EXTERNALLY HEATED ROTARY KILN

Abstract: This invention is intended to provide a rotary kiln for heating indirectly raw material such as ore, coke, etc; while shielding the material from an oxidizing combus­ tion flame. This kiln has a structure where in a fuel com­ bustion chamber and a reaction chamber of the raw ma­ terial are partitioned by a heat-resistant ceramic shield plate. The fuel is burnt in the combustion chamber and the combustion gas does not enter the reaction chamber. The raw material is heated indirectly inside the reaction chamber through the ceramic shield plate. When the ap­ paratus of this invention is used, the raw material can be heated indirectly to 1400°C or higher while shielding the raw material from the combustion flame by use of an in­ expensive fuel and the apparatus of the invention is par­ ticularly effective for reduction treatment of ores. Abstract This invention aims to offer an external heating rotary furnace for indirectly heating materials, such as ore, coke etc. which are liable to be oxidized, insulating from oxidizing combustion gas atmosphere. The furnace comprises following members: a reaction chamber (5) in which materials are heated to high temperature, and are defined by heat resistant ceramic means (4) from the combustion chamber (10), in which the fuel burns out. The fuel burns out in the combustion chamber (10), and combustion gas does not pass through the reaction chamber (5). Materials to be treated is heated indirectly in the reaction chamber (5), through the insulating ceramic wall (4). According to this invention, materials to be treated can be heated indirectly over 1,400°C effectively isolating from the combustion gas atmosphere, and inexpensive fuel can be used. Particularly, this invention is useful for reduction of ores. By utilizing a rotary furnace according to the invention, inexpensive fuel can be used getting high temperature, and high temperature gas admitting into the heating gas chamber (6).

Description: The present invention relates to rotary furnace for indirectly heating materials by utilizing combustion gas of fuel. One of the most efficient and economical methods for heating powder or granulate materials is that fuel is burnt to generate high temperature gas and the materials are then subjected to heat exchange with this gas. The combustion gas may include gaseous components which are capable of reacting with the materials at high temperature. In this case, the above method cannot be utilized for heating, notwithstanding the efficiency. In order to heat the materials which are capable of reacting with the combustion gas, electricity can be used as a heat source instead of fuel, or, inert gas can be introduced in a furnace. As a result, economy of heating is disadvantageously impaired. The oxidizing gaseous components, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen oxide and sulphur trioxide, are contained in the combustion gas of fuel. When ore is heated under such oxidizing atmosphere to reduce the same, ore is liable to be exposed to such oxidizing atmosphere. This is the very opposite to what is intended by heating. Reducing ore by heating in a rotary kiln by means of combustion gas of fuels, such as coal, heavy oil and LPG, is broadly used for melting ore, since inexpensive energy can be used, and further, continuous treatment by mass production is possible. However, the combustion gas includes, as described hereinabove, oxidizing gaseous components, with the result that the atmosphere of combustion gas is not a reducing one but is an oxidizing one, which is unsatisfactory in the light of increasing reduction degree. To isolate the materials to be reduced from the oxidizing atmosphere of combustion gas, the combustion flame can be enclosed in a ceramic tube in order to heat the materials indirectly through the ceramic tubes by utilizing radiation and conduction of the heat. For example, US Patent No. 1,871,848 discloses such an isolation method (c.f. Fig. 3). Another method to isolate the materials to be reduced from the oxidizing atmosphere of combustion gas is to apply a coating layer on the surface of the materials to be reduced. In this case, the material is substantially heated in unoxidizing atmosphere. Such a method is disclosed in the U.S. Patent No. 3,153,586. The method disclosed in the U.S. Patent No. 1,871,848, involves a problem that mechanical strength of the ceramic tube is decreased at high temperature. It is difficult to manufacture pipes having large diameter and length. The highest temperature for the furnace disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 1,871,848 is 1000°C. Iron ore is only one ore that can be reduced at this temperature. The length of pipe that can be manufactured is 2 - 3 m at the most. It is impossible to entirely surround the combustion flame by such a pipe, and hence to effectively isolate the materials to be reduced from the combustion gas of fuel. Such a method is therefore not appropriate to reducing ore which contains such metals as chromium, having a high affinity to oxygen, and which is liable to be influenced by the atmosphere of combustion gas. The British Patent Specification GB 484 358 discloses a rotary muffle furnace comprising bricks projecting inwards from the lining of a shell and having supports for the muffle heating gas flues 18 surround the muffle. Pipes are provided for directing the heating gases into the muffle for direct internal heating of the charge material. Heating medium is supplied to the flues at one end of the muffle by means of an annular chamber which is sealed against sliding surfaces of the muffle. The French Patent Publication FR-A 700 633 discloses a rotary type furnace comprising a centrally located heating chamber surrounded by a plurality of material treatment chambers. In this rotary furnace, the material treatment chambers are heated only by means of the one surface which is common to the central combustion chamber. The object of the present invention is to provide an external heating type rotary furnace for high temperature heat treatment of large material capacity, where the heat production and supply means are structured and arranged to improve energy consumption and heat transfer efficiency of the furnace. In accordance with the present invention, an external heating type rotary furnace for treating a material is provided as defined in the claims. The furnace comprises a rotatably driven furnace body having an elongated reaction chamber located along the center-line of the rotary furnace body. A plurality of elongated heating gas chambers are arranged around the reaction chamber and also extend in the longitudinal direction of the furnace body. The rotary furnace of the present invention further comprises a combustion furnace which is connected to one end of the rotary furnace body and forms an integral rotatable structure. The combustion furnace comprises a number of burners and combustion chambers, each of which is arranged to pass high temperature combustion gas to a corresponding heating gas chamber. The heated gas chambers provide external heating of the reaction chamber about its circumference and therefore supply indirect heating of the material to be treated. According to the present invention, the reaction chamber and heating gas chambers are located at the center and circumferential part of the rotary furnace, respectively. The former and the latter are isolated from each other for example by the ceramic partition walls. Combustion heat, which may be obtained by utilizing inexpensive fuel, is transmitted through ceramic partition wall to materials to be treated, which therefore do not undergo chemical influence of combustion gas stream. By utilizing a rotary furnace according to the present invention, inexpensive fuel can be used for obtaining high temperatures. High temperature gas of from 1600 to 1800°C can be admitted into the heating gas chambers. In this case, the temperature in the reaction chamber can be elevated to 1500°C or more, and the temperature of materials indirectly heated can be elevated to 1400°C or higher. By utilizing the rotary furnace as described above, chromium ore pellets, in which coke is mixed as a carbonaceous reductant, can be reduced to a degree of 95 % or more, while excluding the influence of oxidizing combustion gas. When the traditional direct fired heating method is used for the reduction of chromium ore, reduction to a degree of approximately 80 % at most is obtained. The present invention is applicable to heating and treating methods on materials, in which a chemical influence of combustion gas is to be excluded. Such processes include coke production from coal, high temperature firing of alumina, silicon carbide, zirconium oxide, and the like, as well as high temperature dry plating, and the like. The present invention is particularly advantageous for mass production applications. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY A rotary furnace according to this invention is useful for treatment processes which exclude oxidizing reactions. For example, it is reliable for the equipment to reduce chromium ore pellets, containing carbonaceous reductant, or to reduce iron ore or to carbonize coal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 illustrate the construction of the external heating rotary furnace according to this invention. Fig. 1 is a cross section view of a furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view along the rotary axis of the same. Fig. 3 illustrates a method of blockwork for manufacturing a furnace. Fig. 4 - Fig. 7 are partial cross sectional views of other embodiments of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to Fig. 1 an embodiment of the external heating type rotary furnace according to the present invention is shown by the vertical cross section with respect to a rotary axis. Referring to Fig. 2, identical furnace is shown by the cross section parallel to the rotary axis. Referring to Fig. 1, heat insulative bricks 2 are lined around the inner surface of the steel mantle 1. Height of the heat insulative bricks 2 is not uniform around the steel mantle 1, while the taller supporting bricks 3 are located at appropriate spacings between them, e.g. each seven bricks in the embodiment as shown in Fig. 1. The supporting bricks 3 support the ceramic plate 4 which are the partition walls. A reaction chamber 5 having polygonal form in cross section is therefore surrounded and defined by the ceramic plates 4 and supporting brick 3. In addition, a plurality of heating gas chambers 6 are formed around the reaction chamber 5, defined by the heat insulative bricks 2, supporting bricks 3 and ceramic plates 4. Since the reaction chamber 5 and heating gas chambers 6 are constructed as above, when the steel mantle 1 is rotated, both are rotated integrally with the rotation of the steel mantle 1. While the furnace is rotated, material to be treated in the reaction chamber 5 is stirred and simultaneously heated by radiation and conduction through the ceramic plates 4. The materials are therefore heated and at the same time are isolated from the combustion gas atmosphere of the fuel. Referring to Fig. 2, a combustion furnace 22 has a plurality of burners 11. High temperature gas produced in each combustion chamber 10 is passed through the heating gas chambers 6 of the rotary furnace body 20. The gas chambers are located adjacent to the combustion chamber 10. The high temperature gas heats the ceramic plates 4 as the partition walls while passing through the heating gas chambers 6, and is then collected through an exhaust gas port 14 to the exhaust gas chamber 9. The gas then exits the heating system through an exhaust gas outlet 13. Meanwhile, material to be treated is fed through the supplying port of raw materials 15 to the reaction chamber 5 and is then subjected to rotary travelling in the reaction chamber 5, while being indirectly heated by the combustion gas which is isolated from the materials. The material is then withdrawn, as the product, from the reaction chamber 5 through the product outlet 16 provided at the lower part of the combustion furnace 22. The product is collected with a chute 17 and withdrawn. The rotary furnace body 20 is supported by rollers 8 via supporting rings 7 and is rotationally driven by a power source (not shown). The combustion furnace 22 and panels 21 are connected with the rotary furnace body 20 to form an integral structure. Namely, the rotary furnace body 20, combustion furnace 22 and panels 21, as a whole, constitute an integral rotary furnace body. Piping for feeding fuel and air are connected to the burners 11 via universal joints. The burners 11 are rotated together with the rotation of the rotary furnace body 20. A venting gas chamber 18 is provided around the rotary furnace body 20, and settled down to the bases. Exhausting gas is collected in chamber 18, and exits from the gas outlet 19. Another exhausting gas chamber 9 provided on the opposite side of the burner, has the same structure. For the heat insulative bricks 2, bricks having a low heat conductivity are used so as to attain the smallest external dissipation of heat through the steel mantle. Generally, the heat conductivity (λ) of the heat insulative bricks 2 is from 0.10 to 2.0 kcal/m.h.°C (1000°C), preferably from 0.1 to 0.5 kcal/m.h.°C. The heat insulative bricks 2 may be porous, e.g. having porosity ranging from 60 to 70 %. The heat insulative bricks 2 may be constructed in dual layers. In this embodiment, chamotte brick is used as heat insulative brick. The heat conductivity (λ) is 0.16 kcal/m.h.°C. Since the supporting bricks 3 are used to support the ceramic plates, high strength brick should be used even at the sacrifice of slight thermal conductivity. In this embodiment, high-content alumina brick is used as supporting brick. The brick has a heat conductivity of 0.02 kcal/m.h.°C, compression strength of 2368 kg/cm² and bending strength of 240 kg/cm². Next, the ceramic which forms the polygon should have strength withstanding high temperatures of 1400°C or more, and a high heat conductivity, and should not be attacked by combustion gas at a high temperature. Materials satisfying these requirements are ceramics, such as silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, alumina, and the like. Silicon carbide is particularly preferred, since large size sintering products are available. In this embodiment, sintered silicon carbide is used, with a heat conductivity of 10 kcal/m.h.°C or more (at 1000°C), a bending strength of 200 kg/cm² or more (at 1300°C), and thus is a material that has high strength and high heat conductivity. Such strength is satisfactory for supporting the load of the charged materials, when exposed to combustion gas atmosphere. According to the present invention, the heating gas chambers 6 are located on the outer circumference of rotary furnace body 20 and are used as both the combustion chamber and chimney. The reaction chamber 5 to heat materials is positioned at the center of the rotary furnace body 20. The partition walls defining the reaction chamber 5 are in the form of a polygon in cross section, at the respective apexes of which the supporting bricks 3 for the ceramic plates 4 as the partition walls are located. Brickwork is simplified where plates are used as the partition wall. Detailed brickwork of the rotary furnace is shown in Fig. 3. The supporting bricks 3 have, on the top, a projection 3a, so that two side tracks 3b are formed besides the projection 3a. Ceramic plates 4 are rigidly inserted along the side tracks. With regard to setting of ceramic plates, it is preferable to provide an appropriate angle to the side tracks 3b of the supporting bricks and the side tracks 4a of the ceramic plates, to prevent the plates from releasing under rotation. Referring to Fig. 1, a hexahedron cross section of ceramic plates is used as a reaction chamber. The form of a polygon in cross section may not be defined by this embodiment, but it may be octahedron, dodecahedron, etc.. The plates for defining the heating gas chambers 6 may be straight, but may also be curved. These embodiments are illustrated in Fig. 4 - Fig. 7. Referring to Fig. 4 - 7, several embodiments of the partition wall are illustrated. In Fig. 4 and 5, the heating gas chambers 6 are constructed with square blocks. In Fig. 6, the heating gas chambers 6 are constructed with the blocks having a "U" form. In Fig. 7 the heating gas chambers 6 are constituted with cylindrical bricks. The reaction chamber 5 may be defined by curves and have a round configuration as in Fig. 7.

Claims: An external heating type rotary furnace for heat treating a material, said furnace comprising a rotatably driven rotary furnace body (20) including an elongated reaction chamber (5) through which the material is passed, said reaction chamber (5) located at the center of the rotary furnace body (20) and a plurality of elongated heating gas chambers (6) formed around the reaction chamber (5), wherein a combustion furnace (22) is connected to one end of the rotary furnace body (20) so as to form an integral rotatable structure, said combustion furnace (22) having a plurality of burners (11) and combustion chambers (10) each connected to an end of each of said plurality of elongated heating gas chambers (6), wherein high temperature combustion gas from each combustion chamber (10) is passed through the corresponding heating gas chamber (6) for external heating of the reaction chamber (5) and for indirect heating of said material. Furnace according to claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber (5) is defined by heat resistant ceramic plates (4) which separate the said reaction chamber (5) from said plurality of elongated heating gas chambers (6) formed around the said reaction chamber (5), said reaction chamber having a polygonal form in cross-section. Furnace according to claim 2, wherein each elongated heating gas chamber (6) is formed by a plurality of heat insulating bricks (2) which are lined along the inner surface of an outer steel mantle (1) of the said rotary furnace (20), by supporting bricks (3) at each side of the said plurality of heat insulating bricks (2) wherein the said supporting bricks (3) are longer than the said heat insulating bricks (2) and said heat resistant ceramic plates (4), which are supported by the said supporting bricks (3). Furnace according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the plurality of elongated heating gas chambers (6) are uniformly distributed around the central reaction chamber (5), so that the heat resistant ceramic plates (4) of each heating gas chamber (6) is adjacent to the central reaction chamber (5).

Inventors: UEMURA TADASHI, UEMURA, TADASHI
Applicants: SHOWA DENKO KK, SHUNAN DENKO KK, TOCERA ENG CO LTD, SHOWA DENKO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SHUNAN DENKO KABUSHIKI KAISHA, TOCERA ENGINEERING CO., LTD.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: F27B7
IPC codes: F27B9, F27B7