Method and system for dewatering carboniferous materials using a vaportight pressure chamber
AssigneeMaschinenfabrik J. Dieffenbacher GmbH & Co.
InventorFriedrich B. Bielfeldt
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Abstract
Water content which is bound by capillarity in fiber cells of carboniferous materials is reduced by a thermomechanical dewatering process. In the process, the carboniferous materials are conveyed by a dispersion box into a pressure chamber including upper and lower plates. Steam is applied to the materials introduced into the pressure chamber from both the upper and lower plates to heat the materials up to about 125.degree. C. and to release the water which is bound by capillarity in the fiber cells. Initially, the pressure within the chamber is maintained at no greater than the steam pressure. Subsequently, the pressure chamber is sealed gastight and the carboniferous materials in the pressure chamber are pressed using the upper and lower plates.
Claims36
A system for dewatering materials, comprising:
- a belt onto which the materials are dispersed, the belt having a lower belt which is permeable to steam and two sidewall belts which are impermeable to gas, the two sidewall belts being coupled to the lower belt through a pair of sealing strips;
- and
- a press through which the belt is conveyed, the press having a lower plate over which the belt is conveyed, the lower plate having a plurality of holes through which steam is injected and through which water is drained.
A thermomechanical dewatering system for producing a dewatered slab, comprising:
- a belt for supplying materials to be dewatered, the belt having a lower belt, two sidewall belts, and a pair of gaskets which couples the sidewall belts to the lower belt;
- and
- a gastight pressure chamber to which the materials are supplied by the belt, the chamber including a lower plate on top of which the lower belt slides, lateral pressure strips against which the two sidewall belts slide, a sleeve regulating a flow of materials entering the chamber, a valve regulating a flow of the materials exiting the chamber, and an upper plate disposed between the lateral pressure strips.
A method for dewatering materials, comprising the steps of:
- continuously dispersing materials into a dispersion box belt;
- introducing the materials dispersed into the dispersion box belt through a pressure chamber;
- precompressing the materials introduced into the pressure chamber;
- and
- uniformly injecting steam having a steam pressure in a range of 5 bar to 8 bar through the materials introduced into the pressure chamber.
A method for reducing a water content which is bound by capillarity in fiber cells of pulverized solid carboniferous materials, the materials being conveyed by a dispersion box which is introduced into a pressure chamber including upper and lower plates, said method comprising the steps of:
- preheating the materials to approximately 60.degree. C. and the dispersion box to approximately 100.degree. C.;
- applying steam to the materials introduced into the pressure chamber;
- exerting a pressure in the chamber no greater than steam pressure in the step of applying steam;
- and
- sealing the pressure chamber to be gastight and raising pressure in the pressure chamber by pressing the materials between the upper and lower plates.
A method for reducing water content of materials by applying thermal energy and mechanical energy to the materials inside a substantially vapor-tight pressure chamber, the thermal energy including superheated steam and the mechanical energy including compression pressure, said method comprising the steps of:
- introducing the materials into the pressure chamber;
- treating the materials with injected steam superheated to a temperature .gtoreq.150.degree. C. to heat the materials to a temperature above 100.degree. C.;
- applying pressure on the materials, the pressure corresponding to a pressure between 5 bar and 8 bar, and
- after a temperature of approximately 125.degree. C. is reached in the materials, stopping the injecting of the steam and increasing the pressure on the materials up to a maximum pressure that is determined in accordance with a grain size of the materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.