US1503750A - Tunnel kiln with steam-generating cooling zone - Google Patents

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. DRESSLER Filed Nov. 14, 1919 OOOOO V60i/w' w I .l l I Mw @MM/@ TUNNEL KILN WITH STEAM GENERATING COOLING ZONE Aug# 5 p 92@ subject of the King Patented ug. 5, 1924.

CONRAD DRESSLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., KILNS, INC., OF NEW YORK, N.

.ASSIGN OR 4'1.0 AMERICAN DRESSLER TUNNEL Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TUNNEL KILN WITH STEAM -G-ENERATING COOLING- ZONE.

Application led November 14, 1919. Serial No. 338,009.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CONRAD DREssLER, a

of Great Britain, resident of New York, York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tunnel Kilns with Steam-Generating Cooling Zones', of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has reference to tunnel kilns or ovens and like structures, hereafter referred to generally as kilns. In a kiln of this type goods which may be articles or materials of various kinds are heated for various purposes while passing through a heating zone of the kilns, and are afterward cooled while passing through a cooling zone of-the kilns which may be a portion of the same kiln chamber as that including the heating zone or may be a separate chamber from the heating zone.

The object of the invention is to provide a kiln of the character referred to with simple and effective means whereby the heat abstracted in the cooling zone from the goods treated and the trucks or other goods carriers may be utilized for generating steam available for power or other purposes. For this purpose I rovide the cooling zone of the kiln with suitably disposed pipes or conduits through which water is caused to circulate in such manner and with such speed that the water will be heated to the temperature of steam at a pressure suitable for power and other purposes and provide in conjunction with these pipes, the other elements, ordinarily including a steam and water drum necessar to form a steam generating boiler of wiich the pipes in the cooling zone of the kiln form the water heating section. The invention is of especial utility where the goods are of a kind permitting them. to be rapidly cooled without injury after being heated to a high temperature.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a art of this specification. For a' better un erstanding of the invention, however, and the advantages possessed by it reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings and descriptive matter 1n which I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment ofthe invention.

in the county of New Of the drawings:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic longitudinal sectional elevation;

Fig. 2 is an elevation in section taken similarly to Fig. 1, but on a larger scale and showing a portion only of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1'

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3*?) of Fig. l; and,

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawings I have illustrated the use of my invention in a kiln of the well-known Dressler type as shown for example by my prior Patents 1,023,628 and 1,170,428 but having certain special constructive features arising from the use therein of the present invention and'also arising from the fact that the particular kiln, shown by way of example, is intended for use in the fractional distillation of coal. The special features of kiln construction adapting the kiln for use in distilling coal form no part vof my present invention but are disclosed in detail and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 338,008 filed of even date herewith. This particular form of kiln is one in which the temperature conditions are such as to make the steam generating features of especial value, though they can be utilized to advantage with kilns employed for many other purposes.

As shown, the {iln comprises a kiln chamber A enclosed by a refractory masonry wall B, the latter being usually insulated with kieselguhr or the like. The kiln is formed with the usual benches C throughout the heating up and high temperature zone of the kiln, these benches being located at opposite sides of the pathway for the goods to be treated which in case of the particular kiln illustrated is coal. On the benches C are mounted the combustion chambers H which may be formed of the usual hollow walled sections commonly employed in Dressler kilns. The goods to be treated are carried through the kiln on trucks D or other carriers, the trucks entering the kiln at the inlet end past double doors 'E and leaving the kiln at the opposite end past double doors F This double doorarrangement permits of the proper insertion and removal of trucks without any appreciable entrance of air to, or escape of asesfrom the kiln. Means which may be Offany usual c each valved outlet'Bz through kiln through the conduit J to ying above the pathway., for the goods. 5o

` slight y inclined p are connected to a header K3 Vbranches 'extending or suitable typeare provided for introducing fuel and' air .for its combustion into combustion chamber. The means shown` for this purpose comprise a gas supply nozzle HB and an air supply port HA at one end of each combustion chamber. The two ports HA receive air from an air supply conduit. The products of combustion leave each combustionchamber proper at its end remote from that at which air and as are supplied as aforesaid, and pass into Ieat radiating pipes I through which the products of combustion pass to an outlet conduitJ.--The vpipes l are located on. the benches C and extend along the heating up zone of the kiln, v

Advantageously in some cases means may be employed, as shown, to utilize the heat in the products of combustion leaving the reheat the air supplied to the combustion c ambersH by the conduit HA. As shown, the conduit J is connected by a conduit J', and the conduit HA by a conduit HAZ to a recuperator R and the latter is provided with an air inlet R', and a 'stack outlet R2 for products of combustion.

For its special use in distilling coal, the' kiln is provided with a gas l'space above the pathway for the goods and goods carrier whichis of considerable volumetric capacity, and isdivided into a series of o en ended compartments by part'tions B which extend across the kiln chamber at intervals 'above' the pathway for the goods.l Each of these compartments isl provided with a separate which a. regulated escape of gas collecting -in the compartment may be provided, lall as is more fully described in my co-pending application re ferred to above.

The goods and goods carrier cooling and steam generating .apparatus which is the characteristic feature of the invention claimed herein comprises, in thepreferred construction illustrated, a series of water tubes K at each side ofthe Pathway for "the oods, and anothergroupo water tubesdxl2 vanta eouslyas shown these tubes are to the horizontal, rising from their ends remote from the ends of the combustion chambers. The tubes K and K2 which is horseits legs ordepending down at the sides of the pathway for the' goods and connected to the tubes K,while the tubes K2 are connected to the body or yoke ortion of the header. The opposite ends o the tubes K and' K2 are connected to a similar header K. Water is su plied to the header K4' by a supply pipe M shown as the delivery pipe o a oiler feed pump M which may bey of usual type. From the top of the drum or header shoe shaped with K3 leads .a discharge pipe 0 which is con.

nected to'a horizontally disposed steam and waterdrum N shown as mountedabove the kiln. As shown the pipe O is connected to the steam and water drum N by a connection O opening into the drum below the water level therein and by another branch O2 openinginto the top of the steam and water drum. The steam and water drum N 1s'provided with an outlet P for steam and with a safety valve Q. To prevent the header K3 fromabsorbing heat too rapidly from, and thereby unduly cooling, the adjacent ends of the combustion chambers H, I insert heavy masonry walls B3 between the ends of the combustion chambers and the corresponding portions of the header K3 and provide flat arches Bt over the pathway for the goods above vthese walls B3. These flatl arches may be advantageously separatedA byl air pockets as shown in Fig. 2. rl`he side walls B3 and the arch B4 are shaped t0 fit above the-loaded goods carrying cars with only the necessary clearance. The constriction in the kiln chamber thus formed minimizes circulation of the kiln atmosphere by which the cooling zone might tend to cool the high temperature zone of the kiln. The width of the kiln chamber will ordinarily, as shown .in the drawings, be substantially less in the cooling zone section ofthe kiln .than in the heating up section.- i

In operation, the loaded goods carrying trucks D are periodically inserted into the kiln one at atime past the doors E and as' each car is thusinserted the train of cars filling the kiln chamber is moved forward a carlength, a car being removed from they cooling zone of the kiln each timea car is inserte the doors E. As a car (past thel doors F in the kiln past gradually perature,

the goods and cars are cooled lby the steam" generating u nit makes it possible to cool the goods and cars to a temperature at'which they may be discharged from the kiln' without injury and without an undesirable lossof sensible heat with a length of cooling zone substantially shorterthan is necessary with the cooling arran ements heretofore ordinarily employed in ilns of this character. The shortening in the len kiln structure thus made ossi le materially reduces the cost of ki construction and` l uw.

vslowly-moves from ,the doors E to the walls B3 it is slowly and llO h of the Y iosgeo and reduces the ground space required for the kiln, which is a matter of much practical importance in some cases.

The particular construction and arrangement of the steam generating unit is one which is well adapted for efficient and successful operation in the manner disclosed. lAs the water moves through the tubes K and K2 from the header K4 to the header K3, the water-is gradually heated up to a temperature corresponding to the steam pressure desired. The provision of the steam and water drum well above the tubes and connected to theA headerl K3 as shown, reduces water hammer and other troubles which might resultfrom the conversion of considerable quantities of water into steam in the tubes K and K2 and the header K3. The use of means such as a recuperator R for utilizing the sensible heat in the products of combustion to preheat the air required for combustion makes it possible to obtain the economy in fuel resulting from a proper preheating of the air supplied for combustion.

without drawing this air through the cooling-oli' zone of the kiln as has heretofore been the practice.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and de scribed the best form of embodiment in my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that chan es may be made in the 'form of apparatus isclosed without departing from l'the spirit of my invention as set Vforth in the appended claims and that in some cases certain features of my invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other` features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a tunnel kiln in which the 'kiln chamber comprises a heating zone and a cooling zone successively traversed by the goods passing through the kiln, the improvement which consists in a steam generating unit comprising water heating elements located in the kiln chamber in position to abstract heat from the goods as the latter pass through said cooling zone.

2. In a tunnel kiln comprising a heating zone and a cooling zone and a pathway through the kiln for goods, the improvement which consists in horizontally disposed water tubes located in the cooling zone portion ot the kiln at the sides and above said pathway, and elements cooperating with said tubes to form a steam generating unit.

3. In a tunnel kiln comprising a heating zone and a cooling zone with a pathway through the kiln for goods, the improvement which consists in a steam generating unit comprising headers at each end of the cooling zone which extend over and having leg portions projecting down at the sides ot the pathway, tubes connecting said headers, a steam and water drum external of the kiln to which the header at the hot end of the cooling zone is connected 'and means for forcing feed water into the header at the other end. i

4. In a tunnel kiln comprising a heating zone and a cooling zone with a pathway through the kiln for goods, the improvement which consists in a steam generating unit comprising water heating elements located in said cooling zone in position to abstract heat from the goods passing through said zone, and a barrier .at thejunction between the heating and' cooling zones closely encircling said pathway to minimize a circulation of kiln the heating and cooling. zones.

5. In a tunnel kiln comprising a heating zone and a cooling zone with a pathway through the kiln for goods, the improvement which consists in a steam generating unit comprising water heating elements located in said cooling zone in position to abstract heat from the goods passing through said zone, and a barrier at the junction between the heating and cooling zones closely encircling said pathway to minimize a circulation of kiln atmosphere between the heating and cooling zones, the portion of said barrier above the pathway being formed of flat arches separated from one another by air Spaces extending transversely to the pathway.

6. In a tunnel kiln comprising a heating zone and a cooling zone with a pathway through the kiln for goods, and combustion chambers located in the heating zone and fuel supply means and air inlets for the combustion chambers, the improvement which consists in a steam generating unit comprising water heating tubes located in the cooling zone and in combination therewith means for utilizing the hot products of combustion leaving the combustion chambers for preheating the air supplied to the air inlets of said combustion chambers. l

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this thirteenth day of November A. D. 1919.

CONRAD DRESSLER.

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