Burner and fine solids feeding apparatus for a burner

Provided are a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into a reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace, and a fine solids feeding apparatus for a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these. The fine solids feeding apparatus comprises gas outlets in a fine solids discharge channel upstream of a downstream outlet end of the fine solids discharge channel. The gas outlets comprise spiral path guiding members configured to facilitate gas to flow from the gas outlets in a spiral flow path around a center axis A of the fine solids discharge channel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Publication WO 2015/054739 presents a dispersion apparatus for use with a solid fuel burner. The dispersion apparatus comprises a passage through which particulate material may flow toward an outlet region for dispersal therefrom, the flow being at least in part rotational about the longitudinal axis of the passage. The dispersion apparatus also comprises a downstream guide means arranged within the passage at or near the outlet region, the downstream guide means configured to at least reduce the rotational motion so that the flow progresses toward the outlet region in a substantially uniform manner in a direction aligned with a longitudinal axis of the passage.

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a burner and a fine solids feeding apparatus that provided for an even solids feed distribution.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on inducing gas to flow in a spiral flow path upstream of the downstream outlet end of the fine solids discharge channel. This spiral flow path of gas causes fine solids flowing in the fine solids discharge channel downstream of the gas outlets to also flow in a spiral flow path. This spiral flow path of the fine solids evens out possible unevenness in a horizontal direction in the flow of fine solids, because a vertical direction of unevenness of the fine solid feed distribution will be overlapped partly with too little fine solid feed and partly with too much fine solid feed. Since reaction gas is fed in a vertical direction, the reaction gas will cross both the overlapped part with too little fine solid feed and the overlapping with too much fine solid feed. The vertical distribution inaccuracy, which is induced by the spiral flow path of the fine solids, occurs on such a small timescale that it does not influence the reaction shaft performance. The result of this is an even distribution of fine solids, which has a positive effect on the reaction between the reaction gas and the fine solids in the reaction shaft of the furnace. furnace.

Because gas is used to induce the spiral flow path of fine solids instead of mechanical spiral flow means, the flow of fine solids will be more even, because there are no mechanical means in the flowing path of the fine solids.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into a reaction shaft of a suspensions smelting furnace, and to a fine solids feeding apparatus for a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these.

First the burner and some embodiments and variants of the burner will be described in greater detail.

The burner comprises a fine solids discharge channel1that is radially outwardly limited by a wall3of the fine solids discharge channel1and that is radially inwardly limited by a fine solids dispersion device3arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1so that the fine solids discharge channel1has an annular cross-section.

The burner comprises an annular reaction gas channel4that surrounds the fine solids discharge channel1and that is radially outwardly limited by a reaction gas channel wall5of the reaction gas channel4and that is radially inwardly limited by the wall3of the fine solids discharge channel1.

The fine solids dispersion device3has dispersion gas openings6and a dispersion gas channel7for conducting dispersion gas to the dispersion gas openings6.

The fine solids dispersion device3extends out of a downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1.

The fine solids dispersion device3has at the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1an enlarged section9, where the diameter of the fine solids dispersion device3increases in the direction towards a free distal end10of the fine solids dispersion device3.

The burner comprises gas outlets11in the fine solids discharge channel1upstream of the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1.

The gas outlets11comprise spiral path guiding members such as a circumferential row of individual nozzles configured to facilitate gas to flow from the gas outlets11in a spiral flow path around a center axis A of the fine solids discharge channel1. The gas outlet flow momentum and the inclination angle, from the vertical axis, of the gas discharge must be sufficient in order to induce a rotational movement on the fine solid flow. Suitable discharge angle, from the vertical axis, of the spiral guiding members or the individual nozzles is between 30° and 150°. Suitable discharge velocity of the spiral guiding members or the circumferential row of individual nozzles is between 5 m/s and 300 m/s, depending on the fine solid feed rate, gas composition and the vertical location of the gas discharge. The discharge velocity is regulated using flow control of the gas.

The gas can for example be or comprise nitrogen or oxygen.

The burner can comprise partition walls12in the fine solids discharge channel1upstream of the gas outlets11in the fine solids discharge channel1, wherein the partition walls12dividing the fine solids discharge channel1into sectors, and wherein the partition walls12being planar and extending in the direction of the center axis A of the fine solids discharge channel1. If the burner comprise such partition walls12, the distance between the partition walls12and the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1is preferably, but not necessarily, between 0.1 and 3 m, such as between 0.5 and 1.5 m.

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIGS. 1 to 6.

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2.

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1at the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIG. 1.

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1at the fine solids discharge channel wall2of the fine solids discharge channel1, as shown inFIG. 2

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13being provided in the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIG. 3.

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13being provided in the fine solids discharge channel wall2of the fine solids discharge channel1, as shown inFIG. 4.

The burner can comprise a first set of gas outlets11arranged upstream of the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1at a first distance from the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1, and second set of gas outlets11arranged upstream of the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1at a second distance from the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1, wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance, as is shown inFIG. 5.

The burner can comprise an annular gas channel13between the annular reaction gas channel4and the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is provided at a distance from the fine solids discharge channel wall2and at a distance from the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIG. 6.

The gas openings are preferably, but not necessarily, arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1upstream of the enlarged section9of the fine solids dispersion device3.

Next the fine solids feeding apparatus for a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these and some embodiments and variants of the fine solids feeding apparatus will be described in greater detail.

The fine solids feeding apparatus comprises a fine solids discharge channel1that is radially outwardly limited by a fine solids discharge channel wall2of the fine solids discharge channel1and that is radially inwardly limited by a fine solids dispersion device3arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1so that the fine solids discharge channel1has an annular cross-section.

The fine solids dispersion device3has dispersion gas openings6and a dispersion gas channel7for conducting dispersion gas to the dispersion gas openings6.

The fine solids dispersion device3extends out of a downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1.

The fine solids dispersion device3has at the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1an enlarged section9, where the diameter of the fine solids dispersion device3increases in the direction towards a free distal end10of the fine solids dispersion device3.

The fine solids feeding apparatus comprises gas outlets11in the fine solids discharge channel1upstream of the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1.

The gas outlets11comprise spiral path guiding members such as a circumferential row of individual nozzles configured to facilitate gas to flow from the gas outlets11in a spiral flow path around a center axis A of the fine solids discharge channel1. The gas outlet flow momentum and the inclination angle, from the vertical axis, of the gas discharge must be sufficient in order to induce a rotational movement on the fine solid flow. Suitable discharge angle, from the vertical axis, of the spiral guiding members or the individual nozzles is between 30° and 150°. Suitable discharge velocity of the spiral guiding members or the circumferential row of individual nozzles is between 5 m/s and 300 m/s, depending on the fine solid feed rate, gas composition and the vertical location of the gas discharge. The discharge velocity is regulated using flow control of the gas.

The gas can for example be or comprises nitrogen or oxygen.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise partition walls12in the fine solids discharge channel1upstream of the gas outlets11in the fine solids discharge channel1, wherein the partition walls12dividing the fine solids discharge channel1into sectors, and wherein the partition walls12being planar and extending in the direction of the center axis A of the fine solids discharge channel1. If the burner comprise such partition walls12, the distance between the partition walls12and the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1is preferably, but not necessarily, between 0.1 and 3 m, such as between 0.5 and 1.5 m.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIGS. 7 to 12.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1, as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1at the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIG. 7.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1at the fine solids discharge channel wall2of the fine solids discharge channel1, as shown inFIG. 8

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13being provided in the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIG. 9.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13being provided in the fine solids discharge channel wall2of the fine solids discharge channel1, as shown inFIG. 10.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise a first set of gas outlets11arranged upstream of the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1at a first distance from the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1, and second set of gas outlets11arranged upstream of the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1at a second distance from the downstream outlet end8of the fine solids discharge channel1, wherein the second distance is longer than the first distance, as is shown inFIG. 11.

The fine solids feeding apparatus can comprise an annular gas channel13surrounding the dispersion gas channel7of the fine solids dispersion device3so that the annular gas channel13is provided at a distance from the fine solids discharge channel wall2and at a distance from the fine solids dispersion device3, as shown inFIG. 12.

The gas openings are preferably, but not necessarily, arranged in the fine solids discharge channel1upstream of the enlarged section9of the fine solids dispersion device3.

The invention relates also to a burner comprising a fine solids feeding apparatus as described above.

It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that as technology advanced, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are therefore not restricted to the above examples, but they may vary within the scope of the claims.