Method and machine for the sintering and/or drying of powder materials using infrared radiation

• US 8,015,725 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2004
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joan, Mr. Iglesias Vives
• Original Assignee: Dos-I Solutions SL
• Inventors: Vives, Joan Iglesias
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/630,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20080047160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,548 Days
• Field of Search: 342/66, 343/44, 343/47, 344/01, 430/65, 430/348, 540/23, 540/44, 156/238, 156/289, 423/110, 423/219, 399/111, 399/116, 435/3, 435/6
• US Class Current: 34/266
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 17/20 the axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/14 using gases or vapours other than air or steam , e.g. inert gases
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 3/30 from infrared-emitting elements by radiation emanating from passages containing heated fluids other than combustion gases F26B23/10

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device, as well as the variants thereof, which operates continuously or discontinuously for the agglomeration and/or drying of powder materials using selective infrared irradiation on a surface which is continually supplied with renewed powder, with or without the spraying of liquids. The process can be performed in sealed conditions or open to the atmosphere, with or without the recovery of volatile components.

Claims

1. A method for the agglomeration of materials originally in the form of dry powder or wet cake to obtain solid granules and/or for drying wet bulk materials to obtain dried powdered or agglomerated material, through the use of infrared radiation, wherein the energy source of IR radiation applied is electric or direct combustion of liquid or gaseous fuels, wherein the method is carried out in one single unit and, in continuous or batch mode and comprising the following steps:

Feeding powdered component materials to a product entry point into a vessel;

Homogeneous mixing and stirring the powdered component materials with at least two counter-stirring shafts with attached blades that they intersect between the blades of the adjacent shaft, providing a self cleaning configuration that prevents product deposits on the blades, shafts and vessel inner surface, avoids product dead zones, breaks up agglomerates that exceeds a predetermined size, avoids product dead zones and allows to adapt internal product mass flow dynamics to Completely Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR), Plug-Flow Reactor (PFR) or intermediate configurations;

Applying IR radiation above product upper surface which is continually supplied with renewed powder by an infrared source located inside a focusing screen, and such that the area irradiated does not cover the entire upper surface of the product and so that incidental radiation from the source is negligible in a strip form area surrounding an internal perimeter of the vessel, maximizing IR energy yield by external covering of IR screen and vessel with thermal isolation material;

On continuous method mode continuous discharge of agglomerated product from the vessel by adjusting a height of an overflow port at an end of the vessel opposite product entry point into the vessel or on batch method a completely finished product discharge by a door located at the lower part of the vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, including further the step of adding liquid agglutinating material to the mixture of powdered component materials via pulverization to form granules from the powdered component materials.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the process is carried out in airtight conditions allowing to work at pressure bellow or above atmospheric and/or in a controlled atmosphere composition adding an inert gas flow, wherein process generated vapors are recovered as liquid by condensation;

a pressure bellow atmospheric is applied in processing materials sensitive to high temperature drying conditions and the addition of inert gas flow allows a safe processing of materials showing dust or solvent explosion risk in normal air oxygen content.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the process is carried out in airtight conditions allowing to work at pressure bellow or above atmospheric and/or in a controlled atmosphere composition adding an inert gas flow, wherein process generated vapors are recovered as liquid by condensation;

a pressure bellow atmospheric is applied in processing materials sensitive to high temperature drying conditions and the addition of inert gas flow allows a safe processing of materials showing dust or solvent explosion risk in normal air oxygen content.