| 主权项 |
1. An apparatus capable of self-sustaining combustion to provide beneficiated small particulate combustion products as an output product by beneficiating small particulate combustion products, said small particulate combustion products comprising at least one of fly ash or other previously-combusted fine particulate material, said small particulate combustion products containing unburned carbon, the apparatus comprising:
a) a single, vertically-oriented refractory-lined pneumatic transport solid gas reaction vessel having a top portion comprising an exit and a liquid injection device, a bottom portion without burners, and; a side wall between the top portion and the bottom portion, the side wall comprising an internal wall and an external wall, and having an upper section and a lower section, the internal wall defining a cylindrical volume having substantially the same cross-sectional area between the top portion and the bottom portion; b) at least one burner associated with the lower section of said side wall to at least initially heat the inside of said vessel; c) a first gas injection device associated with at least one of said bottom and said side wall to inject air or another gas into the vessel, the first gas injection device comprising at least one of a first set of nozzles or a manifold having a plurality of heads, said first gas injection device being disposed below said burner, at least a portion of said nozzles or heads being aimed at an upward angle so as to create a swirling and turbulent air flow patterns within said vessel thereby inhibiting particulate material fallout, and a second gas injection device associated with said side wall and comprising at least one of a set of nozzles or a manifold having a plurality of heads arranged so as to provide said swirling and turbulent air flow patterns to effect solid-to-solid contact of said at least one of fly ash or other previously-combusted fine particulate material with said refractory-lined wall thereby providing capability for self-sustaining combustion; d) at least one feed port associated with the lower section of said side wall to introduce said small particulate combustion products into said vessel above said first gas injection device, whereby at least some of said unburned carbon in said small particulate combustion products is combusted to produce beneficiated small particulate combustion products that travel under swirling and turbulent air flow the length of the internal wall circumference of said vessel many times in a generally upward helical or spiraling path and exit said vessel through the exit located at said top portion of said vessel; e) the liquid injection device comprising at least one of a set of nozzles or a manifold having a plurality of heads to inject liquid at the top portion of the vessel to cause the small particulate combustion products to be or to remain in a finely divided state; f) a separator device having an output line and a recycle line, the separator configured to separate most of the beneficiated small particulate combustion products from the flow exiting the vessel via the exit at the top portion of the vessel to provide said beneficiated small particulate combustion products as said output product through the output line and to return a portion of the small particulate combustion products to the vessel via the recycle line; g) at least one heat exchanger to cool said beneficiated small particulate combustion products exiting from the exit at the top portion of said vessel; and h) a collector device to remove most of the small particulate combustion products exiting from the heat exchanger to provide the beneficiated small particulate combustion products as said output product, the output product having a reduced carbon content and reduced particle size relative to said feed. |
