Suspended In A Gaseous Medium Patents (Class 110/244)
  • Patent number: 5425850
    Abstract: A black liquor gasification system intended for use as a replacement for a Tomlinson cycle, Chemical Recovery Unit, and which operates at a temperature below the ash melting temperature thereby removing the potential for smelt-water reactions and explosions. The subject black liquor gasification system is based on the use of a circulating fluidized bed operating at atmospheric pressure that produces dry, recoverable salts as well as low calorific gases to be used within the paper-making process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Tanca, Erik G. A. Dahlquist, Sune Flink
  • Patent number: 5408942
    Abstract: High temperature combustion apparatus incorporating a pneumatically suspended combustion zone and capable of supporting relatively high combustion temperatures, in excess of 2400.degree. C. (4352.degree. F.) for essentially total combustion with minimal pollutant production. The combustion apparatus may be employed for waste material incineration in general, toxic waste incineration, and for smokeless burning of wood and vegetation. The combustion apparatus may be employed in an efficient steam electric power generating plant which employs municipal solid waste as fuel, and/or in combination with a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electric generator. The pneumatically suspended combustion zone is created by having streams of combustion air directed upwardly from a floor grate and from the sides of a combustion chamber such that combustion occurs in a swirling turbulent mass which does not directly contact either the walls or the floor of the combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Inventor: Bob W. Young
  • Patent number: 5387775
    Abstract: A plasma cell for destroying hazardous gases. An electric-discharge cell having an electrically conducting electrode onto which an alternating high-voltage waveform is impressed and a dielectric barrier adjacent thereto, together forming a high-voltage electrode, generates self-terminating discharges throughout a volume formed between this electrode and a grounded conducting liquid electrode. The gas to be transformed is passed through this volume. The liquid may be flowed, generating thereby a renewable surface. Moreover, since hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids may be formed from destruction of various chlorofluorocarbons in the presence of water, a conducting liquid may be selected which will neutralize these corrosive compounds. The gases exiting the discharge region may be further scrubbed if additional purification is required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventor: Michael Kang
  • Patent number: 5334012
    Abstract: A combustion chamber having improved heating efficiency and reduced NO.sub.x emissions includes a reduced diameter throat and a stepped configuration within the chamber. The chamber configuration encourages efficient combustion to reduce NO.sub.x production by promoting the formation of eddy currents within the chamber. A method for increasing heating efficiency and reducing NO.sub.x production is provided and involves passing combustion gases through such a combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1994
    Assignee: Astec Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Don Brock, Erbie G. Mize, Malcom L. Swanson
  • Patent number: 5317980
    Abstract: A method and a unit for the thermal destruction of industrial fluid wastes in which first and second heating phases are performed by mixing the combustion gases with the fluid wastes into combustion chambers, maintaining the mixture under high turbulence conditions to bring it to a thermodestruction temperature at which the mixed fluid waste is destroyed by heat; the gaseous mixture is maintained in adiabatic conditions at the thermodestroying temperature for a predetermined period of time along a path extending along most of a primary combustion chamber of the destroyer unit. The thermodestroyer unit has a monolithic structure which develops vertically, comprising a primary combustion chamber and an annular stay chamber, which surrounds the primary combustion chamber in which the burning mixture is maintained in a substantially adiabatic condition; the apparatus may be provided with a heat exchanger arranged at the outlet of the stay chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: Bono Energia S.p.A.
    Inventor: Corrado Bono Coraggioso
  • Patent number: 5286459
    Abstract: An energy efficient fume incinerator and method for eliminating fumes from a process gas stream while avoiding or minimizing the problem of build-up of organic or other constituents of the fume-laden process gas stream on the surfaces of the heat exchanger in which the fume-laden process gas stream is preheated. The fume incinerator and method are characterized by a first stage reaction chamber for preheating the process gas to a first temperature for preoxidizing organic constituents in the process gas, a second stage reaction chamber for heating the preheated process gas to a second temperature higher than said first temperature for incinerating the fumes; and a first stage heat exchanger for exchanging heat from the process gas exiting from the second stage reaction chamber to the preheated process gas passing from the first stage reaction chamber to the second stage reaction chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1994
    Assignee: FECO Engineered Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Krismanth
  • Patent number: 5272820
    Abstract: The injection type nozzle of the present injection is a two-fluid pressure nozzle comprising a centrifugal pressure nozzle for spraying a feed liquid and a cylindrical pipe for blowing out a high-speed gas, provided around the centrifugal pressure nozzle, said two-fluid pressure nozzle having a tapered structure at the front end portion and said cylindrical pipe for blowing out a high-speed gas, having air-purging through-holes at the front end portion. The spray dryer of the present invention comprises a drying chamber, the above two-fluid pressure nozzle provided at the bottom of the drying chamber with the nozzle tip directed upward, an inlet for feeding a hot gas into the drying chamber, and an outlet for driving an exhaust gas out of the drying chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1993
    Assignee: Ohkawara Kakohki, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Ito, Shizuo Aishima, Masaaki Ohkawara
  • Patent number: 5256854
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the pyrolytic destruction or synthesis of gases via a highly tunable combination of radio frequency heating and electron beam irradiation is disclosed. The method is appropriate for destroying toxic gases emanating from hazardous wastes and for synthesizing new molecules from the molecules of a gas. The method is also appropriate for creating scavenger gases and hot gases with large enthalpy for use in sterilization procedures, for example. Embodiments are disclosed employing inductive or direct waveguide/cavity coupling of radio frequency power to the gas. In embodiments of the invention, magnetic fields are used to modify the paths of the electrons in the beam to facilitate tuning and improve the energy efficiency of the system. In a two-stage system, solid and/or liquid wastes are first heated in order to vaporize the toxic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Leslie Bromberg, Daniel R. Cohn, William C. Guss, Barton G. Lane, Donna L. Smatlak
  • Patent number: 5224431
    Abstract: A burner device utilizing combustible wastes as fuel comprising a body having a main combustion chamber, a preheating burner mounted to the upper portion of the body and a subsidiary combustion chamber mounted to the upper portion of the body and at the front of the preheating burner. The subsidiary combustion chamber includes an inwardly tapered frustconical tube and an outwardly tapered air chamber surrounding the frustconical tube and communicating with the tapered air chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Inventors: Dae S. Lee, Ho K. Shin
  • Patent number: 5205227
    Abstract: A process for combustion of the combustible material includes introducing the combustible material into the combustion chamber, advancing the combustible material through the combustion chamber, supplying combustion air to the combustion chamber for drying and partially combusting the combustible material and final ash burnout in a primary combustion zone, and removing ash products from the combustion chamber. The fuel or fuel/carrier fluid mixture is supplied into the combustion chamber to create an oxygen deficient secondary combustion zone for NO.sub.x reduction and other nitrogen bearing compounds decomposition. An oxidizing fluid is supplied into the combustion chamber above the oxygen deficient secondary combustion zone for thorough mixing with combustion products and at least partial burnout of combustibles in an oxidizing tertiary combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Institute of Gas Technology
    Inventors: Mark J. Khinkis, Hamid A. Abbasi
  • Patent number: 5199357
    Abstract: A furnace firing apparatus and method for burning low volatile fuel in which first and second burners are provided to introduce particulate, air-suspended fuel into primary and secondary combustion zones of a combustion chamber. The alignment of the second burner is adjustable and aligned so that the stream of fuel and air introduced by the second burner entrains combustion products produced by the burning of fuel in the primary combustion zone in order to ignite the fuel introduced by the second burner. Secondary air is provided by a pair of plenum chambers to support combustion of the fuel. In an alternate embodiment, an intermediate burner is provided to entrain combustion products from the combustion of fuel introduced by the first burner and whose combustion products are entrained into the fuel introduced by the second burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1993
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventor: Juan A. Garcia-Mallol
  • Patent number: 5187344
    Abstract: A halogenated organic compound is introduced into a plasma. In the plasma state, substances are very reactive and chemical substances which are not readily decomposed such as halogenated organic compounds are decomposed in a short time. Specifically, in a high-temperature plasma exceeding 10,000.degree. C., almost all molecules are considered to dissociate into atoms. A reactive substance such as water is introduced into a plasma together with a halogenated organic compound. The decomposed halogenated organic compound is caused to react with the reactive substance, for preventing the decomposed organic compound from returning to its original state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignees: Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Toyonobu Yoshida, JEOL Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Mizuno, Takeshige Wakabayashi, Yutaka Koinuma, Reiji Aizawa, Satoshi Kushiyama, Satoru Kabayashi, Hideo Ohuchi, Toyonobu Yoshida, Yoshiro Kubota, Takanobu Amano, Hisashi Komaki, Shoji Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 5143001
    Abstract: A process for transferring environmentally harmful substances which are easily leachable from openly discarded waste material, and which to a large proportion consists of inorganic material, such as spent spot linings for aluminum electrolysis cells, into gaseous form or into leach stable compounds, includes the steps of heating that the material in finely ground form is heated and in that reagents such as silica, water and oxygen are added in a cyclone furnace (1) which includes a heat source (2) for example a plasma generator, and a cylindrical furnace vessel (10). By feeding the waste material and the reagents via a mixing and prereaction chamber (3) which is located between the high temperature source and the vessel (10), a very high proportion of the added materials are reacted in the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: SKF Plasma Technologies
    Inventor: Sven Eriksson
  • Patent number: 5105747
    Abstract: A combustion process and apparatus for simultaneously reducing nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides and hydrogen chloride in a high temperature furnace. A combustible material is introduced and combusted within the furnace, forming a primary combustion zone. Combustion air, sorbent and a first portion of hydrocarbon fuel are mixed and combusted within a calciner to form a product gas/calcined sorbent mixture. The product gas/calcined sorbent mixture and a remaining portion of fuel are injected into the furnace, forming an oxygen deficient secondary combustion downstream of the primary combustion zone. Overfire air is injected into the furnace, forming an oxidizing tertiary combustion zone downstream of the oxygen deficient secondary combustion zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: Institute of Gas Technology
    Inventors: Mark J. Khinkis, Jitendra G. Patel, Amirali G. Rehmat
  • Patent number: 5069145
    Abstract: Plastic and similar shreddable materials are reduced to small particles and pneumatically conveyed to the combustion space of a marine boiler for inceneration to dispose of such materials aboard ship. A granulator apparatus reduces the material to particulates having a maximum particle size of about 0.50 inches for conveyance by the pneumatic conveyor through a conduit which has penetrated a boiler wall in the vicinity of the combustion space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1991
    Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company
    Inventor: William M. Croke
  • Patent number: 5042400
    Abstract: A first-stage furnace for partial combustion of solid fuel and oxidizer gas to generate inflammable exhaust gases which are passed to a secondary-stage furnace is shown. The first-stage furnace comprises a vertical pre-combustion chamber and a likewise cylindrical main combustion chamber mounted in horizontal position, connected downstream of the pre-combustion chamber through a tangential connecting passage. The air-fuel mixture introduced into the pre-combustion chamber is given swirling motion and burned at a temperature that converts the mixture to a mix of incompletely burned fuel particles, exhaust gases and non-combustible products in molten state. The mix stream into the tangential passage into the main combustion chamber develops into a high-velocity vortex, with the molten slag being centrifuged onto the inner wall of the main combustion chamber to form a film which is extracted out through a tapping port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1991
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Michiro Shiraha, Kenji Mori, Shingo Suzuya, Eiichi Harada
  • Patent number: 5009173
    Abstract: Apparatus for incinerating refuse or the like in a furnace where the flue gases of combustion are combined with secondary air for afterburning the gases in an afterburning zone. The flue gases are dammed before entering the afterburning zone so as to increase retention time of the flue gases in a zone of uniform temperature in the furnace space, then are accelerated in a venturi-like manner in the afterburning zone, and then are decelerated in a venturi-like manner in the afterburning zone. Secondary air is injected across the front of the afterburning zone in a direction opposite the flow of the flue gases so as to further increase the retention time of the flue gases in the furnace space, and so that the combustible components entrained in the flue gases are burnt completely before entering the afterburning zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1991
    Assignee: Mullverbrennungsanlage Wuppertal GmbH
    Inventor: Sedat Temelli
  • Patent number: 4969405
    Abstract: In an incinerator of the type having a combustion chamber (10) which may be loaded through a loading doorway (21) and having at least one burner (32) for directing ignited fuel oil or gas and/or combustion air under pressure into the chamber, the combustion chamber (10) is of elliptical shape in plan view, the burner (32) entering the chamber at one end of its long axis and being directed obliquely down to the chamber bottom at its opposite end, the chamber top having a gas outlet (17) at the same end as the burner (32). The incinerator may be of two-stage type, having superimposed on the said chamber, or primary chamber (10), a secondary chamber (11) of similar elliptical shape having at one end of its long axis an entry from the gas outlet (17) of the primary chamber (10), a burner (32) directed obliquely down to the secondary chamber bottom (16) at its opposite end, and an outlet from its top to a flue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Jandu Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Keith J. Goodrich
  • Patent number: 4969406
    Abstract: A method for the thermal decomposition of a fluid toxic substance contained in a gas comprises a cylindrical main combustion chamber and a secondary combustion chamber arranged thereabove. An inlet opening leads into the main combustion chamber at an angle to introduce a stream of the gas containing the toxic substance into the main combustion chamber with an angular momentum, a burner is arranged to direct a flame into the main combustion chamber above the inlet opening for subjecting the gas containing the toxic substance to combustion, and an annular gas stream retaining device is arranged above the burner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Franz Howorka
    Inventor: Eduard Buzetzki
  • Patent number: 4945840
    Abstract: This invention is directed to an apparatus for the combustion of coal comprising a heated tubular reactor having combined air and granular coal inlet means for tangentially introducing air and granular coal into the reactor, external heating means, insulation means, and an outlet means wherein the coal is partially burned in the heated tubular reactor to a temperature 50 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit below the fusion temperature of the ash produced from the coal to be used to produce partial combustion products composed of coke, ash and combustion gases. The partially combusted products exiting from the tubular reactor are tangentially introduced with additional air into a second tubular reactor where they are completely burned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Inventor: Charles H. Winter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4940006
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for incinerating refuse or the like in a furnace where the flue gases of combustion are combined with secondary air for afterburning the gases in an afterburning zone. The flue gases are dammed before entering the afterburning zone so as to increase retention time of the flue gases in a zone of uniform temperature in the furnace space, then are accelerated in a venturi-like manner in the afterburning zone, and then are decelerated in a venturi-like manner in the afterburning zone. Secondary air is injected across the front of the afterburning zone in a direction opposite the flow of the flue gases so as to further increase the retention time of the flue gases in the furnace space, and so that the combustible components entrained in the flue gases are burnt completely before entering the afterburning zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Mullverbrennungsanlage Wuppertal GmbH
    Inventor: Sedat Temelli
  • Patent number: 4934282
    Abstract: Distribution nozzles are arranged on an air distribution plate disposed at the lower portion of a furnace and spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the bottom thereof and one or more spouted nozzles extend upwardly from the air distribution plate so that not only a fluidized bed defined by the air discharged through the distribution nozzle but also one or more spouted beds defined by the air flows injected through the spouted nozzle or nozzles into the fluidized bed are formed within the furnace. Because of the coexistence of the fluidized bed and the spouted bed or beds, the agitated effect in the fluidized bed is enhanced and the combustion efficiency as well as the desulfurization can be pronounced. A particle feeding pipe is connected to the furnace to feed fuel and desulfurizing agent into the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 19, 1990
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Asai, Yukio Oda, Kiyoshi Aoki, Hiromi Shimoda, Keiji Makino
  • Patent number: 4911088
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the residual ash from a cyclonic wood by-products burner utilizes an expanded combustion chamber directly connected to the burner outlet to maintain the exhausted air within chamber at a temperature of 2200 degrees to 2400 degrees F for an extended dwell time as compared to previous devices to complete combustion of the ash residue and lessen deposits on the contents of a downstream kiln.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: McConnell Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Clifford T. McConnell
  • Patent number: 4890562
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for high intensity treatment of solid particles in a combustion chamber (10) by introducing the particles into the combustion chamber (10) as a plurality of streams (30, 32, 34, 36) wherein fuel is introduced to the combustion chamber within the area formed by the streams of particles and fuel is also introduced into said combustion chamber so that it surrounds the stream of particles, and by introducing oxidizing gas into the combustion chamber so that the oxidizing gas mixes with and combusts the fuel to produce a first high intensity flame located within the area formed by the particle streams and a second high intensity flame surrounding the particle streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: American Combustion, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory M. Gitman
  • Patent number: 4883003
    Abstract: An incinerator having an improved secondary combustion chamber. The incinerator includes a vertical stack through which the waste products of combustion are discharged and the upper end of the stack is connected to one end of an elongated, horizontal secondary combustion chamber. A plurality of hollow tubes, preferably formed of silicon carbide, are mounted in the wall of the chamber and extend radially of the chamber. Air is introduced into each of the tubes and is discharged from each tube through a plurality of holes that extend normal to the longitudinal dimension of the chamber. The discharge of air from the tube forms a series of air curtains which slows the flow of the waste gases and promotes combustion of any combustible residue in the waste gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1989
    Inventor: Gordon H. Hoskinson
  • Patent number: 4882010
    Abstract: In a method for burning evaporated waste liquor obtained at pulp production in accordance with cooking processes on sodium basis for recovering sodium carbonate and sulphide, the liquor (10) is injected towards the inlet end side (4) of a cylinder-shaped reaction chamber with mainly tangential gas supply (6). In this cyclone (2) the liquor is dried and pyrolysed by hot fumes recirculated from the outlet portion (12) and obtained through the ejector action of the liquor injection. After ignition of the pyrolysis gas and rests of the liquor the formed smelt (16) is discharged after sulphuration from the outlet portion of the cyclone. The fumes of the cyclone are oxidized in a separate furnace (14) after the cyclone (2). A stable and, from a process technical point of view, suitable combustion without support firing with any other fuel can be maintained with liquor including 25-40 % of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Stiftelsen Cellulosa-Och Pappersforskning
    Inventor: Tom O. M. Roos
  • Patent number: 4881473
    Abstract: Heavy hydrocarbon containing sludges such as refinery waste streams, oil storage tank sludges and marine oil tanker ballast are treated by passing the sludges in a flow stream through an indirect dryer to vaporize liquids having a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of less than about 700.degree. C. and to provide substantially dried solid particles discharged from the dryer. The dried particles, containing heavy hydrocarbons as a coating or as a part of the solids, are conducted to a combuster/oxidizer and exposed to a high velocity flow stream of oxygen containing gas, typically low pressure forced air, to burn the residual hydrocarbons in the solids and to reduce heavy metals and the like to oxides thereof. A sludge handling system includes a rotary disk type indirect dryer connected to a lift pipe type combustor/oxidizer for thorough exposure of the dried solids to an oxygen containing atmosphere.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1989
    Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company
    Inventor: James L. Skinner
  • Patent number: 4871147
    Abstract: An apparatus is described which serves for a pyrometallurgical processing of fine-grained solids suspended in high-oxygen gases, comprising a generally horizontally extending cylindrical vessel and a combustion shaft, which communicates with and vertically opens into the vessel which is provided with a gas outlet opening and with an opening for discharging molten material. An almost complete separation of the molten particles is effected in that the mouth of the combustion shaft tangentially opens into the vessel at the entrance of a spiral-shaped entrance passage, which opens into a discharge slot, which is formed in the shell of the vessel and which in the lower portion of the shell of the substantially cylindrical vessel extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1989
    Assignee: Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Edgar Muschelknautz, Ernst Becker, Adalbert Bartsch, Lars Kersten, Georg Gospos, Gerhard Berndt
  • Patent number: 4864942
    Abstract: A method for economically separating organic contaminants such as volatile organic chemicals (VOC's) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), even if the contaminants are present at low concentrations, from inert materials such as soils or sludges, comprising subjecting inert materials contaminated with organic compounds to a temperature effective to volatilize the organic contaminants but below incineration temperature, with continuous removal and condensation of evolved vapors, for a period of time sufficient to effect the desired degree of separation of contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1989
    Assignee: Chemical Waste Management Inc.
    Inventors: Edward G. Fochtman, Peter S. Daley, Milton Ader, Albert G. Plys, Carl P. Swanstrom
  • Patent number: 4850288
    Abstract: A pressurized cyclonic combustion method and a cylindrical burner apparatus for pressurized combustion of particulate solid fuels to produce a pressurized clean effluent gas. In the burner, the particulate solids such as wood chips are fed tangentially into a primary combustion chamber at its inlet end and flow at high tangential velocity in a helical path through the burner. Oxygen-containing combustion gas such as air is supplied tangentially at high velocity through multiple ports spaced along the burner length to maintain and/or increase the high tangential velocity and produce high centrifugal forces on the particulate solids and provide for prolonged combustion and produce high burner volumetric heat release rates exceeding about 400,000 Btu/hr ft.sup.3. A choke opening is provided centrally located at the combustion chamber outlet end for promoting prolonged combustion of solid fuel paarticles upstream of a quench zone. A secondary combustion chamber is provided downstream of the choke opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Power Generating, Inc.
    Inventors: Franklin D. Hoffert, J. David Milligan, James A. Morrison
  • Patent number: 4829911
    Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for burning combustibles, particularly garbage and coal, in such a manner as to prevent the venting of unwanted pollutants into the atmosphere and for recovering valuable resources. The combustibles are burned in a rotating inclined furnace; solids and molten metals are extracted at the discharge end of the furnace; the discharged gases are passed through a boiler for extracting heat therefrom and generating steam; the discharged gases are liquified by sequential cooling and the so-liquified products removed while preventing discharge of gases into the atmosphere; the remaining gases are passed through a second boiler for further extraction of heat and steam generation and further extraction of liquified products; and the effluent gases are passed into subsequent apparatus for removing any remaining pollutants and for the recovering of resources in accordance with Nielson U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,341.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1989
    Inventor: Jay P. Nielson
  • Patent number: 4771709
    Abstract: Disclosed is an air supply apparatus for open pit incineration for supplying a curtain or layer of combustion air into an open pit. A plenum is provided for being positioned alongside of the pit and a fan and conduit provide air to the plenum. An elongate nozzle directs air from the plenum into the pit in a curtain or layer. Means are provided for selectively exhausting air from the conduit to adjust the volume of air being directed by the nozzle into the pit. Also disclosed is a secondary air supply for air curtain incineration in permanent or semi-permanent pits having walls provided by refractory panels. The plenum and nozzle are positioned adjacent one wall to direct the air curtain so that it primarily impinges upon an opposite wall. The secondary air supply introduces air into the pit at the wall adjacent to the plenum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1988
    Inventor: William G. Applegate
  • Patent number: 4746492
    Abstract: In a fluidized bed there is immersed an internal heat-exchanger connected to a heat-transfer fluid discharge line which feeds an external heat-exchanger fitted in a fluidizing gas delivery line with a by-pass line connected to a flow-control valve so that the heat withdrawn from the fluidized bed and not used is reintroduced therein by means of the fluidizing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Assignee: Charbonnages de France
    Inventor: Guy Marlair
  • Patent number: 4722286
    Abstract: An oven is described which is especially adapted to maintain accurate and uniform temperature control. The device of the invention includes a central treatment chamber surrounded by a plenum chamber which, through a number of spaced apart apertures introduces gases at a preselected temperature and elevated pressure into the treatment chamber. The plenum chamber is configured to insure a substantially uniform pressure at each of the apertures to provide a uniform flow of temperature regulated gases through each of the apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1988
    Inventor: Walter R. Portner
  • Patent number: 4699588
    Abstract: An improved pulsating processing system for thermal, chemical, and physical processes which employs nonlongitudinal acoustic modes in a processing chamber to enhance the processing. An acoustically resonant processing chamber is provided as the processing vessel. A frequency tunable pulse combustor or other selectively variable frequency acoustic exciter is positioned to excite natural nonlongitudinal acoustic modes in the processing chamber. Material introduced into the processing chamber is thereby subjected to nonlongitudinal acoustic pulsations while the material is being processed. Also disclosed is an improved frequency and amplitude tunable pulse combustor which may be employed to excite the natural acoustic modes in the processing chamber. One disclosed embodiment is a system for drying a slurry of material such as kaolin. The nonlongitudinal acoustic excitations in the system result in improved moisture removal and particle heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1987
    Assignee: Sonotech, Inc.
    Inventors: Ben T. Zinn, Brady R. Daniel
  • Patent number: 4665842
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing ignitable solids-gas suspensions has a feeder for vertically feeding the solids-primary gas suspension, a secondary gas passage concentrically surrounding said feeder, and a stage for mixing both streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1987
    Assignee: Norddeutsche Affinerie Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Adalbert Bartsch, Georg Gospos, Lars Kersten, Arno W. Bartsch
  • Patent number: 4635573
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of destroying and vaporizing refuse, primarily household waste. The material is fed into a shaft furnace, in which the material is subjected to a vaporization and combustion process in at least three zones, said zones being produced by the supply of blast air at least at three different levels in the shaft furnace which blast gas completely or partly is supplied with controlled quantities of thermal energy by means of electricity, preferably by using at least one plasma generator. The gas produced by the process is withdrawn through an annular drum, arranged about two thirds of the way up the shaft furnace. The gas leaving can be used as combustion gas e.g. for district heating plants and steam power stations with varying thermal requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: SKF Steel Engineering AB
    Inventor: Sven Santen
  • Patent number: 4632042
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a high speed burning furnace and incinerator, particularly to a high speed burning furnace and incinerator capable of completely burning pulverized coal in the burning furnace, separating the ash produced by the combustion, injecting the said flame into the incinerator, and then completely burning the waste products. The main feature of this invention resides in that a heavy oil or a pulverized coal can be mixed with a primary air flow and injected into the burning furnace so as to introduce a rapidly revolving secondary air flow from tangential air flow inlets on an inner pipe to help combustion and thus a complete combustion can be effected and the flame can be intensified. This intense flame is introduced into the incinerator to completely burn the waste products sent into the incinerator by a conveyer through a preheating chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1986
    Inventor: Shien F. Chang
  • Patent number: 4612865
    Abstract: A cyclone furnace for the combustion of solid fuels, comprising a generally cylindrical combustion chamber (21) is closed at one end (18, 23) and is provided with at least one inlet opening for fuel and air and has an outlet at the end opposite the closed end. The combustion chamber (21) is generally horizontal. The combustion chamber, at the bottom of the cylindrical wall (22), near the end wall (23), is provided with an opening (87) for discharging ash. An ash discharge conduit (12) is arranged intermediate said ash discharge opening and an ash bin (16) or the like. An ash discharge sluice (92) is provided in the discharge conduit, and scraping means (45, 47) are provided to scrape loose ash and slag from the surface of the end wall (23) and from the combustion chamber wall (22) next to the end wall, said scraping means being arranged to be rotated about the horizontal axis of the combustion chamber (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1986
    Assignee: Rippelton N.V.
    Inventors: Jan-Ake I. Nilsson, Bengt L. Hansson
  • Patent number: 4610208
    Abstract: According to the invention it is suggested that, in a heating boiler with a vibrating grate (3), a supply pipe (6) from which fuel material in particle form, in particular pellets, is supplied to the grate, is mechanically connected to the grate (3) and arranged to freely support the grate, which is thereby freely suspended in the combustion chamber without contact with the bottom and walls of the combustion chamber. A vibrating means (19) is also mechanically connected to the supply pipe (6) and arranged to produce a rectilinear movement and to function as drive source to feed the fuel particles to the grate via the supply pipe (6). The vibrating means gives the fuel particles a toss movement obliquely upwards and forwards in the supply pipe and on the grate whereby the fuel particles move onto the grate and towards the end of the grate opposite the supply pipe (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1986
    Assignee: Kils el Ab
    Inventors: Bjarne Lersten, Kjell Svensson
  • Patent number: 4593631
    Abstract: Partially wet organic fibrous material is centrifugally impacted in a hot exhaust gas atmosphere such as flue gas to defiberize and dry the material. Then the material is separated from the hot exhaust gas by fluid energy. In one form of the invention, the separated material is burned in a prime combustion zone thereby producing hot flue gas which is fed back to the centrifugal impacting zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 10, 1986
    Assignee: Safety Railway Service Corporation
    Inventors: Gurdon B. Wattles, Donald L. Pihl
  • Patent number: 4589353
    Abstract: A furnace (10) for burning cellulosic fuel has walls (64) which taper upwardly and outwardly, such that a given level or height (66) the cross-sectional flow area is 11/2 to 2 times the cross-sectional flow area near the bottom of the furnace. Thus the gas velocity continuously decreases, as the cross-sectional area increases. Any partially burned char particles initially entrained in the gases near the furnace bottom reach a height in the furnace where the gas velocity equals the particle terminal velocity, so that the particles remains suspended at this height until combustion as reduced their size enough so they can be carried on out of the furnace by the reduced gas velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Wesley P. Bauver, II
  • Patent number: 4583470
    Abstract: A system for recovering resources from sludge in which sludge containing water in the amount of 90 to 70 percent is first supplied to a sludge concentrator through a forced supply equipment where the sludge is concentrated to contain a water content of a maximum of about 60 percent; then is sent to a drying furnace having a fluidized sand bed. The product obtained in the drying furnace is separated to gas and solid. After the separated gas is pressurized by a fan and is heated by a heat exchanger through a circulator passage, a portion thereof is supplied to the drying furnace as gas for drying and the remainder is sent to the sludge concentrator. The water content is then removed from the concentrated gas and the gas obtained from the sludge concentrator is used in the system as gaseous fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1986
    Assignee: Nippon Furnace Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 4574710
    Abstract: A combustion system to utilize particulate fuel where the fuel is compressed and extruded into a selected shape to be burned in a combustion chamber under conditions where particles of burning material are maintained in the combustion chamber until the weight of the particulate material decreases to the point where the particle is carried from the chamber through a heat exchanger by combustion gasses to a scrubber section for removal of impurities such as SO.sub.2 and NO.sub.x.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1986
    Inventor: John D. Pickard
  • Patent number: 4565139
    Abstract: A low BTU, low volatile content, low carbon and high ash fuel is combusted in a combined shaft kiln combustor and fluidized bed combustor to generate heat which is converted to useful energy. The fluidized bed combustor is mounted vertically above the shaft kiln combustor. A venturi is provided in a passageway connecting the shaft kiln combustor and the fluidized bed combustor to produce a gaseous stream moving at a velocity sufficient to separate finer particles from the low BTU, low volatile content, low carbon and high ash fuel so that the coarser particles are burned in the shaft kiln combustor and the finer particles are burned in the fluidized bed combustor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1986
    Assignee: Stearns Catalytic World Corp.
    Inventors: Warnie L. Sage, Thomas E. Stringfellow
  • Patent number: 4553285
    Abstract: A furnace for burning a particulate fuel compacted into a plug which includes a force feed of particulate fuel through a compacting means and into a tubular furnace in which burning is expected within the compact fuel plug by injecting air through the furnace wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1985
    Inventors: Kerry M. Sachs, David W. Roberts
  • Patent number: 4548138
    Abstract: A fast fluidized bed reactor, comprising an upright reaction chamber for containing a bed of granular material, the chamber having a cylindrical upper region and a lower region; a feeder for feeding matter into the lower region; apparatus for supplying pressurized air to the reaction chamber to fluidize the granular material in the circulating regime, whereby a portion of the granular material is entrained into the upper region; apparatus for tangentially supplying pressurized air to the upper region, the second stream of air being supplied, and the reactor being constructed, in a manner to provide a Swirl number of at least 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: York-Shipley, Inc.
    Inventor: Jakob Korenberg
  • Patent number: 4545309
    Abstract: There is disclosed a furnace for burning wooden wastes and, more specifically, sawdust and/or barks. The furnace is provided with an oil burner required for starting the fire. The draught from the oil burner fan is directed within a perforated box, located in the combustion chamber of the furnace, and the sawdust or the barks or other wooden particles fall, according to a measured flow, over the perforated box. The sawdust is first alighted by the oil burner flame, and combustion thereafter builds up thanks to the draught from the perforated box. This box draught comprises a vertically-upwardly-oriented vector, for alighting the wood particles before the latter reach the box, and a horizontal vector extending toward the interior of the furnace to force the burning particles away from the side wall of the furnace. The system includes measured flow feeding system for the sawdust and/or the bark, and having a pair of flap-doors to prevent the escape of smoke from the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Inventor: Raoul Comtois
  • Patent number: 4545306
    Abstract: An improved high temperature furnace is disclosed for consuming various fuels and organic waste materials while generating usable energy. The furnace has a high pressure aeration system in its combustion chamber to increase combustion efficiency. One set of obliquely oriented nozzles disposed at the periphery of the combustion chamber injects high velocity, heated air into the furnace and an opposed set of nozzles also injects high velocity, heated air tangentially from the adjacent center of the chamber. Heated, high velocity air from all the air nozzles is directed generally in the same tangential direction creating a swirling action or turbulence which accelerates the break up of the waste to increase the completeness of the combustion and retains the fuel in suspension within the furnace until combustion is essentially completed. The centrifugal force created by this swirling action impels the hot ash toward the outer chamber wall to minimize its upward escape through the incinerator flue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1985
    Assignee: Northeast Pyreduction Corp.
    Inventor: Norman E. Wolfram
  • Patent number: 4538530
    Abstract: This invention is directed to the suspension firing of a comminuted combustible material and the supporting structure for such suspension firing. The combustible material is introduced to a burner head which results in the combustible material expanding in a circular pattern. Inside of this circular pattern there is an outwardly directed flame to contact the combustible material. The result is an immediate ignition of the combustible material and the complete burning of the combustible material. There is also a refractory near the burner head. After the refractory has been heated to a desired temperature the outwardly directed flame can be discontinued and the heat energy from the refractory material is sufficient to assist in the immediate firing of the combustible material. A result of this is that an auxiliary fuel such as fuel oil or natural gas is not required, after the refractory has reached the desired temperature to sustain combustion of the combustible material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Inventor: John E. Whitman