This Application claims the priority of Spanish Patent Application No. P201431401 filed on Sep. 25, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein.
The object of the invention, in general, falls within the industrial sector of solid-fuel boilers and, in particular, refers to a system for
In the current state of the art boilers using solid fuels are already known, and in particular, boilers that use solid fuels of small size such as chips, olive stones and, in general, small cylinders of compacted biomass, known generically as “pellets”.
The use of these fuels, due to their compact constitution and their reduced size, is advantageous as compared to certain other solid fuels of larger size, allowing the automation of the supply to the biomass boilers from a storage silo.
Also known are biomass boilers that use “pellets” as fuel and incorporate a system for cleaning the ashes that accumulate in the burner. For example, and among others, in documents CH182329, U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,452 and EP2039993 boilers of this type are described.
Unresolved problems in these types of boilers are those relating to the cleaning of the ashes in the burner plate when cleaning is required, not only of the edge, but also of all or most of the burner plate to prevent the ashes from becoming embedded and they accumulate in the burner affecting the performance of the boiler negatively.
Moreover, the power of the boiler is a direct function of the quantity of solid fuel that the burner accepts. In any of the currently known solutions, the quantity of solid fuel that the burner accepts is determined by its own dimensions. To increase the power of the boiler, very large plates are needed.
The object of the invention is a system for cleaning at will all or part of the surface of the burner and confining the solid fuel in the burner in such a way that the plate accepts a larger quantity of fuel without varying its size. The solid-fuel boiler is of the type that consist of a burner plate associated with a combustion chamber; a supply device that supplies the solid fuel from a storage hopper to the centre of the plate through an intake line using controlled/automated dosing; and an ash discharging device associated with a collector on which said ashes overflow from the perimeter of the plate. It is characterized in that the plate is mobile and has means for rotating with respect to the supply device and/or the ash-discharging device; and the ash-discharging device is fixed and has at least one blade with means to guide it at will on the plate.
In the joint action of the mobile plate and fixed ash discharging device, starting from a tangential position in which its blades are arranged on the perimeter of the plate, the ashes deposited can be cleaned by sweeping; they occupy a crown of any width between a minimum (corresponding with the blades positioned very near the edge of the plate) and a maximum (corresponding with the blades positioned occupying the full width of the plate).
It is also characterized in that the blades of the ash discharging device are increased in height, all of them delimiting (in conjunction with the plate and in a tangential position in which they act as side slats) a perimetrally closed container to confine the solid fuel; so that the plate accepts a larger quantity of fuel without varying its size.
Other configurations and advantages of the invention can be deduced from the following description, and from the dependent claims.
To understand the object of the invention better, a preferential form of embodiment is represented in the attached figures, subject to accessory changes that do not essentially alter it. In this case:
The following describes an example of practical, non-limiting embodiment of this invention. Other modes of embodiment in which accessory changes are introduced that do not essentially change it are not ruled out.
In the drawings of this example of preferential embodiment, the following references and particularities have been indicated:
The object of the invention is a system for cleaning the burner and confining fuel in solid-fuel boilers of the type that use solid fuels such as chips, olive stones and, in general, small cylinders of compact biomass known generically as “pellets”.
In a known way, these boilers consist of a plate (1) of the burner associated with the combustion chamber; a supply device (2) that supplies the solid fuel from a storage hopper using controlled/automated dosing; and an ash-discharging device (3) associated with a collector on which said ashes overflow from the perimeter of the plate (1).
The solid fuels used reach the burner (1) using, for example, a supply device (2), of the helix or endless screw type (21) that supplies them, at controlled speed, from a storage hopper, accessing a central zone of the plate (1) through an intake line (20).
Also in a known way, the ashes resulting from combustion are removed by mechanical means continuously or periodically.
In conformity with the invention and according to the embodiment represented, the plate (1) is mobile with respect to the supply device (2) and/or to the ash-discharging device (3): it rotates, or can rotate, on its theoretical central axis (e1). See
Any solution used to achieve the rotation of the plate (1) is indistinct, and is included in the object of the invention. In the example of embodiment represented, to achieve the rotation of the plate (1) a crown wheel (11) is arranged under it and occupying its entire perimeter; said crown wheel (11) engaging with one or several drive pinions that are operated by an external motor (neither the drive pinions nor the motor are represented).
In conformity with the invention and according to the embodiment represented, the ash-discharging device (3) is fixed and consists of at least one blade, (31) with means to guide it at will on the plate (1). Each ash-discharging device (3) rotates or can rotate on its theoretical axis (e2). See
Any solution used to achieve the rotation of the blades (31) is indistinct, and is included in the object of the invention. In the example of embodiment represented, to achieve the rotation of the blades (31) they are arranged jointly with a physical axis (30), to which a pinion (32) is also, arranged on a different plane. This pinion (32), engaging with one or several drive pinions (not represented), turns in one direction or the other, moves with it in its rotation on the physical axis (30) and causes the corresponding blade (31) to tilt in one direction or the other.
The blades (31) are arranged on the plate (1) and occupy its surface, starting from a tangential position, in which they occupy the perimetral zone of the plate (1)—see
Any geometry of the blades (31) is indistinct, and is included in the object of the invention, as well as any arrangement of the theoretical axis (e2) on which the blades (31) rotate:
In a tangential starting position, represented in
To clean the plate (1), according to the system that is the object of the invention, it is caused to rotate; in this case counter-clockwise, so that the blades (31) are arranged on the surface of the plate (1) occupying a crown (C) of any width and clean by sweeping the ashes on the surface delimited by said crown (C).
Depending on the width of said crown (C) the swept surface will be larger or smaller: starting from an initial limit position—represented in
In addition, and according to the example of embodiment represented in
From the basic concept described, any embodiments that do not essentially alter, change or modify the proposal are included in the object of the invention: For example, the number of blades (31) used is indistinct for the purposes of the invention although, for functionality, symmetry and ease of construction, in the examples of embodiment described four blades (31) have been represented.
The materials, dimensions, proportions and, in general, those other accessory or secondary details that do not essentially alter, change or modify the proposal may be variable.
The terms in which this report is written are a true reflection of the object described, and must be taken in their broadest sense and never in a limiting manner.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201431401 | Sep 2014 | ES | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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728362 | Butman | May 1903 | A |
3611542 | Moore | Oct 1971 | A |
4437452 | Reschly | Mar 1984 | A |
20090056694 | Lin | Mar 2009 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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182329 | Feb 1936 | CH |
2039993 | Mar 2009 | EP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160091198 A1 | Mar 2016 | US |