AU2006200739B2

AU2006200739B2 - Furnace arrangements

Info

Publication number: AU2006200739B2
Application number: AU2006200739A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Johann Granitzer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-22
Filing date: 2006-02-22
Publication date: 2011-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 2022-07-22
Also published as: AU2006200739B8; AU2006200739A1

Description

Pool Section 29 Regulation 3.2(2) AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: FURNACE ARRANGEMENTS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me / us: 1 FURNACE ARRANGEMENTS The present invention relates to improved furnace arrangements, particularly for producing steam from heated water. Australian Patent No. 2002300240 discloses such a furnace arrangement 5 that might be readily varied in size or capacity by adding or removing modularly formed water retaining compartments to provide an effective and low cost furnace arrangement. While the furnace arrangement illustrated in the aforementioned earlier Australian patent is believed to be effective, some difficulties exist in relation to the manufacture of the furnace, specifically in ensuring satisfactory 10 weld tightness between the connecting pipes and the upright water vessels. The objective of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved furnace arrangement of the same general arrangement as described in Australian Patent No. 2002300240, but which does not suffer from possible manufacturing difficulties as described above. 15 Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved furnace arrangement including a heat retaining enclosure with a plurality of vertically disposed and separate water retaining compartments arranged side by side with vertically disposed walls between said compartments located within said heat retaining enclosure, each said compartment having at least one water flow 20 passage connecting with at least one adjacent said compartment whereby water can flow into all said compartments, means for supplying water to said compartments, and heat source means to provide heat to said compartments in said heat retaining enclosure, said furnace arrangement including an improvement whereby each said water flow passage connecting adjacent said 25 compartments has a defined length sufficient to permit the water flow passage at either end to be welded externally to a said compartment. Preferred aspects of the furnace arrangement may have the features defined in claims 2 to 17 as annexed hereto, the subject matter of these claims being made a part of the disclosure of the present specification by this reference 30 thereto. One preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 1a Fig 1 is a schematic side section view of a furnace arrangement taken along line I-I of Fig 2; 2 Fig 2 is a schematic plan section view taken along line II-II of Fig 1; and Fig 3 is a partial section view taken along line III-III of Fig 2. Referring to the annexed drawings, the furnace configuration 10 includes a heat retaining enclosure 11 typically made from heat refractory bricks or the like 5 enclosing a water retaining assembly 12. The water retaining assembly typically comprises a plurality of upright cylindrical compartments 13, each conveniently being formed by a suitable length of metal piping. The compartments 13 may be closed by a lower end plate 14 and an upper end plate 15. As shown in Fig 2, the compartments 13 are conveniently arranged in separate groups or rows 16, 17, 10 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 with the compartments 13 in each of these groups or rows being spaced from each other. Water flow communication passages 25 connect the upper levels of each compartment 13 with the upper level of at least one adjacent said compartment in each of the rows 16-24. Similarly, water flow communication passages 26 connect the lower levels of each compartment 13 15 with the lower level of at least one adjacent said compartment in each of the rows 16-24. Providing the separation between the compartments 13 in each of the rows 16-24 enables the flow passages 25, 26 to be welded to the outer surfaces of the cylindrical compartment walls and thereby provides a rigid structure for the modular rows 16-24 which can then be increased or decreased in number to form 20 the water retaining assembly 12. As can be seen in Fig 2, each of the compartment rows 16-24 may be connected to an adjacent row by providing flow passages 27, 28 and 29, 30 connecting end located compartments 31, 32 and 33, 34 of each row. Again in this case the passages 27, 29 connect upper regions of the end compartments 13 25 and the passages 28, 30 connect lower regions of the end compartments 13. Again the flow passages 27 to 30 are of a discrete length sufficient to enable their ends to be welded externally to the compartments 13, thereby ensuring a water tight assembly and rigid construction for the water retaining assembly 12. As can be seen in the drawings, the compartments 13 are of uniform circular cross 30 section and are of uniform length (or height). While it is preferred to utilize circular cross-section pipes for the compartments 13, other cross-section pipes might also be used. As can be seen in Fig 3, the upper and lower ends of the compartments 13 are generally located in the same horizontal plane. As can be 3 best seen in Fig 2, the compartments 13 in rows 16 to 24 are staggered relative to the compartments in an adjacent row thereby providing a serpentine heat flow path across and around the compartments from a heat source or burner 80 on one side of the assembly 12 to a flue 70 on the other side of the assembly 12. 5 It is of course possible to have more than one flue 33 leading from the heat retaining enclosure 11 if desired. If desired more than one burner could be used and the burner or burners could be positioned adjacent a respective group of compartments 13 either as illustrated in the annexed drawings or beneath the compartments 13. It will of course be appreciated that differing sized furnace 10 configurations of a similar type can be built by adding or removing rows of compartments 13 in a similar manner to that which is shown in the annexed drawings. It is of course possible to include more water flow passages than those illustrated in the drawings but it is believed that those illustrated will be sufficient for satisfactory operation of the furnace while limiting the cost and difficulty of 15 manufacture of the water retaining assembly 12. Conveniently, blow down or drainage pipes 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 can be provided leading from the lower most levels of one of the compartments 13 in the rows 16 to 24 outwardly of the enclosure 11. As best seen in Fig 1, a boiler vessel 44 may be located above the enclosure 11 with the 20 water level 45 being shown. Pipes 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54 lead through the upper end plates 15 in centrally located compartments 13 in each of the rows 16 to 24. The pipes 46 to 54 lead upwardly into the boiler vessel 44. The boiler vessel 44 includes a boiler glass 55 visually indicating water levels, and suitable sensor probes 56, 67, 58 and 59 as are known in the art to control 25 water levels in the boiler, the introduction of further water when required and the burner or burners utilized in the enclosure 11. Finally a steam discharge pipe 60 may be provided leading from the boiler vessel 44. It will be apparent to those skilled in this art that variations to the preferred embodiment described are possible without departing from the scope of the 30 claims as annexed hereto. Such variations are intended to be covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. A furnace arrangement including a heat retaining enclosure with a plurality of vertically disposed and separate water retaining compartments arranged side by side with vertically disposed walls between said compartments located within 5 said heat retaining enclosure, each said compartment having at least one water flow passage connecting with at least one adjacent said compartment whereby water can flow into all said compartments, means for supplying water to said compartments, and heat source means to provide heat to said compartments in said heat retaining enclosure, said furnace arrangement including an 10 improvement whereby each said water flow passage connecting adjacent said compartments has a defined length sufficient to permit the water flow passage at either end to be welded externally to a said conipartment.

2. A furnace arrangement according to claim I wherein said compartments are grouped arranged in aligned rows with a said water flow passage connecting 15 adjacent said compartments in each said row.

3. A furnace arrangement according to claim 2 wherein two said water flow passages connect adjacent said compartments in each said row, one of said two compartment connecting water flow passages being located adjacent an upper end region of said compartments with the other of said two compartment 20 connecting water flow passages being located adjacent a lower end region of said compartments.

4. A furnace arrangement according to claim 3 wherein said rows of said compartments are produced modularly and are connected to an adjacent said row of said compartments by at least one row connecting said flow passage 25 connecting an end located said compartment of one row with an adjacent end located said compartment of an adjacent said row. 5

5. A furnace arrangement according to claim 4 wherein a respective row connecting water flow passage connects opposite end located compartments of said one row with adjacent end located said compartments of the adjacent said row. 5

6. A furnace arrangement according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein two said row connecting water flow passages connect the end located compartments of adjacent said rows, one of said two row connecting water flow passages being located adjacent an upper end region of said compartments and the other of said two row connecting water flow passages being located adjacent a lower end 10 region of said compartments.

7. A furnace arrangement according to any one of claims 2 to 6 wherein a plurality of said compartments in one said row of compartments are positioned intermediate two said compartments of an adjacent said row of said compartments. 15

8. A furnace arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein each said compartment has a circular cross-section.

9. A furnace arrangement according to claim 8 wherein each said compartment has a uniform cross-section along its height.

10. A furnace arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the height of said 20 compartments is the same.

11. A furnace arrangement according to claim 10 wherein all said compartments have upper end regions located substantially in a horizontal plane.

12. A furnace arrangement according to any one of claims 2 to 11 further including a water retaining vessel positioned above said compartments, at least 25 one of said compartments having a water flow connection means to said water retaining vessel. 6

13. A furnace arrangement according to claim 12 wherein at least one said compartment from each said row of compartments is connected via a said water flow connection means to said water retaining vessel.

14. A furnace arrangement according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the 5 water retaining vessel is located within said heat retaining enclosure.

15. A furnace arrangement according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein the water retaining vessel is located externally of the said heat retaining enclosure.

16. A furnace arrangement according to any one of claims 12 to 15 further including a steam discharge means leading from said water retaining vessel. 10

17. A furnace arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 16 wherein the heat source means is at least one combustion heat source combusting a fuel to deliver heated gas flow outwardly of said compartments, said heated gas flow passing between and around said compartments before exiting from said heat retaining enclosure via at least one flue means. 15 DATED this 16th day of February 2006 JOHANN GRANITZER WATERMARK PATENT & TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA P26646AUP1