US2178795A

US2178795A - Furnace regenerator arrangement

Info

Publication number: US2178795A
Application number: US193358A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Irwin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-03-01
Filing date: 1938-03-01
Publication date: 1939-11-07
Anticipated expiration: 1956-11-07

Description

Nov. 7, 1939.

w. J. mwm 2.178.795 FURNACE BEGENERATOR ARRANGEMENT Fiied March 1, 193a Inventor.- lV/LL/fl/v J flew/v,

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE 2,178,795 FURNACE REGENEEATOR ARRANGEMENT William J. Irwin, Wilkinsburg, Pa.

Application March 1,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to heat regenerators, one of the objects being to effect more uniform gaseous flows through the same than has heretofore been possible.

Specific examples of an open-health metallurgical furnace provided with regenerators embodying the principles of the invention are i1- lustrated .by the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the furnace;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the regenerator and the fiues extending from the same to the furnace and the stack;

- Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken from the line III-III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a. transverse vertical section taken from the line IV-IV in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but i1- lustrates another example of the invention.

Since the regenerators are similarly arranged at opposite ends of the furnace and these opposite ends are the same, the drawing includes only one of the furnace ends and the two regenerators at this end.

This furnace includes a fuel and air are introduced alternately from the opposite ends. When the fuel and air are introduced from the end not shown by the drawing, the products of combustion exit by way of gas and air ports 2 and 3, up-and-down-takes 4- and 5 and gas and air flues 6 and I, which extend over the tops of regenerators 8 and 9. The products pass downwardly through these regenerators and are from there carried by flues Ill and H to the furnace stack, these fiues opening from the bottoms of the two regenerators opposite the fiues 6 and I.

The flues l and II are s 'tably valved to provide the control necessary for reversing the furnace. The details of this arrangementmay be conventional and are therefore not described. In any event the present invention is chiefly concerned with uniformly spreading the products of combustion through the regenerators because it is this problem that most seriously 0on fronts furnace designers.v

One reason trouble is experienced in effecting a uniform flow 0f the products of combustion throughout the extent of the regenerator is because it is necessary to make the flues of brick, and to properly key the various bricks it is neceshearth I over which sary to arch the'tops of the flues 6 and 1, this,

necessarily resulting in the provision of spaces over the regenerator tops which are much greater 1938, Serial No. 193,358

in heights along the longitudinal center lines of the regenerators than along their edges. Consequently, the products of combustion tend to sweep centrally along the regenerators whereby the side .A further difliculty exists by reason of the introduction of the products of combustion parallel over the regenerator tops, whereby the velocity of the flows tends to cause a concentration at the remote ends of the regenerators and a consequent neglect of the passages most adjacent the furnace.

According to the present invention, the top of either or both regenerators is built up, as at 9 in Figure 4, to approximate the shape of the necessarily arched flue tops. Preferably the top of the regenerator should be arched as smoothly as the flue top over it but, due to the construction of regenerators, this may not be practical. Consequently, top of the regenerator 9 as toward its center from both its longitudinal edges, this resulting in a space over the regenerator top that is at least approximately of uniregenerator passages are neglected.

the drawing shows the increasing in steps form height transversely of the regenerator.

Due to this-arrangement the products of combustion tend to flow more evenly over the width of the regenerator,- whereby gaseous flows through the normally neglected side passages of the regenerator are obtained to a much greater degree than is usual.

Furthermore, either or both of the fines is built to decline toward the remote end of the regenerator in the manner illustrated by Figure 3, and to provide one or more spaced over the top of the end of the regenerator most adjacent the furnace. With this arrangement the products of combustion are forced downwardly toward the passages in this end of the regenerator, which are declinations 1 those normally receiving but little of the gaseous flow because ofthe tendency for the flow to travel thereover toward the remote end. Preferably, the top of the flue should decline so as to almost close the lastrow of passages of the regenerator.

in conjunction with shaping of the top of the regenerator, cooperates to effect a very thoroughly and uniformly dis- This last mentioned feature,

the declinations I and the at the remote or stack end tributed flow of products of combustion through the regenerator.

As previously mentioned, the various features described may be applied to, either or both regenerators, the description being directed particularly to the air regenerator 9 because this ordinarily handles the largest volume of the products of combustion and hence presents the most serious problem.- In some instances it may be desirable to provide the built-up arrangement 9 for only a part of the length of the regenerator.

This feature may be used to advantage by itself, but is particularly efiective when used in conjunction with the declining flue top provided with the declinations as described.

A further reason the problem of even flow distribution is particularly encountered in the case of the air regenerator 9 is because this regenerator is generally necessarily offset from the up-and-down-takes 4 and 5. Furthermore, the up-and-down-take 5 generally of necessity angles in the .direction of the regenerators offset, these various features tending to produce a flow completely out of alignment. with the center line of .the air regenerator. Turbulence is also in-' troduced.

With the above in mind, a further feature of the present invention is the arrangement of the v regenerator 9 at an-angle to the regenerator 8 suc 'as will cause the two regenerators to converge respecting one another. regenerators are positioned parallel one another,

this requiring the portion of the flue 1 between the end of the regenerator 9 and the down-take 5 to be very sharply angled but, due to the regenerator 9 converging respecting the regenerator 8, it is possible to construct this portion of the flue I with very little angularity in the case of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the flue l is practically aligned with center line of the regenerator 9 whereby the flow of products of combustion is more centered respecting tlus regenerator and can therefore diffuse more evenly through the passages of the latter. Both regenerators may be angularly positioned respecting the longitudinal center line of the furnace to efiect the desired converging relationship, if desired.

In the case of the example shown by Figure 5, a very wide regenerator i2 is illustrated. A regenerator of this width might, for instance, be used, instead of the two regenerators 8 and 9, in those instances where it is not necessary to preheat the fuel. This example is featured by a double-arched flue top I3 opening over the top of the regenerator l2 and by the latter being built up, as at 32, toward the highest parts of each of these arches, this resulting in what might be called a longitudinally double-arched a flue construction may be provided by the use of key bricks 94 between the two arches, suspended from rods is supported by cross-bars I8 spanning the outside tops of the two arches of the brick flue 13.

This double-arched flue top results in a space over the regenerator top of more uniform height transversely of the regenerator even if the regenerator top is flat, as it conventionally is. That is to say, a single arch provides a flue space of maximum height along the longitudinal center of the regenerator but a double arch tends to reduce this effect. It is possible to use a relatively great number ofarches and thereby provide a practically flat-topped flue which, in conjunction with a flat-topped regenerator, will result in a space over the regenerator top of even height transversely of the regenerator.

Although not so prominent, the problem of even distribution through theregenerator when working reversely, that is to say, when gas or air is fed through the same to the furnace, is also Generally, these the longitudinal H is shown as providing declinations H at the stack end of to some extent in the direction of the furnace end of the regenerator. This arrangement functions during the reverse flow through the regenerator in the same way as the top construction of the flue 7 functions.

Although specific examples of the invention are disclosed in accordance with the patent statutes, it is not intended to scope, except to the extents defined by the appended claims.

1. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of said regenerator and said fluebeing shaped to provide a space of substantially versely of said regenerator the length of the latter.

2. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases .down through the same, the top of said regenerator and said flue being shaped to provide a space of substantially uniform height transversely of said regenerator for at least a part of the length of the latter, and which'decreases toward the remote end of the latter.

3. A heatv regenerator having a flue extending over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of said regenerator and said, flue being shaped to provide a space of substantially uniform height transversely of said regenerator for at least a part of the length of the latter, said flue providing at least one declination over the topof the end of said regenerator where gases are initially in troduced by said flue.

4. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of said for at least a part of thereby limit its the regenerator and as inclining uniform height transregenerator and said flue being shaped to provide V a space of substantially uniform height transversely of said regenerator for at least a part'of the length of the latter and which decreases togases down through the same, the top of said regenerator and said flue being substantially similarly arched transversely for at least a part of the length of said regenerator.

6. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the samejthe top of said flue over said regenerator being in the form of a plurality of longitudinally extending arches for at least a part of the length of said regenerator.

7. A heat regenerator having achannel extending longitudinally over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the wall of said channel over said regenerator top and said regenerator top both beerator top being of such extent as to appreciably reduce the cross sectional area of said channel in the vicinity of its said end.

8. A heat regenerator having a flue extending over its top and open thereto so as to distribute gases down through the same, the top of said flue over said regenerator being in the form of a plurality of longitudinally extending arches for at least a part of the length of said regenerator, said flue decreasing in cross sectional area toward its end remote from the end of said regenerator top where gases are initially introduced to the same.

WILLIAM, J. IRWIN.