Systems and methods for treating and preventing blockages in solid fuel conditioning equipment
AssigneeRiley Power, Inc.
InventorDanny Lee Tomac
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided for introducing one or more unblocking materials into solid fuel conditioning equipment at predetermined locations and intervals to prevent the occurrence of, or to treat the existence of at least one solid fuel blockage within the equipment, wherein introduction of the one or more unblocking materials is based on or triggered by an assessment of whether there is an actual or impending partial or complete blockage of solid fuel within the conditioning equipment, and wherein such assessment is made by measuring pressure within the solid fuel conditioning equipment and then comparing the measurement(s) against a baseline pressure.
Claims28
A method of curing at least one solid fuel blockage within solid fuel conditioning equipment, comprising the steps of:
- identifying that at least one fuel blockage of solid fuel is present within the solid fuel conditioning equipment by:
- obtaining at least one pressure measurement within solid fuel conditioning equipment while solid fuel is being conditioned by the solid fuel conditioning equipment;
- comparing the at least one pressure measurement to at least one baseline pressure measurement to determine at least one pressure differential;
- and
- determining that the at least one pressure differential is indicative of the presence of at least one solid fuel blockage;
- and
- causing an amount of at least one unblocking material to be introduced into the solid fuel conditioning equipment to cure the at least one solid fuel blockage.
A method of preventing the formation of a solid fuel blockage within solid fuel conditioning equipment, comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a plurality of pressure measurements within solid fuel conditioning equipment, wherein the plurality of pressure measurements are obtained (a) while solid fuel is being conditioned by the solid fuel conditioning equipment, and (b) over a predetermined time period;
- comparing the plurality of pressure measurements to a baseline pressure measurement to determine a plurality of pressure differentials;
- and
- confirming that the plurality of pressure differentials are approaching a predetermined pressure differential threshold;
- and
- causing an amount of at least one unblocking material to be introduced into the solid fuel conditioning equipment to prevent the occurrence of a solid fuel blockage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.