Patent Application
20250116399
This application claims the benefit of German Patent Application Number 10 2023 003 993.4 filed on Oct. 4, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by way of reference.
The invention relates to a grate bar having a base body made from a first material and a grate-bar reinforcement which has a material that is different from the first material, the base body having a running surface having a longitudinal extent, an upper side and an underside, and a center line between the upper side and the underside in the longitudinal extent, running through the center of gravity of the running surface.
Grate bars of this type are used in incineration plants and in waste incineration plants in particular. They generally have a running surface on which the material to be incinerated lies and over which a further grate bar can also slide. This running surface has an upper side and an underside and therebetween it has so much material that the running surface does not wear too fast.
It is known to incorporate a plate made from particularly wear-resistant material into the running surface in order to reduce the wear.
In addition, it is known to incorporate a different material into the running surface, in order to prevent a breakage of the running surface. This material is arranged in the center of the running surface, so that it is completely enclosed by cast material. The center of the running surface forms a center line which extends between the upper side and the underside of the running surface and runs through the center of gravity of the running surface. In order to minimize the effects of stresses as a consequence of the different material expansions of the cast material and the reinforcement, it is ensured that the reinforcement is located exactly in the precise center layer between the upper side and the underside of the running surface.
Furthermore, a grate bar for the most part has lateral flanks which extend perpendicularly to the running surface along the grate bar. These flanks also can be realized in a reinforced manner in order to avoid a grate bar breakage.
Finally, however, all of these measures have not been able to lead to the possibility of avoiding grate bar breakages during the service life of a grate.
Therefore, the invention is based on the object of minimizing the effects of grate breakages.
This object is achieved using a grate bar having the features of one or more embodiments described herein.
According to the invention, the grate bar is not produced with ever more and expediently positioned and distributed cast material, rather a grate-bar reinforcement is used. According to the invention however, it is accepted that the grate bar could break at some point. To avoid the running surface breaking completely and material being able to fall into the space located therebelow, the grate-bar reinforcement is arranged below the center line and joined to the base body.
This has the consequence that the grate bar can break in that the base body, which is made from the cast material, breaks. This generally leads however only to an expansion of the reinforcement, which-owing to its location-does not necessarily have to break at the same time as the cast material. Thus, the cast material can break and the reinforcement continues to hold the at least two fragments together. Also, deformation of the running surface that occurs in the process means that the material continues to be held on the running surface and does not fall into the space below the running surface.
Therefore, it is further proposed that the grate-bar reinforcement is joined to the base body in such a manner that in the event of a breakage of the base body as a consequence of pressure on the upper side of the running surface, the base body breaks before the reinforcement breaks.
In addition, after the breakage of the base body, the reinforcement should form an interlocking joint of the fragments. After a breakage, the reinforcement can deform further and continue to hold the broken halves together.
The grate-bar reinforcement can be joined to the base body in a different manner. It is advantageous if the grate-bar reinforcement is joined by interlocking to the base body. That is to say it can be cast in the base body or on the edge of the base body. The reinforcement can also be fastened on cast-in brackets or flanges. It can even be arranged in a displaceable manner relative to the base body, in order to reduce the effects of stresses because of different thermal expansion.
The contact area between the grate-rod reinforcement and the base body can be reduced in that less than 50% of the surface area of the grate-bar reinforcement forms a bearing surface at the base body.
In order to reduce the consequences of a breakage on a long face of the running surface, it is proposed that the grate-bar reinforcement extends over more than 35% and preferably more than 50% of the longitudinal extent.
A simple embodiment provides that the grate-bar reinforcement has one and preferably a plurality of struts which extend along the longitudinal extent of the running surface.
The reinforcement can also act as a heat sink or cooling fin. Therefore, it is proposed in a further developing manner that the grate-bar reinforcement has a sheet-metal material.
Additively or cumulatively, the grate-bar reinforcement may be a spiral and/or have a plurality of rings which are joined to one another.
If the grate bar is produced from a cast material, the grate-bar reinforcement can be cast on.
The grate-bar reinforcement should be lightweight, be able to bridge a distance and withstand forces. Therefore, it is proposed that it has through holes or holes. The punched out material can in this case only be formed out of one plane of the reinforcement.
In addition, the grate-bar reinforcement can have struts between rows of holes and be designed as expanded metal.
Depending on the use case, the grate-bar reinforcement can be three-dimensionally shaped or even designed as a hollow body. In the design of the grate-bar reinforcement as a hollow body, the hollow body may be joined only on one side to the underside of the running surface.
Further options for designing the grate-bar reinforcement are developed if the base body has flanks extending to the side of the underside of the running surface, perpendicularly to its upper side, and the grate-bar reinforcement is arranged between these flanks.
A particularly advantageous use is formed by the use in a waste incineration plant.
Advantageous exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawing and are described in more detail in the following. In the figures
The grate bar 1 shown in
The grate-bar reinforcement is then arranged not precisely on the center line 9 between the upper side 6 and the underside 7 of the running surface 4, but rather below this center line and joined to the base body 2. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
The grate-bar reinforcement that is three-dimensionally shaped in this manner to form a hollow body 16 is cast on the grate bar in the exemplary embodiment shown in
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2023 003 993.4 | Oct 2023 | DE | national |
