Method and apparatus for heat transfer
AssigneeKFx Inc.
InventorsDavid S. Conochie, Mark J. Greenwood
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus of heating or cooling a charge of a solid material are disclosed. The method includes the steps of supplying a charge of the material to form a packed bed of solids in a process vessel having one or more passageways through which a heat transfer fluid can flow, passing a heat transfer fluid through the one or more passageways and supplying a working fluid to said vessel. The method is characterized by circulating the working fluid through the bed, the circulation step including removing at least part of the working fluid from one or more sections of the vessel and then returning the working fluid to other sections of the vessel.
Claims16
A method of heating or cooling a charge of a solid material, which method includes the steps of:
- supplying the charge of the material to form a packed bed of solids in a process vessel having one or more passageways through which a heat transfer fluid can flow;
- passing a heat transfer fluid through the one or more passageways;
- supplying a working fluid to said vessel;
- and circulating the working fluid through said bed, the circulation step including removing at least part of the working fluid from one or more sections of the vessel and then returning the working fluid to other sections of the vessel, whereby indirect heat transfer occurs between the heat transfer fluid and the charge and between the heat transfer fluid and the working fluid, and whereby direct heat transfer occurs between said working fluid and the charge as the working fluid circulates through the bed.
An apparatus for heating or cooling a charge of a solid material, which apparatus includes:
- (i) a process vessel having an outer shell that defines an internal volume for containing the charge of the material as a packed bed of solids and an indirect heat transfer means located in the internal volume for heating or cooling the charge;
- (ii) a means for supplying a working fluid to the vessel;
- and
- (iii) a means for circulating a working fluid through the bed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.