Furnace systems

Abstract: The furnace system operates in an environmentally acceptable manner by conserving heat and reducing exhaust pollution by using exhaust gases from a first furnace to heat a second furnace and vice versa dependent on heat demand in the furnaces.

Description: The present invention relates to furnace systems and more particularly to the improvement of the efficiency of furnaces used for the recycling of scrap metal. In known furnace systems a single furnace is used and this furnace fluctuates in its heat output dependent on the cycling of charging. When charged it cools down and heats up as the cycle progresses being at its hottest prior to recharging. This is advantageous since the furnace walls will retain some heat but most of the heat will already have been lost via exhaust gases. European Patent No. 255411 shows a furnace system including two furnaces of the same type with combustion air for one furnace being heated by a regenerator fed with exhaust gases from the other furnace. It is an object of the present invention to provide a furnace system incorporating a dry hearth furnace and a closed well furnace which may be coupled together to produce a more efficient and more environmentally acceptable system. Dry hearth furnaces and closed well furnaces are both known types of furnace. According to the present invention there is provided a complex furnace apparatus as claimed in the appended claims 1 to 6 Preferably an air/fuel balance control is provided for each air path to control the combustion in the particular furnace. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a furnace system according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows diagrammatically the after burner air control arrangement in greater detail; Figure 3 shows a fuel/air control system for one of the furnace burners; and Figure 4 shows an apparatus for determining the calorific values of an exhaust gas. With reference now to Figure 1 the furnace system comprises a Closed Well Furnace (CWF) 10 (shown in dotted outline) and a Dry Hearth Furnace (DHF) 20. In known manner the CWF 10 has two chambers, a main heating chamber (MHC) 11 and a Closed Well Chamber (CWC) 12. Flue gases from respective chambers 11 and 12 and from chamber 21 of DHF 20 are fed via respective flues 11′, 12′ and 21′ to an after burner chamber (ABC) 30 via a blower 31 situated in a common flue line 32. The exhaust gases (assisted by blower 31) pass through ABC 30 and into a Fume Purification Plant (FPP) 40 before being exhausted to atmosphere via stack 50. Two recirculatory blowers 13, 130 are used on CWC 12 to improve performance in known manner and three recirculatory blowers 22, 220 and 2200 are used on DHF 20 in known manner. These blowers reduce the pollutants in the exhaust gases from the furnaces. In the present design two blowers are used on the closed wall chamber 12 and three on the dry hearth furnace 20. This enables the blowers to be all of the same (standard) size thereby reducing complexity and cost. Blowers 22 and 220 are connected to recirculate hot gases in known manner. They may, for example be controlled by a central control in accordance with the furnace temperature. Blower 2200 has on its output flue a fork connection to the main heating chamber 11 of CWF 10 which is adjustable by a damper or valve 2201. Blower 13 also has, on its output flue a fork connection to MHC 11 again controllable by a damper or valve 131. Blower 130 also has, on its output flue a fork connection but connected to the main exhaust gas flue line 32 via a damper or valve 1301. Combustion air (and if required fuel) is supplied to furnaces 10 and 20 via natural gas burners 14, 15 and 23, 24. The combustion air is blown by blower 31 and preheated by ABC 30. After burner chamber ABC 30 comprises a natural gas heater stage 33 and a heat regenerator stage 34 through which the combustion air is passed to preheat it. An emergency regenerator bypass route 90 is shown dotted and includes a valve 92 which when opened allows exhaust fumes to pass directly to stack 50. The control system allows heat from any of the three chambers 11, 12 or 21 to be used to heat up the regenerator 34, if necessary after further heating in natural gas preheating stage 33. Incoming combustion air can then be preheated and directed as shown in Figure 2 to which reference is now made. Blowers 300 to 308 provide ambient air flow when operated through respective pipes 310 to 318 to the after burner recuperator 33, the DHF 20 and the MHC 11 at inlets 14, 15 the air received at these destinations being preheated by the regenerator 34. Thus heat is extracted from the exhaust gases and may be fed as required to one or more of three possible destinations dependent on the requirement for heating at these destinations. Thus exhaust gas from DHF 20 can, for example, be used to preheat, one regenerator 34, combustion air for the MHC 11. A waste gas burner 16 is included in the MHC 11 which burns exhaust gases, with a high enough calorific content, from DHF 20 and/or CWC 12. This burner 16 may be assisted as indicated at 16′ by a fuel (oil) burner which can be turned on when required for example when the exhaust gases from DHF 20 or CWC 12 are low in calorific value. Figure 2 shows an alternative system using a single blower 31′. Blower 31′ blows ambient temperature air via an inlet pipe 60 which then divides into four separate pipes 61, 62, 63, 64 each of which is controlled by a respective valve 65, 66, 67, 68 and each pipe has a defined path through regenerator 34 and then connects to respective burners 24, 23, 15 and 14 as shown. Each path is therefore individually controllable on the inlet side of the regenerator. This design necessitates a control for each pipe to regulate the air/fuel mixture when fuel is being supplied to the burners. These controls are indicated by boxes 69, 70, 71, 72 which are identical in design and are shown in greater detail in Figure 3. Cold air blown by blower 31′ is blown across a venturi 100 which dependent on the air flow causes a pressure drop which is detected by double sided diaphragm 101. The bellows of diaphragm 101 is connected to the bellows of a second diaphragm 102 which creates a pressure in the lower chamber 102′ which pressure is compared in a differential pressure sensor 104 with the inlet air pressure and is used via diaphragm 105 and valve 106 to control the natural gas (fuel) supply on line 108 which in turn is fed to (for example) burner 24. Valve 65 is controled for example in accordance with the temperature conditions of the furnace chamber as measured by thermocouple 110 which in known manner may be used to control the opening of valve 65 by drive motor 112. Thus the system of Figure 3 controls the air/fuel mixture accurately for changes in ambient air temperatures to counter the chamber of air density at varying temperatures and valve 65 can be situated on the cold air side of regenerator 34. The exhaust gases from the regenerator are fed via a safety cooler 80 to a fume purification plant 40 and then to stack 50. Optional by pass routes are shown in dotted line which may be used if for example the flue gases are too cold or particularly clean. In Figure 1 the blowers 2200 and 13 and 130 operate normally to recirculate the gases within the combustion chambers with valves 2201, 131 and 1301 fully closed. Thus closed well chamber 12 is isolated and also if valve 2202 on the exhaust outlet from DHF 20 is closed so is DHF 20. If the gases in DHF 20 are of high calorific value then under central control these may be used to heat scrap in MHC 11 by opening valve 2201 and similarly gases in CWC 12 may be used to heat scrap in MHC 11 by opening valve 131. If the gases in CWC 12 are not required then they may be exhausted to atmosphereby opening valve 1301. A valve 2203 is included as shown in the circuit of blower 2200 and is shut when the door to DHF 20 is opened so that exhaust gases are fed to MHC 11 thereby reducing pollution when the furnace door is opened. A further valve 1310 is included in the path between blower 130 and CWC 12 which is also closed when the door to the furnace is opened thereby ensuring that gases present in the closed well chamber are exhausted to stack 50 thus reducing pollution. Further control of both the DHF 20 and also of the regenerator 34 is obtained in a modification which provides two paths 502, 504 for exhaust fumes exiting from the fume purification plant 40. These exhaust fumes are, in comparison with the normal atmosphere relatively oxygen deficient. Thus by path 502 which includes an optional blower 506 and change over valves 508, 510 these oxygen deficient fumes can be fed into the DHF 20 via paths 312, 314. Valves 508, 510 can be controlled to allow only flow of fumes via paths 502, 312 and 314 or to allow blowers 302, 304 to pull in fresh air dependent on their position. A mixture of oxygen rich air and oxgyen deficient fumes can easily be fed to DHF 20 by having valves 508, 510 in different positions thereby for example feeding oxygen rich air via path 312 and oxygen deficient fumes via path 314. This therefore provides further control over the combustion in DHF 20 and also thereby CWF10. Path 502 also divides into path 502′ which connects via valve 508 directly to the burners 23 and 24 thereby allowing oxygen deficient purified gases to pass to DHF 20 without being further heated in regenerator 34. This is particularly useful where the temperature in DHF 20 is high and where scrap with high calorific value is being burnt since it allows relatively cool gas to be fed into DHF 20 to continue the combustion process but at a reduced temperature. Thus three paths are provided for burners 23, 24 to provide oxygen rich hot air, relatively oxygen deficient hot air or relatively oxygen deficient cooler air thereby providing good control for DHF 20. Path 504 includes a blower 512 and stop valve 514 and allows oxygen deficient fumes to be fed into regenerator 34 for passage again through regenerator 34. Regenerator 34 is in a preferred design formed integrally with ABC 30 and the connection is then made where the gas from ABC 30 passes into regenerator 34 so that oxygen deficient relatively cool (e.g. 120°C) gases can if required be mixed with the output gases from ABC 30. The circumstances under which this is beneficial is when the fumes entering ABC 30 are carbon rich and therefore the temperature achieved in ABC 30 may rise above a desired maximum say greater than 1200°C. If the temperature is allowed to rise then damage may be done to the regenerator 34 and to prevent this the relatively cool (120°C) purified fumes from plant 40 are mixed with the output gases from ABC 30 to lower the temperature of the combined gases entering regenerator 34. In the above embodiments, as in the control of the furnace system as a whole the valves 508, 510; 514 and 503 and blowers 506 and 512 may be automatically operated under the control of sensors which measure the temperature in at least furnace DHF 20 and ABC 30 and that the temperatures can be controlled below safety margins. The calorific value of the gases in DHF 20 and CWC 12 may be measured using the apparatus of Figure 4. In Figure 4 a natural gas burner 400 in a casing 401 is fed with natural gas via line 402 and with excess combustion air via line 403. Exhaust gas is fed via line 404 which is bled off from a convenient position for example close to blower 130. A thermocouple 405 is positioned at the exhaust outlet 406 of burner 400 and measures the exhaust temperature. If exhaust gas on line 404 is high in calorific content then the temperature sensed by thermocouple 405 will rise and this will be detected and the output voltage of thermocouple 405 can be used to signal a central control that calorific gas is available for the MHC 11 is required.

Claims: A complex scrap metal furnace apparatus including a first furnace and a second furnace and including means for using the exhaust gases from either furnaces to preheat the combustion air for the material in either furnace, in which apparatus the exhaust gases from either furnaces are fed to an afterburner (33) and a heat regenerator (34) in which heat is recovered from the exhaust gases and in which ambient temperature combustion air is preheated prior to being fed into either furnace as combustion air for the material in the furnaces, in which the first furnace is a dry hearth furnace (20) and in that the second furnace is a closed well furnace (10), the closed well furnace (10) comprises a main heating chamber (11) and a closed well chamber (12) and the heat regenerator comprises heat storage material which is preheated by the exhaust gases from either furnace (10,12) during a first period of time and which heat can be used to preheat the ambient combustion air during a second later period of time, the heated ambient combustion air being available for either the dry hearth furnace (20) or the closed well furnace (10) or for both furnaces (10,20). A furnace apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that each furnace (10,20) is supplied with its combustion air via an individual path (312,314,316,318) through the heat regenerator (34). A furnace apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterised in that means (400) is provided for measuring the calorific value of an exhaust gas and for supplying the exhaust gas to a burner for heating a furnace when the exhaust gas has a calorific value above a predetermined level. A furnace apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3 characterised in that the exhaust gases from the heat regenerator are fed to a safety cooler (80) and a fume purification plant (40) before being exhausted to atmosphere via a stack (50). A furnace apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 characterised in that a first feedback path (502, 506, 508/510) for exhaust fumes output by the fume purification plant (40) is provided the first feedback path comprising pipe means (502) and blower means (506) associated therewith to supply oxygen deficient exhaust fumes from the fume purification plant to the heat regenerator (34), the oxygen deficient exhaust fumes being mixed with the combustion air to be heated by the heat regenerator (34). A furnace apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 characterised in that a second feedback path (502, 506, 502', 503) for exhaust fumes output by the fume purification plant (40) is provided the second feedback path comprising pipe means (502, 502') and blower means (506) associated therewith to supply oxygen deficient cool exhaust fumes from the fume purification plant (40) to the dry hearth furnace (20) to control the combustion therein.

Inventors: HENGELMOLEN ADRIANUS JACOBUS, HENGELMOLEN, ADRIANUS JACOBUS
Applicants: COPERMILL LTD, COPERMILL LIMITED
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F27D17
IPC codes: F27D17, F27B19