Patent Description:
There are known air heaters without combustion chamber (shaftless air heater) with installation of burner systems at the dome of the air heater (<CIT>, Inventor's Certificate No. <NUM>, <CIT>, <CIT>) which are more advanced apparatuses.

In particular, the shaftless air heater (Patent No. <CIT>) has a shell with refractory lining, checkerwork, a dome, a hot blast outlet located above the checkerwork at a distance not less than one diameter of its flow section up to its centerline as well as a burner system including a pre-chamber located at the top of the dome coaxially therewith and having a shell with refractory lining performed independently from the dome refractory lining with an individual support by the dome shell. In the pre-chamber there are annular gas and air collectors which are located between the shell and side wall of the pre-chamber refractory lining one above the other and divided from each other by a dividing plate. The collectors have inlet branch pipes and outlet channels, wherein the latter are made in the vertical side wall of the pre-chamber refractory lining and gas and air are supplied directly into the pre-chamber. Due to the fact that the centerlines of the channels in the upper row of the lower collector are directed to the centerline of the pre-chamber and shifted upwards from the horizontal plane at an angle up to <NUM>° and the centerlines of all the other channels are located in the horizontal plane and directed at an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>° to the pre-chamber radii going through the centers of their outlet sections, swirling flows of gas and air are formed in the pre-chamber. Swirling of flows provides complete combustion of gas before it enters the checkerwork and uniform distribution of the flow across the checkerwork.

Air heaters for blast furnaces are large-size high-temperature apparatuses and require large expenses for their construction and operation. Therefore, reduction in energy costs is one of the major requirements. Moreover, the air heaters burn a large quantity of blast-furnace gas which includes a toxic gas, i.e. carbon monoxide (CO). Therefore, complete gas combustion which ensures their ecological safety is an important requirement during operation of blast furnace air heaters.

Swirling flows of gas and air are formed in the pre-chamber to provide their good mixing and combustion. Gas is supplied to the top of the pre-chamber where a swirling flow of gas is formed. To provide a possibility of good gas and air mixing in the known air heater, the centerlines of the air channels in the upper row of the lower collector have been directed to the centerline of the pre-chamber and shifted upwards from the horizontal plane at an angle up to <NUM>°. Air flows directed along the radius and shifted upwards are expected to go through the gas flow to the central part of the pre-chamber and provide good mixing and combustion of gas in the center of the pre-chamber. Air flows from the channels of the other rows are directed at an angle to the pre-chamber radii and shall provide good mixing and combustion of peripheral gas flows. However, in the air heaters installed at big blast furnaces the pre-chambers have large cross-sectional dimensions and the air flows shall overcome a strong swirling gas flow of significant thickness to get to the pre-chamber centerline. For this purpose, it is necessary to significantly increase their speed and install powerful air blowers, which will increase energy costs. Moreover, incomplete combustion of gas can occur in the central part of the pre-chamber, which will lead to degradation of environmental performance of the air heaters. Herewith a contradiction arises. On the one hand, in order to increase the penetrating power of the air flows of the upper row it is necessary to significantly increase their speed and, consequently, pressure in the collector, which will require significantly more powerful air blowers. On the other hand, this increase in speed is not required for the air flows from the channels of the other rows as there is a good mixing and complete combustion of gas before its entrance to the checkerwork in the peripheral parts of the pre-chamber and at usual speeds and flow swirling.

Thus, different pressures are required for the channels of different rows going out from the same collector, which is impossible to provide. Since air blowers with standard pressure are used to provide air pressure in the collector, the speed of the air flows from the channels of the upper row is not sufficient and the center of the pre-chamber is not provided with the air quantity required for complete combustion of gas. Consequently, some gas is not burnt and it is exhausted into the atmosphere, which deteriorates environmental and economic performance of the air heaters.

<CIT> refers to an air heater which comprises a housing with a lining, a nozzle, a dome with a prechamber, which is coaxially positioned in the top part thereof and is provided with a housing and a lining provided with an independent support on the housing. Gas and air channels are made in the side vertical wall of the prechamber lining and are connected to internal manifolds and to gas and air supplying sleeve fittings. The channels of the lower manifold are arranged in the top part thereof and are upwardly oriented at an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>° with respect to a horizontal plane. The channels of the top manifold are arranged in the lower part thereof and are downwardly oriented at an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>° to a horizontal plane. The projections of all the channels on a horizontal plane form an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>° to the projections of the prechamber radii, passing over the centers of the outlet sections of the channels, on a horizontal plane. The use of the invention makes it possible to reduce operation costs and to improve gas The air heater of <CIT> is according to the preamble of claim <NUM>.

<CIT> describes a top combustion type hot blast stove with a double-air-inlet swirl injection burner, which solves the problems of non-uniform gas mixing, insufficient combustion, low heat energy utilization rate and environmental pollution. Combustion chamber is at lower part of furnace top, the combustor is composed of an outer heat preservation layer and a wall on the inner face of the outer heat preservation layer. A gas loop is arranged in the middle in the wall body; a first air loop at the upper part and a second air loop at the lower part are respectively arranged in the wall body above and below the coal gas loop; a first air inlet pipeline, a coal gas inlet pipeline and a second air inlet pipeline are sequentially arranged on the vertical wall of one side of the combustor body from top to bottom. The first air inlet pipeline is vertically communicated with the first air loop; the double-air-inlet structure of the hot blast stove is easy to produce, convenient to install and use, good in effect, even in hot blast stove airflow mixing, stable in flow field, high in heat energy utilization rate and capable of greatly reducing environmental pollution.

Kalugin Shaftless Air Heater as per Patent <CIT> - prototype is the closest to the proposed invention by technical essence and combination of features. The known air heater consists of a shell with refractory lining, checkerwork, a dome, a hot blast outlet located above the checkerwork at a distance not less than one diameter of its flow section up to its centerline, a pre-chamber located at the top of the dome coaxially therewith and having a shell with refractory lining performed independently from the dome refractory lining with an individual support by the dome shell, gas and air collectors with a dividing plate between them located between the dome and side wall of the pre-chamber refractory lining one above the other and having inlet branch pipes and outlet channels performed in the vertical side wall of the pre-chamber refractory lining. In this case, the outlet channels of the lower collector are located in its upper part and directed upwards from the horizontal plane at an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>° and the outlet channels of the upper collector are located in its lower part and directed downwards from the horizontal plane at an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>°, wherein the projections of the centerlines of the above mentioned channels on to the horizontal plane form an angle of <NUM>-<NUM>° with the projections on to the horizontal plane of the pre-chamber radii going through the centers of the channel outlet sections.

Blast-furnace air heaters relate to apparatuses with a long service life between repairs (<NUM>-<NUM> years) and, therefore, operating reliability and long period of operation are one of the major requirements to these air heaters. In the known air heater, the gas and air collectors located one above the other are divided by a thin dividing plate. Gas and air in the collectors can have different temperatures depending on process conditions (heating of gas or air). This difference is often quite significant and, consequently, temperature deformation of collector elements can occur and, as a result, damage of the dividing plate in between is possible. In this case, mixing of gas and air occurs and an inflammable mixture is formed which can inflame or explode.

The object of the invention is to increase safety and operating reliability of the shaftless air heater.

The technical result is an increase in operating safety and reliability due to an increased stability and durability of the shaftless air heater.

An additional technical result is a high efficiency of the air heater simultaneously with a reduction in its dimensions.

This problem is solved by claiming a shaftless air heater according to claim <NUM>.

The metal annular beam is preferably made of low-alloy steel and can have a shape of a right-angled triangle in its section, wherein one side of the triangle serves as an extension of the pre-chamber shell, the other side is formed by the dome-like combustion chamber shell and the base is represented by the pre-chamber support.

In the burner system, the outlet gas openings for supply into the mixing chamber are located at several levels in the inside annular wall which is directed towards the pre-chamber mixing chamber, wherein the centerlines of the said openings have an angle of slope from <NUM> to <NUM>° downwards to the horizontal plane.

The outlet air openings for supply into the mixing chamber are also located in the inside annular pre-chamber wall but in its lower part, wherein the centerlines of the said openings have an angle of slope from <NUM> to <NUM>° to the vertical plane.

The said shape of the gas and air openings in the inside annular wall of the pre-chamber refractory lining provides a high efficiency of the air heater due to formation of a swirling flow providing complete combustion of gas and air mixture.

The air collector communicates with the outlet air openings for supply into the mixing chamber through the air openings which are made in the base plate and communicate with the channels for air supply implemented in the lower part of the pre-chamber refractory lining.

The claimed device is characterized by the air collector which is the base of the pre-chamber and located outside the burner system, wherein the air collector represents an annular chamber formed by the cavity between the metal annular beam and base plate which are connected to each other and to the pre-chamber and combustion chamber shells. Operation of the air collector of the air heater provides a directed movement of the air flow upwards to interact with the gas flows being supplied to the gas and air mixing chamber. Design features of the air collector implemented as an annular chamber located in the pre-chamber support and its mutual alignment with the burner and gas mixture combustion chamber in combination with other features enable to provide the possibility of gas and air mixing in the central part of the mixing chamber, exclude negative consequences related to burnout of the dividing plate between the gas and air collectors as in the claimed design the gas and air collectors are separated from each other by massive layers of the refractory lining, which eliminates danger of inflammation and/or explosion of the gas and air mixture, thereby increasing operating reliability and providing a high efficiency of the shaftless air heater.

Comparison of the claimed device enables to make a conclusion that it is characterized by new distinctive features not known from the prototype and prior art, provides achievement of a new technical result, i.e. an increased operating reliability due to an increased resistance of the air collector to the temperature exposure during operation and, consequently, durability of the shaftless air heater.

The claimed device in one of the possible options of its implementation is shown in the following figures.

The claimed shaftless air heater has a burner located at the top in a pre-chamber <NUM> having a mushroom shape with a cavity representing a gas and air mixing chamber. The pre-chamber <NUM> has a shell <NUM> preferably made of low-alloy steel. The shell <NUM> of the pre-chamber <NUM> is made with the refractory lining which is made of light-weight refractory on the internal side of the shell <NUM>. From the side of the gas and air mixing chamber the pre-chamber refractory lining is made of heat-resistant refractory with formation of an annular channel which is limited by an inside annular wall <NUM> and an outside annular wall <NUM>. The refractory lining of the pre-chamber <NUM> is supported by a metal annular beam <NUM> made of low-alloy steel and having a shape of a right-angled triangle in its section, wherein one side of the triangle serves as an extension of the shell <NUM> of the pre-chamber <NUM>, the other side is formed by a shell <NUM> of a dome-like combustion chamber <NUM> and the base is represented by a pre-chamber support. Under the pre-chamber <NUM> there is a combustion chamber <NUM> which has a dome-like upper part located coaxially with the pre-chamber <NUM>, intercommunicates with it and is provided with the shell <NUM> made preferably of low-alloy steel with lining <NUM> made of a refractory material. In the interface area between the pre-chamber <NUM> and combustion chamber <NUM>, the shell <NUM> of the pre-chamber <NUM> base has a diameter exceeding the diameter of the shell <NUM> of the dome-like part of the combustion chamber <NUM>. The metal annular beam <NUM> is irremovably connected with the shells <NUM> and <NUM>, for example, by welding and it is provided from the top with a base plate <NUM> forming an internal chamber with a cavity performing a function of air collector <NUM>. Under the combustion chamber <NUM> there is a checkerwork chamber <NUM> with refractory checkerwork (not shown) made of preferably hexagonal checker bricks with holes laid in layers in such a way that the holes of the checker bricks laid in layers could provide passing of combustion products and heat transfer. In the outside annular wall <NUM> of the pre-chamber <NUM> there is an opening with a gas supply branch pipe <NUM> and between the inside annular wall <NUM> and outside annular wall <NUM> there is an annular channel for gas supply which performs a function of a gas collector <NUM>. In the upper part of the inside annular wall <NUM> there are outlet openings <NUM> located in several rows which provide movement of gas in the form of swirling flows in the mixing chamber for which purpose the centerlines of the said openings have an angle of slope from <NUM> to <NUM>° downwards to the horizontal plane, thereby creating an efficient swirling flow of gas in the central part of the mixing chamber. In the lower part of the inside annular wall <NUM> there are air openings <NUM> for air supply to the mixing chamber of the pre-chamber <NUM> and the centerlines of the said openings have an angle of slope from <NUM> to <NUM>° upwards to the vertical plane. The swirling flows of air going from the openings <NUM> upwards at an angle meet in the mixing chamber of the pre-chamber <NUM> with the swirling flows of gas going from the outlet gas openings <NUM> downwards at an angle and mix with them in the mixing chamber of the pre-chamber <NUM> forming a homogeneous fuel mixture, thereby providing complete combustion of the above mentioned mixture. In the side wall of the air collector <NUM> there is an opening with an air supply branch pipe <NUM> into the air collector <NUM>. The outlet air openings <NUM> into the mixing chamber located in the lower part of the inside annular wall <NUM> intercommunicate with the air collector <NUM> through air channels <NUM> connected with air openings <NUM> in the base plate <NUM>. The intercommunicating pre-chamber <NUM> and gas and air mixture combustion chamber <NUM> are located coaxially which together with the gas collector <NUM> and air collector <NUM> form a burner system of the claimed air heater in the upper part of which there is a burner system represented by the pre-chamber <NUM> the cavity of which is a gas and air mixing chamber.

The claimed shaftless air heater is operated as indicated below. In the cavity of the pre-chamber <NUM> representing a gas and air mixing chamber there occurs mixing of gas and air flows going respectively from the gas collector <NUM> and air supply channels <NUM> intercommunicating with the air collector <NUM> through the gas supply branch pipe <NUM> and air supply branch <NUM> where gas and air are supplied under pressure from the outside. The fuel mixture is formed due to mixing of swirling flows going from the outlet gas openings <NUM> and outlet air openings <NUM> into the mixing chamber with further inflammation and combustion of the formed gas and air mixture in the dome-like part of the combustion chamber <NUM>. The resulting combustion chamber are supplied from the combustion chamber <NUM> to the checkerwork chamber <NUM>.

Claim 1:
Shaftless air heater, comprising a burner system with an annular gas collector (<NUM>), an annular air collector (<NUM>), and a pre-chamber (<NUM>) the cavity of which represents a chamber for mixing, inflaming and initial combustion of gas and air flows; a chamber (<NUM>) for combustion of the air-gas mixture coming from the pre-chamber having a dome-like shape in its upper part and located under the pre-chamber; a checkerwork chamber (<NUM>) for passing of generated combustion products; the pre-chamber (<NUM>), combustion chamber (<NUM>) and checkerwork chamber (<NUM>) intercommunicate and are located coaxially, the pre-chamber (<NUM>) and combustion chamber (<NUM>) are equipped with their own lined shells (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the diameter of the pre-chamber shell (<NUM>) base is bigger than the diameter of the dome-like combustion chamber shell (<NUM>) throat, and the gas collector (<NUM>) represents an annular channel implemented in the pre-chamber refractory lining forming inside and outside annular walls (<NUM>, <NUM>); wherein the pre-chamber intercommunicates with the annular air collector (<NUM>), outlet gas and air openings (<NUM>, <NUM>) into the pre-chamber are made in the inside annular wall (<NUM>), and the above mentioned outlet openings (<NUM>, <NUM>) intercommunicate through the gas and air collectors (<NUM>, <NUM>) with respective gas and air branch pipes (<NUM>) from outside,
wherein the annular air collector (<NUM>) is located in the lower part of the pre-chamber under the gas collector (<NUM>),
wherein the outlet air openings (<NUM>) are located in the inside annular wall under the outlet gas openings (<NUM>) into the pre-chamber, characterized in that
the shaftless air heater comprises a metal annular beam (<NUM>) and a base plate (<NUM>) installed at the base of the pre-chamber (<NUM>) and connected to each other and to the pre-chamber and combustion chamber shells,
wherein the air collector (<NUM>) represents an annular chamber formed by a cavity between the metal annular beam (<NUM>) and base plate (<NUM>), wherein the metal annular beam (<NUM>) forms a pre-chamber support and the base plate (<NUM>) is provided with openings (<NUM>) for air outlet from the air collector (<NUM>) which intercommunicate through the air supply channels (<NUM>) with the outlet air openings (<NUM>) into the pre-chamber, the air supply channels are located in the lower part of the pre-chamber refractory lining.