System, method and apparatus for controlling the flow direction, flow rate and temperature of solids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10429064-B2
Application number	US-201615086821-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling flow of a material includes an inlet for receiving the material from a source, and a seal mechanism connected to the inlet, the seal mechanism having a fluidizing bed configured to receive the material from the inlet, a first discharge passageway and a second discharge passageway. The fluidizing bed includes a first transport zone associated with the first discharge passageway and a second transport zone associated with the second discharge passageway, wherein the first and second transport zones are configured to receive transport gas from a transport gas source. The transport gas is controllable to selectively divert a flow of the material into the first discharge passageway and the second discharge passageway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for controlling flow of a material, comprising:
a first control subassembly having a first inlet to receive a respective first flow of solids from a first source;
and a second control subassembly having a second inlet to receive a second flow of solids from a second source;
and
a first seal mechanism fluidly coupled to the first inlet, the first seal mechanism having a first fluidizing bed configured to receive the the first flow of solids from the first inlet;
a second seal mechanism fluidly coupled to the second inlet, the second seal mechanism having a second fluidizing bed configured to receive the second flow of solids from the second inlet;
a first discharge passageway and a second discharge passageway fluidly coupled to the first fluidizing bed; and a bypass pathway fluidly coupled to the first discharge passageway; and a heat exchange pathway fluidly coupled to the second discharge passageway, the heat exchange pathway having at least one heat exchanger associated therewith for controlling a temperature of the material;
a third discharge passageway and a fourth discharge passageway fluidly coupled to the second fluidizing bed;
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth passageways are fluidly coupled with a common outlet;
wherein the first fluidizing bed includes a first transport zone associated with the first discharge passageway and a second transport zone associated with the second discharge passageway, the first and second transport zones being configured to receive a first transport gas from a transport gas source;
wherein the second fluidizing bed includes a third transport zone associated with the third discharge passageway and a fourth transport zone associated with the fourth discharge passageway, the third and fourth transport zones being configured to receive a second transport gas from a transport gas source; and
wherein the first transport gas is controllable to selectively divert a flow of the material into the first discharge passageway and the second discharge passageway.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the heat exchange pathway includes a heat exchange chamber housing the heat exchanger and an empty chamber upstream from the heat exchange chamber, the heat exchange chamber and the empty chamber being separated by a weir.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the heat exchange chamber and the empty chamber are supplied with fluidizing gas for selectively passing the material through, or slumping the material within, each chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the common outlet is fluidly coupled to the heat exchange pathway and the bypass pathway.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first orifice plate adjacent to the first discharge passageway and separating the first discharge passageway from the fluidizing bed;
a second orifice plate adjacent to the second discharge passageway and separating the second discharge passageway from the fluidizing bed;
wherein the first orifice plate and the second orifice plate each have a plurality of apertures disposed at a height above the bed, the plurality of apertures allowing transport of fluidized material and gas through the plurality of apertures of the orifice plate from the bed to the first and second discharge passageways, respectively.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the flow rate of the material into the first and second passageways is controlled based on at least one of a total number of the plurality of apertures, a diameter of an aperture of the plurality of apertures, a cross-sectional shape of an aperture of the plurality of apertures, an area of an aperture of the plurality of apertures and a height of an aperture of the plurality of apertures.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the apparatus is configured to control the flow direction, the flow rate and the temperature of the material in a chemical process plant; and
the chemical process plant includes at least one of a fluidized bed reactor, a circulating fluidized bed reactor, a bubbling fluidized bed reactor, a moving fluidized bed, and a transport reactor.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the fluidizing bed is configured to fluidize the material using a gas supplied from a fluidizing gas source.

9. The apparatus of clam 1 , wherein:
the material is one of a solids fuel, a reactant, and inert particles.

10. An apparatus for controlling flow of solids in a chemical process plant, comprising:
a solids feed-pipe having an upper end which receives solids from a first upstream source, and a first lower end;
a bed fluidly coupled to the lower end of the solids feed-pipe and configured to receive the solids from the solids feed-pipe, the bed including a first transport zone and a second transport zone, each transport zone being configured to receive transport gas from a transport gas source;
a first discharge passageway adjacent to the first transport zone; and a second discharge passageway adjacent to the second transport zone; wherein fluidized solids are transported to the first discharge passageway and the second discharge passageway using the transport gas supplied to the first and second transport zones;
a second solids feed-pipe having an upper end which receives solids of the power plant from a second upstream source and a second lower end;
a second bed fluidly coupled to the second lower end of the second solids feed-pipe and configured to receive the solids from the second feedpipe, the second bed including a first transport zone and a second transport zone, each transport zone being configured to receive transport gas from the transport gas source;
a second bypass pathway in communication with the first transport zone of the second bed;
a second heat exchange pathway in communication with the second transport zone of the second bed; and
an outlet fluidly coupled to the heat exchange pathway and the bypass pathway for receiving the fluidized solids;
wherein fluidized solids from the second upstream source are transported to the second bypass pathway and the second heat exchange pathway using the transport gas supplied to the first and second transport zones of the second bed.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising:
a bypass pathway fluidly coupled to the first discharge passageway; and a heat exchange pathway fluidly coupled to the second discharge passageway, the heat exchange pathway having at least one heat exchanger associated therewith for controlling a temperature of the solids.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein:
the at least one heat exchanger is a plurality of heat exchangers, each heat exchanger being associated with a separate heat exchange chamber within the heat exchange pathway.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
an empty chamber within the heat exchange pathway and positioned upstream from the plurality of heat exchange chambers;
wherein the heat exchange chambers and the empty chamber are supplied with fluidizing gas for selectively passing the material through, or slumping the material within, each chamber to heat or cool the fluidized solids to a target temperature.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the chemical process plant includes at least one of a fluidized bed, a circulating fluidized bed, a bubbling fluidized bed, a moving fluidized bed, and a transport reactor.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the second heat exchange pathway and the second bypass pathway are fluidly coupled to the outlet.

16. A method of controlling a flow of solids, comprising

Assignees

• General Electric Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Chiu Jonq-Hai
• Andrus Jr Herbert E
• Weingaertner Christoph Herbert
• Dornik Hans-Peter
• Stallmann Olaf

Classifications

• B01J8/1836

  Heating and cooling the reactor (B01J8/42 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01J8/0055

  using cyclones · CPC title

• F23C2900/10008

  Special arrangements of return flow seal valve in fluidized bed combustors · CPC title

• B01J2208/00061

  of the reactants · CPC title

• F23C10/20

  Inlets for fluidisation air, e.g. grids; Bottoms · CPC title