Patent Publication Number: US-6655323-B2

Title: Boiler incidental facility

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a boiler incidental facility which improves efficiency of supplying or exhausting air. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a boiler  1  includes an air supply fan  3  and an air exhaust fan  4 . A unit  2  is a functional element such as a filter or a damper. During operation, in order to stoke-up boiler  1 , it is necessary to circulate a large amount of combustion air. Consequently both air supply fan  3  and air exhaust fan  4  require high capacity and correspondingly large amounts of electrical power. Additionally, for effective operation additional power is required to rotate a swing cascade (not shown) for each fan  3 ,  4 . 
     As an additional detriment to operation, fans  3 ,  4  generate self-excited vibration due to aerodynamic and other specific operational conditions. These vibrations limit the operable range for fans  3 ,  4 . The swing cascade for fans  3 ,  4 , also necessitates support bearings which detrimentally influence operational energy loss and the mechanical life of each support bearing. The use of swing cascades for each fan (with rotating portions) necessitates a high degree of manufacturing accuracy and on-going maintenance. 
     OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a boiler incidental facility which overcomes the detriments of the above art. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a boiler incidental facility, including a jet nozzle equipped in an air supply duct or an air exhaust duct connected with a furnace, wherein steam is heated and supplied to the jet nozzle and spurted in the direction in alignment with an air flow in said air supply duct or air exhaust duct. 
     It is another object of the present invention to promote an air or gas flow in ducts by employing a jet nozzle by spurting steam into an accompanying duct air flow and consequently securing the quantity of air required for a boiler. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a boiler incidental facility which further includes: a medicine pouring system which pours chemical materials into the steam supplied to the jet nozzle in order to neutralize or extract air-polluting materials contained in exhaust gases from a furnace, or in the case where the medicine pouring system is equipped near the jet nozzle and pours chemical materials into exhaust air, the jet nozzle spurts steam at a high speed, and chemical materials are sufficiently mixed with the steam and the exhaust gas in the duct to promote a chemical reaction. 
     It is another object of the present invention to support a boiler incidental facility with an incinerator used as the furnace. 
     It is another object of the present invention to support a boiler incidental facility having a plurality of jet nozzles in a gas supply duct. Here, the accompanying effect of the air or gas in the duct by the steam spurted from the jet nozzle is enhanced, the controllability and the efficiency of supplying air are improved as a system. 
     The present invention relates to a boiler incidental facility having at least one jet nozzle, equipped in an air supply duct or an air exhaust duct connected with a furnace. During operation, steam is heated and supplied to the jet nozzle and spurted in a direction in alignment with an air flow in an air supply duct or in an air exhaust duct. Reactive and meditative chemicals may be injected into the air flow either through the net nozzles or adjacent to the net nozzles. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided, a boiler incidental facility, comprising: at least one jet nozzle and the jet nozzle in one of an air supply duct or an air exhaust duct connected with a furnace, wherein steam is heated and supplied to the jet nozzle and spurted in a direction in alignment with an air flow in the one of the air supply duct and air exhaust duct during an operation of the boiler incidental facility. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a boiler incidental facility, further comprising: a chemical pouring system and the chemical poring system positioned to inject a supplied chemical material into the steam delivered to the jet nozzle and being effective to perform one of a neutralization or an extraction of an air-polluting material contained in the exhaust gas from the furnace during an operation of the chemical pouring system. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided, a boiler incidental facility, further comprising: a chemical pouring system and the chemical pouring system proximate the jet nozzle in the one of the air supply duct and the air exhaust duct, positioned to enable effective application of a chemical material to perform one of a neutralization or an extraction of an air-polluting material contained in the exhaust gas from the furnace during an operation o f the chemical pouring system. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a boiler incidental facility, wherein the furnace is an incinerator. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a boiler incidental facility, wherein a plurality of the jet nozzles are equipped in the one of the air supply duct and the air exhaust duct. 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a boiler according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional boiler. 
     FIG.  3 (A) is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of jet nozzles which receive medicine during a use. 
     FIG.  3 (B) is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of jet nozzles, where medicine is applied down on a stream side. 
     FIG.  3 (C) is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention having a plurality of jet nozzles, where medicine is applied adjacent the plurality. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, a casing  10  encloses a part of an air exhaust duct from a boiler  20  or a part of an air supply duct to boiler  20 . During operation, a jet nozzle  11 , inside casing  10 , spurts steam in a direction from an upstream duct  30  toward a down stream duct  31 . A steam piping  12  fixes jet nozzle  11  in casing  10  adjacent a support  13 . During operation, steam piping  12  supplies steam from boiler  20  to jet nozzle  11 . 
     Steam piping  12  connects with a steam piping  20   a  at a connecting port  28 . Steam piping  20   a  leads steam from boiler  20  through steam piping  12  to jet nozzle  11  and enables steam spurting into casing  10 . Since more steam is produced than is needed at jet nozzle  11 , additional steam is used for other elements of the facility, of example a turbine drive. 
     Through this arrangement, high pressure steam from boiler  20  is spurted through jet nozzle  11  in a direction in alignment with an air flow in casing  10 . During an operation of the present invention, when steam is spurted by jet nozzle, the steam joins the gas or air in its immediate surrounding and a gas or air flow in casing  10  is thereby promoted further supplying air to boiler  20  and fans (not shown) in casing  10 . 
     For the above reasons, it is preferable that support  13  has a shape with the lowest air pressure (or air resistance) possible in order to minimize obstructions to the flow of supplied or exhausted air in casing  10 . 
     During operation, the flow of supplied or exhausted air by jet nozzle  11  may be controlled to a degree, by adjusting the flow of steam supplied to jet nozzle  11 . It is additionally preferable, but not required, to position a plurality of jet nozzles  11  in casing  10  and control steam supply for each through a simple on/off type button. 
     As noted above, the present invention provides during operation that jet nozzle  11  spurts steam in order to increase the speed of a flow of air or gas around the spurted steam. This increase in speed is an important effect of the present invention and allows jet nozzle  11  (or a set of such nozzles) to operate as a fan. Therefore, a relationship between a minor diameter of casing  10  and a major diameter of jet nozzle  11 , and spurting pressure are important to understand and manage in order to maximize the desired output of the invention. This issue is especially important since where the minor diameter of casing  10  is too great compared to the major diameter of jet nozzle  11 , the effect of jet nozzle  11  as a fan is decreased. 
     In order to compensate for a decrease of the ‘fan-effect’, it is effective to increase the number of jet nozzles  11  in order to lessen a ratio between the minor diameter of casing  10  and an effective diameter of jet nozzle  11 . In other words, it is desirable, but not mandatory to bring this ration close to 1. 
     A shut off valve  21  is in a middle section of steam piping  20   a  and controls a steam supply to jet nozzle  11  during operation. A control valve  22  is located operably adjacent shut off valve  21  and provides easy control of the flow of steam supplied to jet nozzle  11 . 
     A steam flow meter  23 , a steam pressure indicator  24 , and a steam temperature indicator  25  are also in steam piping  20   a  extending from steam piping  12 . In combination, these devices measure the respective characteristics of a steam flow through steam piping  20   a,    12 . An alternatively or additionally positioned steam pressure indicator  24 ′, and steam temperature indicator  25 ′ may be placed as needed by a customer (as shown). 
     A differential pressure gauge  15  measures pressure of the air, exhaust air, or other item in ducts  10 ,  30  through respective pressure indicating pipes  14 ,  14 . A pressure indicator  16  and a temperature indicator  17  also measure respective characteristics of the air, exhaust air, or other item in the casing as shown. An alternative pressure indicator  16 ′ is shown in an alternative or additional position depending upon manufacturer need. 
     Characteristics of steam, air and/or exhaust air, measured by each respective measuring gauge shown, is transmitted to a field or a central control panel  27  through a control signal cable  26 . 
     During operation, the flow and pressure of steam supplied to jet nozzle  11  are controlled by control valve  22 , which is in-turn controlled by control panel  27 . 
     The flow and pressure of supplied or exhaust air in upstream duct  30  and downstream duct  31  are controlled by the flow and pressure of steam from an upstream damper  18 , a downstream damper  19  and jet nozzle  11 , which are controlled by control panel  27 . 
     Where casing  10  comprises an air exhaust duct from boiler  20 , according to need, chemical materials for neutralizing or extracting air-polluting materials contained in exhaust gas may be poured from connecting port  28 , equipped in the middle of steam piping  12 . 
     Additionally referring now to FIGS.  3 (A),  3 (B), and  3 (B), a plurality of jet nozzles  11  are shown in detailed arrangements within casing  10  and in operation with a medicine pouring system  35 , which may be positioned in alternative areas for best effect. In this embodiment, each jet nozzle  11  is connected with a flow control valve and a shutoff valve (both not shown in FIGS.  3 (A)- 3 (C). 
     As mentioned above, many chemical materials, for example air-purifying medicine, may be poured into the steam issuing from jet nozzle  11 . However, apart from jet nozzle  11 , many other types of chemicals or medical materials may be positioned in alternative medicine pouring systems  35 , and supply chemicals into either the supplied or exhausted air. 
     During operation, as jet nozzle  11  spurts steam into casing  10  at high speed, steam spurts from jet nozzle  11  and is mixed with air or gas around the steam at a high speed. Therefore, the chemical materials supplied into steam piping  12  are spurted from jet nozzle  11  into exhaust air at high speed, and consequently mixed with the exhaust air effectively, and thus the efficiency of neutralizing or extracting air-polluting materials contained in exhaust gas is improved remarkably. This ability to maximize mixture throughout the air supply through the use of high speed steam jet nozzles is remarkable effective in dispersion and hence treatment. 
     As mentioned in the above embodiment of the present invention, where jet nozzle  11  spurts high pressure steam from boiler  20  in the downstream direction, the same or a greatly improved dispersive effect is expect contrary to cases where fans are equipped in casing  10 . As noted above, in related are situations where air is urged by fans, detrimental surging, abnormal vibration due to wing cascade and other effects occurs in accordance with a combination of balance between the flow and the pressure in the casing. In the above embodiment of the present invention, there is no wing cascade and no possibility to cause surging or detrimental efficiency issues. 
     As an additional benefit of the present invention, machine parts including bearings for supporting rotation of the wing cascade are eliminated reducing costs and maintenance and since there are no moving parts, there is no mechanical energy loss. 
     Further, although exhaust air from boiler  20  contains air-polluting materials such as NOx, SOx, CO and CO 2 , the air pollution can be easily reduced, as above mentioned, by equipping jet nozzle  11  in the exhaust air duct to pour neutralizing chemical materials such as NH 3  and Ca(OH) 2  into steam piping  12  to cut emissions and allow easy down-stream extraction. 
     Furthermore, the great quantity of electrical energy required for high pressure rotating wing cascades is eliminated. It should be understood, that in the above embodiment of the present invention, wing cascades are not used and sending air and changing pressure are conducted by spurting high temperature and high-pressure steam produced in boiler  20  through the casings. In this respect, the electric energy required in the prior art is converted from steam energy produced in boiler  20 . Therefore, the present invention provides greater efficiency of energy, by using steam energy directly. 
     While the present invention relates to a boiler that produces steam, a furnace used in the present invention may be an incinerator. 
     As mentioned above, the present invention provides a boiler incidental facility, comprising a jet nozzle which is equipped in an air supply duct or an air exhaust duct connected with a furnace, wherein steam is heated and supplied to the jet nozzle or jet nozzles for spurting in a direction in alignment with an air flow in the air supply duct or air exhaust duct. In this manner, in the ducts equipped with the jet nozzle, air flow accompanying the steam spurted from the jet nozzle forms, and an air flow or a gas flow in the duct is promoted. Consequently, this increase in air flow increases the efficiency of combustion in a boiler. 
     Where a boiler incidental facility further comprises a medicine pouring system designed to supply chemical materials into the steam supplied to the jet nozzle, neutralization or extraction of air-polluting materials contained in the exhaust gas from the furnace, is easily accomplished. The highly effective mixing between the air and the chemical materials promotes the reaction of the chemical materials. This same effect is also achievable where the medicine pouring system is positioned near, but not in, the jet nozzle. Furthermore, an incinerator may be used as the furnace. 
     Although only a single or few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiment(s) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means- or step-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Thus, for example, although a nail, a screw, and a bolt may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies entirely on friction between a wooden part and a cylindrical surface, a screw&#39;s helical surface positively engages the wooden part, and a bolt&#39;s head and nut compress opposite sides of at least one wooden part, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail, a screw, and a bolt may be readily understood by those skilled in the art as equivalent structures. 
     Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.