US2590293A

US2590293A - Sealing device for regenerator apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2590293A
Application number: US129275A
Authority: US
Inventors: John L Armstrong
Original assignee: Eastern States Petroleum Co Inc
Current assignee: Eastern States Petroleum Co Inc
Priority date: 1949-11-25
Filing date: 1949-11-25
Publication date: 1952-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 1969-03-25

Description

March 25' 1952 J. L. ARMs'rRoNG sEALING DEVICE Foa REGENERATOR vAPPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1949 INVENTOR. S

A TTORNEKS Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sEALING DEVICE Fon REGENERATOR APPARATUS John L. Armstrong, Houston, Tex., assigner to Eastern VStates Petroleum Co., Inc., Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas applicati@ November 25, 1949, serial No. 129,275 7 Claims. Cl. 213-288) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a sealing device for regenerator apparatus.

In catalytic cracking apparatus the usual re-n generator vessel employs a grid structure in its lower portion and said grid structure includes a plurality of transversely extending members or supportsv which span the interior of the vessel. It is general practice to support the ends of said members by means of hangers which extend through an annular seal ring secured to the inner wall of the vessel, the seal ring being provided for the purpose of sealing around the grid supporting structure to prevent the gases within the interior of the vessel from entering behind the refractory inner wall of the vessel. The entry of said gases behind the inner refractory wall of the vessel is undesirable since said gases contacting the metallic outer shell of the vessel will erode said shell and will also unduly heat the shell to cause hot spots on the exterior surface of the vessel.

The usual hanger device which supports the transverse members of the grid structure extends through the annular seal ring and it has been found that the hot gases from within the vessel escape through and around the openings in the seal ring which are formed for the purpose of accommodating the hangers. Thus, the usual seal ring and hanger arrangement has proven ineffective to prevent the hot gases from entering behind the inner refractory wall of thevessel and contacting the outer metallic shell thereof.

It is, therefore, one object of this inventionv to provide an improved means for sealing around the usual hanger device which supports the grid structure of a regenerator vessel, whereby the hot gases within the vessel are sealed off against entry between the inner refractory w-all and the outer metallic shell of the vessel.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved sealing device for sealing the opening within a ring member through which a hanger support extends, which device comprises an enclosure for encompassing the upper portion of the hanger support, whereby any gases which escape upwardly around said hanger are trapped within the enclosure.

Still yanother object is to provide a simple boxlike structure which encloses the upper portion of a hanger support,v such as isV used in regenerator vessels and which is adapted to be easily weldedto the usual seal ring to effectively seal oif around T the usual--hangeropening therein.

The construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described together with other features thereof. Y

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specifica-tion and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an ordinary regenerator vessel to which the improved sealing device may be applied,

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the usual hanger and illustrating a sealing device, constructed in accordance with the invention, enclosing the upper end thereof,

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken through the hanger and sealing dev ice,

Figure 4 is a horizontal, cross-sectional view, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. Y

In the drawings, the numeral I0 designates the regenerator vessel of a catalytic cracking apparatus. As is Well known, the regenerator vessel' is utilized for reactivating spent catalyst which is circulated through the system and in the lower portion of the regenerator vessel is a grid structure which is generally indicated at A. The grid structure includes a plurality of transverselyl extending I-beams II and the ends of said beams are adapted to be supported adjacent the inner wall of the vessel. Y

The vessel includes an outer metallic shell- I2 and an inner refractory wall I3. For supporting each end of the I-beam it has been the usual practice to attach a supporting bracketV I4 tothe inner surface of the metallic shell, the bracket ordinarily being fastened by welding. A hanger support I5 which is clearly shown in Figure 2 has a generally square opening I6 at itsupper end with a similarv opening Il at its lower end. The opening I6r permits the upper portion of the hanger support to be engaged over the bracket I4 (Figure 2) whereby the support s suspended from said bracket. The 'end of the Ibeam II which extends transversely withiny the vessel is insertable within the opening I'I of thel support I5 and thus the beam is properly supported Witl'iin the Vessel.

It will be understood that theinterior' of the vessel contains hotl gases ofcombustion land it is desirable that the outer shell I2' ofthe vesselA as well as the space between the inner refractory wall and the shell be protected against the` entry of the' hot gases. Inan attempt to prevent these hot gases from passing upwardly intoV the space between the shell I2 and the inner refractory wall I3 a seal ring I8 has been provided, and this seal ring extends around the interior of the vessel and has its inner edge I8a welded to the inner wall of the shell. At the point where the hanger support I5 extends downwardly the seal ring must necessarily be provided with an opening I8b and it has been found that the hot gases will escape upwardly through this opening and pass into the space between the shell and the inner refractory wall of the vessel.

A conventional inner wall structure for the vessel I has been illustrated and as shown in Figure 3, this structure includes the refractory wall I3 which is supported on the sealing ring I8. Refractory blocks I3a are arranged annularly about the inner wall between the upper surface of the beam I I and below the beam additional refractory lining material I3b covers the inner surface of the wall of the vessel. As has been noted a plurality of the beams extend transversely across the interior of the vessel and support the usual grid structure A. Since it is difficult to provide a tight seal between the refractory material I3a and |31) and the beam II and also between an ordinary metal to metal contact between the hanger I and the seal ring, the hot gases from the interior of the vessel have been found to escape upwardly past the hanger to enter th-e space between the outer metallic wall or shell I2 and the refractory wall I3 of the vessel.

The present invention is provided for the purpose of effectively sealing off around the opening |811 in the seal ring and as is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, a box-like metallic casing 2li is adapted to enclose the upper portion of the hanger support I5 and the bracket Irl. The casing includes a front side 20a, ends 20o, and a top 20c, with the bottom and outer or rear side of the casing being open. The casing is of a size to surround the opening ISD within the seal ring I8 and has its lower edges resting upon said seal ring and welded thereto. The rear edges indicated at 20d in Figure 2 abut and engage the inner wall surface of the shell I2 and these edges are also welded to the shell. Thus, the casing 2U completely encloses the upper portion of the hanger support and the bracket I4 and completely surrounds the opening leb in the seal ring.

By observing Figure 3 it will be evident that any of the hot gases present within the interior of the vessel which may pass upwardly around the end of the I-beam iI may pass through the opening I8b'in the seal ring but upon passing through this opening, such gases will enter the interior of the casing 20. Since the lower edges of the casing are welded to the upper surface of the seal ring I8 and since the rear edges are welded to the inner wall of the shell I2, the gases are trapped within the casing and cannot pass upwardly between the refractory wall and the metallic shell. It is noted that the hot gases which might enter behind the Abrick work will result in an erosion of the refractory material and also excessive heating of the outer shell I2 may be caused. Such excessive heating results in creepage and failure of the metal. The provision of the enclosure or casing 20 effectively seals around the opening I8b which must be provided in the seal ring I8 to permit extension of the hanger support in a plane below said seal ring. The device is extremely simple and may be readily mounted in place after the hanger support has been assembled on its bracket. When and if removal of the bracket is required, it is only necessary to cut the to the wall of the vessel, and means welding which attaches the casing to the seal ring and to the shell so that actually the casing is attached in a semi-permanent manner. iThe use of welding for attachment of the casing in proper position around the opening ISD in the seal ring assures a gas-tight joint between the casing and the ring and shell.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this into attain all of the forth, together and vention is one well adapted ends and objects hereinabove set with other advantages which are obvious which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described the invention, I claim'.

1. The combination with a vessel having a metalli-c outer wall and a refarctory inner wall and also having a hang-er assembly mounted on the inner surface of said outer wall with a portion thereof exposed through the refractory inner wall to the interior of the vessel, whereby one end of a transverse member may be supported by said hanger, of an annular seal ring secured to the inner surface of the m-etallic outer wall at a point intermediate the top and bottom of the hanger assembly, said ring having an opening therein through which the hanger assembly extends, and a box-like sealing enclosure resting upon the seal ring and secured thereto and encompassing thc upper portion of the hang-er assembly.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sealing enclosure has a portion thereof attached to the inner surface of the metallic shell and also wherein said enclosure is attached to the seal ring at its points of contact therewith.

3. In combination, a vessel having a metallic outer wall and a refractory inner wall, a hanger support suspended from the inner surface of the metallic wall of said vessel and having a portion thereof exposed through an opening in the refractory inner wall, a transverse supporting member having one end mounted on the hanger support, a seal ring mounted on the inner surface of the metallic outer wall of the vessel and having the hanger support extending through an opening therein, and a sealing device comprising a casing supported lupon the seal ring surrounding the opening in the ring and enclosing the upper portion of the hanger support for sealing off around said opening.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein said casing has one open side which is directed toward the inner surface of the metallic outer wall of the vessel with the vertical edges of the casing which define said open side engaging the vessel wall, and means for welding said vertical edges to the wall of the vessel.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein said casing has one open side which is directed toward the inner surface of the metallic outer wall of the vessel with the vertical edges of the casing which define said open side engaging the vessel wall, means for welding said vertical edges for welding the casing to the sealing ring at the points of contact between said casing and ring.

6. In combination, a vessel having a metallic outer `wall and a refractory inner wall, a hanger support suspended from the inner surface of the metallic wall of said Vessel and having a portion thereof exposed through an opening in the refractory inner wall, a transverse supporting member having one end mounted on the hanger support, a seal ring mounted on the inner surface of the metallic outer wall cf the vessel and having the hanger support extending through an opening therein, and a sealing device comprising a casing having three sides and a top with its bottom and one side open and being substantially rectangular in cross-section, said casing being engageable over the upper portion of the hanger support with its lower edges resting on the seal ring around the opening in said seal ring and its vertical edges which denne the open side of 6 said casing engaging the inner surface of the outer metallic wall of the vessel.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein the lower edges of the casing are welded to the seal ring and also wherein the vertical edges which define the open side of the `casing are welded to the inner surface of the outer metallic wall of the vessel.

JOHN L. ARMSTRONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1 1,785,790 Ropp Dec. 23, 1930 2,115,625 Fleshman Apr. 26, 1938