METHOD FOR COOLING CERAMICS, ESPECIALLY CERAMIC TILES PRODUCED IN ROLLER KILNS, AND THE RELATIVE PLANT

Abstract: The method involves passing the ceramics through water, by means of immersion and/or in jets, and/or sprayed, and/or nebulized, and/or in the form of steam. The plant includes a cooling booth (CR) which may be divided into one or more stations: with spray nozzles (2), with packs of revolving disks (5), with immersion (B) and with steam injectors (4). Cooling may take place in a closed cycle.

Description: Method for cooling ceramics, especially ceramic tiles produced in roller kilns, and the relative plant. The invention concerns a method for cooling ceramics, especially ceramic tiles produced in roller kilns, and the relative plant, or rather a completely new procedure for cooling glazed or unglazed ceramics, such as ceramic tiles in the initial heat treatment following the dryer and in kilns; the cooling system is also to be covered by a patent application. Current technology involves the cooling of ceramics using air conveyed by electric blowers into the cooling sections, which especially in kilns require expensive structures stretching for many metres: this involves high plant construction and operating costs, in addition to the extensive space requirements and high capital investment, without considering the emission into the atmosphere of hot air at about 150 β C from the kiln. There is considerable scope for improvement of this state of the art in relation to the possibility of eliminating the problems mentioned without damaging the product or impairing its quality. From the above consideration there derives the need to solve the technical , problem of identifying a new method providing a largescale reduction in the construction and operating costs of the cooling plant for ceramic products leaving the high-temperature pre-treatment chamber and/or leaving the firing chamber, or in any heated state after which cooling is required: i.e. for any type of ceramic plant to which the new method is applicable. This method must be suitable for application both to new kilns and to those already in operation, with structural modifications in the case of the latter. The invention solves the above technical problem by adopting a method involving passing the hot ceramic articles through water, by immersion, and/or in jets, and/or sprayed, and/or nebulized and/or in the form of steam: the latter case is ' especially suitable for the areas with highest temperature, obtaining all or part of the steam required from the steam generated by water-cooling in lower-temperature zones. Vhen very hard water is used, and in all cases concerning glazes on which calcium salts deposited by the cooling water would be noticeable, the method envisages cooling from beneath only, i.e. on the rear of the tile, without the projection of any water which might reach the upper surface which has been glazed or is destined for decoration in any way. The plant implementing the method includes at least one booth, preferably subdivided into one or more cooling stations: with upper and lower spray nozzles spraying out water, with upper and lower packs of disks revolving at high speed and projecting water by centrifugal force, by immersion, providing steam, or mixed. The steam generated by the water cooling process is removed by fans, while excess water is recycled. In all cases the heat may be recycled using heat exchangers. Vhen cooling is on the underside of the tile only, in order to prevent the deposit of calcium salts on the face intended to remain in view, the system incorporates idle or power- driven sponge transversal rollers provided with water from the inside or picking up water from below, which wet the tiles from underneath the conveyor belt line. In the case of cooling from temperatures significantly above 150°C, since the tiles are to be conveyed on rollers, said rollers will be hollow and given radial holes to sprinkle the underside of the row of tiles with water supplied to the rollers themselves under a slight pressure. In an application of the method constructed for a roller kiln already installed for production of 10,000 m*/day of glazed and unglazed tiles, with a weight of approximately 13 kg/m 2 , with feed speed approximately 5 /min. , the system comprises a booth with water cooling successfully provided by means of two rows of nozzles arranged above and below the tile route, with a field of 0.5 m for each nozzle, forming a sprinkling zone 1 m in length. The booth, in stainless steel which may be replaced by plastics in the lower-temperature zones, measuring 3 metres in length comprising a final roller conveyor of 2 metres in length, replaces the final section of the kiln with the air cooling function, which was no less than 30 metres long. The booth intake point, located less than 1 m from the firing chamber exit, receives tiles at a temperature of approximately 1100°C, while their temperature on leaving the booth is about 20°C. The nozzles are supplied with well water by means of a standby tank of approximately 1 m , by means of a pump with delivery rate 31 litres/min and a 2" pipe with recycling. A fan removes 10,000 kg/day of steam from the booth, equivalent to approximately 7 kg/min (at atmospheric pressure), amounting to 28 /min. Vater consumption is thus only 10 m /day. In another application of the method installed on a roller kiln with output 7,448 m 2 /day of glazed and unglazed tiles, weighing approximately 13 kg/m 2 , with feed speed 4.2 m/min , the system comprises a water cooling booth equipped with three water pipes arranged above and below the tile route, each equipped with seven spray nozzles, supplied with water at a pressure of 5 bar. The temperature of the tiles, which is approximately 400°C when they enter the booth, is reduced to 80°C over a distance of just one metre: in any case, the speed at which cooling occurs depends on the porosity of the tile bodies, increasing as the porosity decreases. There is a slight vacuum inside the cooling booth, in order to aid extraction of the steam which forms during cooling. The amount of non- recycled water consumed in one hour is approximately 1.6-1.7 m , with the option of reducing this by up to one half by recycling the cooling water. The cooling cycle is synchronized with the entire production process: the amount of water used is proportional to the temperature variations and the mass for cooling. The advantages obtained with this invention are: reduction in the area of the cooling zone by up to 95%; the possibility of recycling the steam produced; reduction of the need for monitoring to a much smaller area; cooling in a closed cycle or with minimal emissions to the outside, with the resulting advantages for the environment; the use of a fluid with cooling power approximately 6 times greater than that of air; extremely compact cooling zone; energy saving; saving on plant costs; possibility of using steam generated by the cooling process for cooling higher-temperature areas; automatic regulation of the water cooling process in relation to temperature and mass; energy recycling; the option of using the steam generated by the cooling process in spray-drying plants; greater operating flexibility; possibility of partial applications if required, and the possibility of eliminating the formation of calcium salt deposits on the tile face. A number of ways of implementing the invention are illustrated, purely as examples, in the seven drawings enclosed, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic ground-plan of a cooling plant for a plant for the manufacture of ceramic tiles with water-cooled kiln as covered by the invention; Figure 2 is a partial, schematic view of the elevation of a general cooling area of the kiln shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the view shown in Figure 2, in the case of three cooling stations using steam, water plus steam and water alone in that order; Figure 4 is a cross-section like that in Figure 3 in the case of two cooling stations, one using steam and one using water; Figure 5 is a cross-section like that in Figure 3 but with only one cooling station using water; Figures 6, 7 and 8 are vertical cross-sections like those shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 with different combinations between the distribution of water and steam; Figure 9 is the vertical longitudinal cross-section of a two-station booth, the first station using steam-cooling and the second using immersion in water; Figure 10 is a cross-section like that in Figure 9 but with immersion-cooling only; Figure 11 is the transverse vertical cross-section XI-XI of Figure 9; Figure 12 is the transverse vertical cross-section XII-XII of Figure 3 (relative to water jets); Figure 13 is the transverse vertical cross- section XIII-XIII of Figure 3 relative to the steam jets, Figure 14 is the transverse vertical cross-section XIV-XIV of Figure 6 relative to the spraying of water by means of packs of centrifugal disks; Figure 15 is a schematic lateral view of a belt-type cooling line constructed in accordance with the invention, with cooling from below only by means of sponge rollers fed internally with water, in the case of water with a high level of hardness or, however, of a type which would leave calcium salt residues on the glazed face of the tile; Figure 16 is a view like that in Figure 15 with the sponge roller picking up water from a tank; Figures 17 and 18 are two transverse cross-sections relating to Figures 15 and 16 illustrating the transverse position of the rollers in relation to the belts; Figure 19 is a longitudinal cross-section of the cooling zone as covered by the invention, in the case of roller conveyors, again with cooling carried out from below only; Figure 20 is a front view of one of the conveyor rollers fed with water in accordance with the invention. In these drawings: P is the press which forms the tiles; E is the dryer followed by a preliminary heat treatment section at temperatures of up to 1000°C and over; CR is a cooling booth with one or more station, with spraying of water by means of nozzles or packs of revolving disks, by immersion, by the injection of steam or by a mixture of the above; S is a line for applying glaze to tiles in rows; PR is a preheating area for the roller kiln followed by firing chamber C with temperatures up to 1200°C and over; U is the offload point of tiles 1 cooled even down to ambient temperature ready for sorting; V is a water tank which, by means of pump PI, supplies the cooling booth; EV is an electric blower which removes the steam generated during the water cooling process to transfer it to the upstream stations involving steam cooling; 2 are the water spray nozzles above and .below the tiles 1 conveyed by rollers 3; 4 are steam injector nozzles; 5 are packs of disks revolving at high speed to spray water onto the tiles 1; 6 are lengths of conveyor for tiles 1, for example consisting of ropes 7, conveying the tiles to immerse themselves at station B comprising a water tank and then lift them out of the water; 8 (Figure 15) are a pair of belts conveying tiles 1 through the water cooling section with temperature less than 150°C; 9 is a sponge roller which may be of idle or opposite- rotating type, installed transversely beneath the pair of belts 8, whose hollow shaft 10 is equipped with radial distributor pipes 11 that do not reach the surface of the roller to supply the roller itself with water, in order to cool the lower surface of the tiles 1; 12 is a tank for the collection of excess water; 13 (Figure 16) is a sponge roller not supplied with water but picking up the same from the cooling water tank 14; 15 are the rollers conveying the line of tiles 16, said rollers being hollowed out and equipped with radial holes 17, supplied with slightly pressurized water for sprinkling on the underside of tiles 1 making up the line, and 18 is a tank for the collection of excess water. The system functions as follows. The tiles 1, which have just left the firing chamber C, undergo cooling, for example and preferably by means of recycled steam, before passing on to water-cooling by means of nozzles, packs of disks and/or immersion, until they are cooled even to ambient temperature; local intensity of the cooling process varies in relation to the product type and firing cycle. In practical applications, the materials, dimensions and construction details may be different from those indicated, but technically equivalent to the same, without ceasing to be covered by the legal jurisdiction of .this invention. Thus the shape of the booth, the arrangement within the same of the water and/or stream spray or sprinkling elements and the coolant distribution may vary in relation to the special features of the heat cycle of the ceramic material.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Method for the cooling of ceramic materials, especially ceramic tiles in roller kilns, characterized by the fact that said cooling is obtained by projecting jets of steam -**■ * and jets of water, possibly in nebulized state, onto said material, as it travels, from above and below; the method involving an initial cooling phase at the highest temperatures, obtained by jets of steam, a second phase at intermediate temperatures obtained by jets of steam followed 1° by jets of water, and a final phase, leading to temperatures close to ambient temperature, obtained by water jets. 2. Method for the cooling of ceramic materials, especially ceramic tiles in roller kilns, characterized by the fact that said cooling is obtained by projecting jets of steam "i--*- * and jets of water, possibly in nebulized state, onto said material as it travels, from above and below; the method involves an initial cooling phase at the highest temperatures, obtained by means of jets of steam, and a final phase, leading to temperatures close to ambient 20 temperature, obtained by water jets. 3. Method for the cooling of ceramic materials, especially ceramic tiles in roller kilns, characterized by the fact that said cooling is obtained in a single phase, by projecting jets of water, possibly in nebulized state, onto 25 said material, as it travels, from above and below. 4. Method, in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the steam generated by the cooling water in the second and third cooling phases is used, in whole or in part, for the first and second cooling phases. *- * ?r* 5. Method, .in accordance with claim 2, characterized by the fact that the steam generated by the cooling water is used, in whole or in part, in the first cooling phase. 6. Method for the cooling of ceramic materials, especially ceramic tiles in roller kilns, characterized by the fact that the material, travelling in the conveyor direction, is cooled by wetting it with water on the underside only. 7. Method for the cooling of ceramic materials, especially ceramic tiles in roller kilns, characterized by the fact that the material, travelling in the conveyor direction, is cooled by immersion in water. 8. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, implementing the method described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that it includes, downstream of the kiln firing chamber, or downstream of any heat treatment area, at least one booth which may be divided, along the material travel direction, into three cooling stations: the first station equipped with nozzles (4) above and below projecting steam onto said material, a second set of spray nozzles (2) above and below projecting water onto the material and a third station equipped with upper and lower spray nozzles (2) projecting water onto the same material. 9. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, implementing the method described in claim 2, characterized by the fact that it includes, downstream of the kiln firing chamber", or downstream of any heat treatment area, at least one booth which may be divided, along the material travel direction, into two cooling stations: the first station equipped with a set of nozzles (4) above and below projecting steam onto said material and a second station equipped with upper and lower spray nozzles (2) projecting water onto the same material. 10. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, implementing the method described in claim 3, characterized by the fact that it includes, downstream of the kiln firing chamber or downstream of any heat treatment area, at least one booth constituting a cooling station, equipped with upper and lower spray nozzles (2) projecting water onto said material. 11. Plant, in accordance with any one of claims 8, 9 or 10, characterized by the fact that the spray nozzles (2) are replaced by upper and lower packs (5) of revolving disks, projecting water onto said material by centrifugal force. 12. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, in accordance with any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized by the fact that excess cooling water and/or condensation is collected in a tank beneath the route along which the ceramic material is conveyed through the cooling booth (CR) and sent back to the tank (V) forming part of the cooling cycle. 13. Plant, in accordance with any one of claims 8 and 9, characterized by the fact that an electric blower (EV) removes steam generated by the water cooling from at least one station of the cooling booth (CR) and transfers all or part of it to the steam injectors (4) of a station in the same booth, through which the material passes at a higher temperature. 14. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, in accordance with claim 7, characterized by the fact that the cooling booth (CR) is subdivided, along the material's direction of travel, into two sections: the first section being equipped with nozzles (4) above and below projecting steam onto the material; the second section (B) being equipped with a water bath through which the material is passed by deviating it away from the transport plane; the steam generated by the water bath is removed from said section (B) and sent to the nozzles (4) of the first section. 15. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, implementing the method covered by claim 7, characterized by the fact that the cooling booth consists of a single section (B) equipped with a water bath through which the material is passed by deviating it away from the transport plane. 16. Plant for the manufacture of ceramic materials, implementing the method described in claim 6, characterized by the fact that the underside of the tiles (1) conveyed by belts (8) is wet by contact with a sponge roller (9 or 13) which may be idle type or rotate in the opposite direction, installed transversely beneath the belts (8), inside or outside the same. 17. Plant, in accordance with claim 16, characterized by the fact that the sponge roller (9) is equipped with radial distributor pipes (11) limited to a fraction of its diameter, which supply the surface of the roller itself with water from the hollow shaft (10). 18. Plant, in accordance with claim 16, characterize by the fact that the sponge roller (13) picks up water from a cooling water tank (14). 19. Plant, in accordance with claim 6, characterized by the fact that the ceramic material is transported by conveyor rollers (15) with one end blind, hollowed out and fitted with radial holes (17) supplied with slightly pressurized water.

Inventors: RIGHETTI RENZO, RIGHETTI, RENZO
Applicants: RIGHETTI RENZO, RIGHETTI, RENZO
Application year: 1989
Main classification: F27D15
IPC codes: B28B11, F27B9, F27D9, F27D19