Inert grinding and direct firing in coal burning systems

• US 4,226,371 A
• Filed: 04/06/1979
• Issued: 10/07/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Williams Patent Crusher and Pulverizer Company
• Original Assignee: Robert M. Willams
• Inventors: Willams, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US06/027,742
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 44/1 B, 44/2, 34/72, 241/47, 241/48, 241/57, 241/62, 241/79.1, 241/24, 60/682-684
• US Class Current: 241/31
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 21/00 Disintegrating plant with or without drying of the material for grain B02C9/04
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 1/04 Heating fuel prior to delivery to combustion apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F23K 3/02 Pneumatic feeding arrangements, i.e. by air blast

Abstract

A system in which coal is ground and transported in an inert atmosphere to a place of burning which may be a rotary kiln or a furnace, and in which system the coal being ground is used as the medium to produce the drying and inerting while the transporting media is the air brought in from outside the system and treated in a heating unit to consume part of the normal oxygen so it is rendered inert by the time it circulates in the system as the transporting media.

Claims

1. Apparatus for grinding a fuel material in an inert atmosphere and transporting the ground fuel material to fire a consuming unit, said apparatus comprising:

grinding means for reducing the fuel material to a transportable and combustible size;

primary propelling means connected to said grinding means for moving a gaseous transporting medium through said grinding means;

separator means connected between said grinding means and said primary propelling means for separating the ground fuel material from the gaseous transporting medium and returning the gaseous transporting medium to said primary propelling means;

secondary propelling means connected between said primary propelling means and said grinding means and a consuming unit, said connection between said secondary propelling means and consuming unit having an inlet for receiving ground fuel material from said separator means for movement by the gaseous transporting medium to the consuming unit;

inert hot gas producing means having an outlet connected to said grinding means;

conduit means connecting said inert hot gas producing means with said connection between said secondary propelling means and the consuming unit for supplying inert gaseous transporting medium and ground fuel material to be used in said inert hot gas producing means.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said conduit means includes a first conduit for conducting inert gaseous medium to said inert hot gas producing means, and a second conduit for conducting ground fuel material to said inert hot gas producing means.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said secondary propelling means is operative to deliver inert gaseous transporting medium with ground fuel material to the consuming unit, and ambient air supply means for the apparatus is connected into said inert hot gas producing means for supplying make up air substantially equal to the inert gaseous transporting medium delivered to the consuming unit.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein said secondary propelling means removes gaseous medium in advance of reaching said grinding means and supplies part of the gaseous medium removed back to said inert hot gas producing means, whereby the apparatus retains an inert atmosphere.

5. Apparatus for grinding a fuel material in an inert atmosphere and for transporting the ground fuel material to fire a consuming unit, said apparatus comprising:

grinding means having an inlet for the fuel material and an outlet for the fuel material reduced to a transportable and combustible size;

primary gaseous medium propelling means having an outlet conduit connected to said grinding means and an inlet;

separator means connected between said grinding means outlet and said primary propelling means inlet for returning the gaseous transporting medium to said primary propelling means substantially free of ground fuel material;

said separator means having an outlet for the ground fuel material;

conduit means connecting said separator means outlet to a consuming unit;

secondary propelling means having an inlet connected to said primary propelling means outlet conduit and having an outlet conduit connected to said conduit means for delivering inert gaseous medium to transport the ground fuel material from said separator means outlet to the consuming unit;

inert hot gaseous medium producing means having an outlet for delivering the inert hot gaseous medium to said grinding means for drying and transporting the ground fuel material;

first conduit connection between said secondary propelling means outlet and said inert hot gaseous medium producing means; and

second conduit connection between said conduit means and said inert hot gaseous medium producing means, said first and second conduit means supplying gaseous medium and ground fuel material to said inert hot gaseous medium producing means for sustaining inert atmosphere in said apparatus.

6. Apparatus for grinding fuel material in an inert atmosphere and transporting the ground material to fire a consuming unit, comprising in combination:

grinding means for conditioning the fuel material to a state capable of being transported by a gaseous medium;

gaseous medium propelling means having an inlet and an outlet, said outlet being connected into said grinding means;

separator means having an inlet connected to said grinding means and spaced apart outlets, one of said outlets being connected to said inlet for said gaseous medium propelling means;

valve means operably mounted in said other separator outlet;

gaseous medium heating means having an inlet for ambient air and an outlet for heated and inerted gaseous medium, said outlet being connected into said grinding means;

conduit means connecting said other separator means outlet to a consuming unit;

gaseous medium moving means having an inlet connected into said gaseous medium propelling means at said outlet and an outlet connected to said conduit means for utilizing the gaseous medium to move ground fuel material into the consuming unit from said other separator outlet passed said valve means;

first means connected between said moving outlet and said gaseous medium heating means; and

second means connected between said conduit means and said gaseous medium heating means;

said first means recycling gaseous medium and said second means supplying ground fuel material to said gaseous medium heating means.