The embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to integral self-supporting composite refractory modules that may be assembled to form a wall of a refractory structure. According to some embodiments, the modules are formed of multiple refractory blocks integrally bonded together to provide the integral self-supporting composite refractory module. The modules may be assembled in interlocking relationship with one another to form a refractory wall structure.
Several industries employ relatively massive refractory structures formed of refractory bricks of varying sizes and shapes. For example, coke ovens and glass furnaces, including regenerators associated with such furnaces, traditionally comprise massive refractory brick structures having relatively large-scale parallel walls, crown arches and floor arches (typically termed rider arches in art parlance) constructed from a large variety of differently shaped individual refractory bricks. The construction and repair of such refractory structures can be extremely tedious and time consuming due to the individual refractory brick construction thereby resulting in costly downtime and a concomitant economic loss.
Recently, it has been proposed to provide relatively monolithic refractory components to reduce the number of individual bricks forming the refractory structures and thereby reduce the downtime required to construct and/or repair the refractory structure. See in this regard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,640,635, 8266,853 and 6,066,236 and copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/111,390 filed Feb. 3, 2015 (Atty. Dkt. No. BHD-6141-13), the entire contents of each such patent and pending patent application being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference.
While these prior proposals are satisfactory, continual improvement in the construction and repair/servicing of relatively massive refractory structures (e.g., coke ovens, glass furnaces, forehearths, regenerators and the like) is sought. For example, it would be desirable if integral self-supporting refractory modules could be formed from multiple refractory blocks so that the individual refractory modules could be formed remotely and then transported to the point of use for installation where they could be interlocked together to form the refractory wall structure. This off-site fabrication of the refractory module could in turn produce extensive labor cost savings since individual wall blocks would not need to be assembled on site. It is towards providing such improvement that the embodiments of the invention described herein are directed.
In general, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed toward composite refractory modules comprising multiple preformed refractory blocks bonded to one another by a bonding agent to form an integral self-supporting structure having a tooth and channel arrangement for interlocking assembly with a similar adjacently positioned refractory module. According to certain embodiment, the pre-formed refractory blocks are substantially square parallelepipeds formed of a cured refractory material which may be pressed or cast. At least three preformed refractory blocks are bonded to one another in some embodiments to form the module.
The bonding agent which bonds the multiple refractory members to one another may either be a sacrificial or non-sacrificial bonding agent. According to some embodiments, the bonding agent is a high temperature epoxy adhesive bonding agent.
A refractory wall section comprising a stacked and end-to-end assembly of plural interlocked refractory modules may thereby be formed. That is, a refractory wall section of a refractory structure can be formed by assembling end-to-end and stacking a plurality of refractory modules according to claim 1 such that the tooth of one module is received within and interlocked with the channel of an adjacent module.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more clear after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof.
The disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be better and more completely understood by referring to the following detailed description of exemplary non-limiting illustrative embodiments in conjunction with the drawings of which:
Accompanying
The top portion of the regenerator structure 10 is capped with a series of adjacently positioned crowns (a representative few of which are noted by reference numeral 40). The walls 16, 18 are structurally supported by external upright structural beams known colloquially as buck stays 20. As is known in the art, the buck stays 20 are compressively held against the walls 16, 18 by means of tie rods (not shown) extending between and interconnecting opposed pairs of buck stays 20 both latitudinally and longitudinally relative to the regenerator structure 10.
The bottom portion of the regenerator structure includes adjacently positioned rider arches 50. The rider arches 50 are thus provided to provide a channel for the ingress/egress of combustion air and gases to/from the regenerator structure 10 and to provide a supporting floor for the checker bricks (not shown) occupying the interior volume of the regenerator structure 10 thereabove.
The crown arches 40 and the rider arches 50 may be those as described in copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/079,735 filed on Nov. 14, 2014, the entire content of which is expressly incorporated hereinto by reference.
The refractory structure may be provided with an overhead crane apparatus 60 to position and assemble the modules forming the walls 16, 18 as well as the crown arches 40, the rider arches 50 and the internal checker bricks (not shown) during construction and/or refurbishment of the regenerator 10. The overhead crane apparatus 60 may be those described more fully in U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. Nos. 62/111,275, 62/111,398 and 62/111,24 each filed on Feb. 3, 2015 (corresponding to Atty. Dkt. Nos. BHD-6141-14, BHD-6141-15 and BHD 6141-16, respectively), the entire contents of each such application being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference.
Accompanying
These pre-assembled refractory block modules BC1-BC4 may then be further assembled either off-site or on-site with one another to form the base wall 100. That is, it will be seen that each of the block pairs 101a/102a, 103a/104a, 101b/102b and 103/b/104b forming the block components BC1-BC4 are staggered and/or differently sized so as to establish a tooth and channel arrangement to allow the modules BC1-BC4 to be assembled so that a respective tooth of one of the modules BC1-BC4 is received within a respective channel of an adjacent one of the modules BC1-BC4.
Accompanying
The modules BC1-BC4 and DC1 forming the base and riser wall sections 100, 200, may be interlocked with one another as described previously to form a wall 16,18 of the refractory structure 10.
In order to improve the structural integrity of the wall 16, a profiled tie plate 300 may be positioned as desired intervals over an upper edge of the assembled modules DC1 as shown in
As used herein and in the accompanying claims, the term term “block” is intended to refer to a generally large sized solid refractory member that requires mechanical assistance for handling and manipulation (e.g., via suitable hoists, lifts and the like). More specifically, a “block” as used herein and the accompanying claims is intended to refer to a refractory member whose weight cannot be lifted manually by a single individual in accordance with generally accepted guidelines according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), e.g., typically an object which weighs more than about 50 pounds. Conversely, as used herein and in the amended claims, the term “brick” refers to a generally small sized solid refractory member that may easily be handled and manipulated by a single individual in accordance with the generally accepted OSHA guidelines, e.g., typically an object weight less than about 50 pounds.
The refractory “block” employed by the embodiments disclosed herein are most preferably formed of a refractory material (e.g., fused silica) that is mechanically pressed and cured at high temperatures (e.g., up to about 1400° C.) as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,599,236, 2,802,749 and 2,872,328, the entire contents of each such patent being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference. If the refractory “block” is of an exceptionally large size, it may be formed by casting and heat curing a refractory material (e.g., fused silica) as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,277,106 and 5,423,152, the entire contents of each such patent being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference.
The refractory blocks forming each of the modules BC1-BC4 and DC1 as described above may be formed of the same or different refractory material. In this regard, the individual blocks forming each of the courses in the module may be formed of a different refractory material so that the thermal properties of the refractory walls 16 and/or 18 can be engineered to meet the heat-transfer requirements of the refractory structure 10. Additionally or alternatively, the refractory material forming the individual refractory blocks of the modules BC1-BC4 and DC1 may be selected such that the refractory walls 16 and/or 18 exhibit different heat-transfer properties at different vertical locations.
According to the embodiments disclosed herein, the blocks forming the modules BC1-BC4 and DC1 are preferably bonded to one another by a suitable sacrificial or non-sacrificial bonding agent, such as an epoxy adhesive bonding agent. By the term “sacrificial bonding agent” is meant to refer to bonding agents that allow the refractory blocks to be bonded to one another to form an integral self-supporting transportable refractory module, but which are consumed or combusted in the high heat (e.g., temperatures of about 1100° C. to about 1650° C.) during use of the refractory structure 10 in which the component is installed. The individual blocks forming the refractory modules will remain intact when the sacrificial bonding agent is consumed or combusted by virtue of the refractory module design and the structural support provided by other refractory interlocked therewith to form the complete refractory structure. By the term “non-sacrificial bonding agent” is meant a bonding agent that remains intact and is not consumed or combusted at the high temperatures associated with the refractory structure in which the refractory module is installed.
As noted above the preferred bonding agent is an epoxy adhesive bonding agent. As noted previously, the epoxy bonding agent may be sacrificial or non-sacrificial.
The blocks forming the modules BC1-BC4 and DC1 may be the same or different from one another in terms of refractory composition. In such a manner, therefore, the modules BC1-BC4 and DC1 may be designed to have different thermal transfer properties and assembled in such a manner so that the thermal transfer properties vary from one location of the refractory wall to another location. In such a manner, therefore, those regions of the refractory wall requiring greater or lesser thermal transfer properties may be provided by suitable compositions of the assembled individual refractory blocks.
It will be understood that the description provided herein is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments of the invention. Thus, the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope thereof.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1503129.7 | Feb 2015 | GB | national |
This application is based on and claims domestic priority benefits under 35 USC §119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 62/111,447 filed on Feb. 3, 2015 and also claims foreign priority benefits under 35 USC §119(a) from GB 1503129.7 filed on Feb. 25, 2015, the entire contents of each such prior filed application being expressly incorporated hereinto by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62111447 | Feb 2015 | US |