Submerged combustion melters and methods of feeding particulate material into such melters
First Claim
1. A method of melting particulate feedstocks in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) employing an arrangement of one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners emitting combustion products into turbulent molten material, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H2, the method comprising:
- (a) operating the SC burners such that there is established a turbulent melting region extending vertically from the floor to a splash region, the splash region extending vertically between the turbulent melting region and a head space region, the head space region extending vertically between the splash region and the melter ceiling;
(b) feeding particulate feedstock into the splash region through one or more inlet ports, the one or more inlet ports positioned at a height H1 measured from the floor, where H1/H2 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67;
(c) providing a baffle extending vertically downward from the ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline (C), the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between a feed end of the SCM and the midpoint (M) of the SCM;
(d) operating the SCM so that the splash region submerges a distal end of the baffle, and allowing exhaust to flow out of an exhaust stack of the SCM attached to the ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline (C), the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint (M) and an exit end wall of the SCM; and
(e) melting the particulate feedstock in the SCM.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of melting particulate feedstocks in a submerged combustion melter employing an arrangement of one or more submerged combustion burners emitting combustion products into turbulent molten material. Operating the burners such that there is established a turbulent melting region extending vertically from the floor to a splash region, the splash region extending vertically between the turbulent melting region and a head space region, the head space region extending vertically between the splash region and the melter ceiling, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H2. Feeding the particulate feedstock into the splash region through one or more inlet ports, the inlet ports positioned at a height H1 measured from the floor, where H1/H2 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67. The SCM may have a baffle extending from the ceiling into the splash region. A particulate feedstock conduit may be employed, having an exit port in the splash region.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of melting particulate feedstocks in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) employing an arrangement of one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners emitting combustion products into turbulent molten material, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H2, the method comprising:
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(a) operating the SC burners such that there is established a turbulent melting region extending vertically from the floor to a splash region, the splash region extending vertically between the turbulent melting region and a head space region, the head space region extending vertically between the splash region and the melter ceiling; (b) feeding particulate feedstock into the splash region through one or more inlet ports, the one or more inlet ports positioned at a height H1 measured from the floor, where H1/H2 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67; (c) providing a baffle extending vertically downward from the ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline (C), the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between a feed end of the SCM and the midpoint (M) of the SCM; (d) operating the SCM so that the splash region submerges a distal end of the baffle, and allowing exhaust to flow out of an exhaust stack of the SCM attached to the ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline (C), the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint (M) and an exit end wall of the SCM; and (e) melting the particulate feedstock in the SCM. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of melting particulate feedstocks in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) employing an arrangement of one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners emitting combustion products into turbulent molten material, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H2, and an exhaust stack of the SCM attached to a ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline, the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint and an exit end wall of the SCM, the method comprising:
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(a) operating the SC burners such that there is established a turbulent melting region extending vertically from the floor to a splash region, the splash region extending vertically between the turbulent melting region and a head space region, the head space region extending vertically between the splash region and the melter ceiling; (b) feeding the particulate feedstock into the splash region through a single feedstock inlet port in a feed end of the SCM positioned along the SCM centerline, the inlet port positioned at a height H1 measured from the floor, where H1/H2 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67; (c) melting the particulate feedstock in the SCM; (d) providing a baffle extending vertically downward from a ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline, the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between the SCM feed end and the midpoint of the SCM; (e) operating the SCM so that a distal end of the baffle is submerged in the splash region. - View Dependent Claims (11, 13)
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12. A method of melting particulate feedstocks in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) employing an arrangement of one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners emitting combustion products into turbulent molten material, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H2, and an exhaust stack of the SCM attached to the ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline, the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint and an exit end wall of the SCM, the method comprising:
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(a) operating the SC burners such that there is established a turbulent melting region extending vertically from the floor to a splash region, the splash region extending vertically between the turbulent melting region and a head space region, the head space region extending vertically between the splash region and the melter ceiling; (b) feeding the particulate feedstock into the splash region through one or more feed conduits extending from the ceiling of the SCM into the splash region, the one or more feed conduits positioned between a feed end of the SCM and the SCM midpoint, the one or more feed conduits having exit ports positioned at a height H1 measured from the floor, where H1/H2 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67; (c) melting the particulate feedstock in the SCM; (d) providing a baffle extending vertically downward from a ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline, the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between the feed end of the SCM and the midpoint of the SCM; and (e) operating the SCM so that the splash region submerges a distal end of the baffle and the exit ports of the one or more feed conduits.
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14. A method of melting particulate feedstocks in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) employing an arrangement of one or more submerged combustion (SC) burners emitting combustion products into turbulent molten material, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a midpoint (M), a sidewall structure having a north side (N) and a south side (S), the sidewall structure connecting a ceiling and a floor of the SCM, the ceiling positioned above the floor a height H2, the method comprising:
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(a) operating the SC burners such that there is established a turbulent melting region extending vertically from the floor to a splash region, the splash region extending vertically between the turbulent melting region and a head space region, the head space region extending vertically between the splash region and the melter ceiling; (b) feeding particulate feedstock into the splash region through one or more feed conduits having an inlet in the ceiling and an exit positioned in the splash region at a height H1 measured from the floor, where H1/H2 ranges from about 0.33 to about 0.67, the one or more feed conduits positioned between an SCM feed end and the SCM midpoint (M); (c) providing a baffle extending vertically downward from the ceiling of the SCM into the splash region and perpendicular to the SCM centerline (C), the baffle having a width equal to the width (W) of the SCM, the baffle positioned between the one or more feed conduits and the SCM midpoint (M); (d) operating the SCM so that the splash region submerges the one or more feed conduit outlets and a distal end of the baffle; (e) allowing exhaust to flow out of an exhaust stack of the SCM attached to the ceiling of the SCM along the SCM centerline (C), the exhaust stack positioned between the midpoint (M) and an exit end wall of the SCM; and (f) melting the particulate feedstock in the turbulent melting region of the SCM.
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Specification