US 4,486,211 A · Apparatus and methods of operation for converting fly ash into high quality mineral wool

Abstract

A system for converting fly ash into mineral wool including an airtight chamber enclosing a molten stream from a spinner and providing an adjustable access to a bin for receiving shot and including an airflow device for drawing air from the bin, through the adjustable access, past the spinner, and into an accumulator, with the adjustable access being operable to selectively limit the rate of flow of the air to thereby control the average weight of fibrous strands entering the accumulator is also disclosed. The quality of accumulated strands is also controlled through a system including a spinner for converting a molten stream into an output of fibrous strands and shot, a cyclone, and a collector with conduit means delivering fibrous strands from the spinner to cyclone and from a light fiber vortex exit or the cyclone to the collector. Preferably, the cyclone includes a variably positionable vortex exit tube. Methods are taught using the above-identified apparatus to generate a high quality mineral wool.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A system for converting fly ash to mineral wool comprising:

a. furnace means for melting fly ash to produce a molten stream;
b. spinner means located below said furnace means to intersect said molten stream and convert said molten stream into fibrous strands and shot;
c. means for accumulating said fibrous strands including an input opening located adjacent said spinner means;
d. bin means located below said spinner means to receive said shot, said bin means being open to atmospheric pressure air;
e. air-tight chamber means for enclosing therewithin the molten stream and said spinner means, said chamber means including an air-tight seal to said input opening of said means for accumulating, and an adjustable access for said shot to said bin means, which access also provides the only source of air to said chamber means;
and
f. air-flow means for drawing atmospheric pressure air from said bin means, through said adjustable access, past said spinner means and into said means for accumulating to carry said fibrous strands into said means for accumulating, said adjustable access being operable to selectively limit the rate of flow of said air to thereby control the average weight of said fibrous strands entering said means for accumulating.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and methods of operation for converting fly ash into high quality mineral wool

Life of this patent

Apparatus and methods of operation for converting fly ash into high quality mineral wool

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16