Claims
- 1. A preheating apparatus for particulate material comprising:
- a containment structure having a floor and at least one separation wall which extends vertically to separate the containment structure into a plurality of chambers for preheating of particulate material, each chamber having a top and a bottom and comprising:
- a material inlet toward the top for receiving particulate material into the chamber;
- a material outlet toward the bottom for discharging particulate material out of the chamber after preheating;
- a gas inlet toward the bottom for receiving hot gas into the chamber; and
- a gas exhaust toward the top for discharging gas from the chamber after the gas has passed through the particulate material in the chamber; and
- a material pusher for moving particulate material through the chamber at a selected rate, the material pusher including a plunger feeder within the chamber, the plunger feeder being reciprocally movable toward and away form the material outlet of the chamber for moving particulate material through the material outlet;
- wherein the separation wall extends substantially vertically from the top of the chamber and has a bottom edge which is raised above the floor, and wherein the bottom edge of the wall is above the plunger feeder to minimize wear of the wall by particulate material being pushed by the plunger feeder, and wherein particulate material and gas flow along the separation wall and generally parallel to the separation wall.
- 2. The preheating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wall has a sufficient thickness so that a space is left in the particulate material immediately underneath the bottom edge of the wall, the space acting as a conduit for gas to flow transversely through the chamber.
- 3. A preheating apparatus for particulate material comprising:
- a containment structure having a floor and at least one separation wall which extends vertically to separate the containment structure into a plurality of chambers for preheating of particulate material, each chamber having a top and a bottom and comprising:
- a material inlet toward the top for receiving particulate material into the chamber;
- a material outlet toward the bottom for discharging particulate material out of the chamber after preheating;
- a gas inlet toward the bottom for receiving hot gas into the chamber;
- a gas exhaust toward the top for discharging gas from the chamber after the gas has passed through the particulate material in the chamber; and
- a material pusher for moving particulate material through the chamber;
- wherein the separation wall extends substantially vertically from the top of the chamber and has a bottom edge which is raised above the floor, and wherein particulate material and gas flow along the separation wall and generally parallel to the separation wall.
- 4. The preheating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the separation wall has a sufficient thickness so that a space is left in the particulate material immediately underneath the bottom edge of the separation wall, the space acting as a conduit for gas to flow transversely through the chamber.
- 5. The preheating apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a gas distribution wall in each chamber, the gas distribution wall having an upper edge which separates flow of particulate material, the gas distribution wall forming a duct channel in the particulate material and underneath the gas distribution wall which acts as a second conduit for gas to flow through the chamber.
- 6. The preheating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the material pusher includes a plunger feeder within the chamber, the plunger feeder being reciprocally movable toward and away from the material outlet of the chamber for moving particulate material through the chamber.
- 7. The preheating apparatus of claim 6, wherein the bottom edge of the separation wall extends at a height above the plunger feeder.
- 8. The preheating apparatus of claim 3 wherein the chamber further includes at least one access door for permitting the chamber to be cleaned.
- 9. The preheating apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a fan for inducing hot gas flow through particulate material in the chamber.
- 10. The preheating apparatus of claim 3 in combination with a kiln which provides a supply of heated gas to the gas inlet and receives the preheated particulate material from the material outlet.
- 11. The preheating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of chambers are arranged in an annular configuration, and wherein the material outlets are inwardly directed to a central transfer conduit.
- 12. The preheating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the floor is sloped toward the material outlet.
- 13. The preheating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the containment structure comprises chutes for each of the chambers, each chute connected to the material inlet, wherein the separation wall extends above the material inlets.
- 14. A preheating apparatus for particulate material comprising:
- a containment structure having a floor and at least one separation wall which extends vertically to separate the containment structure into a plurality of chambers for preheating of particulate material, each chamber having a top and a bottom and comprising:
- a material inlet toward the top for receiving particulate material into the chamber;
- a material outlet toward the bottom for discharging particulate material out of the chamber after preheating;
- a gas inlet toward the bottom for receiving hot gas into the chamber;
- a gas exhaust toward the top for discharging gas from the chamber after the gas has passed through the particulate material in the chamber; and
- a material pusher for moving particulate material through the chamber;
- wherein the separation wall extends substantially vertically from the top of the chamber and has a bottom edge which is raised above the floor;
- wherein the separation wall has a sufficient thickness so that a space is left in the particulate material immediately underneath the bottom edge of the separation wall, the space acting as a conduit for gas to flow transversely through the chamber,
- and further comprising:
- a gas distribution wall in each chamber, the gas distribution wall having an upper edge which separates flow of particulate material, the gas distribution wall forming a duct channel in the particulate material and underneath the gas distribution wall which acts as a second conduit for gas to flow through the chamber, wherein the upper edge of the gas distribution wall has an angled upper corner.
- 15. A method for preheating particulate material, comprising the acts of:
- feeding particulate material into a containment structure, the containment structure having a floor and at least one separation wall which extends vertically to separate the containment structure into a plurality of chambers, the separation wall having a bottom edge which is raised above the floor, each chamber having a top and a bottom with the separation wall extending substantially vertically from the top of the chamber, each chamber comprising:
- a material inlet toward the top;
- a material outlet toward the bottom;
- a gas inlet toward the bottom; and
- a gas exhaust toward the top;
- pushing particulate material out of each chamber through the material outlet such that particulate material flows along the separation wall in a direction parallel to the separation wall; and
- inducing preheated gas into each chamber through the gas inlet, through particulate material in the chamber such that gas flows along the separation wall in a direction parallel to the separation wall and opposite the flow of particulate material, and out of the chamber through the gas exhaust.
- 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the particulate material is fed such that a space is left in the particulate material immediately underneath the bottom edge of the separation wall, the space extending transversely through the containment structure, and wherein the preheated gas is induced through the space for flow transversely relative to the chambers.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the containment structure further comprises a gas distribution wall in each chamber, the gas distribution wall having an upper edge which separates flow of particulate material, the gas distribution wall forming a duct channel in the particulate material and underneath the gas distribution wall, and wherein the preheated gas is induced through the duct channel for flow through the chamber.
- 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the pushing act is performed with a plunger feeder by reciprocating the plunger feeder toward and away from the material outlet, the plunger feeder being disposed vertically at a height under the bottom edge of the separator wall to minimize wear of the separator wall by particulate material being pushed by the plunger feeder.
- 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the containment structure comprises chutes for each of the chambers, each chute connected to the material inlet, wherein the separation wall extends above the material inlet, and wherein particulate material is fed through the chutes such that particulate material fills each chamber to a level beneath a top of the separation wall.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 08/795,690, filed Feb. 4, 1997, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREHEATING PARTICULATE MATERIAL, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,467.
US Referenced Citations (22)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Quittkat et al., Planung und Inbetriebsetzung einer Drehofenanlage zur Herstellung von 600-t/d-Stahlwerks-Kalk in Wuhan/Volksrepublik China, Zement-Kalk-Gips No. 7, pp. 370-376, 1981. |
Quittkat et al., Design and commissioning of a Rotary Kiln plant for production of 600 tpd lime for the Wuhlan Steelworks, People's Republic of China, Zement-Kalk-Gips No. 9, pp. 202-208, 1982. |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
795690 |
Feb 1997 |
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