Patent GB-1421369-A (GB)
Title: Self-agglomerating fluidized bed reacting process and apparatus
IPC: C10J3/54
Filed: 1973-05-29
Abstract: 1421369 Fluidized beds COMPAGNIE INDUSTRIELLE DE PROCEDES ET D'APPLICATIONS SA 29 May 1973 [23 June 1972] 25449/73 Heading C5E [Also in Division F4] Finely divided material is reacted in a fluidized bed at a temperature evolving the formation of slag particles, their self-agglomeration and their settlement at the bottom of the fluidized bed, in an apparatus which comprises an upright shell having a cylindrical base portion with a circular fluidizing grate fitted thereto and defining a reactor space for receiving a bed of finely divided material resting on the grate; within the space a fluidization cell structure immediately adjacent to and overlying a fraction of the grate and defining therewith a shallow space for receiving an auxiliary shallow bed of finely divided material, the shallow space being open to the grate, closed at the top and boxed-in laterally except for a wide inlet leading to the cell from the reactor space and an outlet leading from the cell to an ashpit; means for blowing a reacting gas through the grate and fluidizing the main and auxiliary beds, thus maintaining them in hydrostatic equilibrium; and means for imparting to the cell a relative rotating motion with regard to the grate, whereby slag settled on the grate and fine fluidized material enter the cell through the wide inlet and fine material within the cell is blown out therefrom by the fluidizing gas issuing from the cell and returned to the main fluidized bed while the slag is pneumatically sorted and leaves the cell in substantially pure condition through the outlet towards an ashpit. The circular fluidizing grate may be plane, or frusto-conical shape flaring out to the top or bottom. The relative rotating motion may take place around a vertical axis or an inclined axis, and may result from the rotation of the fluidizing grate with the cell being motionless, or vice versa. The cell may be adapted to convey the slag to (i) a central ashpit by having a lateral wall portion located opposite the wide inlet following the trace of a logarithmic spiral the concave side of which is directed towards the interior of the cell, or (ii) an outer ashpit by having the lateral wall as in (i) but with the convex side of the wall directed towards the interior of the cell. The grate may be defined by an inclined surface with the cell outlet in register with the highest point or region of the surface. Additional gas may be blown into the cell, e.g. through the outlet leading to the ashpit in countercurrent with the slag. Nozzles placed above the grate blow high temperature reacting gas into the reactor space and the bed for expanding the fluidized bed. The finely divided material fed to the reactor may be preheated by circulating the material in countercurrent relative to the gas emerging from the reactor within a cyclone or series of cylones. An additional fluidizing grate may be placed in the reactor above the surface of the fluidized bed for preheating by means of gas emerging from the reactor, raw finely divided material or a solid reacting or catalysing material for a complementary treatment of the gas emerging from the reactor. The apparatus may be used for the gasification of bituminous agglomerating granulated coal which is injected through nozzles into the oxidizing zone of the fluidized bed in admixture with air, the pelletizing carbonization of bituminous coal, the gasification or combustion of fossil fuels, the production of cement, or the reduction of minerals, e.g. iron ore.