Catalyst Patents (Class 122/4D)
  • Patent number: 4323037
    Abstract: A fluidized bed firing unit, in which a fluidized bed of comparatively inert material is maintained in a container having cooled or insulated walls and a flow-bottom by means of air entering through flow nozzles in the bottom, the fuel being fed to the fluidized bed after the latter has been heated to the ignition temperature of the fuel. The air supplied through the air nozzles in the flow bottom for the purpose of producing the fluidized bed, is forced into at least one component of motion causing the fluidized bed to circulate in a horizontal plane while the fuel is fed in the lower part of the fluidized bed, preferably in the area of approximately 20% of the bed height. The motion component moving the fluidized bed in the circulating motion is preferably produced by off center feeding-in of additional air. It is expedient if at least the air nozzles in the area of the container walls are inclined with respect to vertical in the same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1982
    Assignee: Steag Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Helmut Meyer-Kahrweg
  • Patent number: 4313398
    Abstract: A steam generator has a combustion chamber through which a bundle of steam-generating tubes extends generally horizontally. Air nozzles extend upwardly through the bottom wall of the steam generator and the spacing between the air outlets and the bundle of steam-generating tubes can be adjusted to thereby vary the level at which the fluidized bed is located within the chamber, and to consequently have the bundle of tubes located completely or only partially within the fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1982
    Assignee: Deutsche Babcock Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hermann Ostendorf
  • Patent number: 4312919
    Abstract: A process for the production of a non-agglomerating vanadium coated particle is disclosed comprising the combustion of a carbonaceous material or fuel containing relatively large amounts of vanadium in the presence of an oxidizing gas and a particulate substrate such as sand. The combustion of carbonaceous materials such as petroleum coke or bunker oil high in vanadium and sulfur produce vanadium products that melt at the combustion temperature and coat the firebox and/or heat exchange tubes in which the combustion process is conducted with corrosive vanadium slags. This coating problem is also avoided by the process disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1982
    Inventor: John W. Devanney
  • Patent number: 4312302
    Abstract: The bottom wall of a combustion chamber for fluid-bed combustion is formed as a membrane wall consisting of parallel tubes and fins welded between adjacent tubes, preferably in the common plane containing the tube axes. To the upper side of the tubes there are welded sheet metal strips perforated by relatively closely spaced orifices. In operation fluidizing and combustion air is injected into the combustion chamber from a plenum chamber located below the membrane wall through apertures, preferably elongate slits, in the fins of the membrane wall and the orifices in the overlying strips. A coolant flows through the tubes of the membrane wall whereby the bottom wall can be kept at a temperature which is so low and so uniform that warping of the wall will not occur even if the injection of air ceases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1982
    Assignee: Burmeister & Wain A/S
    Inventor: Vagn Kollerup
  • Patent number: 4312135
    Abstract: A fluid bed combustor as well as a method of making same is disclosed. The combustor comprises a chamber containing a bed of relatively inert particles supported on a substantially horizontal distributor plate, a plurality of heat extractor tubes which pass upwardly through said plate in a substantially vertical direction, said tubes being distributed substantially uniformly over all or part of the plate surface so as to permit efficient heat extraction from the entire fluid bed volume, and means for supplying combustion gas through said plate to support combustion and to fluidize the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1982
    Inventor: John W. Devanney, III
  • Patent number: 4312301
    Abstract: An entrained bed combustor may provide constant temperature, superheated steam to a power generating steam turbine independent of the load on the turbine. In a conventional utility boiler heat is transferred in series to the steam generator, superheater and reheater. With the present invention these components may be run in parallel with heat transfer from the entrained bed particles enabling faster start-up and a turn-down capability without a reduction in the superheated steam temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1982
    Assignee: Battelle Development Corporation
    Inventor: Donald Anson
  • Patent number: 4308810
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for the reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the emissions of a fuel burning fluidized bed combustion system. Using a staged combustion technique, an overfire air inlet is provided in the freeboard zone above the bed. In the first stage, residual oxygen (O.sub.2) in the off-gas just above the bed is held in the 0.4 to 0.8% range by the actual coal and air rates. In the second stage, carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons, both present in the first stage off-gas, are combined with additional air using the overfire air inlet. CO levels in the final effluent are reduced with little or no increase in NOx emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1982
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas E. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4308826
    Abstract: A shell boiler containing boiler water or other fluid to be heated, including a furnace providing a fluidized bed and disposed inside or outside the boiler. Heat transfer pipes extend through the fluidized bed and are connected for natural circulation with the boiler fluid. In a preferred embodiment, the furnace is constituted by a furnace section of the boiler and the heat transfer pipes extend vertically through the bed and through the furnace section and are provided throughout the entire length of the furnace section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1982
    Assignee: Vosper Thornycroft (UK) Limited
    Inventor: John P. Moore
  • Patent number: 4303023
    Abstract: A process for desulfurizing fuel wherein a fuel is introduced and burned in a first fluidized bed and wherein a second fluidized bed is utilized to treat the products of combustion from the first fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1981
    Assignee: Wormser Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen P. Perkins, Alex F. Wormser
  • Patent number: 4301771
    Abstract: A fluidized bed heat exchanger is provided in which air is passed through a bed of particulate material containing fuel. A steam-water natural circulation system is provided for heat exchange and the housing of the heat exchanger has a water-wall type construction. Vertical in-bed heat exchange tubes are provided and the air distributor is water-cooled. A water-cooled dust hopper is provided in the housing to collect particulates from the combustion gases and separate the combustion zone from a volume within said housing in which convection heat exchange tubes are provided to extract heat from the exiting combustion gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1981
    Assignee: Dorr-Oliver Incorporated
    Inventors: Walfred W. Jukkola, Albert M. Leon, Garritt C. Van Dyk, Jr., Daniel E. McCoy, Barry L. Fisher, Timothy L. Saiers, Marlin E. Karstetter
  • Patent number: 4300458
    Abstract: Apparatus for supporting a perforated plate (24) air distributor for a fluidized bed combustion boiler. The plate (24) is supported (26) around its entire periphery, and at given points (42) within its periphery, in such a manner that it is free to expand due to thermal growth in a horizontal direction, while still being capable of supporting a vertical load (12) without sagging, buckling, or being subject to failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1981
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph R. Comparato, Ernest L. Hartman, Edward A. Zielinski, David T. Myrick
  • Patent number: 4300459
    Abstract: An arrangement that utilizes agglomerating coal as a binder to bond coal fines and recycled char into an agglomerate mass that will have suitable retention time when introduced into a fluidized bed 14 for combustion. The simultaneous use of coal for a primary fuel and as a binder effects significant savings in the elimination of non-essential materials and processing steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1980
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1981
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Borio, Joseph I. Accortt
  • Patent number: 4299192
    Abstract: A boiler suitable for catalytic combustion of fuel comprises a pilot burner and at least two sections comprising a fuel injector, a catalytic combustor and a heat exchanger. The catalytic combustor may comprise a monolith support for the catalyst. Combustion of the fuel takes place in stages with intermediate abstraction of heat, combustion being completed in the final catalytic combustor in which the oxygen content preferably is reduced substantially to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1981
    Assignee: Johnson, Matthey & Co., Limited
    Inventor: Bernard E. Enga
  • Patent number: 4299562
    Abstract: The specification describes a wall arrangement for heated chambers in which arrangement the walls are provided with gaps between sections of them enabling expansion of the walls when the temperature of the chamber is increasing. The particular arrangement further provides means for preventing inert material packing said gaps so as to prevent expansion of the walls. The invention is of particular use with wall arrangements housing fluidized beds in which the inert particulate material forming the bed may enter the gap between the wall sections. As described the means for preventing the inert material packing the gaps comprises gas injector means arranged to force gas into each gap and thereby keep any inert particulate material that may enter the gap in a fluidized state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1979
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1981
    Assignee: The Energy Equipment Company Limited
    Inventor: Maurice Harman
  • Patent number: 4290387
    Abstract: A fluidized bed combustor comprises a reactor or a housing which has a windbox distributor plate adjacent the lower end thereof which contains a multiplicity of hole and air discharge nozzles for discharging air and coal into a fluidized bed which is maintained above the distributor plate and below a take-off connection or flue to a cyclone separator in which some of the products of combustion are treated to remove the dust which is returned into the fluidized bed. A windbox is spaced below the fluidized bed and it has a plurality of tubes passing therethrough with the passage of combustion air and fluidizing air which passes through an air space so that fluidizing air is discharged into the reaction chamber fluidized bed at the bottom thereof to maintain the bed in a fluidized condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: Curtiss-Wright Corporation
    Inventors: Angelo De Feo, William Hosek
  • Patent number: 4287856
    Abstract: This invention relates to Rankine cycle engines and to improved methods of operation whereby catalytic oxidation of a major proportion of the fuel takes place in the boiler section of the engine.In order to improve the operation of a Rankine engine, the engine is modified to include a combustor having a thermally stable and oxidation resistant monolith containing a multiplicity of flow paths or channels, the monolith being made from a catalyst material or supporting a catalyst material for the catalytic combustion of the combustible gases and injected fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Assignee: Johnson, Matthey & Co., Limited
    Inventor: Bernard E. Enga
  • Patent number: 4287838
    Abstract: A fluidized bed coal reactor includes a combination nozzle-injector ash-removal unit formed by a grid of closely spaced open channels, each containing a worm screw conveyor, which function as continuous ash removal troughs. A pressurized air-coal mixture is introduced below the unit and is injected through the elongated nozzles formed by the spaces between the channels. The ash build-up in the troughs protects the worm screw conveyors as does the cooling action of the injected mixture. The ash layer and the pressure from the injectors support a fluidized flame holder combustion zone above the grid which heats water in boiler tubes disposed within and/or above the combustion zone and/or within the walls of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1981
    Inventors: Robert A. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with respect to an invention of Frosch, Philip I. Moynihan, Donald L. Young
  • Patent number: 4279205
    Abstract: A fluidized combustor is provided with a burning zone having cooling passages in its upper portion and a lower portion beneath said passages yet deep enough so that material therein may be operated in a fluid bed combustor mode with cooling by fluidizing excess air, a separate zone being provided for selective storage therein of materials transferred from the burning zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1981
    Assignee: Wormser Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen P. Perkins, Alex F. Wormser
  • Patent number: 4279222
    Abstract: The invention provides a fluidized bed combuster for fuel or waste material, preferably having a fluidized bed which is arranged to circulate about a horizontal axis, in which one or more baffles are provided to define respective quiet zones adjacent the fluidized bed; material flowing in operation of the bed over the top of the baffle from the fluidized bed to the quiet zone and under the baffle from the quiet zone to the fluidized bed; and means is provided for feeding material to be burnt into the quiet zones to be carried therefrom beneath the baffles into the fluidized bed for combustion therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1981
    Assignee: Flameless Furnaces Limited
    Inventor: Arnold P. Pearce
  • Patent number: 4275668
    Abstract: A coal feed system for use in a fluidized bed combustor in which a grate is supported in a housing and is adapted to support a bed of particulate material including a combustible fuel. Air is passed through the grate and into the bed to fluidize the particulate material. The particulate fuel material is separated externally of the bed into a relatively coarse material and a relatively fine material. The fine material is agglomerated and it, along with the coarse material, is passed to a distributor which distributes the material onto selected areas extending across the upper surface of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1980
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1981
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventor: Ernest L. Daman
  • Patent number: 4273073
    Abstract: A boiler in which the combustion unit includes a fluidized bed which may be fluidized in a non-uniform manner to effect circulation of the bed material. Heat exchange takes place between the combustion products and working fluid located in tubes located above the fluidized bed and also, optionally, within the fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1981
    Assignee: Deborah Fluidised Combustion Limited
    Inventor: Edwin Robinson
  • Patent number: 4270468
    Abstract: A method of disposing of waste products from the chemical process industries, especially as a result of the re-refining of oils. The waste products are burnt in a fluidized bed in which the bed material is fluidized in a non-uniform to effect circulation thereof so as to complete combustion at such a low temperature that the formation of sulphur trioxide and the volatilization of metals is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1981
    Assignee: Deborah Fluidised Combustion Limited
    Inventors: Edwin Robinson, David Buckle
  • Patent number: 4269151
    Abstract: A pressurized combustion chamber assembly wherein a fluidized bed extends in a longitudinal direction through an elongated, cylindrically shaped outer casing. A multi-stage cleaning plant is positioned within the casing, whereby a plurality of cleaning devices are each connected in parallel to an outlet of the fluidized bed and a plurality of second stage cleaning devices are each connected to an outlet of one of the first stage cleaning devices, respectively. The combustion chamber assembly is formed from a plurality of separate prefabricated chamber modules separably attached to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1981
    Assignee: Stal-Laval Turbin AB
    Inventors: Pehr Bojesgard, Anders Kullendorff, Jan Wikner
  • Patent number: 4268244
    Abstract: A fluid-bed furnace has one or more combustion chambers containing a fluidizable bed 10 of particulate material. At least adjacent pairs of combustion chambers are shown to share a common exhaust gas outlet system 30. For the or each combustion chamber there is an in-bed removable chamber 35 for housing a bed preheating burner 36 and supplying fluidizing combustion promoting gas via transverse feed pipes 38, usually equipped with upstanding outlet heads. Bed material support is by a V- or U-section trough 32 also at least partially accommodating the chamber 35 and a material extraction feed 34.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignee: G. P. Worsley & Company Limited
    Inventor: Harry Dawson
  • Patent number: 4267801
    Abstract: A boiler wherein the combustion unit includes a fluidized bed which may be fluidized in a non-uniform manner to effect circulation of bed material by means of dual air distributors located within the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1979
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1981
    Assignee: Deborah Fluidised Combustion Limited
    Inventor: Edwin Robinson
  • Patent number: 4263877
    Abstract: This invention relates to fluidized bed combustors and provides for the operation of such combustors so that the bed forms an upper fluidized layer and a lower, more static, layer into which larger particles may fall to be drained away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1981
    Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox, Inc.
    Inventor: William M. Urquhart
  • Patent number: 4259911
    Abstract: A fluidized bed boiler feed system for the combustion of pulverized coal. Coal is first screened to separate large from small particles. Large particles of coal are fed directly to the top of the fluidized bed while fine particles are first mixed with recycled char, preheated, and then fed into the interior of the fluidized bed to promote char burnout and to avoid elutriation and carryover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1981
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian C. Jones
  • Patent number: 4254739
    Abstract: This invention relates to power sources which may be used underwater and to such sources in which catalytic combustion of the fuel takes place.The power source according to the invention includes two or more catalytic combustors each comprising a fuel injector, a supported catalyst having a ceramic or metallic support, a high surface area refractory metal oxide coating on the support and a catalytic layer on the coating the catalytic layer comprising a platinum group metal selected from the group consisting of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt alloys of the said metals with each other and alloys of one or more of the said metals with one or more base metals such that at least 10% by weight of the said catalyst is a platinum group metal each combustor having a separate fuel supply and a separate heat exchange unit which form part of the same boiler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1981
    Assignee: Johnson, Matthey & Co., Limited
    Inventor: Bernard E. Enga
  • Patent number: 4253425
    Abstract: A fluidized bed heat exchanger in which air is passed through a bed of particulate material containing fuel disposed in a housing. A steam/water natural circulation system is provided in a heat exchange relation to the bed and includes a steam drum disposed adjacent the bed and a tube bank extending between the steam drum and a water drum. The tube bank is located in the path of the effluent gases exiting from the bed and a baffle system is provided to separate the solid particulate matter from the effluent gases. The particulate matter is collected and injected back into the fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1979
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1981
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Robert L. Gamble, Juan A. Garcia-Mallol
  • Patent number: 4250839
    Abstract: A vapor generator in which a plurality of vertically aligned fluidized beds are disposed in a furnace section with one of the boundary walls of the furnace section having openings therein for permitting the discharge of effluent gases from the fluidized beds. A heat recovery enclosure is formed adjacent said furnace section and shares a common wall with the furnace section for receiving the effluent gases, and a convection enclosure is disposed adjacent the heat recovery enclosure and shares a common wall with the latter enclosure for receiving the effluent gases from the heat recovery enclosure. The boundary walls of the furnace section, the heat recovery enclosure and the convection enclosure are formed by a plurality of interconnected tubes through which fluid is passed in a predetermined sequence to transfer heat from the fluidized beds to the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1981
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventor: Ernest L. Daman
  • Patent number: 4249472
    Abstract: A thermal reactor, for example an incinerator, in which an upstanding partition wall in a furnace vessel defines adjacent, interconnecting compartments each containing a bed of particulate material, said beds being fluidized to different extent whereby a cascade of particulate bed material flows across the of the wall from the more fluidized bed to the less fluidized bed and circulation of said bed material around the partition wall is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1981
    Inventor: Douglas A. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 4245693
    Abstract: A fixed fluidized particulate solids bed heat recovery vessle or steam generator having indirect heat exchange means within the bed and introduction of a gas containing an entrained solids by way of a spread tube bundle which connects the small diameter gas inlet conduit to the larger diameter bottom section of the fluidized bed to effect even distribution of the gas and entrained solids into the bed and to effect fluidization of the bed. In a preferred embodiment, the total cross-sectional area of the tubes in the tube bundle is at least 90 percent of the cross-sectional area of the inlet conduit so that the gas velocity is sufficient to maintain the solids entrained in the gas, and the upper section of the unit above the fluidized bed converges so that gas velocity is sufficient to maintain solids entrained in the gas being removed from the unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1981
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventor: Paul J. Cheng
  • Patent number: 4241670
    Abstract: An individual cell of a fluidized bed includes a static bed disposed immediately below the fluidization region with a coal feed system, which incorporates means for igniting the coal, embedded within the static bed. Coal is fed to the static bed through a coal pipe which extends vertically upward through the bed support plate into said bed and which terminates therein in a coal distributor having a series of openings around its circumference. The coal is swirled as it flows upward through the coal pipe with resultant centrifugal force imparted to the coal ensuring that the coal will be propelled out of the openings in the distributor head and evenly distributed over the cell area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1980
    Assignee: Combustion Engineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry J. Blaskowski
  • Patent number: 4240364
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for supporting and starting up a fluidized bed in which a grate is disposed in a housing for receiving a single bed of particulate material, portions of which are combustible. The interior of the housing below the grate is divided into a plurality of compartments, and an air damper is disposed in each for selectively controlling the flow of air through the compartments and through the respective portions of the grate to selectively fluidize the corresponding portions of the bed of particulate material. A start-up burner is provided for igniting that portion of the combustible portion of the bed of particulate material extending above one of the compartments and additional combustible particulate material is selectively supplied to the portions of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1980
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Richard W. Bryers, Thomas E. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4240377
    Abstract: A method and associated apparatus for carrying out fluidized bed combustion and transferring heat produced thereby to a boiler includes providing a fluidized bed of particulate matter and introducing fuel particles thereinto, causing a portion of the fluidized bed constituents to flow upwardly through a heat exchanger which is essentially free of any obstructions to said flow, and reintroducing the portion of fluidized bed constituents which flow through the heat exchanger, back into the fluidized bed. As preferably embodied, the portion of fluidized bed constituents flows into an inlet at the bottom of the heat exchanger from a quiescent zone adjacent the combustion bed and a gas having a combustible component is introduced into the heat exchanger. Advantageously, additional fuel particles are also introduced into the heat exchanger to flow upwardly therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1980
    Inventor: William B. Johnson
  • Patent number: 4240378
    Abstract: A boiler having a firebox in which combustion of fuel fed thereto is initiated, a flame tube leading from the firebox in which combustion of fuel may continue and an array of smoke tubes through which the products of combustion issuing from the flame tube are fed to a chimney. The surfaces of the firebox, flame tube and smoke tubes are surrounded by a chamber containing a heat transfer medium, peferably water. A superheater in which steam generated in the chamber is superheated may be included. The superheater is preferably located at the end of the flame tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1980
    Inventor: Peter B. Caplin
  • Patent number: 4239479
    Abstract: The invention relates to fluidized bed combustors that might tilt in use so that the depth of the bed progressively changes across its width. Air is supplied from two or more sources and means are provided to vary the flow from the sources as the bed tilts so that the air supplied to the portion of the bed of increased depth is increased relatively to the air supplied to the portion of the bed of lesser depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1980
    Assignee: Babcock & Wilcox Limited
    Inventor: Alan F. Hodgkin
  • Patent number: 4237973
    Abstract: A catalyst containing steam generator is lowered to the formation to be steamed. A packer is set at the upper extension of the generator to retain the steam. Fuel gas and oxidizing gas are passed through the catalyst which causes combustion within the catalyst bed. Water is passed over the heated tube retaining the hot catalyst bed or through the catalyst bed to produce steam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1980
    Inventor: John C. Todd
  • Patent number: 4237823
    Abstract: A fluidized bed combustion chamber adaptable for use with relatively large gas turbines and the like, wherein a substantially spherically-shaped outer casing encloses an annular fluidized bed combustion chamber which is mounted on a double bottom air distribution box. A cleaning assembly is positioned within the fluidized bed and the entire combustion chamber is supported on a base plate which extends through the casing and into contact with the box. Compressed air enters the spherical casing, is directed through a pair of cooling gaps, is caused to enter the air distribution box and then passes through the fluidized bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1979
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1980
    Assignee: Stal-Laval Turbine AB
    Inventors: Pehr Borjesgard, Anders Kullendorff, Jan Wikner
  • Patent number: 4232633
    Abstract: This invention relates to a process and a reactor for conducting exothermal reactions, for instance combustion, between relatively heavy and relatively light phases in a circulating fluidized bed having vertical cooling surfaces for absorption of the reaction heat resulting from the reaction. The light phase is divided into a primary flow for maintaining a dense conventional part bed and a secondary flow for maintaining a less dense rapid part bed above the dense bed. Said rapid part bed is recycled outside the part beds to the dense part bed for producing the circulating bed. Solid phase is continuously supplied to and withdrawn from the circulating bed, and the secondary flow is supplied to the circulating bed mainly below the cooling surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1980
    Inventor: Lars A. A. Chambert
  • Patent number: 4228767
    Abstract: A fluidized bed combustion, unitized transportable fire tube boiler package supported by its framework and housed within an insulated housing that ducts incoming air to preheat it while serving as a noise abutment shield. The water and steam retaining pressure vessel has an upright lower portion tapered divergently upwardly and enclosing a like-configurated, fluidized bed combustion housing spaced therefrom to form a water jacket therebetween. The pressure vessel also has a horizontally elongated upper portion enclosing a plurality of sets of combustion-gas tubes interconnected by flow reversing end members and surrounded by water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1980
    Assignee: Johnston Boiler Company
    Inventors: Willard P. Smith, Harry J. Michaels, Robert W. Shedd
  • Patent number: 4227488
    Abstract: A fluidized bed combustion or gasification unit in which a grate is disposed in a housing to divide the housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A bed of particulate material including burning fuel is supported by the grate and extends in the upper chamber. The lower chamber has an inlet for receiving pressurized air for passing through the lower chamber, the grate, and the bed of particulate material to fluidize the particulate material. A cooling device is provided for receiving the particulate material from the bed and cooling same prior to the material being discharged to external equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1980
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Robert D. Stewart, Robert L. Gamble
  • Patent number: 4223529
    Abstract: An improved combined cycle gas turbine and steam turbine power plant is disclosed in which the energy source for both the steam turbine portion of the system and the gas turbine portion is a pressurized fluidized bed combustor fueled by a carbonaceous fuel such as coal. Combustion gas discharged from the pressurized combustor is processed for minimal cleanup and temperature conditioning prior to passage through a heat exchanger to heat a stream of pressurized air for driving an air-gas turbine. Following the loss of sensible heat energy through the heat exchanger, the lower temperature combustion gas is expanded through a second, combustion gas turbine so that a portion of the remaining energy is extracted at a lower temperature, avoiding problems of hot gas corrosion and fouling within the turbine. A compressor, driven by one or both gas turbines, provides both the pressurized air supply for fluidization of the bed and the stream of air to the air-gas turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 23, 1980
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: David M. Willyoung
  • Patent number: 4211186
    Abstract: The invention provides a fluidized bed combustion apparatus comprising in a common structure a plurality of modules, each module comprising: a diffuser bed support arranged to support and fluidize a bed of granular material by means of air diffusion into the bed, feed means for supplying material to be burnt to a bed supported on the bed support, and control means for controlling the operation of the bed independently of the operation of the other modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1980
    Assignee: Flameless Furnaces Limited
    Inventor: Arnold P. Pearce
  • Patent number: 4204829
    Abstract: A process and system of apparatus for stoichiometrically combusting fuel and air reactants. A stream of the reactants is directed through an upstream zone for combustion about cylinders comprised of a catalytic material. A plurality of heat sink conduits are spaced about the cylinders for absorbing radiant energy from the cylinders, and a coolant medium is directed through the conduits for extracting thermal energy at a controlled rate. Products from the upstream zone are directed through a combustor in a downstream zone for adiabatic combustion, and products from the combustor are directed in heat exchange relationship with a coolant medium which extracts residual energy from the stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1980
    Assignee: Acurex Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Kendall, John P. Kesselring, Wayne V. Krill
  • Patent number: 4203391
    Abstract: An underfeed fuel feeder for introducing granular material into a fluidized bed. One embodiment introduces material into the bed through a perforated cavity-shaped feed nozzle disposed beneath an air distribution plate. A second embodiment introduces material through a T-shaped nozzle disposed above the plate. A housing protects the nozzle. A third embodiment depicts the nozzle-housing combination in a fluidized bed boiler employing water cooled floors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1978
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1980
    Assignee: The Babcock & Wilcox Company
    Inventors: Paul S. Knoebel, Jerald M. Wennerstrom
  • Patent number: 4196676
    Abstract: A fluid bed combustion method and apparatus are disclosed utilizing an induced draft fan downstream of the exhaust port of the combustion chamber. Fluidizing air is given a velocity vector toward one side of the chamber for moving foreign objects to that side where the objects are removed and separated by air classification from bed particles which are returned to the fluid bed. Air classification is accomplished using a blower which is valved off during preheat operation to draw hot air from above the fluid bed down through the particle bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1980
    Assignee: Combustion Power Company, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Brown, Gary O. Goldbach, Dale R. Moody, Michael A. O'Hagan, Fernando M. Placer
  • Patent number: 4191115
    Abstract: Lime utilization for sulfurous oxides adsorption in fluidized combustion of carbonaceous fuels is improved by impregnation of porous lime particulates with iron oxide. The impregnation is achieved by spraying an aqueous solution of mixed iron sulfate and sulfite on the limestone before transfer to the fluidized bed combustor, whereby the iron compounds react with the limestone substrate to form iron oxide at the limestone surface. The iron oxide present in the spent limestone is found to catalyze the regeneration rate of the spent limestone in a reducing environment. Thus both the calcium and iron components may be recycled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1980
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Ralph T. Yang, Ming-shing Shen
  • Patent number: 4184438
    Abstract: An apparatus for supporting and starting up a fluidized bed in which a grate is disposed in a housing for receiving a single bed of particulate material, portions of which are combustible. The interior of the housing below the grate is divided into a plurality of compartments, and an air damper is disposed in each for selectively controlling the flow of air through the compartments and through the respective portions of the grate to selectively fluidize the corresponding portions of the bed of particulate material. A start-up burner is provided for igniting that portion of the combustible portion of the bed of particulate material extending above one of the compartments and additional combustible particulate material is selectively supplied to the portions of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1980
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Development Corporation
    Inventors: Richard W. Bryers, Thomas E. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4184455
    Abstract: A fluidized bed heat exchanger in which air is passed through a bed of particulate material containing fuel disposed in a housing. A steam/water natural circulation system is provided and includes a steam drum disposed adjacent the fluidized bed and a series of tubes connected at one end to the steam drum. A portion of the tubes are connected to a water drum and in the path of the air and the gaseous products of combustion exiting from the bed. Another portion of the tubes pass through the bed and extend at an angle to the upper surface of the bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1980
    Assignee: Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Fred M. Talmud, Juan-Antonio Garcia-Mallol