US3074648A - Fluid discharge gun - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 22, 1963 w. R. sToNE 3,074,648

FLUID DISCHARGE GUN Filed April l2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E @n y R. m WW ma m md mw K N llc R H T. Y m 5.2; WM use mm J| wO ZDm/\\ B m. EN w+* E QN f/ f QQ @4/ f www \`W&.. l 5.2; MM. fil nm MM. wm. V w I Il Tv I M m 11% a \w\ d w i/ K MNQ VZ l mm. mwah@ 5 t Y k A .Tv l A l W o NN mw a a 5.2;

Jan. 22, 1963 w. R. STONE 3,074,648

' FLUID DISCHARGE GUN Filed April 12, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 We?. l /NVEA/ron WNTHROP R. STONE SWW ATTOR Y United States Patent Oiice dliti Patented dan. 22, lgii 3,674,648 I FLUED DESQHARGE (GUN Winthrop lit. Stone, Winfield, W. Va., assigner to Union (Iarhide Qorporation, a corporation of New York Filed Apr. l2, .11961, Ser. No. M2595 d @iai-ins. (Ci. Z39-197) The present invention relates to `a fluid discharge gun for spray-feeding of fluids and more particularly to a gun for feeding a wide variety of waste products into a furnace for disposal by burning. The materials that can be successfully handled may be of variable viscosity and com position, contain iiocculated or granular particles and |be highly corrosive or erosive in nature.

Many industrial processes produce by-product waste materials which are difficult of disposal since they vary in composition, consistency and in viscosity. Known waste burner guns which are adapted to handle a particular waste substance efficiently are found to malfunction when other substances are introduced to the waste stream. Not infrequently, waste product streams are found to contain foreign matter such as wood splinters, fibers and metallic and organic scales which tend to clog ports and orifices of known burner guns. Since waste materials derive from points at varying process pressures, and from different types of pumps, according to particular systems, steady pressure cannot be maintained at the burner gun. Known guns have been found to operate inefiiciently under varying input pressure. Waste materials which are corrosive or erosive, or both, react with and cause severe wear on known burner guns, necessitating their frequent replacement. Known burner guns have also been found occasionally to heat to excess, causing the coking of certain residue materials inside the gun and sometimes burning of the gun itself.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a unique residue burning gun which offers outstanding advantages over known burner guns in versatility, reliability, long life, ease of rnaintainence, and operating characteristics. The residue burning gun of the present invention provides for crushing of solid particles in the waste feed stream, adjusts to constant furnace feed rates for a wide variety of upstream pumping apparatus over a wide pressure range, regardless of the viscosity or composition of the feed, and is self-adjusting and self-cleaning. The gun is also adapted for the easy replacement of high-wear components, obviating the necessity of replacing the entire apparatus because of worn individual parts. Due to the use of especially hard materials at critical wear points, the gun has an extraordinarily long operating life even when used with highly abrasive materials such as sand and the like. The gun is also provided with a water jacket to cool the gun and feed stream and prevent burning the gun or coking of waste materials in the feed stream. When used with corrosive materials, the design of the apparatus of the present invention permits the use of materials of construction capa-ble of withstanding the corrosion of internal parts without requiring the use of such materials for body portions of the apparatus.

In general, the apparatus of my invention comprises a fixed generally cylindrical hollow body portion, or barrel, adapted for mounting in a furnace wall, with a fuel inlet end exterior of the furnace and a nozzle end interior of the furnace. An elongate stern is concentrically disposed and resiliently suspended in the body portion and moves reciprocally therein, according to gun body internal pressure working against bias exerted by a resilient means connecting the body and the stern. An orifice of variable cross-section is defined at the nozzle end of the gun between matching surface portions of the body and the stem. For the reduction of solids occurring in the fluid stream, the gun includes comrninuting means, said comminuting means comprising components axed to the body and .stem portions of the gun.

With the foregoing and other features in view, which shall more fully hereinafter appear, the invention comprises novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of components as will now be described and as defined in the appended claims and as illustrated in preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FEGURE. 1 is an elevational longitudinal sectional view of the residue burning gun of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View through a point adjacent the nozzle end of the gun of FIGURE 1 showing the concentric arrangement of component parts at that point and FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional View through a point adjacent the coolant ports showing the concentric arrangement of component parts at that point and the arrangement of the coolant baflies.

In an embodiment of the apparatus of the present in* vention according to the drawings, a cylindrical body l1 of the gun is shown provided with a coolant inlet l5 and a coolant outlet i7. A pair of longitudinally extending baffles l2 and lddivides chamber l into two end-connected fiow paths to assure full length travel of the coolant. One end of the 'body ll, which end shall for convenience be called the nozzle end, is formed to define a radial intrusion 19 bounded by a short axially extending annular wall 2l and by axially and radially extending walls 23 and 25. The other end of body ll is formed to define a bolting flange Z7. A gun head assembly 29, having a bolting ange 3l, which matches flange 27, includes a packing gland 33, `a packing follower 35, a spring seat base 37 and an adjustable spring seat 39 threadedly engaged in the base 37 and having an axially extending center bore therethrough.

A reciprocally movable stem assembly which shall be more completely described below, extends through the gun body and gun head assembly land is held in coaxial alignment therewith 'by means of sliding contact with bearing liner 49, a centerbore in the flange portion of head assembly 29, the packing follower 35 and the centerbore of spring seat 39. A coil spring 65 is installed, biased compressively, between spring seat 39 on the gun head assembly `and a spring seat component on the stern assemlbly in a manner which tends to close the nozzle end of the gun.

To assemble the gun 4according to the drawing, a gasket fil, an annular seat ring i3 and a gasket 45 are inserted into body il. from the flanged end and are positioned against wall 2.3 of radial intrusion 19. A sleeve bearing d'7' with a bearing liner t9 is next inserted from the body 1l flanged end. Bearing liner :t9 is provided with an axially extending annular protrusion having an outer periphery which engages the inner circumferential wall of seat ring 43 in a close tit to concentrically align the several parts. A backing plate 5l is next inserted to fit behind the sleeve bearing and bearing liner. The rearwardly projecting portion of backing plate 5l, i.e., the face away from the nozzle end of the gun body, is provided with a male hub which engages an interior Wall of one end of a gun liner sleeve 53, which liner sleeve extends coaxially inside gun body lli, defining a small annular space between its outer peripheral wall and v body interior wall with a non-congealing lubricating compound which can facilitate disassembly of the gun.

A breech 57, provided with a fuel or residue entry port 59 is mounted between the anges 27 vand 3l, which are provided with `facia recesses to accommodate the breech ends. Gaskets (il are installed in the flange facia [recesses to effect sealing and the `assembly is secured by a circumferential array of bolts o3.

rl`he movable stem portion of the gun is comprised mainly of a relatively thin hollow cylindrical stem piston 67 having a radially enlarged head e? of a circumference greater than the inner circumference of radial intrusion i9 at the nozzle end of the gun body. Stern head 69 is provided with a rearwardly extending (i.e., to the left in the drawing) relatively sharp annular projection deiined by the respective axially and radially extending surfaces 7l and 73. The movable stem portion of the gun is assembled by first arranging a gasket 75, a valve disc 77 and a gasket 79 in the recess under stern head 69 dened by surface 7l and the end of stem piston 67. A iluted ferrule Sd, having a multiplicity of axially extending circumferentially spaced ilutes S3, is assembled be hind gasket 79. Ferrule til is essentially a hollow cyli der having an inside diameter to lit slidably over stein piston 67 and an outside diameter to lit slidably inside liner 49 of sleeve bearing 57, seat ring i3 and backing plate Si. T he liutes S3 in ferrule Sl can be milled or otherwise formed in the peripheral surface of the ferrule and extend for slightly less than the ferrule full length.

ln the preferred embodiment of apparatus according to my invention, the ilute depths are diminished to meet the outer circumference of the ferrule at the ferrule end faces. A gasket 85 and a locking nut 37 are then installed to complete the stem lassembly at the nozzle end of the gun.

The partially assembled stem portion is then inserted, thin end rst, through the nozzle end of gun body Ell, seat ring 43, bearing liner 49', backing plate Sil, liner sleeve 53, opening 56 in retainer 55, breech 57, the centerbore in flange 3l of the head assembly, packing 33, packing follower 3S and the centerbore of spring seat 39.

Coil spring 65 is then installed over the end of stem piston o7 projecting from spring seat '39 and spring seat 89 is assembled over the spring and stern piston. A cylindrical headpiece 91, which is a combination coolant connector and lassembly loclr nut is axially centerbored and threaded to screw onto threads on the projecting end of piston stern 67. Headpiece 9i is also Provided with a tapped counterbore concentric with the center-bore, into which counterbore is screwed a long relatively thin coolant conduit 93 which extends from the headpiece 91 through stem piston 67 to a point just opposite the interior wall of stem head 69. In the preferred embodiment, this interior wall is provided with a conically projecting flow divider 95 arranged in the flow path of coolant emerging from the nozzle end of coolant conduit 93. Coolant inlet 97 which connects to the tapped counter bore and coolant outlet 99 which connects to the interior `of stem piston 67, are also provided in headpiece 9i.

In operation, any suitable coolant, such as water, is introduced under pressure through coolant inlet 97 to conduit 93 from which it emerges in piston head 69 opposite flow divider 95, lls the cooling chamber in the piston head, iiows back through the annular space ened by the outer surface of conduit 93 and the inner wall of stem piston 67 and discharges through coolant outlet 99. Coolant is also supplied to the body portion of the gun through inlet yl whence it ilows through a first half-annular portion of cooling chamber 13 to the nozzle end of the gun, around the baffle ends and back through a second half-annular portion of chamber l to the coolant outlet i7. The type or coolant used, the pressure, ow rate, temperature control, recirculation systems and other matters of concern in cooling will vary depending von the particular applications and environments in which the apparatus of my invention is used. Here it should be noted that, since headpiece @l is reciprocally movable along with the movable stem portion of the gun, cooling system connections are best made thereto by means of flexible conduits.

The gun is mounted in a furnace `fall .vith the nozzle end projecting into a combustion chamber. Conduit containing the fluid to be introduced into the furnace through the gun, is connected to the breech at iiuid entry port Under pressure of the fluid system, the fluid i lls the breech, ilows through the opening in sleeve retainer 55 into the annular space defined by the inner wall of liner sleeve 53 and the outer surface of stem piston 67, through the flutes 83 in ferrule Si and out of the nozzle end of the gun through the fuiste-conical aperture deiined between the parallel axially and radially extending surfaces of seat ring i3 and valve disc 77. Here it should be noted that this aperture is in effect an automatic nozzle port for the gun. Spring o5 is cornpressed by adjustment of spring seat 39 to a bias which effects full closure of the aperture between seat ring d3 :and valve disc 77 up to a preselected fluid pressure and then a grad-ual opening of the aperture according to pressure of the fluid system.

Solid particles such as wood bers and organic granular material collect at the nozzle aperture. When they build up or agglomerato suliciently to `attenuate the discharge, backpressure builds up in the gun, causing the stem piston to move, opening the aperture Wider and permitting discharge of the obstructing material into the combustion zone of the furnace. After each such occurrence, the return of the valve disc to its original position with respect to seat ring 43 is automatically accomplished by the biased spring 65.

The reciprocal movement of the stem portion of the gun also causes relative movement of uted ferrule 83 with respect to the several parts within which it is arranged. This action not only has a comminuting eifect on most contaminant particles but also prevents clogging by particles too hard to be commiuuted. Some cominiuution also takes place in the nozzle laperture itself due to the relative movement of the aperture walls defined by the parallel-extending opposed surfaces on seat ring and valve disc '77. Thus, it will be seen that the apparatus of the present invention comprises a residue burning gun which not only comminutes inost contaminant particles occurring in the feed fuel stream, but which also adjusts to discharge particles which cannot be eiectively comminuted during passage through the gun. Fluted ferrule til sliding in backing plate 5l and bearing liner d@ with a close clearance acts to crush and shear any oversized granular or fibrous solid particles entering the flutes 83. This autom-atie reduction of solids greatly reduces the fouling tendency at the discharge nozzle of the gun and makes for smoother operation.

With the foregoing description in mind, mechanically skilled persons can readily select suitable materials of construction and can adapt the apparatus of my invention to particular applications. it will be apparent from the description that the parts of the apparatus which are most subject to corrosive or erosive attrition such as gun liner sleeve 55, bearing liner 49, ferrule dll, seat ring 43, valve disc 77 and similarly related parts are readily replaceable, obviating the need to replace main body portions of the gun. This design feature also permits the use of materials of construction able to withstand corrosion and erosion without requiring the use of such relatively eXpensive materials for body portions of the device.

In a particular embodiment of apparatus according to the present invention, la residue burning gun was designed and constructed to inject waste fluids from hydrocarbon production processes into an industrial power plant boiler, under pressures of from 400 p.s.i.g. to 600 p.s.i.g. Bearing liner 49, ferrule ill, backing plate 5l, gun liner sleeve 53, `and the stem head 69 arefabricated from Stainless fr was steel. Valve disc 77 and seat ring 43 are made from tungsten carbide, all gaskets are of soft aluminum and body 11, head assembly 29 and other parts were of mild steel.

This gun was installed where severa-l standard commercially available residue burning guns had previously been used with less than satisfactory results. Prior to the installation of the apparatus of the present invention, malfunctioning due to clogging and plugging of known apparatus occurred continually at periods of from one hour or less up to maximum operating times of six to eight hours. Routine cessation of residue waste feeding and removal and cleaning of the then used apparatus was required. Excessive abrasion and corrosion -occurred on these guns when kept in this service for only short periods of time. Some of the known guns employed required steam or air service connections for atomizing the fluid residues. It was also found that, even when these known guns were running unclogged, there was considerable diiculty in maintaining feed rate control. Waste type residue feed streams comprise portions which are thin and watery, portions of varying viscosity emulsions and portions of heavy, tarry fluid, all interspersed with fibrous and granular solid contaminants. Thus, the tendency of standard commercially available guns is to yfeed too much thin watery residue, too little of heavy emulsion or tarry components and to clog and shut off completely when solid contaminants such as Wood fiber occur in the -feed stream.

After the installation of apparatus according to the present invention in place where `a standard commercially available burner gun had been used, the apparatus of the present invention operated continually for `a period of approximately nine months without malfunction and with no down time occurring due to either plugging or mechanical failure. During this nine month -period approximately 2,000,000 pounds of hydrocarbon production process waste residues, along With varying small amounts of other residues, were processed through the gun. At the end of this period of duty, the gun was taken out of service, dismantled and inspected to determine the conditions of internal parts. It was found that all of the internal parts were in good condition. The bottom surfaces of the inlet ends of the flutes 83 on ferrule 81 were found to be slightly eroded. This component, since it is formed symmetrically, was turned around upon reassembly to present new Wearing surfaces to the flow stream. It should be noted here that lluted ferrule 81 is one of those parts expected to wear and be replaced as occasion requires. 'I'he tungsten carbide seat ring 43 and valve disc 77 showed so little evidence of wear as to not even require refacing or grinding.

Since many changes could be made in the specific cornbinations of apparatus here disclosed and many apparently dierent embodiments of this invention can be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall -be interpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid residue burning lgun comprising, in combination, a fixed generally cylindrical hollow body portion and a stem portion concentrically disposed with respect to said body portion to define a fluid passage terminating in a variable size fluid discharge aperture, fluid inlet means connecting to said passage adapted for connection to a conduit containing pressurized fluid to be discharged through the gun, resilient means connecting said body portion and said stem portion adapted to exert Aa preselected resilient bias on said stem portion in a direction opposite 6 fluid pressure-induced movement of said stem, said direction being a direction of movement tending to close the fluid discharge aperture and coolant passages disposed in said body portion and in said stem portion, adapted for connection to circulating coolant cooling systems.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with comminuting means adapted for the reduction of solids occurring in fluids discharged through the gun, said comminuting means comprising la rst component affixed to the body portion of the gun and -a second component affixed to the stern portion of the gun.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in combination with replaceable first comminuting means adapted for continual compressive reduction of solids occurring in uids discharged through the gun, said first comminuting means comprising two gener-ally conical and substantially matching surfaces, yone of said surfaces being on a component aflxed to the body portion of the gun and the other of said surfaces being on a component aflixed to the stem portion of the gun and replaceable second comminuting means adapted for continual shearing reduction of solids occurring in fluids discharged through the gun, said second comminuting means comprising a hollow cylindrical liner arranged and disposed longitudinally in the fixed portion of the Igun and a cylindrical longitudinally surface fluted ferrule on the stem portion of the gun arranged to move reciprocally in the hollow cylindrical liner.

4. A fluid discharge gun comprising, in combination, a fixed generally cylindrical hollow body portion, -a stern portion arranged longitudinally and concentrically with respect to said body portion to define a fluid passage terminating in a variable size fluid discharge aperture having a frusto conical shape, fluid inlet means connecting to said fluid passage adapted for connection to a conduit containing pressurized uid to be discharged through the gun, resilient means connecting said body portion and said stern portion arranged `and disposed to exert a preselected resilient bias on said stern portion in a direction opposite fluid pressure-induced movement of said stem, said direction being a direction of movement tending to close the fluid discharge aperture, first comminuting means adapted for continual compressive reduction of solids occurring in fluids discharged through the gun, said first comminuting means comprising two generally conical and substantially matching surfaces, one of said surfaces being on a component aflixed to the body portion of the gun and the other of said surfaces being on a component aflixed to the stem portion of the gun and replaceable second cornminuting means ladapted for continual shearing reduction of solids occurring in fluids discharged through the gun, said second comminuting means comprising a hollow cylindrical liner arranged and disposed longitudinally in the fixed portion of the gun and a cylindrical longitudif nally surface fluted ferrule on the ste-m portion of the gun arranged to move reciprocally in the hollow cylindrical liner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 426,805 Hanford Apr. 29, 1890 949,360 Kinealy Feb. 15, 1910 1,195,080 Pettit Aug. 15, 11916 2,621,083 Daniels Dec. 7, 1952 2,868,587 Hegemann Jan. 13, 1959 2,963,958 Shames et al. May 17, 1960 2,968,443 Manning Ian. 17, 19611 2,990,123 Hyde June 27, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A FLUID RESIDUE BURNING GUN COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIXED GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW BODY PORTION AND A STEM PORTION CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODY PORTION TO DEFINE A FLUID PASSAGE TERMINATING IN A VARIABLE SIZE FLUID DISCHARGE APERTURE, FLUID INLET MEANS CONNECTING TO SAID PASSAGE ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO A CONDUIT CONTAINING PRESSURIZED FLUID TO BE DISCHARGED THROUGH THE GUN, RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTING SAID BODY PORTION AND SAID STEM PORTION ADPATED TO EXERT A PRESELECTED RESILIENT BIAS ON SAID STEM PORTION IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE FLUID PRESSURE-INDUCED MOVEMENT OF SAID STEM, SAID DIRECTION BEING A DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT TENDING TO CLOSE THE FLUID DISCHARGE APERTURE AND COOLANT PASSAGES DISPOSED IN SAID BODY PORTION AND IN SAID STEM PORTION, ADAPTED FOR CONNECTION TO CIRCULATING COOLANT COOLING SYSTEMS.

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