Fly ash processing using inclined fluidized bed and sound wave agitation

A process for separating different types of dry particulates from a dry mixture, comprising the steps of:

• separating said different types of dry particulates by size into a plurality of components, including at least a fine component and a coarse component;
• processing at least one of said coarse component and said fine component along a first inclined fluidized bed to achieve bubbling fluidization of said particles and thereby cause segregation by which a dense fraction settles downward and a light fraction rises upward in said bed, said processing step including acoustic enhancement whereby an acoustic field is imposed on said first fluidized bed to improve fluidization and segregation of particles;
• removing said dense fraction from said at least one processed component to thereby produce an upgraded processed component;
• and
• recombining said at least one upgraded processed component with other components to produce a final product.

A process for separating different types of dry particulates from a dry mixture, comprising the steps of:

• separating said different types of dry particulates by size into a plurality of components, including at least a fine component and a coarse component;
• processing said coarse component in a first inclined fluidized bed to achieve bubbling fluidization of said particles and thereby cause segregation by which a dense fraction settles downward and a light fraction rises upward in said bed, said processing including acoustic enhancement whereby an acoustic field is imposed on said first fluidized bed to improve fluidization and segregation;
• processing said fine component in a second inclined fluidized bed to achieve bubbling fluidization of said particles and thereby cause segregation by which a dense fraction settles downward and a light fraction rises upward in said bed, said processing including acoustic enhancement whereby an acoustic field is imposed on said second fluidized bed to improve fluidization and segregation;
• removing said dense fraction from said coarse component to thereby produce an upgraded coarse component;
• removing said dense fraction from said fine component to thereby produce an upgraded fine component;
• recombining said upgraded coarse component with said upgraded fine component to produce a final product.

A process for separating unburned carbon from dry raw fly ash, comprising the steps of:

• separating dry raw fly ash by size into a plurality of components, including at least a fine component and a coarse component, said coarse component having typically higher levels of unburned carbon;
• processing at least one of said coarse component and said fine component along a first inclined fluidized bed to achieve bubbling fluidization of said particles and thereby cause segregation by which a dense fraction settles downward and a light fraction rises upward in said bed, said processing step including acoustic enhancement whereby an acoustic field is imposed on said first fluidized bed to improve fluidization and segregation of particles;
• removing said dense fraction from said at least one processed component to thereby produce an upgraded processed component having lower levels of unburned carbon;
• and
• recombining said at least one upgraded processed component with other components to produce a final product having lower levels of unburned carbon.

A process for separating unburned carbon from dry raw fly ash, comprising the steps of:

• separating raw fly ash by size into a plurality of components, including at least a fine component and a coarse component, said coarse component having typically higher levels of unburned carbon;
• processing said coarse component in a first inclined fluidized bed to achieve bubbling fluidization of said particles and thereby cause segregation by which a dense fraction settles downward and a light fraction rises upward in said bed, said processing including acoustic enhancement whereby an acoustic field is imposed on said first fluidized bed to improve fluidization and segregation;
• processing said fine component in a second inclined fluidized bed to achieve bubbling fluidization of said particles and thereby cause segregation by which a dense fraction settles downward and a light fraction rises upward in said bed, said processing including acoustic enhancement whereby an acoustic field is imposed on said second fluidized bed to improve fluidization and segregation;
• removing said dense fraction from said coarse component to thereby produce an upgraded coarse component having lower levels of unburned carbon;
• removing said dense fraction from said fine component to thereby produce an upgraded fine component having lower levels of unburned carbon;
• recombining said upgraded coarse component with said upgraded fine component to produce a final product.

An acoustically enhanced fluidized bed for separating unburned carbon from dry raw fly ash, comprising:

• means for introducing raw dry fly ash;
• a distributor extending lengthwise along said fluidized bed for supporting said raw fly ash;
• an air plenum for bubbling air up through the raw fly ash via said distributor;
• at least one speaker mounted above said fluidized bed for enhancing its ability to fluidize and segregate;
• whereby said raw fly ash traverses said fluidized bed and a reduced unburned carbon component settles downward toward said distributor while an increased unburned carbon component rises upward;
• and
• means for separating said reduced unburned carbon component from said increased unburned carbon component.