Apparatus for effecting heat exchange between a liquid and a particulate material

Apparatus for effecting heat exchange between a liquid and a particulate material, said apparatus comprising:

• an elongate heat exchange chamber having an inlet for particulate material and an outlet for particulate material spaced longitudinally from said inlet for particulate material,
• mechanical conveyor means for conveying said particulate material from said inlet to said outlet,
• a plurality of inlets for heat exchange liquid into said chamber and a plurality of outlets for heat exchange liquid from said chamber, said outlets for heat exchange liquid being transversely spaced in said chamber from said inlets for heat exchange liquid,
• wherein the chamber comprises a heating section and a cooling section and each said section comprises a plurality of said inlets for heat exchange liquid and a plurality of said outlets for heat exchange liquid, and
• wherein the apparatus further comprises means for circulating a hotter heat exchange liquid through said chamber heating section via said plurality of inlets for heat exchange liquid and plurality of outlets for heat exchange liquid in the heating section and means for circulating a cooler heat exchange liquid through said chamber cooling section via said at least one inlet and said at least one outlet for heat exchange liquid in said cooling section, so arranged as to circulate said heat exchange liquid from each of a plurality of said outlets for heat exchange liquid to a respective inlet for heat exchange liquid located more upstream with respect to said conveyor means, except that a most upstream one of said heat exchange liquid outlets, with respect to the conveyor means, or a most upstream outlet, with respect to the conveyor means, in a group of said outlets and inlets is connected to a most downstream one of said inlets, with respect to said conveyor means, or a most downstream inlet in said group and wherein said means for circulating said cooler heat exchange liquid is also so arranged as to circulate said heat exchange liquid from each of a plurality of said outlets to a receptive inlet located more upstream with respect to said conveyor, except that a most upstream one of said heat exchange liquid outlets, with respect to the conveyor means, or the most upstream outlet, with respect to the conveyor means, in a group of said outlets and inlets is connected to a most downstream one of said inlets, with respect to said conveyor means, or a most downstream inlet in said group.

Apparatus for effecting heat exchange between a liquid and a particulate material, said apparatus comprising:

• a heat exchange chamber having an inlet for particulate material and an outlet for particulate material spaced from said inlet along said chamber,
• material conveyor means for conveying said particulate material from said inlet to said outlet,
• a plurality of inlets into said chamber at a low level for heat exchange liquid spaced between said inlet for particulate material and said outlet for particulate material,
• a plurality of outlets from said chamber at a high level for said heat exchange liquid spaced between said inlet for particulate material and said outlet for particulate material,
• means for pumping said heat exchange liquid to flow through the inlets for heat exchange liquid into said chamber and from the outlets for heat exchange liquid to the inlets for heat exchange liquid so arranged as to pump said heat exchange liquid from each of a plurality of said outlets to a respective inlet located more upstream with respect to said conveyor means, except that a most upstream one of said heat exchange liquid outlets with respect to the conveyor means or a most upstream outlet with respect to the conveyor means in a group of said outlets and inlets is connected to a most downstream one of said inlets with respect to said conveyor means or a most downstream inlet in said group,
• whereby flow of heat exchange liquid transversely through the chamber between said inlets for heat exchange liquid and said outlets for heat exchange liquid is employed in use to suspend said particulate material in said chamber.