Method and apparatus for opening discharge outlets
AssigneeChampion International Corporation
InventorJack M. Kleinfeld
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heating element comprising: a body having a heating section; heating means inserted in or adjacent to said body, said means capable of generating heat, having a heat flux Q.sub.1 at a temperature T.sub.1 ; and heat transfer and concentration means capable of transferring said heat from said heating means to said heating section and concentrating said heat in said section such that said section has a heat flux Q.sub.2 at a temperature of T.sub.2, where Q.sub.2 is greater than Q.sub.1 and where T.sub.2 is equal to or less than T.sub.1.
Claims26
An improved method for shutting down and starting up a process comprising forming a hot molten material in a vessel, and discharging said material from discharge outlet of said vessel, said method comprising:
- inserting an heating element into said outlet;
- cooling down said material in said vessel and said outlet to solidify said material such that said element is fixed in said solidified material in said outlet;
- and
- starting up said process by heating said element to a temperature equal to or greater than the melting point of said solidified material to form a molten material and removing said element from said outlet to provide a substantially open outlet for discharge of said molten material from said vessel, said improvement comprising:
- a heating element comprising:
- a body having a heating section formed from a material having a melting point greater than the melting point of said material;
- heating means inserted in or positioned adjacent to said body, said means capable of generating a heat flux Q.sub.1 at a temperature T.sub.1 which is equal to or greater than the melting point of said material;
- and
- heat transfer and concentration means capable of transferring said heat from said heating means to said heating section and concentrating said heat in said section such that said heating section has a heat flux Q.sub.2 where Q.sub.2 is greater than Q.sub.1 and a temperature T.sub.2 which is equal to or greater than the melting point of said material and is equal to or less than T.sub.1.
An improved method for opening a discharge outlet of a vessel used in a process comprising forming a molten material in said vessel, and discharging said molten material from said vessel via said outlet wherein said material has solidified in said outlet preventing the discharge of material, said method comprising:
- applying an elongated heating element heated to a temperature equal to or greater than the melting point of said solidified material to said material solidified in said outlet for a time sufficient to melt said solidified material to provide a substantially open discharge outlet for discharge of said molten material from said vessel and improvement comprising:
- a heating element for opening the outlet of a vessel in which a material has frozen in the outlet, said element comprising:
- a body having a heating section formed from a material having a melting point greater than the melting point of said material;
- heating means inserted in or positioned adjacent to said body, said means capable of generating a heat flux Q.sub.1 at a temperature T.sub.1 which is equal to or greater than the melting point of said material;
- and
- heat transfer and concentration means capable of transferring said heat from said heating means to said heating section and concentrating said heat in said section such that said heating section has a heat flux Q.sub.2 where Q.sub.2 is greater than Q.sub.1 and a temperature T.sub.2 which is equal to or greater than the melting point of said material and is equal to or less than T.sub.1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.