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US 5,630,368 AGranted
Coal feed and injection system for a coal-fired firetube boiler
AssigneeThe University of Tennessee Research Corporation
InventorsCharles L. Wagoner, John P. Foote
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to an improved coal injection and coal feed system for use with a coal-fired firetube boiler. More specifically, the coal injection system of the present invention comprises an educator and a coal delivery tube. The coal feed system of the present invention comprises a coal hopper, gyratable bin, gyration device, discharge plenum and feed conveyor.
Claims11
A coal injection system for use with a coal burning firetube boiler, comprising:
- a. an eductor comprising an inlet region, a reducer region comprising a large diameter end adjacent said inlet region and a small diameter end opposite said large diameter end, and a mixing chamber extending longitudinally through said eductor, said mixing chamber comprising a smaller diameter end adjacent the small diameter end of said reducer region and a larger diameter end opposite said smaller diameter end, said mixing chamber increasing in internal diameter from its smaller diameter end to its larger diameter end, said inlet region, reducer region, and mixing chamber forming a longitudinal bore through said eductor;
- and
- b. a coal delivery tube having a first end attachable to a source of finely divided coal of uniform density and pressure and a second end extending through said inlet and reducer regions and terminating in said mixing region near the smaller diameter end of said mixing region, said tube having an outer diameter slightly less than the smaller diameter of said mixing region and said tube further being concentrically located within said eductor so as to form an annular passageway around the perimeter of said tube in said eductor, said passageway having sufficient width to permit air injected into said annular passageway to draw a vacuum at the second end of said tube.
A coal feed system for use with a coal injection system of a firetube boiler, comprising:
- a. a coal hopper, comprising an upper opening capable of receiving finely divided coal, a substantially conical bottom region and a lower opening located at the base of said bottom region;
- b. a gyratable bin comprising a bin inlet aligned with said lower opening, a substantially conical base region and a discharge outlet located at the end of said base region, said discharge outlet having a smaller diameter than said lower opening;
- c. a gyration device mechanically coupled to said gyration bin and capable of sufficiently gyrating said bin to reduce the probability that finely divided coal that may be received in said bin will clump;
- d. a discharge plenum aligned with said discharge outlet comprising a fluidizing support pad capable of supporting finely divided coal received in said discharge plenum, a fluid injection inlet capable of receiving fluid of sufficient pressure and flow rate to fluidize finely divided coal received in said discharge plenum, a lower region, and a coal outlet located in said lower region between the support pad and the fluid injection inlet;
- and
- e. a feed conveyor device having a first end installed in said coal outlet, said conveyor device being configured to convey finely divided, fluidized coal away from said discharge plenum.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.