GB2137115A - Apparatus for removing finely divided solids from a gas - Google Patents

Abstract

A high temperature filter for separating finely divided solids from a gas comprising an outer cylindrical vessel (12) lined with a refractory (26) and an inner cylindrical vessel (14) having an uncleaned gas inlet pipe (34), a clean air discharge pipe (36), and two gravel feed pipes (38), (40), all extending into the inner vessel (14) and a common solids outlet (42) in the lower end of the outer vessel (12). Three elongated spaced apart louver assemblies (58, 60, 62) are disposed within the inner vessel (14) to provide therebetween spaces (64, 66) for this gravel. A gas inlet chamber (108) is defined on one side of the inner vessel (14) and is closed at its bottom end by a closure plate (98). When coarse and fine gravel fill the spaces (64, 66) between the louver assembly, finely divided solids are removed from feed gas entering via the unclean gas inlet pipe (34) as this gas horizontally traverses through the coarse and then the fine gravel held between the spaces of the louver assemblies and is withdrawn from an open ended gas outlet chamber (109) on the other side of the inner vessel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for removing finely divided solids from a gas This invention relates to an apparatus for removing finely divided solids from a gas and, more specifically, to a high temperature filter for separating solids from high temperature gases through a mass of solid particulate material.

Such an apparatus is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,017,278, wherein finely divided solids are removed from a feed gas by passing the gas through an elongated annular mass of moving solid particulate contact material held between two generally concentric walls. The outer wall is lowered and their openings permit passage of most of the particles of contact material. The inner wall is perforated to permit passage of gas through the wall. The finely divided solids are trapped in the mass of contact material which is moved downwardly through and out of the annual space between the two concentric cylinder walls.

The contact material is then treated to separate entrained finely divided solids and returned to the upper end of the annular space. A granular-bed filter constructed in accordance with the general design shown in such patent experienced structural failure during testing at the temperature environment, approximately 1 5000 F, required for its operation.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for removing finely divided solids from a gas, comprising: a first generally cylindrical vessel having walls which are lined with a high temperature refractory material and having an upper section and a lower section, a gas inlet opening and a gas outlet opening disposed in its upper section, and a plurality of solids inlet openings disposed in its upper section and a solids outlet opening disposed in its lower section, a second generally cylindrical vessel having a top section and having a gas inlet opening, a gas outlet opening and a plurality of solids inlet openings disposed in its top section and having a diameter less than that of the first vessel and disposed within the first vessel, gas inlet means, for guiding incoming gas, connected through said gas inlet opening of said first vessel to said second vessel at its gas inlet opening, gas outlet means, for guiding outgoing gas, connected through said gas outlet opening of said~frst vessel to said second vessel at its gas outlet opening, solids inlet means, for guiding incoming particulate solids contact material, connected through said inlet openings of said first vessel to said second vessel at its solid inlet openings, a plurality of elongated, spaced apart, louver means disposed within said second vessel to provide a plurality of elongated spaces for particulate solid contact material and whereby an elongate gas inlet chamber is defined between a wall of said second vessel and an outer one of said louver means, and a closure member disposed in said second vessel at its bottom end and in sealing engagement with the bottom end of said second vessel and said outer one of said lower means thereby defining a bottom end of said gas inlet chamber.

Preferably the louver means are generally rectangularly shaped and include a frame which has connected thereto a multiplicity of elongated double louvered members.

Preferably the solids inlet and outlet means are connected to the solids inlet and outlet, respectively, of the second vessel by a sealing means which permits thermally induced differential movement therebetween, and the gas outlet means includes a connecting means for permitting thermally induced movement therein.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which~ Figure 1 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 with a portion of the interior shown cut-away for illustrative purposes; Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-section of a portion of the apparatus taking along the line 3-3 indicated in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-section of a portion of the apparatus taken along the line 4-4 indicated in Figure 1; Figure 5 is an enlarged, cross-section view of the third louvered assembly of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;; Figure 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view of the coarse solids inlet assembly of the apparatus taken along the line 6-6 indicated in Figure 1; Figure 7 is an enlarged, cross-section view of the connecting means of the inner air gas discharge feed pipe of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and Figure 8 is an enlarged, cross-section view of the thermal sealing assembly of coarse solids inlet assembly of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figures 1-4 of the drawings, a high temperature apparatus or filter for separating finely divided solids from a gas is generally designated at 10 and comprises an outer vessel assembly 12, and an inner vessel assembly 14 disposed therein, a filter assembly 16 disposed within and attached to said inner vessel assembly 14, and an unclean air or gas inlet assembly 18 and a gas discharge or outlet assembly 20, each connected to and through the top portions of both outer and inner vessel assemblies 12 and 14, respectively, and a solids inlet assembly 22 connected to said filter assembly 16 through said outer and inner vessel assemblies 12 and 14, respectively.

The outer vessel assembly 12 comprises a first or outer generally cylindrical, steel vessel 24 of approximately sixteen and a half feet in length having its inner walls lined with a conventional high temperature refractory material or wall 26.

The outer steel vessel 24 is comprised of a flanged cylindrical middle section 28, a flanged upper section or dome 30 and a flanged lower section or dome 32, all of which are conventionally bolted together at their flanged ends. The upper dome 30 has an unclean air or gas inlet opening 34 and an adjacent clean air discharge or gas outlet opening 36 disposed therein, which vertically extends through its section of inner refractory wall 26.

Additionally, this upper dome 30 has disposed therein, to the side and between said air inlet and outlet 34 and 36, a plurality of solids inlet openings consisting of a coarse gravel inlet opening 38 and a fine gravel inlet opening 40, both of which extend angularly outwardly and toward said gas inlet opening 34 and gas outlet opening 36, respecitvely, through its section of inner refractory wall 26. A single gravel or solids outlet 42 is disposed in the centre of the lower dome 32 which vertically extends through its section of inner refractory wall 26.

The inner vessel assembly 15 comprises a second or inner, generally cylindrical, steel vessel 44 comprising a flanged cylindrical section 46 and a flanged top section or dome 48, all of which are conventionally bolted together at their flanged ends. The top dome 48 has an unclean air or gas inlet opening 50 and an adjacent clean air discharge or gas outlet opening 52, disposed therein. Additionally, this top dome 48 has disposed therein, between said air inlet and outlet 50 and 52, respectively, a plurality of solids inlet openings consisting of a coarse gravel inlet opening 54 and a fine gravel inlet opening 56.

The filter assembly 16 includes a plurality, three, elongated vertically oriented, spaced apart, rectangularly shaped louver assemblies 58, 60 and 62, referred to as first, second and third louver assemblies, respectively, disposed within said inner vessel's section 46, to provide a plurality of elongated spaces, two in number, 64 and 66, for particulate solid contact material, and a supporting assembly or means 68, connected to the innerwalls of said inner vessel 44 for supporting said louver assemblies 58, 60 and 62, and for closing off a portion of a bottom end 70 of said inner vessel 44.

The vertical unclean air gas inlet assembly or gas inlet means 1 8, for directing or guiding uncleaned air therethrough is vertically oriented and is fixedly connected to the upper top sections, 30 and 48, respectively, of the outer and inner vessels 12 and 14, respectively, through their respective gas inlet openings 34 and 50, respectively. Similarly, the vertically oriented clean gas discharge assembly or gas outlet means, 20, for guiding or directing outgoing air therethrough, is fixedly connected to the upper and top sections, 30 and 48, respectively, of the outer and inner vessels 12 and 14, respectively, through their respective gas outlet openings 36 and 52, respectively.

The solids inlet assembly or means 22 guide or direct incoming particulate solids contact material fed therethrough; it includes a coarse and fine solids inlet assembly or means, 72 and 74, respectively, for feeding coarse and fine incoming particulate solids contact material to the spaces 64 and 66, respectively, provided therefor, between louver assemblies 58 and 60, and 60 and 62, respectively. These coarse and fine inlet assemblies 72 and 74, respectively, extend generally vertically through the upper and top sections, 30 and 48, respectively, of the outer and inner vessels 1 2 and 14, respectively, through their respective coarse and fine solids inlet openings 38 and 54, and 40 and 56, respectively, and their lower ends are in open communication with their respective spaces 64 and 66 which are provided for the coarse and fine gravel, respectively.

Each of the louvered assemblies, 58, 60 and 62, basically comprise a rectangularly shaped frame 76 and a multiplicity of horizontally oriented, elongated longitudinally extending double louvered units 78 connected at their outer ends to vertically extending, side frame members of frame 76. The louvered assemblies 58, 60 and 62 are supported within the inner vessel 44 by louver support assembly 68 which comprises an upper support assembly 80, a lower support assembly 82, and two side support assemblies 84 (only one of which is shown), all of which inlcuded, on their inner surface, U-shaped track means or tracks 86, 88, and 90, respectively, within which the frame 76 of the louvered assemblies 56, 58 and 60 are supported and are slidably movable therein.Upon support assembly 80 includes three spaced apart, generally Yshaped in cross-section, units, 92, 94 and 96, each of which extend across the full width of the top dome 48 of the inner vessel 44, and are suitably attached as by welding at their upper ends, to the inner top wall of the top dome; their lower ends include the horizontally oriented tracks 86 also suitably attached as by welding. The lower support assembly 82 comprises a closure member 98 and a lower support unit 100. The lower support unit 100 functions as both an inner solids outlet and to support the louver assemblies 58, 60 and 62 as they include horizontally extending tracks 88 at their upper ends, which tracks 88 are suitably attached, as by welding, at their ends to the inner walls of the cylindrical section 46 of the inner vessel 44. Extending from tracks 88 of lower support unit 100 and disposed at its lower end within the upper end of solids outlet 42 is a tapered inner solids outlet assembly 102 having separate coarse and fine solids discharge passages 104 and 106, respectively. Disposed downstream of the solids 42 is a conventional valve (not shown) to permit draining of the solids from the inner vessel 44. Closure member 98 is disposed at the bottom end 70 of the inner vessel 44 and is in sealing engagement with it and the track 88 of an outer one of said louver assemblies, louver assembly 58, thereby defining a bottom end of an elongated gas inlet chamber 108 which chamber 108 is defined between an inner wall of said inner vessel 44 and said outer louver assembly 58. On the other side of the inner vessel 44, and to the right of louver assembly 62, is defined an open ended gas outlet chamber 109.

Referring now specifically to Figure 5 wherein the third or last louver assembly 62 is illustrated in detail, said louver assembly comprises a rectangularly shaped frame 76 (in plan view), a multiplicity of stacked, elongated, horizontally oriented, longitudinally extending double louvered units 78 connected at their outer ends to the sides of frame 76, vertical dam elements 110 connected to each double louvered unit 78, and screen 112 connected to the outer face of frame 76. The rectangularly shaped frame 76 comprise horizontally oriented upper frame member 114 and lower frame member 116, and vertically oriented side frame members 11 8, all of which frame members are generally U-shaped in crosssection.The double louvered units 78 each comprise an inverted V-shaped louver member 120 in cross-section which longitudinally extends horizontally within the frame 76 and is suitably attached, as by welding, at its ends, to and within side frame members 118 and a plurality of spaced apart conforming, generally inverted V-shaped gusset members or baffles 112 which are suitably connected, as by welding, to adjacent louvered members 120. A vertically oriented, narrow, rectangularly shaped dam 110 longitudinally extends the full length of each of the louvered members 120 from their upper apexes to which it is.

suitably attached, as by welding. These dams 110 and screen 11 2 are only utilized on the last louver assembly 62 and function, respectively, to drop out any heavy entrained particles and to screen out any large particles entrained due, for example, to an upset in gas flow.

Referring now specifically to Figure 6 wherein the coarse solids inlet assembly or means 72 is illustrated in detail, the fine solids inlet assembly or means 74 being of the same construction, comprises a flanged outer coarse gravel feed pipe 124 suitably connected, as by welding, at its lower end to the upper dome 30 of outer vessel assembly 12, an inner gravel feed pipe 126 suitably connected at its upper end, as by welding, to the upper end of the outer feed pipe 1 24 and connected at its lower end to the coarse gravel inlet 54 of the top dome 48 of the inner vessel through solids sealing assembly or sealing means 128 for permitting thermally induced movement between said top dome 48 and the inner feed pipe 126.This thermal sealing assembly 128 comprises a cylindrically shaped flanged inner vessel inlet pipe 130 which is suitably connected at its lower end, as by welding, to the top dome 48 at its inlet 44, a free floating "jiggle" plate 132 whose bottom face of its lower end seats against the upper shoulder or flanged end 134 of said inlet pipe 130, and a cylindrically shaped flange cap 136 which is suitably connected at its lower end as by welding, to the upper end of the inlet pipe's 130 outer wall and spaced sufficiently apart from shoulder 134 to define an annular space 138 for the lower end of the jiggle plate 132 to fit partially within and to permit thermally induced lateral movement within the rest of the space 138.

Referring now specifically to Figure 1, the unclean air gas inlet assembly 18, the construction of which is substantially identical to the gas discharge inlet assembly 20, comprises a flanged outer gas inlet feed pipe 140 suitably connected at its lower end, as, by welding, to the upper dome 30 near its inlet 34, an inner air inlet feed pipe 142 suitably connected at its lower end, as by welding, to the top dome 48 at its gas inlet opening 50 and connected at its upper end through a conical support member 144 which is suitably connected, as by welding, at its lower end to the outside wall of said inner feed pipe 142 and connected at its upper end to the inside wall of said outerfeed pipe 140.Inner gas inlet feed pipe 142 comprises an upper pipe 146 and a lower pipe 148 having connecting means 150, flanged upper and lower ends of upper and lower pipe 146 and 148, respectively, bolted together on one side only. A connecting means 1 52 of inner air discharge feed pipe 142 differs from that of the inner gas inlet feed pipe in that it comprises a planar flanged lower end clamped within a Ushaped flanged upper end for permitting lateral movement therebetween eliminating thermally induced stress on said air discharge feed pipe 142.

Appropriate materials for all structural components, capable of functioning in a high temperature and pressure environment, are utilized, such as stainless steel alloys and preferably RA330.

In operation, when coarse and fine gravel fill their respective spaces 64 and 66, unclean gas from a suitable source such as pressurized fluidized-bed combustor (not shown) of the type described in U.S. Patent 4,164,846, having a temperature of about 1 6500 F, directed into gas inlet assembly 18 travels vertically downward therein and enters gas inlet chamber 108 and then horizontally exits therefrom through the vertically oriented filter column comprising the three louver assemblies 58, 60 and 62 and the coarse and fine gravel therebetween. As this gas traverses this column, any solid material contained in the gas stream will be lodged in the filter medium, the coarse and fine gravel; the cleaned gas enters the open-ended gas outlet chamber 109 and is then vertically and upwardly discharged through the air outlet assembly 20. Periodically, the filter medium, including capatured particulate material will be drained from their spaces 64 and 66 within the inner vessel assembly 14 through the common solids outlet 42 and the particulate matter will then be conventionally separated external to apparatus 10; this cleaned fileter media is then returned to the apparatus through the solids inlet assembly 22.

Although but one embodiment has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made in the arrangement of parts without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (12)

1. Apparatus for removing finely divided solids from a gas, comprising: a first generally cylindrical vessel having walls which are lined with a high temperature refractory material and having an upper section and a lower section, a gas inlet opening and a gas outlet opening disposed in its upper section, and a plurality of solids inlet openings disposed in its upper section and a solids outlet opening disposed in its lower section, a second generally cylindrical vessel having a top section and having a gas inlet opening, a gas outlet opening and a plurality of solids inlet openings disposed in its top section and having a diameter less than that of the first vessel and disposed within the first vessel, gas inlet means, for guiding incoming gas, connected through said gas inlet opening of said first vessel to said second vessel at its gas inlet opening, gas outlet means, for guiding outgoing gas, connected through said gas outlet opening of said first vessel to said second vessel at its gas outlet opening, solids inlet means, for guiding incoming particulate solids contact material, connected through said inlet openings of said first vessel to said second vessel at its solids inlet openings, a plurality of elongated, spaced apart, louver means disposed within said second vessel to provide a plurality of elongated spaces for particulate solid contact material and whereby an elongated gas inlet chamber is defined between a wall of said second vessel and an outer one of said louver means, and a closure member disposed in said second vessel at its bottom end and in sealing engagement with the bottom end of said second vessel and said outer one of said louver means thereby defining a bottom end of said gas inlet chamber.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which a mass of particulate solid contact material fills the spaces between said plurality of louver means.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which a mass of coarse particulate solid contact material fills the space between two of said plurality of louver means promixal said gas inlet chamber.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, in which a mass of fine particulate solid contact material fills the space between two of said plurality of louver means distal said gas inlet chamber.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each of said louver means is generally rectangular shaped and includes a frame and a multiplicity of elongated double louvered members connected to said frame.

6. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said solids inlet and outlet means are connected to said solids inlet and outlet openings, respectively, of said second vessel by a sealing means for permitting thermally induced differential movement therebetween.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said gas inlet and outlet means are fixedly connected to said gas inlet and outlet openings, respectively, of said first vessel.

8. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising supporting means connected to said inner wall of said second vessel for supporting said louver means, comprising track means within which said frame is slidably moveable.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said louver means most distal from said gas inlet chamber includes a screen extending across its outer surface.

10. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, in which said gas outlet means includes a connecting means for permitting thermally induced differential movement therein.

11. A louver assembly for a high temperature apparatus for separating finely divided solids from gas comprising: a generally rectangular shaped frame, and a multiplicity of stacked elongaged double louvered members connected at their outer ends to the sides of said frame, each of said louvered members having an inverted V-shape.

12. Apparatus for removing finely divided solids from a gas, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.