MX2013014478A

MX2013014478A - Vertical, multi-stage, pneaumatic system for the continuous processing of solids using air, gases and/or vapours.

Info

Publication number: MX2013014478A
Application number: MX2013014478A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Ernesto Rodriguez Gonzalez; Abiel Alba Rangel; Jorge Alberto Garcia Fajardo; Enrique Arriola Guevara; Guadalupe Maria Guatemala Morales; Ignacio Orozco Ávila
Original assignee: Ct De Investigacion Y Asistencia En Tecnologia Y Diseño Del Estado De Jalisco A C
Priority date: 2013-12-09
Filing date: 2013-12-09
Publication date: 2015-06-09
Also published as: WO2015088304A1

Abstract

The present invention refers to the design and operation of a VERTICAL, MULTI-STAGE, PNEAUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS USING AIR, GASES AND/OR VAPOURS, which acts as a column, with the novel geometric characteristics of the base device MX/a/2007/016571 (21) that forms the same. The invention, which is not limited to the drying and roasting of grains and seeds, is useful in processes that involve the contact of air, gases and/or vapors with the solids in operations requiring transference of heat, gases and/or vapors with solids, in operations involving transference of heat, mass and chemical reaction. The invention is a multi-stage system that promotes the uniformity of the treatment of solid particles, which is different from those currently available on the market and that gathers the following advantages: intense contact of solids-fluids, without death zones, with a substantial agitation of the solids, which improves the transference of heat, mass and the che mical reactions. The system is operated under low pressures, the charge and discharge of solids is easily performed without dismounting the equipment, the same being easily scalable, hydrodynamically stable, simple to be mounted to a column interconnected with device MX/a/2007/016571 (21), easily cleaned since it is dismountable, and finally the flow control of solids in the system being performed by means of a valve or device MX/a/2008/016567 (22).

Description

"VERTICAL MULTILAYER PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS" FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the fields of the food, chemical or pharmaceutical industry, specifically those involving granular particle contact processes with gases or fluids, continuously and in multistage. This type of system, known in Spanish as "vertical multistage pneumatic system for the continuous processing of solids", or in English as "continuous vertical pneumatic multistage system for solids processing", is used in operations that include heat trans mass and / or chemical reaction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A vertical multistage pneumatic system for the continuous processing of solids, is a system for the contact of air, gases or vapors with solid particles. One of the greatest advantages of these fluid-solid contact systems lies in the fact that they are capable of handling large solid particles (greater than 103 m). Pneumatic systems, which were initially developed for the transport of solids, are especially useful in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and plastics industries, as an effective and modern means of moving and transporting bulk material. These systems have been used later for the processing of solids, as in the drying of grains and seeds, where the wet particles are transported and dried by a warm air current (Narimatsu et al., 2004); or in the drying of other materials (US3,707,775,). The contact form in these systems is complex, affected by the characteristics of the design, the properties of the particles, the operating conditions, and the transport regime adopted to transport the particles, which could be dense or diluted. The way in which transport is carried out can be at pressures above atmospheric or vacuum. Considering the relationship between the mass of the product transported and the mass of the transporting gas, two types of systems can be distinguished: transport in the diluted phase and transport in the dense phase. Among other uses of pneumatic systems is the separation of solids (US4,044,695). These systems are used in multistage in the classification of waste materials, in waste incinerators (US3,951,081), in air purifiers for removal of pollutant particles from air currents (US20090038480), or, as part of systems more complex, as is the case of the "Multizone" mobile bed reaction device with the addition of regenerated catalyst (US7, 611,678), in addition to the pneumatic transport of solids and, in general, in many operations where the transcan take place of heat, mass and / or chemical reaction. Many applications of these solid-fluid contact devices can be given in fixed, fluidized beds and source beds: the drying of solids (Peterson, 1962; Clary et al, 1970), the separation of solids (Van Weert and Van Hasselt, 1997), granulation (Tsvik, 1967), catalytic reactions (Olazar et al., 1994), coffee roasting (Nagaraju et al., 1997), heat treatment for insect control (Banks, 1998 and Beckett , 2000), the coating of particles (Jones, 1994), the pyrolysis of polystyrene (Aguado et al., 2003), the drying of shrimp (Tapancyasin et al., 2005), the Vortex reactor (US 20070196249), the device for carrying biomass in a fluidized substrate that allows to control the thickness of the biomass (US 20060186041), the source bed device with annular region for electroplating small objects (US 20050217989), the improved device of heat exchange between solid particles and a gas stream (US 4423558), a multistage fluidized bed reactor with biomass gasification recirculation Kersten et al., (2003) and, in general, heat and mass transoperations (Uemaki and Kugo, 1967 and Epstein and Mathur, 1974, 1982). Because the quality of the product depends, in large part, on the progress of the process, many and varied attempts have been made in the search for devices and methods that have a good control of the fluid-solid contact process, as is the case of drying and / or roasting of grains and seeds. These attempts have been reflected in the various patents presented, such as: the device that uses radiation (Chung, 2010 US7,740,892), the roasting chamber that has many cycles (Moon, 2004, US 6770315), and roasters of coffee for home use that work by lot (Song, 2001, USRE37238). The vast majority of the mentioned devices refer to cylindrical or semi-cylindrical containers, in single-stage batch operations. The disadvantages of these devices, compared with the present invention, are the high pressure drops of some of them, the lack of specific application of others and the operation problems that cause gaps, dead zones and flooding when they work continuously. Although it has been theoretically demonstrated that this type of systems, with continuous flow of solids, behave in a very similar way to the "stirred tank" model (Epstein and Mathur, 1974), and that a system of stirred tanks In series (multistage) approaching the piston flow when the number of tanks is large (Levenspiel and Bischoff, 1963), there are very few published works on the use, design, operation, application and modeling of multistage contact systems for large solids. Some of these multistage systems so far invented, have a common feature: they are unstable hydrodynamically speaking and present serious disadvantages in their design for possible commercial application for example high pressure drops, dead zones of little or no contact between solids and the fluid, binding of solids in the drainpipes, incomplete emptying of the column. The present invention is a novel, VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM in MULTI-PACKAGE FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, which has proved to be, within the range of operating conditions experienced, an ingenious system without moving parts, hydrodynamically stable, with low pressure drop per stage due to the use of drag tubes, with easily controllable flow preventing the system from flooding, with the special feature of being able to couple several identical units in series, one on top of the other, to form a column. This device has clear advantages for its application in the industry due to its ease of operation, intense fluid-solid contact that allows a uniform treatment of solid particles with gases and / or vapors, which is very convenient for processes that include transfer of heat, mass and / or chemical reaction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The characteristic details of this invention called VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM MU LTI STAGE FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS are clearly shown in the following description and in the respective figures, which are mentioned by way of example and they should not be considered as limiting the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Figure 1 is an explosive view of various perspectives of the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) that forms the basis for the present invention.

Figures 2 and 3 show two perspectives of the solids valve or device MX / a / 2008/016567 (22) that is integrated to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a side view of the MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, mounted on a stainless steel support structure.

Figure 5 is a side view of the placement of the supports (2), the solids additive hopper (14) and the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) that forms the basis for the present invention.

Figure 6 is an enlargement of figure 5 where the detail of the placement of the supports is observed.

Figure 7 shows the air, gas and / or steam supply network that feeds the MULTI-STAGE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS.

Figure 8 shows the air, gas and / or steam supply network that feeds the MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, mounted on a stainless steel support structure.

Figure 9 shows another view of the air, gas and / or steam supply network that feeds the MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, mounted on a stainless steel support structure .

Figure 10 shows another perspective of the MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, mounted on a stainless steel support structure for two columns.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to Figure 4, three stages are shown only, each one integrated by the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) that forms the basis for the present invention; feeder-connector-downpipes (9), supports (2), for MX / a / 2007/016571 devices (21) which form the basis for the present invention, nozzles for the air inlet to each device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), air outlet ducts to the cielon (16), hopper feeder of solids (13) ), cyclone separator of fine particles (14), support structure of the whole system in multistage (15), valve of solids or device MX / a / 2008/016567 shown in figures 2 and 3 (22) and air inlet for Valve solids or device MX / a / 2008/016567 (22).

Continuing with Figure 4, it is observed how two or more devices MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) can be connected using the downspouts (9) by means of flanges, screws and supports (2), in vertical arrangement to form a column as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7. Figures 7 and 8 show the air, gas and / or steam supply network that feeds the MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, mounted on a stainless steel support structure. Figure 7 shows an extension that allows to observe the entry of air coming from a compressor (18).

With reference to Figure 4, on the rear side of the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), there is the fastener (2), which serves to support the device (21) to the support structure (15); this fastener (2) may be placed indistinctly on any of the external faces of the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), and may vary in shape and size as shown in Figure 4, depending on the ease necessary to hold the MX devices / a / 2007/016571 (21) to the structure. The support structure is designed to withstand the weight of the MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) devices that make up the column -or columns- and to have the facility to assemble and disassemble the multistage system, to have a maintenance and cleaning newspapers.

Figure 7 shows an extension where you can see the air coming from a compressor (18), the rotameter (19) or regulator of air flow, gases and / or steam, the resistance (20) and the nozzle (11) that is connected to the base of the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21). This arrangement is repeated for each stage.

With regard to Figure 4, an important point of our design is the implementation of an adequate system for the elimination of fine powders in each stage (14); these fine if they remain within the system are burned causing a deterioration in the quality of the products.

BEST METHOD KNOWN FOR THE OPERATION OF THE INVENTION As can be seen in Figure 4, the invention as a whole consists of: A VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM MULTI STAGE FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, mounted on a steel structure for support purposes for the system. In this Figure 4, it is shown how this VERTICAL MULTILAYER PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, constructed in food grade stainless steel, is integrated, in the upper part of the column, with a container , or hopper (13), where the solids to be processed are placed; This container is connected to a vertical feeder pipe or downspout (9), which can be of variable diameter (1-5 inches) depending on the type of grain, or seed, to be processed. The vertical pipe or downspout (9) is connected to an MX / a / 2007/016571 device (21), allowing the solids to fall from the hopper (13) and by the effect of gravity the solids are fed through the entire column, to the first device (21) located at the bottom of the column; once that first container is filled, the solids that continue to fall will fill the next higher device and so on until the filling of all the containers (1) that make up the system is achieved. MULTI-POTTERY VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING IN CONTINUOUS OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS. All the downspouts (9) are of the same dimensions, diameters and angles, well defined to avoid jamming and / or fluidization of the solid particles inside the tubes. All MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) devices that make up the system are interconnected through the down conductors (9).

The MULTI-STAGE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS has the option to operate in two forms of contact between the phases: 1. In "cross flow", in which the air, gas and / or steam, required for each device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) that integrates the multistage column, comes directly from the main power line. In this case, the exit of the gases and / or vapors is connected to a tube (16) towards a cielon (14), with the purpose of eliminating the fine powders produced by the friction. Likewise, at the base of the multistage system and by means of a down pipe (9), the valve or device MX / a / 2008/016567 (22) is connected, which allows the control of discharge flow of the solids at the output of the system . 2. In "countercurrent flow", in which the required air, gas and / or steam enters only through the lower MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) device of the multistage column. The output of the gases and / or vapors is connected to a tube (16) to the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) immediately above the column. In this case, the fines are not eliminated by a cyclone (14).

The MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS presents, in addition, the advantage of being able to couple, in series, vertically, several identical units (devices MX / a / 2007/01657 ( 21), one on top of the other, to form a column of two or more stages.The column thus formed, is easily detachable for its maintenance and cleaning. the invention works properly, the column must be accompanied by a bucket elevator for the continuous filling of the hopper (13) that will feed by gravity the solids that are to be processed.

The preparation of the solid particles for each run is recommended as a stage prior to starting the system. It requires the removal of rods and large solids (garbage) that could get stuck in the system, otherwise it creates an extra resistance that prevents solids from flowing freely through the pipes and the container, checking and cleaning the filters of air and the water trap of the air line and check the filling of the compressor.

The solids (grains of corn, coffee, rice, cocoa, pepper, etc., seeds of all kinds, agglomerates, tablets, metals) to be processed, fall by gravity through the drainpipes (9) into the MX devices / a / 2007/016571 (21) that constitute the multistage system; once all the devices MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) are filled, an air, gas and / or vapor current that comes from a compressor is injected into them through the nozzles (11). the purpose of creating the internal movement - controlled agitation - of the solids. In this way, the solids inside the MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) devices are pushed by the current, forced to go through the drag tube inside each of the stages, and jump over said tube. The flow of air, gas and / or steam must operate with sufficient pressure to prevent solids from collapsing and flooding the transport section and stop flowing. Also, depending on the process, the air, gas and / or steam, can be heated by the use of electrical resistances, or cooled using the cold part of a vortex tube. The control of the air, gas and / or vapor temperatures in each stage, operates through a panel with controllers and programmable indicators, connected to the electrical resistances and thermocouples.

Optionally, the MULTI-STAGE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS can integrate a computer that is connected to a data acquisition module, whose program of action is to record the temperatures at the exit of each stage through graphic software. Each device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) has a hole (10) that allows the option of mounting and dismounting humidity, temperature and pressure sensors.

EXAMPLE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION The MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, is more clearly illustrative by means of the example described below, which is presented for the purpose of illustrative, but not limiting, being said example the following: In the specific case of coffee roasting, green coffee, or controlled mixtures of various types of grains, are fed by gravity, in the upper part of the MULTI-LAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS The grain descends through the column, integrated by devices MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) interconnected by means of downpipes, maintaining an intense and controlled contact with air, 11 Olitre / minute, at different temperatures, 400-500 ° C, determined by the control system. The air-solid contact pattern is performed in cross flow. The first stages, conformed by MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) devices, of the MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS are for mixing and preheating, in the following the toasted and in the last the cooling of the coffee to stop the corresponding reactions. Through the lower part of the MULTI-LAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS PROCESSING SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, coffee is obtained uniformly toasted, of good sensory quality and continuously. In the air temperature, humidity and flow are controlled; in the grain they are monitored: temperature, by means of sensors to measure the temperature of the coffee beans in the internal part of the containers, in this way we obtain the relationship that exists between the temperature of the grain inside the system and the inlet temperature of the air, color and mechanical properties. The flow of solids at the outlet of the MULTI-PLATE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS is controlled by a valve or device MX / a / 2008/016567 (22) that regulates the time that the solids remain circulating inside the container. The degree of toasting will depend on the time that the grains remain in the MULTI-STAGE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS. In this example, coffee roasting satisfactorily complied with the pattern established by the State Council of Coffee Producers of the State of Jalisco, A.C. (specifically that of producers of T alpa de Allende).

Claims

REINVIDICATIONS Having sufficiently described the invention, which is novel, we claim as our exclusive property what is contained in the following clauses:

1. A MULTI-STAGE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, integrated with devices such as those described in MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), characterized in that they are superimposed one on top of the other vertically , interconnected by downpipes (9), which are joined by flanges.

2. A VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM MULTI STAGE FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the geometry of the device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), allows the placement, positioning and orientation of each of the devices MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), which make up the system.

3. A MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each of the supply lines of air, gases and / or vapors to the MX / a / 2007/016571 devices (21), will have passed through water, oil and dust filters to reduce any risk of contamination.

4. A MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), will have instruments of measurement of temperature, pressure and humidity.

5. A MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it is placed on a support structure (15), which can be adapted to support a or more columns.

6. A MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the solids, the raw material that is fed into the system for its treatment, is transported to the feed hopper (13) by means of a bucket elevator.

7. A MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flow of air, gas and / or vapor that comes out of the particle-free cinder of powder, can be recirculated to the upper stages of the column, feeding to devices MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), as preheating or pretreatment of the solids as the case may be.

8. A MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each of the supply lines of air, gases and / or vapors to the devices MX / a / 2007/016571 (21), have the option of connecting to vortex tubes to obtain very cold flows depending on the process, which allows the rapid cooling of the solids that are processed and that come from previous stages.

9. A MULTI-TAPE VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS according to claim 1 characterized in that it has the option of operating in cross flow between the phases, in which the air, gas and / or steam, required for each device MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) that integrates the multistage column, comes directly from the main power line.

10. A MULTI-PATH VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS according to claim 1, characterized in that it has the option of operating in countercurrent flow between the phases, in which the air, gas and / or Required steam enters only through the lower MX / a / 2007/016571 (21) device of the multi-stage column.

11. The use of a MULTILAYER VERTICAL PNEUMATIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF SOLIDS WITH AIR, GASES AND / OR VAPORS as the one described in claims 1-10, as a solid dryer, grain and seed dryer, as a grain and seed roaster , as a mixer for solid particles and as a cooler for fertilizers or solid particles.