Patent ID: 6564727
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: F23K

Abstract:
A method for retrofitting a solid fuel pulverizer and exhauster system including at least one pulverizer acting in cooperative association with a fuel-fired steam generating power plant which includes a furnace, the at least one pulverizer operative for pulverizing material into smaller particles, the pulverizer including a rotating vertical spindle supported therewithin, a grinding table supported on the vertical spindle for rotation thereby, at least one grinding roll operable to exert a grinding force on material disposed on the grinding table for effecting the pulverization thereof, a bowl drive means for drivingly rotating the vertical spindle, a mill gear set for operably interconnecting the vertical spindle and the bowl drive means, and classifier means for classifying the pulverized solid fuel between a discharge condition in which some of the pulverized solid fuel is suitable for discharge from the at least one pulverizer to the furnace and a non-discharge condition in which the remaining pulverized solid fuel is retained in the at least one pulverizer for further pulverizing, an exhauster assembly having an exhauster housing defining an inlet opening and a fan rotatably mounted in the exhauster housing, the fan providing an air stream, fan drive means for drivingly rotating the fan, and an exhauster fan gear set for operably interconnecting the fan and the fan drive means, and a duct interconnecting the exhauster assembly and the furnace for the feed of pulverized solid fuel therealong from the exhauster assembly to the furnace, the method comprising:replacing the bowl drive motor with a new drive motor which is operable to drivingly rotate the bowl at the pre-retrofit speed but which provides relatively more horsepower than the replaced bowl drive motor; and replacing the original exhauster fan coupling with a new exhauster fan gear set which effects rotation of the exhauster fan at a relatively higher rotational speed than the pre-retrofit speed.