Heat regeneration for oxy-fuel fired furnaces

A regeneration system for a high temperature furnace having at least one of oxy-fuel burners and air-fueled burners, said system comprising:

• a first regeneration assembly having at least one removably connected cassette regenerator;
• a second regeneration assembly having at least one removably connected cassette regenerator;
• an exhaust reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said first and second regeneration assemblies and configured to selectively direct exhaust gas from the furnace to a selected one of said first and second regeneration assemblies;
• an air supply conduit;
• at least one preheated air conduit;
• an air reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said air supply conduit and said at least one preheated air conduit and configured to selectively direct air from said air supply conduit to a selected one of said first and second regeneration assemblies to said at least one preheated air conduit;
• and
• a turbine in flow communication with said at least one preheated air conduit.

A regeneration system for a high temperature furnace having at least one of oxy-fuel burners and air-fueled burners, said system comprising:

• a first regeneration assembly having at least one removably connected cassette regenerator;
• a second regeneration assembly having at least one removably connected cassette regenerator;
• an exhaust reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said first and second regeneration assemblies and configured to selectively direct exhaust gas from the furnace to a selected one of said first and second regeneration assemblies;
• an air supply conduit;
• at least one preheated air conduit;
• an air reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said air supply conduit and said at least one preheated air conduit and configured to selectively direct air from said air supply conduit to a selected one of said first and second regeneration assemblies to said at least one preheated air conduit;
• and
• a by-pass flue system in flow communication with said exhaust reversal valve assembly.

A cassette regeneration system for an oxy-fuel fired furnace having oxy-fuel burners, said system comprising:

• a first regeneration assembly, said first regeneration assembly including at least one removably connected first cassette regenerator, a first exhaust manifold assembly in flow communication with said at least one first cassette regenerator and a first regenerator header in flow communication with said at least one first cassette regenerator;
• a second regeneration assembly, said second regeneration assembly including at least one removably connected second cassette regenerator, a second exhaust manifold assembly in flow communication with said at least one second cassette regenerator and a second regenerator header in flow communication with said at least one second cassette regenerator;
• an exhaust reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said first and second regeneration assemblies configured to selectively direct exhaust from the furnace through a selected one of said first and second regeneration assemblies;
• an air reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said first and second regeneration headers;
• an air supply conduit in flow communication with said air reversal valve assembly, wherein said air reversal valve assembly is configured to selectively direct air flow through a selected one of said first and second cassette regenerators;
• and
• a preheated air conduit in flow communication with said air reversal valve assembly.

A cassette regeneration system for an oxy-fuel fired furnace having oxy-fuel burners, said system comprising:

• a first regeneration assembly, said first regeneration assembly including at least one removably connected first cassette regenerator, a first exhaust manifold assembly in flow communication with said at least one first cassette regenerator and a first regenerator header in flow communication with said at least one first cassette regenerator;
• a second regeneration assembly, said second regeneration assembly including at least one removably connected second cassette regenerator, a second exhaust manifold assembly in flow communication with said at least one second cassette regenerator and a second regenerator header in flow communication with said at least one second cassette regenerator;
• an exhaust reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said first and second regeneration assemblies configured to selectively direct exhaust from the furnace through a selected one of said first and second regeneration assemblies;
• an air reversal valve assembly in flow communication with said first and second regeneration headers;
• an air supply conduit in flow communication with said air reversal valve assembly, wherein said air reversal valve assembly is configured to selectively direct air flow through a selected one of said first and second cassette regenerators;
• at least one preheated air conduit in flow communication with said air reversal valve assembly;
• a turbine in flow communication with said preheated air conduit;
• an electrical power generator connected to said turbine;
• an oxygen generator powered by said power generator;
• an oxygen conduit extending from said oxygen generator to the oxy-fuel burners of the furnace to supply oxygen to the oxy-fuel burners.

A method of heat recovery for an oxy-fuel fired furnace having oxy-fuel burners, comprising the steps of:

• directing exhaust from the furnace to an exhaust reversal valve assembly;
• selectively directing the exhaust through said exhaust reversal valve assembly to a first regeneration assembly, said first regeneration assembly including at least one removable cassette regenerator having filter media;
• passing exhaust gas through said selected first regeneration assembly to heat said filter media in said first regenerator assembly;
• directing air to an air reversal valve assembly;
• selectively directing the air through said air reversal valve assembly into a second regeneration assembly having at least one removable cassette regenerator to heat the air;
• and
• directing the heated air to a turbine to turn the turbine.

A method of heat recovery for an oxy-fuel fired furnace having oxy-fuel burners, comprising the steps of:

• directing exhaust from the furnace to an exhaust reversal valve assembly;
• selectively directing the exhaust through said exhaust reversal valve assembly to a first regeneration assembly, said first regeneration assembly including at least one removable cassette regenerator having filter media;
• passing exhaust gas through said selected first regeneration assembly to heat said filter media in said first regenerator assembly;
• directing air to an air reversal valve assembly;
• selectively directing the air through said air reversal valve assembly into a second regeneration assembly having at least one removable cassette regenerator to heat the air;
• directing the heated air from said second regeneration assembly to a turbine to turn the turbine;
• using said turbine to power an electrical generator to produce electricity;
• using the electricity produced by said electrical generator to power an oxygen separator to produce oxygen;
• and
• directing the oxygen produced by said oxygen generator to the oxy-fuel burners of the furnace.

A regeneration system for an oxy-fuel fired furnace having oxy-fuel burners, said system comprising:

• means for directing exhaust from the furnace to an exhaust reversal valve assembly;
• means for selectively directing the exhaust through said exhaust reversal valve assembly to a first regeneration assembly, said first regeneration assembly including at least one removable cassette regenerator having filter media;
• means for passing exhaust gas through said selected first regeneration assembly to heat said filter media in said first regenerator assembly;
• means for directing air to an air reversal valve assembly;
• means for selectively directing the air through said air reversal valve assembly into a second regeneration assembly having at least one removable cassette regenerator to heat the air;
• and
• means for directing the heated air to a turbine to turn the turbine.