Calorimetry system
First Claim
1. A calorimetry system for measuring the heating value of a fuel comprising combustion means into which said fuel and oxidizing gas are fed for converting said fuel into combustion gas, means for mixing said combustion gas with a mixing gas to provide a combined gas, means for measuring the temperature of said mixing gas, and said combined gas at the inlet and outlet of said mixing means, respectively, said oxidizing and said mixing gas being parts of a total gas means for measuring the mass feed rate of said fuel fed into said combustion means, means for measuring the mass flow rate of said total gas, computer means for computing the heat flow Qc of said combustion gas in accordance with the equation ##EQU3## where m1 is the mass feed rate of the fuel, m2 is the mass feed rate of the total gas, T1 is the temperature of said mixing gas at said inlet, and T2 is the temperature of said combined gas at said outlet, and Cpf is the specific heat of said combined gas represented by a polynomial whose coefficients are the weighted sum of coefficients of similar polynomials that represent the specific heat of constituents of the combined gas over the temperature range T2 -T1, and said computer means also having means for computing the heating value of said fuel as the ratio of Qc to m1.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A calorimetry systems for the continuous measurement of the heating value of coal, which provides heating value data used to control coal-fired furnaces. The system has apparatus for pulverizing the coal, a gravimetric feeder for providing pulverized coal at a measured mass feed rate, an initiating self-sustained combustion of the coal therein without the need for further supporting fuel gases. Instrumentation measures the flow rates of the cooling air, primary and secondary combustion air as well as the mass flow rates of the coal into the combustor. A computer is provided which is responsive to the measuring instruments (thermocouples and pressure gauges) for controlling the feeding of the coal and fuel gases during initiation of combustion and for computing the heating value of the coal. The computer has a memory with storage for specific heat values of the constituents of the products of combustion of various ranks of coal (bituminous, subbituminous, lignite, etc.) and the average mass fraction of each constituent in the coal by rank so that the heating value thereof can be determined with accuracy.
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Citations
23 Claims
- 1. A calorimetry system for measuring the heating value of a fuel comprising combustion means into which said fuel and oxidizing gas are fed for converting said fuel into combustion gas, means for mixing said combustion gas with a mixing gas to provide a combined gas, means for measuring the temperature of said mixing gas, and said combined gas at the inlet and outlet of said mixing means, respectively, said oxidizing and said mixing gas being parts of a total gas means for measuring the mass feed rate of said fuel fed into said combustion means, means for measuring the mass flow rate of said total gas, computer means for computing the heat flow Qc of said combustion gas in accordance with the equation ##EQU3## where m1 is the mass feed rate of the fuel, m2 is the mass feed rate of the total gas, T1 is the temperature of said mixing gas at said inlet, and T2 is the temperature of said combined gas at said outlet, and Cpf is the specific heat of said combined gas represented by a polynomial whose coefficients are the weighted sum of coefficients of similar polynomials that represent the specific heat of constituents of the combined gas over the temperature range T2 -T1, and said computer means also having means for computing the heating value of said fuel as the ratio of Qc to m1.
- 4. A calorimeter system for the direct and continuous measurement of heating value of fuel which comprises combustion means into which said fuel and an oxidizing gas is fed for converting said fuel into a combustion gas, means for mixing said combustion gas with another gas to form a combined gas, said combustion means comprising a combustion chamber having an outlet for said combustion gas, an inlet for said fuel, and an inlet for said oxidizing gas, a cell of porous insulating material disposed around said chamber for absorbing radiant heat loss from said chamber, and means for communication of said oxidizing gas through said cell with said oxidizing gas inlet of said chamber for convecting said radiant heat back to said chamber, said mixing means comprising a channel having an inlet end in communication with said combustion gas outlet, an outlet end for said combined gas and an inlet for said other gas also at said inlet end, means for absorbing heat from said channel disposed around said channel, said channel heat absorbing means defining a passage for said other gas therethrough for converting the heat absorbed by said channel heat absorbing means back to said mixing means, and means responsive at least to the temperature of said other gas supplied to said mixing means inlet, the temperature of said combined gas at said mixing means outlet and the mass feed rate of said fuel into said chamber for computing the heating value of said fuel.
- 15. A calorimeter system for the direct and continuous measurement of the heating value of coal which comprises means for converting said coal into a combustion gas, means for mixing said gas with air to provide a combined gas, means to measure mass rate of total air flow, means for measuring at least the increase in temperature between the temperature of said mixing air and the temperature of said combined gas and the mass feed rate of said coal into said converting means for deriving said heating value, means for converting said coal into particulate form, gravimetric feeding means for feeding said coal at a constant mass rate and providing an output to said measuring means representing said mass feed rate of said coal, and means operated by pressurized air for transferring said coal from said feeding means to said converting means.
Specification