example. In some examples, the CHP plant can be a biomass fired plant to increase the share of renewable energy in the process described. Additionally or alternatively, supply of electric power can be realized from a spark ignition engine, such as a gas engine, for example, and/or a compression engine, such as a diesel engine, for example, optionally provided as a part of an engine power plant. Still further, any conventional power plant configured to produce electrical energy from fossil raw materials, such as coal, oil, natural gas, gasoline, and the like, typically mediated with the use of steam turbines, can be used to generate electrical energy as an input energy for the rotary apparatus 100. Also hydrogen can be utilized as a source of renewable energy, to be reconverted into electricity, for example, using fuel cells.

Any combination of the abovementioned sources of electric power, realized as external and internal sources, may be conceived. Importing low emission electric power from an alternative (external) source improves energy efficiency of the heat-consuming process facility.

Conducting input energy, comprising electrical power, into a drive engine of the rotary apparatus can be further accompanied with conducting mechanical shaft power thereto from a power turbine, for example, optionally utilizing thermal energy generated elsewhere in the facility 1000 or outside said facility. Shaft power is defined as mechanical power transmitted from one rotating element to another and calculated as a sum of the torque and the speed of rotation of the shaft. Mechanical power is defined, in turn, as an amount of work or energy per unit time (measured in Watt).

In practice, the shaft power from the electric motor and the power turbine, for example, can be divided so that any one of those can provide the full shaft power or a fraction of it.

FIGS. 2A-2D show exemplary layouts for the rotary apparatus 100 representing the rotary heater unit or units within the facility 1000 with regard to preheater unit 102, temperature booster section 103, and heat recovery unit 104. The following citations are used for the members: 100, 100A, 100B—Rotary heater unit(s) (rotary apparatus(es)); 101—Heat-consuming unit/process; 102—Preheater unit; 103—Additional heating apparatus (booster heater).

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates a basic implementation for the rotary apparatus 100 configured to input heat into a stream of fluidic medium (feed stream 1) directed therethrough. Heated stream exiting the apparatus 100 is designated with reference number 2, respectively. In basic implementation, the rotor system of the rotary apparatus 100 is aerodynamically configured so that a volume of fluid is heated to a predetermined temperature while propagating along the flow path formed in the casing of the apparatus 100, between inlet and exit (so called “one-pass” implementation). The apparatus 100 enables temperature rise (delta T, ΔT) within a range of about 10° C. to about 120° C., in some configurations—up to about 500° C., in one stage.

Hence, in case of a multistage implementation, the fluid can be heated to 1000° C. in “one-pass” implementation (taken 100° C. temperature rise per stage in a 10-stage apparatus). Since residence time the fluidic medium spends to pass through the apparatus stage is in scale of fractions of seconds, such as about 0.01-1.0 milliseconds, fast and efficient heating can be achieved already in the basic configuration. Temperature rise can be optimized as required.

FIG. 2B illustrates a basic concept involving so-called booster heating. Booster heating is an optional method to heat a fluidic medium, such as a process gas, for example, beyond capability of a standalone heater apparatus 100.

Temperature boost may be viewed as thermal, chemical or both. In a first configuration (a) also referred to as a “thermal boost”, an additional rotary heater apparatus (designated as 100B on FIGS. 2B, 2C and 2D) is arranged downstream of a “primary” rotary heater apparatus (designated as 100A on FIGS. 2B, 2C and 2D). Apparatuses 100A, 100B are generally recognized, within the present disclosure, as rotary heater units 100. Generation of the heated fluidic medium is can thus be achieved by provision of at least two sequentially connected rotary apparatuses 100A, 100B, wherein the stream of fluidic medium (rf. feed stream 1) is heated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotary apparatus (100A) in a sequence, referred to hereby as a primary heater, and wherein said stream of fluidic medium (rf. stream 2) is further heated in at least a second rotary apparatus (100B) in the sequence by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the stream of fluidic medium “preheated” in the first rotary apparatus 100A and propagating through the second rotary apparatus 100B (rf. stream 3). The apparatus 100B is therefore referred to as a booster heater. The apparatuses 100A, 100B may be identical and vary in terms of size or internal design. A sequence of two or more booster apparatuses such as 100B can be arranged after a primary heater 100A. Booster apparatuses can be arranged in parallel or in series, or in any combination that allows for optimization of rotating speed and aerodynamics thereof.

In a second, additional or alternative, configuration (further referred to as “chemical boost”), the additional heating apparatus designated as 103 (FIGS. 1, 2B) is adapted to receive, into the stream of fluidic medium propagating therethrough, reactive components 5, such as for example combustible fuel, to provide heat by exothermic reactions prior to directing said stream of fluidic medium to the heat-consuming process 101 of high-temperature material manufacturing.

In this configuration, temperature boosting can be achieved by virtue of introducing (e.g. by injecting) a reactive chemical or chemicals 5 into to the stream of fluidic medium directed through the additional heater unit/heating apparatus 103. It is noted that stream 5 of FIG. 2B corresponds to stream 8 shown on FIG. 1.

The reactive chemical-based booster heater unit 103 may be located after the thermal booster heater unit 100, 100B (FIG. 2B) or directly after the primary heater 100, 100A (FIG. 1). The reactive chemical (reactant) 5 may include combustion gases, such as hydrogen gas, hydrocarbons, ammonia, oxygen, air, other gas and/or any other appropriate reactive compound, optionally a catalyst. In the unit 103, by virtue of exothermic reactions, the fluidic stream can be heated to a level, which is typically not possible to achieve by a single rotary apparatus not involving chemical-mediated heating (rf. stream 4). For example, a fuel gas, such as hydrogen, can be introduced into an oxygen-containing process gas, such as air. At elevated temperatures, hydrogen and oxygen enter an exothermic reaction to produce water molecules (hydrogen combustion).

Fuel gas can be injected into the booster heater unit 103 through burners along with air (or enriched oxygen) to rise the temperature of gases. If heated gas contains flammable gases and it is possible to consume these gases for heating only air/or oxygen can be added. Process gases can contain H₂, NH₃, CO, fuel gases (methane, propane, etc.) which may be burned to generate heat. Other reactive gases can be injected to generate heat if feasible.

The additional heater 103 adapted for chemical boost may be configured as a piece of pipe or as a chamber where exothermic reactions take place, and/or it can comprise as at least one rotary apparatus 100 arranged to receive reactive compounds to accommodate exothermic reactions to produce additional heat energy. The booster section 103 can thus comprise at least one rotary apparatus 100. Optionally, the reactive chemicals can be injected directly to the heat consuming process 101 (not shown). Additionally or alternatively, the reactive chemical mediated boost can be implemented in a single apparatus 100, 103, modified accordingly.

In an arrangement involving booster heating, the temperature of the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a predetermined temperature in a first rotary apparatus (100A) can be further raised to a maximum limit in subsequent heater units (100B, 103). By way of example, the temperature of the stream of fluidic medium preheated to about 1700° C. in a primary heater (100A) can be further raised in subsequent heater units (100B, 103) up to 2500° C. and beyond.

Mentioned concepts can be used separately or in combination, so that the reactive chemical 5 can be introduced into any one of the apparatuses 100 connected in parallel or in series (in sequence). Provision of the booster heater(s) is optional.

In additional or alternative configurations, preheating and additional heating can be implemented in the same apparatus 100 (not shown). This can be achieved in multistage configurations, comprising a number of rotor units (e.g. 1-5 rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged on/along the rotor shaft) alternating with common diffuser area(s) (vaneless or vaned).

Additionally or alternatively, booster heating can be used for example in an event, when the temperature of the fluid once heated in the rotary apparatus(es) 100, needs to be raised again after it has transferred its heat to the heat-consuming process 101 (not shown).

Upon connecting the at least two rotary apparatuses, such as 100A, 100B, and optionally 103 (in an event 103 is implemented as a rotary apparatus 100) in parallel or in series, a rotary apparatus assembly can be established (see for example FIGS. 2B-2D). Connection between the rotary apparatuses 100 implemented as “primary” heater(s) 100A or “booster” heater(s) 100B, 103 can be mechanical and/or functional. Functional (in terms of achievable heat input, for example) connection can be established upon association between at least two individual, physically integrated- or non-integrated individual apparatus units. In a latter case, association between the at least two rotary apparatuses can be established via a number of auxiliary installations (not shown). In some configurations, the assembly comprises the at least two apparatuses connected such, as to mirror each other, whereby said at least two apparatuses are at least functionally connected via their central (rotor) shafts. Such mirrored configuration can be further defined as having the at least two rotary apparatuses 100 mechanically connected in series (in a sequence), whereas functional connection can be viewed as connection in parallel (in arrays). In some instances, the aforesaid “mirrored” arrangement can be further modified to comprise at least two inlets and a common exhaust (discharge) module placed essentially in the center of the arrangement.

Rotary apparatuses (100A, 100B, 103, rf. FIG. 2B) can be assembled on the same (rotor) shaft. Each rotary apparatus can be optionally provided with a separate drive (a motor) which allows independent optimization of the apparatuses. When two or more separate rotary apparatuses are used, construction costs (materials etc.) can be optimized in view of operation temperature and pressure.

Additionally or alternatively, at least one rotary apparatus within the assembly can be designed to increase pressure of the fluidic stream. Hence, the at least one rotary apparatus in the assembly can be assigned with a combined heater and blower functionality. The apparatus 100 adapted to act as blower provides necessary pressure increase for the fluid to circulate in the furnace 101. The apparatus 100 may thus replace a separate air blower/system fan, otherwise necessary in conventional fuel-fired furnaces.

Additionally or alternatively, a stream containing reactive or inert gases (such as stream 8 of FIG. 1) can be fed to the rotary apparatus 100 (not shown) or to any equipment downstream of said apparatus (e.g. into the heat-consuming process section 101). Thus, the reactive gases (such as stream 8 of FIG. 1) may be injected directly to the heat-consuming process unit 101, if the latter is configured to receive such chemicals. In manufacture of high-temperature materials, a combustible fuel (8) may be injected directly to the process unit 101, such as a furnace, to generate heat and/or to take part in the reactions.

FIG. 2C illustrates the use of the rotary heater apparatuses 100A, optionally 100B with indirect process heating. The rotary apparatus 100 (100A, 100B) can be used for indirect heating of fluids in the heat-consuming unit 101, wherein heat is transferred between two non-mixing fluids as in heat exchanger-type configurations. Hence, fluids, such as gases or liquids, can be evaporated (vaporized) or superheated in a feasible heat exchanger arrangement 101 against fluid heated in the rotary apparatus 100. The heat-consuming unit 101 configured to accommodate a heat-consuming process can be represented with any (existing) fired heater, reactor or furnace, or any conventional heat exchanger device. Type of said “heat exchanger” configuration (101) can be selected as needed for optimal heat transfer. Heating gas (see streams 1-3) can be selected to be most suitable for heating and safety (for example: steam, N₂, air). Gas heated in the rotary apparatus 100A, 100B can be close to atmospheric pressure or pressure can be raised to improve heat transfer. Heat transfer medium 3 heated in the apparatus 100 (rf. stream 3 exiting 100B) is directed to the heat-consuming process 101, where heat is transferred from stream 3 to a “cold” process stream 6 to produce a “hot” process stream 7. Stream 4 designates the heat transfer medium outflow, respectively.

Process streams 6 and 7 of FIG. 2C thus correspond to streams 9 and 10 of FIG. 1, respectively (indirect heating configuration); while heat transfer medium streams 3 and 4 of FIG. 2C correspond to streams 3 (optionally 4) and 5, respectively (indirect heating configuration).

FIG. 2D illustrates the rotary heater apparatus 100A with a preheater 102 and with a recycle process fluid (stream 4) recycled from the heat consuming process (not shown). Preheater can be electric, fired, combustion engine, gas turbine, etc. or it can be a heat exchanger for recovering excess heat from any high temperature flow in the process. Provision of the preheater 102 is optional. The concept can further include an optional booster heater 100B downstream of the apparatus 100A. Thermal or chemical booster heating may be utilized. Stream 1′ designates a (feed) fluid sent to the preheater 102. Said fluid is further propagated through the rotary apparatuses 100A, 100B, where the feed is heated and sent to the heat-consuming process at stream 3.

Any one of the rotary apparatuses 100A, 100B can be equipped with a fluid recycle arrangement (see stream 4, FIG. 2D). Any combination of the rotary apparatuses the fluid recycle arrangement can be conceived. Recycling is made possible through recirculation of the streams of fluidic medium by the at least one rotary apparatus.

In some configurations, the rotary apparatus 100 can utilize flue gases with low oxygen content exhausted from a conventional fired heater. In such an event, hot flue gases exhausted from the fired heater are mixed with recycle gases (stream 4, FIG. 2D) to be used for heating in the rotary heater 100, 100A. Oxygen content in the flue gases used in described case is preferably below a flammability limit to provide safe heating.

It is clear to a person skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology the basic ideas of the present invention may be implemented and combined in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described herein above, instead they may generally vary within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for high-temperature material production, the method comprising generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into a high-temperature material production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising:

a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit,

a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and

a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades,

wherein an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated,

the method further comprising: conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, the input energy comprising electrical energy, supplying the stream of heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus into the high-temperature material production facility, and operating said at least one rotary apparatus and said high-temperature material production facility to carry out high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the high-temperature material production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus is connected to at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out a process or processes related to high-temperature material production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the high-temperature material is glass, and wherein the heat-consuming unit to which the at least one rotary apparatus is connected is at least one furnace configured to heat sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass to produce glass in the high-temperature material production facility configured as a glass production facility.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the high-temperature material is glass wool, and wherein the heat-consuming unit to which the at least one rotary apparatus is connected is at least one furnace configured to melt glass to produce molten glass and/or to cure glass fibers to produce glass wool in the high-temperature material production facility configured as a glass wool production facility.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the high-temperature material is carbon fibers, and wherein the heat-consuming unit to which the at least one rotary apparatus is connected is at least one furnace configured to carbonize polyacrylonitrile fibers to form carbon fibers in the high-temperature material production facility configured as a carbon fiber production facility.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the high-temperature material is carbon nanotubes, and wherein the heat-consuming unit to which the at least one rotary apparatus is connected is at least one furnace configured to effect disproportionation of high-pressure carbon monoxide to form carbon nanotubes in the high-temperature material production facility configured as a carbon nanotube production facility.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the high-temperature material is bricks, and wherein the heat-consuming unit to which the at least one rotary apparatus is connected is at least one kiln configured to burn bricks in the high-temperature material production facility configured as a brick production facility.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the high-temperature material is a clay-based material, and wherein the heat-consuming unit to which the at least one rotary apparatus is connected is at least one kiln configured to thermally process said clay-based material in the high-temperature material production facility configured as a facility for manufacturing of clay-based products.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the high-temperature clay-based material is ceramic or porcelain, and wherein the high-temperature material production facility is configured as a ceramic production facility and/or as a porcelain production facility.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising generation of the fluidic medium heated to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), preferably, to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1200° C., still preferably, to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising adjusting velocity and/or pressure of the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus, to produce conditions, at which the stream of the heated fluidic medium is generated.

12. The method of claim 1, in which the heated fluidic medium is generated by at least one rotary apparatus comprising two or more rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged along the rotor shaft.

13. The method of claim 1, in which the heated fluidic medium is generated by at least one rotary apparatus further comprising a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility such, that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium successively passes through the stationary vanes, the rotor blades and the diffuser area, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, in said rotary apparatus, the diffuser area is configured with or without stationary diffuser vanes.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the amount of thermal energy added to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus is controlled by adjusting the amount of input energy conducted into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising arranging an additional heating apparatus downstream of the at least one rotary apparatus and introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through said additional heating apparatus, whereupon the amount of thermal energy is added to said stream of fluidic medium through exothermic reaction(s).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced to the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a predetermined temperature.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced to the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein preheating of the stream of fluidic medium to the predetermined temperature is implemented in the rotary apparatus.

20. The method of claim 1, comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium by at least two rotary apparatuses integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, wherein the at least two rotary apparatuses are connected in parallel or in series.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium by at least two sequentially connected rotary apparatuses, wherein the stream of fluidic medium is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotary apparatus in a sequence, and wherein said stream of fluidic medium is further heated in at least a second rotary apparatus in the sequence by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the stream of preheated fluidic medium propagating through said second rotary apparatus.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, in at least the first rotary apparatus in the sequence, the stream of fluidic medium is preheated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through said at least second rotary apparatus in the sequence by virtue of introducing the reactive compound or a mixture of compounds into said stream.

24. The method of claim 1, comprising introducing the reactive compound or a mixture of compounds into a process or processes related to the production of high-temperature materials implemented in the furnace or kiln.

25. The method of claim 1, in which the heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a feed gas, a recycle gas, a make-up gas, and a process fluid.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluidic medium that enters the rotary apparatus is an essentially gaseous medium.

27. The method of claim 1, comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium in the rotary apparatus.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus comprises any one of: air, steam (H2O), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), or any combination thereof.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus is a recycle gas recycled from off-gases generated during production of high-temperature materials.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising generation of a heated fluidic medium, such as gas, vapor, liquid, and mixtures thereof, and/or heated solid materials outside the rotary apparatus through a process of heat transfer between the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus and any one of the above-mentioned substances bypassing the rotary apparatus.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing pressure in the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus.

32. The method of claim 1, in which the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the high-temperature material production facility is within a range of about 5 percent to 100 percent.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the high-temperature material production facility is obtainable from a source of renewable energy or a combination of different sources of energy, optionally, renewable energy.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is utilized to balance variations, such as oversupply and shortage, in the amount of electrical energy, optionally renewable electrical energy, by virtue of being integrated, into the high-temperature material production facility, together with an at least one non-electrical energy operable heater device.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein energy efficiency of the high-temperature material production facility is improved and/or wherein greenhouse gas and particle emissions in the high-temperature material production facility are reduced.

36. A high-temperature material production facility comprising at least one rotary apparatus configured to generate a heated fluidic medium and at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out a process of processes related to production of high-temperature materials, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising:

a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit,

a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and

a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades,

wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is configured to operate such that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated, and

wherein said at least one rotary apparatus is configured to receive an amount of input energy, the input energy comprising electrical energy, and to generate a heated fluidic medium for inputting thermal energy into at least one heat-consuming unit configured to carry out a process or processes related to production of high-temperature materials at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.).

37. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln.

38. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, configured as a glass production facility, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln configured to heat sand, limestone, soda ash, and recycled glass to produce glass in said glass production facility.

39. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, configured as a glass wool production facility, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln configured to melt glass to produce molten glass, and/or to cure glass fibers in said glass wool production facility.

40. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, configured as a carbon fiber production facility, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln configured to carbonize polyacrylonitrile fibers to form carbon fibers in said carbon fiber production facility.

41. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, configured as a carbon nanotubes production facility, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln configured to effect disproportionation of high-pressure carbon monoxide to form carbon nanotubes in said carbon nanotubes production facility.

42. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, configured as a brick production facility, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln configured to burn bricks in said brick production facility.

43. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, configured as a facility for manufacturing of clay-based products, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln configured to thermally process clay-based material in said facility for manufacturing of clay-based products.

44. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 43, configured as a ceramic production facility and/or as a porcelain production facility, wherein the at least one heat-consuming unit is a furnace or kiln is configured to thermally process ceramic or porcelain in said ceramic and/or porcelain production facility.

45. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, in which the at least one rotary apparatus is further connected to a heat-consuming unit configured as any one of: an oven, a reactor, a heater, a burner, a dryer, a boiler, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof.

46. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, wherein the at least one rotary apparatus comprises two or more rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged along the rotor shaft.

47. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, wherein the at least one rotary apparatus further comprises a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

48. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 47, wherein the rotary apparatus comprises the diffuser area configured with or without stationary diffuser vanes.

49. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is further configured to increase pressure in the fluidic stream propagating therethrough.

50. The high-temperature material production facility of claim 36, wherein at least two rotary apparatuses are arranged into an assembly and connected in parallel or in series.

51. A high-temperature material production facility configured to implement a process or processes related to high-temperature material production through a method as defined in claim 1.

52. A method for inputting thermal energy into a process or processes related to producing high-temperature materials in a high-temperature material production facility, the method comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising:

a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit,

a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and

a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades,

the method further comprises: integrating the at least one rotary apparatus into the high-temperature material production facility configured to carry out process or processes related to production of high-temperature materials at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility, the input energy comprising electrical energy, and operating the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the high-temperature material production facility such, that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the process related to producing high-temperature materials in the high-temperature material production facility is any one of: (i) production of glass, (ii) production of glass wool, (iii) production of carbon fiber and carbon nanotubes, (iv) production of brick and/or tile, (v) production of clay-based material, such as ceramic and/or porcelain, or (vi) any combination thereof.