US3896556A

US3896556A - Cooling and de-dusting of hot particulate material particularly calcined petroleum coke

Info

Publication number: US3896556A
Application number: US374788A
Authority: US
Inventors: Franklin H Welter
Original assignee: Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co Ltd
Current assignee: GREAT LAKES CARBON Corp; Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co Ltd
Priority date: 1973-06-28
Filing date: 1973-06-28
Publication date: 1975-07-29
Anticipated expiration: 1992-07-29
Also published as: FR2235183B1; GB1454328A; CA1025766A; NO140066C; JPS5716154B2; BR7405136A; DE2430145A1; NO140066B; DE2430145B2; IT1016148B; FR2235183A1; JPS5611986A; NO742119L

Abstract

A method and apparatus for cooling and, preferably also, simultaneously de-dusting a hot particulate material, such as calcined petroleum coke, containing a substantial percentage of fines are described. The cooling and de-dusting operations are highly efficient and are carried out by modification of conventional rotary cooler apparatuses presently being used by industry for cooling various particulate materials such as calcined petroleum coke. The conventional cooler is preferably modified by installing therein at least one tumbling section or zone wherein the interior of the cooler is subdivided into a plurality of longitudinal compartments, which impart to the particulate material a high degree of tumbling free-fall action. In a less preferred embodiment, no such tumbling section is used or added to the cooler. In any case, central, non-rotating conduit means are included in the modification(s) made to the cooler to provide for the placement of one or more thermocouples within the cooler and also the conduction of fluids (such as water) to the interior of the cooler. In the preferred embodiment having at least one tumbling section, the cooler is also preferably provided with auxiliary equipment which supplies a de-dusting agent within same, said equipment or means, in conjunction with the tumbling section or zone of longitudinal compartments being capable of finely, and very efficiently, dispersing the de-dusting agent, such as an oil, upon the particulate material while the material is being cooled and subjected to tumbling free-fall action in the cooler.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Welter 1451 July 29,1975

[75] Inventor: Franklin 11. Welter, Port Arthur,

Tex.

[73] Assignee: Great Lakes Carbon Corporation, New York, NY.

[22] Filed: June 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,788

Primary ExaminerCharles .l. Myhre Assistant ExaminerWilliam C. Anderson Attorney, Agent, or FirmWallace F. Neyerlin [57] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for cooling and, preferably also, simultaneously de-dusting a hot particulate material, such as calcined petroleum coke, containing a substantial percentage of fines are described. The cooling and de-dusting operations are highly efficient and are carried out by modification of conventional rotary cooler apparatuses presently being used by industry for cooling various particulate materials such as calcined petroleum coke.

The conventional cooler is preferably modified by installing therein at least one tumbling section or zone wherein the interior of the cooler is subdivided into a plurality of longitudinal compartments, which impart to the particulate material a high degree of tumbling free-fall action. In a less preferred embodiment, no such tumbling section is used or added to the cooler. In any case, central, non-rotating conduit means are included in the modification(s) made to the cooler to provide for the placement of one or more thermocouples within the cooler and also the conduction of fluids (such as water) to the interior of the cooler. In the preferred embodiment having at least one tumbling section, the cooler is also preferably provided with auxiliary equipment which supplies a de-dusting agent within same, said equipment or means, in conjunction with the tumbling section or zone of longitudinal compartments being capable of finely, and very efficiently, dispersing the de-dusting agent, such as an oil, upon the particulate material while the material is being cooled and subjected to tumbling free-fall action in the cooler.

63 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures Li-EEET PATENTED JUL 2 9 i975 m QM PATENTEB JUL 2 9 I975 III] PATENTED JUL29 i975 III:

1 COOLING AND DE-DUSTING OF IIOT PARTICULATE MATERIAL PARTICULARLY CALCINED PETROLEUM COKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The most specific field of the invention is that relating to the cooling and optionally also the de-dusting of calcined delayed coker petroleum coke, i.e., petroleum coke which has been produced in a delayed coker before being calcined. More generally, the invention is directed toward the cooling and optionally the dedusting of any hot particulate carbon type material which contains a high percentage of fines and which must be cooled and which preferably also must be dedusted in order that it might be further handled and used and/or conveniently transported. Even more generally, the invention is related to the controlled cooling and/or the simultaneous coating or de-dusting of substantially any hot particulate material.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the usual way of producing delayed coker calcined petroleum coke, the raw petroleum coke from the delayed coker is processed through a slightly inclined rotary kiln (typical dimensions of which might be feet in diameter and 180 feet long) wherein it is heated to an elevated temperature such as 2000-2600F, which temperature causes a change in the volatile matter (VM) content of the coke from an initial VM typically between 10 and to a final VM content of less than 1%.

Typically, the raw petroleum coke is removed from the delayed coker by the use of high pressure water jets. The action of these water jets generates some coke fines. Also, in its passage through the long rotary kiln the coke is abraded some more due not only to the distance it travels and the rotation of the kiln, but due also to the typical use of lifters of modest height within the kiln which subject the coke particles in some measure to lifting-falling action during their passage through the kiln while they are being heated. This abrasion of the coke occurring in the kiln also generates some coke fines and also coke dust.

Some fines and dust are also generated in the coke rotary cooler wherein the calcined coke is subjected to mechanical action similar to that which takes place in the rotary kiln, and also to the action of considerable amounts of water which causes some size degradation of the particles thermally because of the temperature differences between the water and the coke (which, at the point of entry into the cooler, is at or near the maximum temperature to which it has been heated in the kiln).

Thus the generation of fines and dust of at least some magnitude is a necessary evil in order to make the desired calcined coke product, as it frequently is also in the production of particulate materials other than calcined coke.

As used herein, fines are defined as particles smaller than generally desired by the user or purchaser of the coke or other particulate product, and dust refers to particles so small-that their presence can, for example, be ascertained simply by dropping a handful of the coke or other type particulate product upon a surface from a height of about two feet and observing a cloud of dust or particles separating from the general mass of the material landing upon the surface.

Such fines typically are of reduced economic value as compared to the rest of the calcined coke or other particulate type product; the dust not only has this disadvantage but also causes an air pollution problem, not only at the site of the calcined coke (or other type particulate material) manufacture but also at any final use location or shipment transfer point of the particulate product.

Many types of rotary coolers or rotary heat exchangers are known to the art. US. Pat. No. 2,728,146, in column 1, discloses that typical rotary coolers are generally not capable of effectively causing the flow of cold gases about the mass of material to be cooled; that the reason for this is that usually the material in such rotary devices is agitated in a relatively resting position by suitable means (e.g. lifters of modest height) secured to the inner surface of the cooler, and that this type of apparatus exposes only a small heat exchanging area of the material at one time with the result that direct heat transfer between the gases and the material as a whole is not efficient. I

The said US. Pat. No. 2,728,146 also discloses a recognition of other types of coolers or heat exchangers which have designs capable of showering the material to be cooled through cooling gases in order to raise the efficiency of operation. In coolers of this type, the material being cooled is showered in the form of a vertical blanket or curtain through gases passing axially through the cooler parallel to both sides of the curtain of material; in such coolers only a portion of the total surface of the material is ever directly in contact with the gases applied in this manner, the heat exchanging surface of the particles adjacent other particles comprising the curtain being left totally unaffected by direct heat exchange. Perhaps what is referred to here are cooling devices such as are described in US. Pat. Nos. 1,105,417; 1,321,332; and 2,810,968; all ofwhich illustrate rotary coolers with internal structural features capable of providing increased areas of contact between the particles being cooled and the cooling gases because the particulate material is lifted and dropped or tumbled through free space muchmore than is accomplished in a rotary cooler device equipped simply with lifting vanes or lifters projecting fron the interior of the cooler.

US. Pat. No. 1,321,332 particularly illustrates a drier or cooler wherein as the particulate material progresses through the cooler it becomes lifted and rotated by a plurality of longitudinal cooling sections, each of which sections possesses an increasing number of vanes which thuskeep increasing the amount of free-fall action that the particulate material is subjected to as it passes through the cooler.

Thus many devices are known which are capable of improving upon the type of typical coolers or cooling action referred to in US. Pat. No. 2,728,146 and indeed this patent is itself directed toward an improved type of rotary heat exchanger or cooler capable of pronizes the fact that if the material being cooled contains substantial proportions of fines and if there is a substantial current of gases passing through the center portion of the cylindrical cooling device, then large amounts of the fine material are picked up by the gases and carried out of the cooler, and that such fines must be removed from the gases by suitable means such as cyclone separators and the like. The patent also states that such separators are effective for removing a large part, but usually something less than all, of the fine solid material being carried by the gases, and that the remainder (which might include a substantial amount of dust) is usually distributed around the vicinity of the place where the device is operated and constitutes a nuisance as well as involving a loss of the material being treated.

The device of this prior patent then is directed toward overcoming this particular problem (as well as others) and it does this by using a number of transverse annular plates in the cooler, said plates having staggered passages or openings therethrough which force the material to pass through the cooler in a much lengthened manner without passing across the inner peripheries of any of said annular plates, with the result that the amount of fines picked up by the gases going through the cooler is relatively small because of the fact that there is substantially no free-fall action of the particulate material being cooled.

US. Pat. No. 3,677,533 is specifically directed toward the production of calcined petroleum coke and is also concerned with the problem of the fines typically present in this product (c.f. column 1, lines 20-23). However, in addressing itself to overcoming or at least partially overcoming the problem of fines in producing calcined petroleum coke, the teachings of this patent are directed toward a specialmethod for pre-heating the petroleum coke to thereby reduced or minimize the amount of rupturing or shattering of the coke that frequently occurs if the coke is calcined in the usual way in a rotary kiln without being subjected to such a preheating treatment.

The desirability of a dust-free petroleum coke product, which is easy to handle and which solves air pollution problems, is also recognized in the publication Chemical Processing, September 1971 issue, wherein the amount of fines in petroleum coke is reduced by spraying a small amount ofgas oil on petroleum coke. In the article referred to, this is carried out on petroleum coke taken from a storage silo and in a unit which is called or referred to as a Zig-Zag blender.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to efficiently cool calcined petroleum coke and other hot particulate type products. It is another object of the present invention to utilize equipment presently typically used by industry to produce calcined petroleum coke and other particulate type products but also to simultaneously solve the dust problem generated or involved in the handling of such products. It is another object to accomplish the foregoing in a very highly efficient manner and in a manner involving a minimum of additional capital expense for those coke calcining or particulate material producing installations employing cylindrical rotary coolers.

In a preferred practice of the invention, these and other objects are accomplished by de-dusting the particulate material by spraying a de-dusting agent upon same while simultaneously cooling the material and also in a manner wherein the de-dusting agent becomes dispersed upon and adsorbed on the particulate material and absorbed in its pores in a uniform and thorough manner never before achieved. This de-dusting and dedusting agent application step is also accomplished in a manner which is free of hazard and safe from danger of combustion or explosion, which, but for the present invention, might otherwise have appeared to present an insurmountable problem (such as, for example, when the de-dusting agent used is oil and the particulate material being de-dusted is hot coke).

The apparatus is not only capable of very efficiently cooling the particulate material, and/or subjecting it to a substantial amount of tumbling free-fall action while simultaneously de-dusting it, but is also capable of monitoring key parameters of the process, such as temperatures of the particulate material at one or more stages in the cooler, and of subjecting the particulate material being cooled to one or more sprays of co'ntrolled amounts of monitoring or emergency water (or other type fluid), and, if need be, of stopping the pumping of the oil or other de-dusting agent, to insure that the particulate material is at the desired temperature at different stages in the cooler, or is at a sufficiently low temperature when contacted with the de-dusting agent or oil as not to constitute a hazard by its coming in contact with same. Yet, if being de-dusted, the particulate material will also be at such a relatively high temperature that a considerable amount of cooling of same is still to occur after the de-dusting step, such that a process of optimum efficiency in coating and cooling of the particulate material is achieved.

For simplification, and also with regard to the invention in its preferred embodiments, the method and apparatus are hereinafter described principally with reference to calcined coke as the particulate material being cooled. The coke is also de-dusted and oil is used as the de-dusting agent. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not so limited.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)- The entire apparatus in its preferred construction, is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a cross'sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an expanded longitudinal view taken along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an expanded cross-sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 4. (FIGS. 4 and 5, however, are illustrated without pipe and nozzle attachments which are shown and described hereinafter in connection with FIG. 10).

FIG. 6 is an expanded longitudinal view taken along the lines 66 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of alternative less-preferred cooler constructions that may be substituted for those shown in either FIG. 2 or FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 also schematically illustrating a piping arrangement for supplying the de-dusting agent or oil into the interior of the cooler.

FIG. 10 is an expanded longitudinal sectional view of a portion of compartmentalized section 11 of FIG. 3, and also illustrates the relationship thereto of the special manifold of FIG. 4 by showing one of the pipes and nozzles which lead therefrom to spray an oil or dedusting or coating agent into the interior of one of the six compartments of section 11.

supporting rotating hub or pipe 13 of the cooler and non-rotating conduit 14 which it surrounds, but details of this construction are shown and described in con-- nection with FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The basic cooler and means of rotation are standard and not part of the invention. The basic cooler 1 is located near and usually below a rotary kiln (not shown) in which raw petroleum coke from a delayed coker is heated to the temperature required (e.g. 19002600F) to burn substantially all volatile materials, or volatile matter (VM) in same to thus produce calcined petroleum coke.

In FIG. 1, the hot calcinedcoke (typical temperature, 2450F) enters the cooler at upstream end Y via a chute from the kiln above, exits from the cooler downstream end Z, and is discharged onto a conveyor (typically a belt conveyor). The cooler is of substantial length, and cross-sectional area, e.g. 80 feet long and 8 feet in diameter. Immediately 7 upon entry into the cooler the coke is subjected to a water spray from line A,.the amountof water employed typicallyaveraging between about 125 and about 135 gallons per ton of the coke material.

Prior tomodification of the cooler, cooling of the coke .depended solely on this water quenching in the entr-y area or zone which is about IO feet long, plus contact with the interior of the rotating cooler shell I.

as the coke was tumbled by longitudinal L-shaped' lugs or lifters ofmodest height (of which 3 in FIG. 2 isty pi-.

cal) attached or welded to the shell. Also prior to modi-v zone was tied to or based upon the exhaust gas temperature, first in downstream area Z of the cooler and,

more recently, in upstream area Y ofthe cooler. Such control. in general, can be said to have been very loose and unsatisfactory, with the result that the coke prod uct frequently could be either too hot or too moist. (Temperature control difficulties are essentially inherent in the operation due to the fact that there are occasional unavoidable surges or interruptions of coke feed into the cooler. When these occur less or more quench water than desired might be used. For example, such surges or feed rate increases into the cooler should have increased the exhaust gas temperature in the cooler and automatically increased the amount of quench water but quite frequently no such increase in the exhaust gas temperature occurred. Consequently, in such prior art monitoring methods, the cooler and product have frequently gotten undesirably hot for lack of needed requisite amount of water.

Cooling of the coke is governed by two requirements: (I) as the coke exits at Z and is discharged onto the conveyor, the coke must be cool enough to avoid charring or burning the conveyor belt material; and (2) the will not exceed a specification of 0.5 percent (one-half of one percent) moisture in the finished product. The difficulty of obtaining sufficient cooling without an excessive volume of water was one of the problems which led to several of the innovations of this invention.

One innovation was to obtain increased cooling through the cooler shell. In order to do this, the diameter of the cooler was enlarged by a cooling tank 4 welded to the shell 1, strengthened by 12 gusset plates equispaced on each side of the tank, of which 5 is typical. The tank 4 is 4 feet IO inches wide by 11 feet 0 inches outside diameter. As the cooler rotates, the lower portion of 4 is cooled by continual immersion in water contained in vat 6. To the gusset plates on the lower or downstream side of 4 were also welded equispaced 2 inches diameter dippers (not shown) which are filled with water as they pass through vat 6, which water is dumped on the upper part of the shell as an additional means of cooling.

Also, as a means of obtaining additional controlled cooling, the cooler was modified to induce a flow of air into the cooler from the outside through four 10 inches diameter pipes (of which 8 is typical) equispaced in the shell periphery, withells opening toward the downstream end Z of-the cooler; Slide covers (not shown) were provided to close off oradju st the volume of air admitted. Four gusset plates 9 were welded to each pipe as stiffeners. 1 I I Portions of the apparatus related more directly to th de dusting function of the cooler are now described. It should be appreciated; 'howevenjthat the foregoing portions of the coolerare alsorelated to this function to som'e degree because of the requisite preliminary cooling of the coke which takes place in same. Additional cooling aspects of the cooler are also later described. i

The de-dusting portions of the apparatus provide means to fulfill requirements as follows:(l a means of spraying oil on the coke; (2) a means of increasing the tumbling action of the coke particles as the cooler rotates to assure a uniform admixture of the oil and coke;

and (3) provision of safety devices to guard against high temperaturecoke entering the zone in which oil is sprayed on the coke. Modification of the cooler also included novel provision of suitably located access hatches (referred to hereinafter) to facilitate entry to the interior of thecooler for periodic inspection and maintenance.

Sections 10 and 11 (FIG. 1), each of substantial length, were added inside the basic cooler to segregate the coke (i.e. subject the coke to mechanical action so as to separate the dust from the particles) and subject it to tumbling action and contact with surface areas many times greater than in conventional coolers. Such dust separation, and getting the dust and the smaller particles or fines air borne, is particularly desirable in section 11 so that the dustand the particles (especially the dust) may beiideally conditioned or positioned for spraying.

In section 10, a cross-sectional view of which is shown in FIG. 2, the transverse area of the cooler is divided into four compartments by the installation of four plates 12. Plates 12 are bolted on their outer edges to longitudinally extending Lshaped lugs 3 welded to the inner surface of the cooler shell. (As is apparent from the drawings, the internal periphery of the cooler shell also possesses other longitudinal lugs or lifters 3 to which no plates are attached). The inner edges of plates 12 are also bolted to longitudinally extending lugs 3a welded to central pipe or hub 13, a 6 inches cylindrical pipe which serves as a rotating hub of the cooler as well as a conduit for stationary conduit 14 referred to in more detail later in connection with FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Each plate 12 is equipped with three 4 inches high lifters IS on each side of, and welded to 12. It is readily apparent that the combination of the rotation of the shell 1 and of the plates 12 within same and the lifting action exercised by the lifters 3 on the shell and by the plates 12 and the lifters attached to same results in a great deal of tumbling and free-fall through space of the particles as they pass through this section 10.

To facilitate installation, section 10, which is typically about l6 feet long, is built from four subsections a, b, c, and d, each 4 feet long. Such dimensions are illustrative only and not limitative of the invention.

Section 10, unlike section 11, is designed solely to serve functions in the cooling of the coke prior to the addition of oil in the Oil InjectionZone between

sections

10 and 11. In this Intermediate zone, wherein the particles are sprayed with an oil or a de-dusting agent, there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, just as there is in the Initial zone before section 10. The apparatus could also be designed, however, to mix oil with coke at the upstream end of section 10.

Section 11, a cross-sectional view of which is shown in FIG. 3, is similar to section 10 in many features, except that in section 11, the transverse cooler area is shown as divided into six, rather than four, compartments and the length consists of five 4-foot subsections e, f, g, h, and i. In addition to providing separation of the coke dust and further cooling of the coke by the same type of lifting and free-fall of the particles as de scribed that occurs in section 10, the principal function of section 11 is to provide for thorough admixture of the oil with all particles of coke, regardless of size (but especially the dust); hence, for maximum efficiency, the division of the total coke volume into six compartments or parcels rather than four and the additional length of tumbled travel.

The various pipes or conduits and other equipment required inside the cooler and auxiliary equipment outside the cooler, which are necessary to carry out the cooling and de-dusting operations, are several and varied, and in the preferred embodiment, when the apparatus is used to de-dust with oil, also include several safety features.

Always included are a central rotating hub or conduit 13 surrounding a non-rotating conduit 14. (Hub or conduit 13 may include or consist of segments of substantial length, as in

sections

10 and 11 of FIG. 1, or may sometimes include or be comprised of segments 13' of short length, as will be clearer after the description of the cooler modification of FIG. 11). These conduits are separated from each other by bushings or bearings such as 16 and 16a (FIG. 6) which are each about 4 feet long and which serve to support conduit 14 and also as a buffer to prevent the force of the rotary turning of 13 from acting substantially upon conduit 14. (Conduit 14 is also mechanically fixed near the Z end of the cooler). Outer conduit 13 is mechanically fixed to outer bushing 16a such as by sets of four set screws 60 spaced at and also by tack welds 61, and inner conduit 14 is fixed to inner bushing 16 also by set screws 6041. Because of their respective dimensions (which provide for clearances between same), and also because conduit 14 is fixed in place at or near the Z end of the cooler, bushing 16a merely revolves around bushing 16 and does not impart any rotary motion thereto or to conduit 14. Four sets of such bushing arrangements are installed in the cooler device of FIG. I

. in the areas as indicated by the number 1617 in said Figure.

The following table of dimensions is set forth to further illustrate the features of the members of FIG. 6:

Essential features of the piping (when de-dusting with oil is carried out) are shown in FIG. 5, which is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken across the lines 55 of FIG. 4, and also in FIG. 10.

Central conduit or steel pipe 14 runs continuously from a point outside the downstream cooler end Z to a point outside the upstream end of section 10. In 14, at a desired position between

sections

10 and 11, a 3 inch flange (not shown) is installed to provide for connecting and disconnecting the line.

An inch oil line 17, (typically three-fourths inch) has, as an upstream terminus, its connection through a double elbow 18 into the oil spray manifold 20 at 19. The

downstream terminus of 17 is at a point just outside downstream cooler end Z where it connects with the oil supply line 35. The major components of the oil supply system, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, include an oil storage tank 36, a heater 37, a filter 37a, an oil pump 38, control valve 39, relief valve 40, temperature gauge 41, oil volume meter 42 and pressure gauge 43,- all of which are conventional, commercially available items. The oil supply system may also include controls for automatically regulating volume and/or pressure and/or shut-off of the oil used, in the event, for example, that one or more of the oil spray nozzles becomes plugged. Conduit l4 and specially designed oil spray manifold 20 are so constructed that oil can be supplied to nozzles for spraying the oil without impeding continuation of other lines contained in conduit 14. Spray manifold 20 is 4 inches wide, its outer shell is 10%.

inches O.D. pipe 22 and its inner shell is the outside surface of sleeve 21. Sleeve 21 has an inside diameter of 3 9/16 inches and is 6 inches long. Six internally threaded three-fourths inch pipe couplings or collars 23 are welded on equal spacing around 22. Each coupling receives a correspondingly threaded pipe 28 about 2 feet in length (see FIG. 10). Pipes 28 each possess 90 elbows and the other ends of same are threaded into or onto nipples or adapters 29 which in turn are coupled into or onto spray nozzles 30. The spray nozzles are directed into the tumbling zone or section 11 in a manner as illustrated in FIG. 10. The spray nozzles 30 employed were conventional, stainless steel, atomizing nozzles, designed to provide a hollow cone spray pattern. manufactured by Spraying Systems Co. of Bellwood, Ill. The nozzles are supplied with orifices of various diameters and thus are capable of providing varying rates or amounts (e.g. gallons per hour) of fluids in an atomized condition, depending upon the nozzle size orifice selected'and the pressure and temperature utilized.

Several slots or openings 45 are provided in the lower part of 14, each about 2 inches across and of varying lengths as follows: a length of about 6 inches for the purpose of adjusting the location of manifold 20 to obtain optimum positions of the oil spray nozzles; and a length of about 3 inches each for four slots to permit exit from 14 of the

water lines

24 and 26 and of the thermocouple wires or

lines

25 and 27. a

Sleeve 21, which possesses no slot or opening in the bottom thereof, in addition to serving as the inner wall of 20, enables 20 to be adjusted within the limits of the 6-inch slot 45 in 14.

Line 24 (of /i inch pipe) is connected to a water supply line 46 outside the cooler and terminates in the zone between

sections

10 and 11. At its termination point, it emerges through a 2 X 3 inch slot 45 in line 14 about 12 inches upstream from 20, through a 90 ell and a nipple downward. The nipple is equipped with a water spray nozzle (or two using a tee and nipples) which may be adjusted to spray water on the coke bed, such as at a 45 angle toward the feed or upstream end of the cooler. The spray nozzles used were nozzle numbers 3/4K12O which are of a conventional type and are also commercially available on the market from the Spraying Systems Company. The nozzles are of one piece, non-clogging design and deliver a low impact, non-atomized spray and a very wide flat spray pattern with uniform distribution.

Companion line 25 houses lead lines or wires of proper length of a Honeywell Megopak Thermocouple. The thermocouple wires, which are contained in a protective sheath, enter the cooler at Z and terminate in a measuring junction about 6 inches upstream from manifold 20, but behind or downstream from the upstream end of water line 24. The measuring junction was a Type J (lron-Constantan) remote junction insulated from the protective sheath and the junction hangs down about 2 to 3 feet through a 2 X 3 inch slot 45 in line 14. The opposite ends of the thermocouple wires were connected to a Megopak screw cover head outside the Z end of the cooler. By means of this arrangement, the thermocouple closely measures the actual temperature of the coke bed. The measuring junction hangs quite close to the surface of the coke but does not actually touch same. However, the close proximity of the junction to the coke bed is believed novel with the present invention in contrast with prior art particulate cooling operations and, in conjunction with water controls associated with the thermocouple, (and with additional water controls described in detail hereinafter) to provide a degree of temperature control never before attained in the art of cooling particulate materials,

In addition to transmitting a signal (through a' control instrument in a control room) to a normally closed solenoid valve (Asco Valve type 821 lD3 sold by the Automatic Switch Co. of Florham Park, NJ.) which is operatively connected to water line 24 calling for quench water, the thermocouple 25 is also so connected as to operate another solenoid valve of similar type (but normally open) to shut the oil pump 38 down (and also the motor driving the cooler). Typically, the arrangement is such that an alarm will sound at 350F to alert the operator in the control room, the water line solenoid valve will be automatically actuated and opened if the temperature of the coke in the area indicated (i.e. the oil spray zone between sections 10 and 11) at any time exceeds about 400F, and the oil line solenoid valve will be actuated to shut down the cooler and shut off the oil pump, to discontinue the supply of oil, if the temperature of the coke in the area indicated exceeds about 440F. A honeywell Vutronik" System, a computer manual direct digital control station, is employed by the operator in the control room to set control points for the temperature desired and to provide indicators of the functioning of the water and oil supply systems, to assure that the solenoid valves and automatic controls are performing properly.

The control instruments of this system possess a number of indicators or scales reading from 0 to 1000F and also from 0 to Set temperature can be anywhere in the 0 to 1000F range (eg at 350F) and the 0 to 100% scale can show the position of the modulating water control valve, referred to in more detail hereinafter. Example: if the valve is half open, it will read 50% on the scale.

Line 26 (of %-inch pipe) is also connected to water supply line 46 outside the cooler and terminates in the zone just upstream from section 10. At the latter end, 26 emerges from 14 through a 2 X 3 inch slot and, in a manner similar to line 24, it also is equipped with one or more spray nozzles of a type as previously described.

Companion line 27, containing lead lines of proper length of a thermocouple system identical to that previously described, enters the cooler at Z and terminates slightly downstream from the upstream end of 26. A 2 X 3 inch slot in line 14 for the measuring junction of the thermocouple is also provided in this area of the cooler so that the upper part of line .14 can serve to protect

lines

26 and 27 from falling coke. As with the thermocouple system previously described, when coke temperature upstream from section 10 is excessive or above about 500F, the thermocouple signals two solenoid valves, one at the Z end of the cooler which opens to admit water from line 26, immediately upstream from section 10 and one at the Y end of the cooler which opens to admit flood water line B. In a preferred embodiment, and as hereinafter described in more detail, this same thermocouple system can also serve to actuate the modulating water control valve in the main water, control or supply line A at the Y end of the cooler.

On the downstream end of central pipe 13 below section 10, but upstream of oil manifold 20, a 30-inch diameter baffle 7 is welded around the pipe 13 to deflect the flow of coke as it enters the oil-injection zone, thus insuring that in this zone the coke stays near the inner surface of cooler shell 1 and cannot possibly clog up or interfere with the operation of the oil spray nozzles. Also, welded to the shell at the entry to each of the six compartments comprising section 11 are six diverter plates 55, each on a 45 angle with the axis of the cooler. The /2-inch plates are 10 inches high and 18 inches long. The purpose of these plates is to help assure an equal division of the total volume of particulate material to the six compartments.

Access to the interior of the cooler is provided as indicated by 31 and 32 in FIG. 1. The blocks indicated by these numbers designate 24-inch by 24-inch open ings or access hatches which are normally closed by hinged covers (not shown) and which are opened as required for inspection and/or maintenance. The access doors are located diametrically opposite in the shell to counter-balance the weight.

It should be emphasized that apart from serving as safety devices in conjunction with the de-dusting operation, thewater controls made possible by the rotary cooler modifications of the present invention are believed toprovide the most reliable temperature control in cooling a hot particulate material ever designed. I-Ieretofore, such control is believed to have always been effected by using the cooler gas temperature as the controlcriterion. A thermocouple in this area would activate a modulating valve which in turn would increase or decrease the water provided by the main water control line (line A) in the entry zone. This has never been very dependable even though many different ways have been tried to make this system dependable. Increase and decrease of load in the cooler does not always show in the cooler gas temperature the same way. For example, and as previously indicated there have been occasions where there has been a feed rate increase of the hot calcined coke into the cooler, which should have increased the cooler gas temperature and automatically increased the quench water from line A, but has not; therefore, the cooler has gotten unduly hot for lack of water and the product leaving the cooler has also been at an undesirably high temperature.

As noted, thermocouple 27 and water line 26 upstream from section need not be solely for safety control. The quench water previously provided by line A and controlled by a'thermocouple measuring the cooler gas temperature was instead operatively connected to thermocouple 27. This thermocouple was thus made to operate water valves and sprays at two places (and from three water lines) in the cooler at the same time, main water control line A and flood or emergency water line B in the entry zone, and water line spray 26 just upstream from section 10. This temperature control, rather than being based upon exhaust gas temperature, is now based very nearly upon the actual temperature of the particulate material itself and is also based upon the cokes being at a very suitable location in the cooler for purposes of effecting efficient temperature control, and is thus very effective in assuring very close temperature tolerances.

The main water control or'supply line A is the chief source or manner of automatically controlling water in the cooler. (This line typically has 4 nozzles to supply the water, but this could be more or less). Thermocouple 27 sends a signal to the control room, which signal then operates a motor driven modulating water control valve. This valve operates differently from snap action solenoid valves. If the set temperature is 350F (which is typical) and if the temperature at the position of the measuring junction of thermocouple 27 is also 350F, the valve remains the same. If the temperature at the position of the junction rises above 350F, the valve opens slowly until the temperature drops near or below set point. The valve then re-closes. In other words, the valve opens and closes slowly to keep. the temperature at the position of the measuring junction at set point. (Set point" could be any temperature between 0 and l()OOF).

As previously indicated, flood water line B is a 1- inch pipe which is caused to open by the thermocouple 27 if the water from main water line A fails to cool the coke to the desired level. Thermocouple 27 is also set to regulate the temperature of the coke at its position just upstream of section 10 so as to sound an alarm if the cokes temperature is as high as 450F and to supply emergency water from flood line B and water line 26 if the cokes temperature at this point reaches as high as 500F.

As shown in FIG. 1, another additional control is at the discharge end of the cooler where a thermocouple 33 is mounted in the chute to the conveyor, so that, if the temperature of material passing from the end of the cooler to the conveyor belt gets beyond acceptable limits, the thermocouple will turn on or energize a solenoid valve and spray water approximately 15 feet upstream from the end of the cooler from nozzle(s) situated at the discharge end of the cooler. (The cooler of FIG. 1 possesses a discharge zone which is about 6 feet long and sections 1' and h of section 11 are each 4 feet long. Thus this spray water will reach well into section h). This temperature is normal at around to 220F. The thermocouple will typically be set so that if for some reason the cokes temperature gets to 325F, the thermocouple will act to spray a desired amount of water (controlled to cool the coke the desired amount and yet not exceed the moisture specification for the product); and, if the temperature should for some reason get to 400F, the thermocouple will shut the cooler and oil pump down.

Although the preferred cooler modifications or preferred embodiments have just been described, it should be appreciated that not all of the changes described invention, the water cooling means 4, 5 and 6 of FIG.

1 may be omitted; so also may be the pipes 8 for inducing air. Section 10 may also be omitted. Section 11 could possess the structural and length features of section 10.

Sections

10 and 11 could also be varied or changed to possess structural designs such as shown in crosssection in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 or designs which will func- H tion substantially equivalent thereto with respect to providing a considerably increased amount of lifting and free fall through space of the particulate material being processed.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, only 3 lifting plates 12 are used instead of 4 as in section 10 or instead of 6 as in section 11. In FIG. 8, only 2 such lifting plates are used. The number of oil spray nozzles employed (for example, one for each of the three compartments in FIG. 7, or one or two for each of the compartments of FIG. 8, etc.) can be adjusted to meet the particular cooler design modification employed and the needs of the specific particulate material being de-dusted.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9 the oil spray nozzles 53 are directed toward the interior of 4 cylinders 50 having an equal number of 4 /2 inch high, lifters 3 mounted about 10 inches apart on the interior walls thereof.

40 inches in diameter and 16 feet long. Dead spaces 52, between the cylinders, are closed at the inlet end of the cylinders so as to prevent particulate material from entering these spaces. Although in this embodiment there is a lack of utilization of these dead spaces in tumbling the particles, it should be appreciated that there is still a considerably increased amount of tumbling, free-fall of the particles as compared to the cooler in its unmodified form.

The cooler design of FIG. 11 possesses many of the features of the cooler of FIG. 1 but is of more simplified and economical construction. Section 11a of this cooler is identical in design and length to section of FIG. 1 cooler, i.e. possesses the design shown in crosssection in FIG. 2. The cooler also has a 10 foot long discharge zone instead of 6 feet as in FIG. 1. The cooler is provided with rotating conduit and non-rotating conduit substantially the same as in FIG. 1, but with bushing arrangements slightly modified from those as illustrated in FIG. 6. The conduits are supported in the section 11a area substantially the same as in FIG. 6. However, near the center of the

cooler spiders

55 and 55a support the conduits instead of section 10 as in FIG. 1.

Spiders

55 and 55a are each 4 inches wide and possess four reinforcing arms of the same width and '/;-inch thick, each of the arms being welded to the cooler wall and to the rotating central conduit 13 (which is a 6 inch pipe), so as to define 90 quadrants. Spider 55 is located about 10 feet upstream from the entry portion of section 11a and spider 55a is located about 10 feet upstream from spider 55. Conduit 14, which possesses an inner diameter of about 3 inches, is about 50 feet long and is supported by and separated from conduit 13' at the spiders by bushings substantially equivalent to the bushings l6 and 16a of FIG. 6. As shown at 56, conduit 14 is preferably split or divided about 5 feet downstream from spider 55 and each end provided with a welded flange about 1.5 inch wide with holes therethrough for bolting, thus providing for slight give or moveability. As in FIG. 1, conduit 14 is attached or fixed in place near the discharge end Z of the cooler so as to prevent it from rotating.

The cooler modifications of this design serve to make possible optimum thermocouple and water spray placement and also a highly efficient oil de-dusting operation, coupled with requisite safety precautions. The device, however, does not offer the higher degree of tumbling, free-fall of the particles and resultant cooling therefrom afforded by the apparatus of FIG. 1, nor the considerable cooling of the particles provided by the air from the air chutes of FIG. 1. Consequently, a greater usage of water will typically be necessary in order to bring about the desired cooling of the particles when employing the apparatus of FIG. 11 than when employing the apparatus of FIG. 1 (if the apparatuses are used to cool the same amount of material from the same initial temperature.)

The cooler design of FIG. 12 makes possible close temperature control as has been described herein, but is without a tumbling zone in that spiders 55b and 550 replace section 11a of FIG. 11. Although not as desirable a construction as the cooler embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 11, the design of FIG. 12 is illustrated to indicate that it also is considered as highly useful, as well as a patentable embodiment of the present invention.

For convenience in describing the invention, the portions of the cooler before the first tumbling zone in the cooler embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 11 is referred to as the initial zone. Thus in the cooler design of FIG. 1, the initial zone, which terminates at the upstream side of section 10, is relatively short in length as compared to the initial zone of the cooler of FIG. 11 (in which cooler the initial zone terminates at the upstream side of section 11a).

The specific cooler design used, and extent of modification effected, are variable and depend on a number of factors such as the initial temperature of the particulate material to be cooled, its dustiness, the rapidity and/or extent of cooling desired or necessary, the throughput rate of the material, the specifications of the product (for example, its maximum permissible moisture content) etc. However, as previously indicated, the preferred embodiment and best known way of practising the invention, when it is calcined petroleum coke that is being processed, is that possessing all of the features illustrated in FIG. 1.

The following examples serve to further illustrate the methods described and referred to for de-dusting calcined petroleum coke.

EXAMPLE 1 Calcined petroleum coke at a temperature of 2400F was fed into cooler l at Y at a feed rate of 23-24 tons per hour and was sprayed with water in the entry zone using -135 gallons of water per ton of coke. The cooler was rotated at the rate of 240 revolutions per hour. The water spray in the entry zone extends for about the first 10 feet of the cooler. The cooler was supported by and rotated about steel tires A and B (see FIG. 1) upon conventional bearings (not shown).

By the time the coke reached the tire A area, between 4 and 8, its temperature was reduced to 450F and most of the water had been turned into steam and evaporated.

Upon entering section 10, the cokes temperature was 375F and upon leaving section 10 its temperature was below 280F but above 250F thus also further compelling the riddance of moisture, by being above 212F.

Just prior to entering section 11 the coke was sprayed through Sprayco nozzles of a size that would assure creating a mist or fog of the oil, utilizing equipment as previously described. The spray oil used was Atlantic Richfield Tufflo 491 (having properties set forth hereinafter). The oil temperature was 290F, its pressure was 350 psig, its flow volume was 40 gallons per hour and the oil additive rate by weight was 0.7 to 0.8% based on the weight of the coke. The pressures and temperatures and nozzles used assured relatively low oil viscosity and high oil atomization (i.e. oil particles ranging in size from 5 to 50 microns). This, in conjunction with the continually presented fresh coke to be sprayed (guaranteed by the design of section 11 which constantly presented a curtain of coke falling across the oil spray pattern), assured making the coke substantially dustless at the relatively small oil addition rate indicated. Depending upon the material being processed and its initial dustiness and product specifications, and other factors such as air pollution control requirements, the amount of oil addition required or employed as a de-dusting agent may sometimes be as little as about 0.05% by weight based on the coke and,

on the other hand, will seldom or ever exceed about 2%. (However, the apparatus can, of couurse, also be used to efficiently coat or mix the particulate material being cooled with substantially higher percentages of As in Example 1, the product of Example 2 was also substantially dustless and pre-eminently suitable for further handling and loading, etc.

The properties of the oils used in Examples 1 and 2,

oils, or coating agents or liquid binders, if this is desired 5 which were both aromatic process oils, were as follows:

Texaco Textract Atlantic Richfield Code No. 2202;

Property Tufflo 491 Textract 6153 Viscosity, SUS at 210F 132 124 Gravity, API 1 1.3 10.0 Specific Gravity, 60/60F 0.9910 1.000 Pounds/Gallon 8.27 8.33 Flash, COC, F 445 480 Pour Point, F 85 50 Aniline Point, "F 105 I00 Refractive Index at 20C 1.5628 1.5650 Refractivity lntercept 1.068 1.070 Viscosity/Gravit Constant 0.936 0.941 Molecular Weig t 425 425 Clay-Gel Analysis Wt.,

Asphaltenes 0.0 0.1 Polar Compounds 13.5 10.0 Aromatics 70.6 73.9 Saturates 15.9 16.0 Carbon Type Analysis,

Aromatic Carbon Atoms. C 40 40 Naphthenic Carbon Atoms, C 23 26 Paraffinic Carbon Atoms, C 37 34 Distillation, F

for any particular reason). Upon leaving section 1 1, the de-dusted coke travels through a discharge zone which is about 6 feet long and wherein there is again little or no tumbling, free-fall action of the particles.

Upon leaving the cooler at Z the cokes temperature ranged between 200 and 250F, its oil content was substantially the same as its addition rate, and its moisture content was less than 0.5%. It was also substantially dustless. The product thus was pre-eminently suitable for further handling and loading, etc. and by necessity, because of its processing history was free from previous possible undesired attributes such as excessive dust and/or moisture and/or of pockets of coke which were insufficiently cooled to those temperatures desired to guard against dangers of fire and/or damage to conveyor equipment, etc.

EXAMPLE 2 Example 1 was repeated except that processing conditions were varied as was also the oil used. The oil used was Texaco Textract 2202 (having properties set forth hereinafter) and the processing conditions were as follows:

Temperature of coke when fed into 2450F cooler Feed rate 24 ton per hr.

Water spray quantity in entry zone 130 gal per ton Cooler revolution rate 240 turns per cooler The general specifications desired for the oils used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention to de-dust hot carbonaceous materials are:

1. Flash point of 430F or higher;

2. Free-of sand or sediment;

3. Viscosity of to 300 centipoises at 210F (which will result in a viscosity of about 15 to 30 centipoises at a temperature of 250 to 400F, the

temperature range within which the oil will typically be used); and

4. More aromatic than paraffinic based on the carbon-type analysis test.

In broader embodiments of the invention, or in broader uses of the apparatuses described, such as when the specification for the moisture content of the product is not so restrictive, de-dusting agents other than oils having the foregoing properties may also be used. Such agents can include oil or wax emulsions or aqueous dispersions of a variety of substances, such as of sodium silicate, dark molasses and various terpene resins. Tars, asphalts, hard coal pitches and pitches derived from petroleum may also sometimes be employed, either in their melted condition or as in aqueous dispersions or emulsions of same. Air atomization may sometimes be desirable in the application of these agents.

. As previously indicated, it may also sometimes be desirable to use such materials as coating agents and/or as binders, rather than strictly for de-dusting purposes, in which instances higher percentages than 2% by weight of such materials mightdesirably be employed.

Examples of other materials that might advantageously be cooled and/or de-dusted using the apparatus and process of the present invention (although not limited thereto) are calcined anthracite and calcined gilsomte.

It should be noted that the process of the present invention avoids the necessity of first completing the cooling of the particulate material being processed and then subsequently de-dusting the material in a separate operation. This, of course, makes unnecessary this separate additional step and also simultaneously eliminates the dust which makes this step necessary in the first place. Also, because all the micro-dust and fines become attached and contained in the product coming from the cooler, there is a higher product yield from the process of the present invention as compared to particulate handling techniques which involve, for example, the use of a wet scrubber to separate the dust and possibly also the fines from the rest of the material being processed.

The foregoing describes and exemplifies my invention but I intend to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of cooling a hot particulate material which comprises the following steps:

a. Introducing the particulate material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area;

b. Spraying water onto the material is an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material;

c. Further cooling said moistened particulate material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the material is effected, the temperature of the particulate material in said following portion of the initial zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content becomes substantially reduced;

d. Further cooling said material and simultaneously also substantially reducing its fines and de-dusting it by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is intimately coated with a de-dusting agent while it is simultaneously mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the particles as they are being coated; and

e. Finally discharging said coated and substantially cooled material from the rotary cooler.

2. A method of cooling according to claim 1 wherein some of the further cooling of step (c) is effected by air induced through air ducts situated within the indicated portion of the initial cooling zone.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical lifting in the compartmentalized tumbling zone of step (d) is carried out by a plurality of metal cylinders of substantially equal volume which extend the length of the zone, the outer walls of said cylinders being mechanically coupled to a" central hollow pipe and the inner walls of the tumbling zone, said metal cylinders each possessing a plurality of mechanical lifters on its inner walls, thereby increasing the cooling action in the tumbling zone accomplished by the rotation of the cooler.

S. A method of cooling a hot particulate carbon material having an initial temperature between about l900F and about 2600F which comprises the following steps:

a. Introducing the hot carbon material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area;

b. Spraying water onto the carbon material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material;

0. Further cooling said moistened carbon material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the carbon material is effected, the temperature of the particulate carbon material in said following portion of the initial cooling zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content becomes substantially reduced:

d. Further cooling said carbon material and simultaneously also substantially reducing its fines and dedusting it by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein its temperature is a maximum of about 400F and a minimum of about 250F and wherein it is intimately coated with between about 0.05% and about 2% by weight of an oil spray while it is simultaneously mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the carbon material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles as they are being coated; and

e. Finally discharging said coated and substantially cooled material through a discharge zone of the rotary cooler.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the hot particulate carbon material is calcined anthracite.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein the hot particulate carbon material is calcined delayed coker petroleum coke.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the calcined petroleum coke which is cooled has been calcined in a rotary kiln and is at a temperature of about 2400 to 2500F when it is introduced into the rotary cooler.

9. A method according to claim 5 wherein the amount of water employed in step (b) averages between about and about gallons per ton of the carbon material. i

10. A method according to claim 5 wherein the product leaving the final discharge zone contains a maximum of about 0.5% moisture and substantially the same percentage of oil as employed in step (d).

11. A method of cooling a hot particulate material which comprises the following steps:

b. Spraying water onto the material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material;

c. Further cooling said moistened particulate material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the material is effected, the temperature of the particulate material in said following portion of the initial Zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced;

d. Further cooling said material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the particles; and

e. Finally discharging said substantially cooled material from the rotary cooler.

12. A method of cooling according to claim 11 wherein some of the further cooling of step (c) is effected by air induced through air ducts situated within the indicated portion of the initial cooling zone.

13. A method of cooling according to claim 11 wherein the mechanical lifting in the compartmentalized tumbling zone of step (d) is carried out by a number of plates attached to a central hollow pipe and to the inner wall of the zone, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

14. A method of cooling according to claim 11 wherein some of the further cooling of step (c) is effected by the application of a contingently demanded water spray supplied to the particulate material in the following portion of the initial zone.

15. A method according to claim 11 wherein the particulate material from step d is further cooled by the application of a contingently demanded water spray before the material is discharged from the cooler.

16. A method of cooling a hot particulate carbon material having an initial temperature between about l900F and about 2600F which comprises the following steps:

c. Further cooling said moistened carbon material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the carbon material is effected, the temperature of the particulate carbon material in said following portion of the initial cooling zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced,

d. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the carbon material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles; and

e. Finally discharging said substantially cooled material through a discharge zone of the rotary cooler.

17. A method of cooling according to claim 16 wherein some of the further cooling of step (c) is effected by air induced through air ducts situated within the indicated portion of the initial cooling zone.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the mechanical lifting in the compartmentalized tumbling zone of step (d) is carried out by a number of plates attached to a central hollow pipe and to the inner wall of the zone, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

19. A method of cooling according to claim 16 wherein some of the further cooling of step (c) is effected by the application of a contingently demanded water spray supplied to the particulate material in the following portion of the initial zone.

20. A method of cooling according to claim 1 wherein the particulate material from step d is further cooled by the application of a contingently demanded water spray before the material is discharged from the cooler.

21. A method according to claim 16 wherein the hot particulate carbon material is calcined delayed coker petroleum coke.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the calcined petroleum coke which is cooled has been calcined in a rotary kiln and is at a temperature of about 2400 to 2500F when it is introduced into the rotary cooler.

23. A method according to claim 16 wherein the amount of water employed in step (b) averages between about and about gallons per ton of the carbon material.

24. A method of cooling a hot particulate material which comprises the following steps: 1

0. Further cooling said moistened particulate material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the material is effected, the temperature of the particulate material in said following portion of the initial zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced;

d. Further cooling said material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the particles;

e. Further cooling said material by passing it through an intermediate zone wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles;

f. Further cooling said material by passing it through a second compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is again mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of, the material in this tumbling zone also being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free fall of the particles; and

g. Finally discharging said substantially cooled material from the rotary cooler.

25. A method of cooling according to claim 24 wherein some of the further cooling of step c is effected by air induced through air ducts situated within the indicated portion of the initial cooling zone.

26. A method according to claim 24 wherein a supply of water is available which is thermally sensitive to the temperature of the particulate material being cooled and which can be contingently supplied to one or more of the steps of (b), (c) and (e) to provide close temperature control over the material being cooled.

27. A method according to claim 24 wherein the particulate material from step f is further cooled by the application of a contingently demanded water spray before the material is discharged from the cooler.

28. A method of cooling a hot particulate carbon material having an initial temperature between about l900F and about 2600F which comprises the following steps:

a. Introducing the hot particulate carbon material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area;

c. Further cooling said moistened particulate carbon material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the carbon material is effected, the temperature of the particulate carbon material in said following portion of the initial zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced;

d. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the carbon material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles;

e. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it 5 through an intermediate zone wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles;

f. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through a second compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is again mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone also being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles; and

g. Finally discharging said substantially cooled carbon material from the rotary cooler.

29. A method of cooling according to claim 28 wherein some of the further cooling of step (c) is effected by air induced through air ducts situated within the indicated portion of the initial cooling zone.

30. A method according to claim 28 wherein a supply of water is available which is thermally sensitive to the temperature of the particulate carbon material being cooled and which can be contingently supplied to one or more of the steps of (b), (c) and (e) to provide close temperature control over the carbon material being cooled.

31. A method according to claim 28 wherein the particulate carbon material from step f is further cooled by the application of a contingently demanded water spray before the material is discharged from the cooler.

32. A method according to claim 28 wherein the hot particulate carbon material is calcined delayed coker petroleum coke.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the calcined petroleum coke which is cooled has been calcined in a rotary kiln and is at a temperature of about 2400 to 2500F when it is introduced into the rotary cooler.

34. A method according to claim 28 wherein the amount of water employed in step (b) averages between about l25 and about I35 gallons per ton of the carbon material.

35. A method according to claim 28 wherein the mechanical lifting in each of the compartmentalized tumbling zones of steps ((1) and (f) is carried out by a number of plates attached to a central hollow pipe and to the inner wall of the particular zone, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

36. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

A. thermocouple means within the cooler for measuring the temperature of the particles within the cooler at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said location through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclinedcylinder and also being operatively connected to external fluid supply means capable of subjecting the particles to controlled amounts of fluid in different portions of the cooler, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within the cooler;

B. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple fluid sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of the cooler; and

C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the fluid to the cooler.

37. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot,

loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

A. thermocouple means within the cooler for measuring the temperature of the particles within the cooler at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said location through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external water supply capable of subjecting the particles to controlled amounts of water in different portions of the cooler, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within the cooler;

B. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple water sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of the cooler; and

C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the water to the cooler.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37 including a discharge zone, and a thermocouple following the discharge zone for measuring the temperature of the particles leaving the cooling apparatus and for actuating and supplying contingently demanded water from a water spray nozzle in or near the downstream end of the cooler whenever the temperature of the particles leaving the cooler exceeds that desired.

39. An apparatus according to claim 37 wherein the cooler contains air ducts capable of inducing controlled amounts of air into the interior of the cooler while simultaneously preventing the escape of any of the particulate material being cooled.

40. An apparatus according to claim 37 wherein the upstream portion of the cooler comprises an entry zone wherein is applied the major portion of the total water sprayed upon the particulate material being cooled.

41. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, and tumbling, freefall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including:

a. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple fluid sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of said zone; and b. thermocouple means within said zone for measuring the temperature of the particles within the zone at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said zone through central non-rotating conduit means supported by i a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external fluid supply means so as to subject the particles to controlled amounts of fluid in different portions of said zone, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone;

B. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material from the preceding initial zone; and

42. Anapparatus according to claim 41 wherein the compartmentalized tumbling zone of B comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the zone and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central non-rotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

43. An apparatus according to claim 41 wherein the initial zone contains air ducts capable of inducing controlled amounts of air into the interior of the cooler while simultaneously preventing the escape from said zone of any of the particulate material being cooled.

44. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zoneincluding:

a. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple water sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of said zone; and

b. thermocouple means within said zone for measuring the temperature of the particles within the zone at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said zone through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external fluid supply means so as to subject the particles to controlled amounts of water in different portions of said zone; which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone;

*3. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone 1". within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable 'amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material from the preceding initial zone; and

45. An apparatus according to claim 44 including a discharge zone following the tumbling zone wherein there is again little or no tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, and a thermocouple following the dis charge zone for measuring the temperature of the particles leaving the cooling apparatus and for actuating and supplying contingently demanded water from a water spray nozzle in or near the downstream end of the cooler whenever the temperature of the particles leav ing the cooler exceeds that desired.

46. An apparatus according to claim 44 wherein the upstream portion of the initial zone comprises an entry zone wherein is applied the major portion of the total water sprayed upon the particulate material being cooled.

47. 'A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

a. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple water sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of saidzone; and

b. thermocouple means within said zone for measuring the temperature of the particles within the zone at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being operatively connected to external water supply means so as to subject the particles to controlled amounts of water in different portions of said zone, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone;

B. a first compartmentalized tumbling zone within said cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particles from the preceding initial zone;

C. an intermediate zone in said cylinder wherein again there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including thermocouple means for measuring the temperature of the particulate material, said thermocouple means being operatively connected to external water supply means so as to contingently subject the particles to a controlled amount of water within said zone, which amount can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone;

D. a second compartmentalized tumbling zone within said cylinder wherein there is again a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material from the intermediate zone;

E. a final discharge zone within said cylinder following the second tumbling zone, wherein there is again relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; and

F. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the water to the cooler.

48. An apparatus according to claim 47 including a thermocouple following the discharge zone for measuring the temperature of the particles leaving the cooling apparatus and for actuating and supplyingcontingently demanded water from a water spray nozzle in or near the downstream end of the cooler whenever the temperature of the particles leaving the cooler exceeds that desired.

49. An apparatus according to claim 47 wherein the initial zone contains air ducts capable of inducing controlled amounts of air into the interior of the cooler while simultaneously preventing the escape from said zone of any of the particulate material being cooled.

50. An apparatus according to claim 47 wherein the upstream portion of the initial zone comprises an entry zone wherein is applied the major portion of the total water sprayed upon the particulate material being cooled.

51. An apparatus according to claim 47 wherein each of the compartmentalized tumbling zones of B and D comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the particular zone, and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central nonrotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

52. A cooling and d'e-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, looseparticulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, dedusting and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential fea-' tures:

A. an initial zonewithin the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a dedusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone;

B. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate material becomes thoroughly mixed with the dedusting agent sprayed upon it, thereby substantially de-dusting it;

C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for providing the de-dusting agent to the zone of A; and

D. central, non-rotating conduit means, supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to the external means of C and leading through the tumbling zone of B and into the initial zone of A, for transmittal of the de-dusting agent in the manner indicated.

53. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, dedusting and tumbling, free-fall aciton of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features;

A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little-tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including: means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a dedusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone; and means also for contingently subjecting the particulate material to the action of a water spray before it is subjected to the de-dusting agent spray;

.C. external rn'eans outside the inclined cylinder for providing the de-du sting agent and the water to the 54. Aneapparatus ac'cording to claim ill including athermocouple within the zone of A for measuring the temperature of the particles being cooled and for actuatingthe contingently demanded water spray supply when the temperature of the particles exceeds that desired, for contact with the de-dusting agent, said thermocouple being placed in said zone A through the central non-rotating conduit means of D.

55. An apparatus according to claim 53 wherein the compartmentalized tumbling zone of B comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the zone and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central non-rotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and-to the inner wall of the zone between the plates;

56. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, dedusting and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus includinga slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

A.-an initial zone within the cylinder into which the material to be de-dusted, tumbled and cooled is introduced; said zone possessing means for subjecting the particulate material to the action'of a water spray near the inlet of said zone and also means for 'co'ntingently subjecting the material to a water spray near the outlet of said zone and in which zone there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action, of

. the particles;

B; a first'compartmentalized tumbling and cooling zone in said cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particles;

C; an intermediate zone in said cylinder wherein again there is' relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of'the particles, said zone including: means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a de-dusting'agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone; and means also for contingently subjecting the particulate material to the action of a water spray before it is subjected to the de-dusting agent spray;

4 D. a second compartmentalized tumbling zone in said I cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate material becomes thoroughly mixed with the de-dusting agent sprayed upon it, thereby substantially de-dusting it;

E. a final discharge zone in said cylinder wherein there is again,relativelylittletumbling,,free-fall action of: the particles; and

F. external means outside thetinclined cylinder for providing the water to the zone of A and also for providing the de-dustingagent and the water to the intermediate zone of C. N I i i r 57; An apparatus. according to claim 56 including a thermocouple within thev zonel of C,.for measuring the temperature of the particles. being cooled and for actuating the contingently demanded water spray supply when the temperature of the particles exceeds that desired for contact with the de-dusting-a gent.

58. An apparatus according to claim 56 including a thermocouple following the discharge zone for measuring the temperature of the particles leaving the cooling apparatus and for actuating and supplying contingently demanded water from a water spray nozzle in or near the downstream end of the cooler whenever the temperature of the particles leaving the cooler exceeds that desired.

59. An apparatus according to claim 56 wherein the initial zone contains air ducts capable of inducing controlled amounts of air into the interior of the cooler while simultaneously preventing the escape from said zoneof any of the particulate material being cooled.

60. An apparatus according to claim 56 wherein the upstream portion of the initial zone comprises an entry zone wherein is applied the major portion of the total water sprayed upon the particulate material being cooled.

61. An apparatus according to claim 56 wherein each of the compartmentalized tumbling zones of Band D comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the particular zone, and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central nonrotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which areattached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

62. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, dedusting and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features:

A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles;

B. a first compartmentalized tumbling and cooling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particles;

C. an intermediate zone in said cylinder wherein again there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a de-dusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone;

' D. a second compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate ma-

Claims

1. A METHOD OF COOLING A HOT PARTICULATE MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING STEPS: A. INTRODUCING THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL INTO AN INITIAL ZONE OF A SLIGHTLY INCLINED CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING, CYLINDRICAL ROTARY COOLER WHICH IS OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH AND CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA, B. SPRAYING WATER ONTO THE MATERIAL IS AN ENTRY PORTION OF THE INITIAL ZONE OF THE ROTARY COOLER, THEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY COOLING SAID MATERIAL, C. FURTHER COOLING SAID MOISTENED PARTICULATE MATERIAL BY CONTINUOUSLY INTRODCING IT INTO A FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE INITIAL COOLING ZONE IN SAID COOLER, SAID FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE INITIAL COOLING ZONE BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH THAT SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL COOLING OF THE MATERIAL IS EFFECTED, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL IN SAID FOLLOWING PORTION OF THE INITIAL ZONE ALSO BEING SUFFICIENTLY HIGH THAT ITS MOISTURE CONTENT BECOMES SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED, D. FURTHER COOLING SAID MATERIAL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ALSO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING ITS FINES AND DE-DUSTING IT BY PASSING IT THROUGH A COMPARTMENTALIZED TUMBLING ZONE IN SAID COOLER WHEREIN IT IS INTIMATELY COATED WITH A DE-DUSTING AGENT WHILE IT IS SIMULTANEOUSLY MECHANICALLY LIFTED AND ROTATED, THE MECHANICAL LIFTING AND ROTATION OF THE MATERIAL IN THIS TUMBLING ZONE BEING OF ANATURE WHICH PROVIDES A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FREE-FALL OF THE PARTICLES AS THEY ARE BEING COATED, AND E. FINALLY DISCHARGING SAID COATED AND SUBSTANTIALLY COOLED MATERIAL FROM THE ROTARY COOLER.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical lifting in the compartmentalized tumbling zone of step (d) is carried out by a number of plates attached to a central hollow pipe and to the inner wall of the zone, which plates extend thE length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical lifting in the compartmentalized tumbling zone of step (d) is carried out by a plurality of metal cylinders of substantially equal volume which extend the length of the zone, the outer walls of said cylinders being mechanically coupled to a central hollow pipe and the inner walls of the tumbling zone, said metal cylinders each possessing a plurality of mechanical lifters on its inner walls, thereby increasing the cooling action in the tumbling zone accomplished by the rotation of the cooler.

5. A method of cooling a hot particulate carbon material having an initial temperature between about 1900*F and about 2600*F which comprises the following steps: a. Introducing the hot carbon material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area; b. Spraying water onto the carbon material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material; c. Further cooling said moistened carbon material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the carbon material is effected, the temperature of the particulate carbon material in said following portion of the initial cooling zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content becomes substantially reduced: d. Further cooling said carbon material and simultaneously also substantially reducing its fines and de-dusting it by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein its temperature is a maximum of about 400*F and a minimum of about 250*F and wherein it is intimately coated with between about 0.05% and about 2% by weight of an oil spray while it is simultaneously mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the carbon material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles as they are being coated; and e. Finally discharging said coated and substantially cooled material through a discharge zone of the rotary cooler.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the calcined petroleum coke which is cooled has been calcined in a rotary kiln and is at a temperature of about 2400* to 2500*F when it is introduced into the rotary cooler.

9. A method according to claim 5 wherein the amount of water employed in step (b) averages between about 125 and about 135 gallons per ton of the carbon material.

11. A method of cooling a hot particulate material which comprises the following steps: a. Introducing the particulate material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area; b. Spraying water onto the material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material; c. Further cooling said moistened particulate material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zonE being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the material is effected, the temperature of the particulate material in said following portion of the initial zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced; d. Further cooling said material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the particles; and e. Finally discharging said substantially cooled material from the rotary cooler.

16. A method of cooling a hot particulate carbon material having an initial temperature between about 1900*F and about 2600*F which comprises the following steps: a. Introducing the hot carbon material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area; b. Spraying water onto the carbon material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material; c. Further cooling said moistened carbon material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the carbon material is effected, the temperature of the particulate carbon material in said following portion of the initial cooling zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced, d. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the carbon material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles; and e. Finally discharging said substantially cooled material through a discharge zone of the rotary cooler.

20. A method of cooling according to claim 16 wherein the particulate material from step d is further cooled by the application of a contingently demanded water spray before the material is discharged from the cooler.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the calcined petroleum coke which is cooled has been calcined in a rotary kiln and is at a temperature of about 2400* to 2500*F when it is introduced into the rotary cooler.

23. A method according to claim 16 wherein the amount of water employed in step (b) averages between about 125 and about 135 gallons per ton of the carbon material.

24. A method of cooling a hot particulate material which comprises the following steps: a. Introducing the particulate material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area; b. Spraying water onto the material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material; c. Further cooling said moistened particulate material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the material is effected, the temperature of the particulate material in said following portion of the initial zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced; d. Further cooling said material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the particles; e. Further cooling said material by passing it through an intermediate zone wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; f. Further cooling said material by passing it through a second compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is again mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone also being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the particles; and g. Finally discharging said substantially cooled material from the rotary cooler.

28. A method of cooling a hot particulate carbon material having an initial temperature between about 1900*F and about 2600*F which comprises the following steps: a. Introducing the hot particulate carbon material into an initial zone of a slightly inclined continuously rotating, cylindrical rotary cooler which is of substantial length and cross-sectional area; b. Spraying water onto the carbon material in an entry portion of the initial zone of the rotary cooler, thereby substantially cooling said material; c. Further cooling said moisteNed particulate carbon material by continuously introducing it into a following portion of the initial cooling zone in said cooler, said following portion of the initial cooling zone being of sufficient length that substantial additional cooling of the carbon material is effected, the temperature of the particulate carbon material in said following portion of the initial zone also being sufficiently high that its moisture content is capable of becoming substantially reduced; d. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through a compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the carbon material in this tumbling zone being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles; e. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through an intermediate zone wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; f. Further cooling said carbon material by passing it through a second compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cooler wherein it is again mechanically lifted and rotated, the mechanical lifting and rotation of the material in this tumbling zone also being of a nature which provides a substantial amount of free-fall of the carbon particles; and g. Finally discharging said substantially cooled carbon material from the rotary cooler.

33. A method according to claim 32 wherein the calcined petroleum coke which is cooled has been calcined in a rotary kiln and is at a temperature of about 2400* to 2500*F when it is introduced into the rotary cooler.

34. A method according to claim 28 wherein the amount of water employed in step (b) averages between about 125 and about 135 gallons per ton of the carbon material.

35. A method according to claim 28 wherein the mechanical lifting in each of the compartmentalized tumbling zones of steps (d) and (f) is carried out by a number of plates attached to a central hollow pipe and to the inner wall of the particular zone, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

36. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. thermocouple means within the cooler for measuring the temperature of the particles within the cooler at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said location through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external fluid supply means capable of subjecting the particles to controlled amounts of fluid in different portions of the cooler, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperatUre of the particles within the cooler; B. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple fluid sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of the cooler; and C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the fluid to the cooler.

37. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. thermocouple means within the cooler for measuring the temperature of the particles within the cooler at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said location through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external water supply capable of subjecting the particles to controlled amounts of water in different portions of the cooler, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within the cooler; B. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple water sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of the cooler; and C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the water to the cooler.

41. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including: a. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple fluid sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of said zone; and b. thermocouple means within said zone for measuring the temperature of the particles within the zone at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said zone through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external fluid supply means so as to subject the particles to controlled amounts of fluid in different portions of said zone, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone; B. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material from the preceding initial zone; and C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the fluid to the cooler.

42. An apparatus according to claim 41 wherein the compartmentalized tumbling zone of B comprises a number of plates which are attaChed to the inner wall of the zone and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central non-rotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

44. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including: a. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple water sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of said zone; and b. thermocouple means within said zone for measuring the temperature of the particles within the zone at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being placed in said zone through central non-rotating conduit means supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to external fluid supply means so as to subject the particles to controlled amounts of water in different portions of said zone; which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone; B. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material from the preceding initial zone; and C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the water to the cooler.

45. An apparatus according to claim 44 including a discharge zone following the tumbling zone wherein there is again little or no tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, and a thermocouple following the discharge zone for measuring the temperature of the particles leaving the cooling apparatus and for actuating and supplying contingently demanded water from a water spray nozzle in or near the downstream end of the cooler whenever the temperature of the particles leaving the cooler exceeds that desired.

47. A cooling apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including: a. means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of multiple water sprays directed upon the particulate material in different portions of said zone; and b. thermocouple means within said zone for measuring the temperature of the particles within the zone at at least one location therein, said thermocouple means being operatively connected to external water supply means so as to subject the particles to controlled amounts of water in different portions of said zone, which amounts can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within Said zone; B. a first compartmentalized tumbling zone within said cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particles from the preceding initial zone; C. an intermediate zone in said cylinder wherein again there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including thermocouple means for measuring the temperature of the particulate material, said thermocouple means being operatively connected to external water supply means so as to contingently subject the particles to a controlled amount of water within said zone, which amount can be varied as desired depending upon fluctuations in the temperature of the particles within said zone; D. a second compartmentalized tumbling zone within said cylinder wherein there is again a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material from the intermediate zone; E. a final discharge zone within said cylinder following the second tumbling zone, wherein there is again relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; and F. external means outside the inclined cylinder for supplying the water to the cooler.

48. An apparatus according to claim 47 including a thermocouple following the discharge zone for measuring the temperature of the particles leaving the cooling apparatus and for actuating and supplying contingently demanded water from a water spray nozzle in or near the downstream end of the cooler whenever the temperature of the particles leaving the cooler exceeds that desired.

51. An apparatus according to claim 47 wherein each of the compartmentalized tumbling zones of B and D comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the particular zone, and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central non-rotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

52. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, de-dusting and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a de-dusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone; B. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate material becomes thoroughly mixed with the de-dusting agent sprayed upon it, thereby substantially de-dusting it; C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for providing the de-dusting agent to the zone of A; and D. central, non-rotating conduit means, supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to the external means of C and leading through the tumbling zone of B and into the initial zone of A, for transmitTal of the de-dusting agent in the manner indicated.

53. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, de-dusting and tumbling, free-fall aciton of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including: means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a de-dusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone; and means also for contingently subjecting the particulate material to the action of a water spray before it is subjected to the de-dusting agent spray; B. a following compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate material becomes thoroughly mixed with the de-dusting agent sprayed upon it, thereby substantially de-dusting it; C. external means outside the inclined cylinder for providing the de-dusting agent and the water to the zone of A; and D. central, non-rotating conduit means, supported by a rotating hub of the inclined cylinder and also being operatively connected to the external means of C and leading through the tumbling zone of B and into the initial zone of A for transmittal of the de-dusting agent and the contingently demanded water in the manner indicated.

54. An apparatus according to claim 11 including a thermocouple within the zone of A for measuring the temperature of the particles being cooled and for actuating the contingently demanded water spray supply when the temperature of the particles exceeds that desired for contact with the de-dusting agent, said thermocouple being placed in said zone A through the central non-rotating conduit means of D.

55. An apparatus according to claim 53 wherein the compartmentalized tumbling zone of B comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the zone and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central non-rotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

56. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, de-dusting and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder into which the material to be de-dusted, tumbled and cooled is introduced, said zone possessing means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a water spray near the inlet of said zone and also means for contingently subjecting the material to a water spray near the outlet of said zone and in which zone there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; B. a first compartmentalized tumbling and cooling zone in said cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; C. an intermediate zone in said cylinder wherein again there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including: means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a de-dusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone; and means also for contingently subjecting the particulate material to the action of a water spray bEfore it is subjected to the de-dusting agent spray; D. a second compartmentalized tumbling zone in said cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate material becomes thoroughly mixed with the de-dusting agent sprayed upon it, thereby substantially de-dusting it; E. a final discharge zone in said cylinder wherein there is again relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; and F. external means outside the inclined cylinder for providing the water to the zone of A and also for providing the de-dusting agent and the water to the intermediate zone of C.

57. An apparatus according to claim 56 including a thermocouple within the zone of C for measuring the temperature of the particles being cooled and for actuating the contingently demanded water spray supply when the temperature of the particles exceeds that desired for contact with the de-dusting agent.

59. An apparatus according to claim 56 wherein the initial zone contains air ducts capable of inducing controlled amounts of air into the interior of the cooler while simultaneously preventing the escape from said zone of any of the particulate material being cooled.

61. An apparatus according to claim 56 wherein each of the compartmentalized tumbling zones of B and D comprises a number of plates which are attached to the inner wall of the particular zone, and also to a rotating central hollow pipe which serves as the hub of the inclined cylinder and which surrounds the central non-rotating conduit means, which plates extend the length of the zone to form the compartments, and spaced lifters which are attached to said plates and to the inner wall of the zone between the plates.

62. A cooling and de-dusting apparatus capable of subjecting a hot, loose particulate material processed through same to a considerable amount of cooling, de-dusting and tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said apparatus including a slightly inclined cylinder of substantial length and cross-sectional area and said apparatus also possessing the following as essential features: A. an initial zone within the cylinder wherein there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; B. a first compartmentalized tumbling and cooling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; C. an intermediate zone in said cylinder wherein again there is relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles, said zone including means for subjecting the particulate material to the action of a de-dusting agent spray directed upon the particulate material as it leaves said zone; D. a second compartmentalized tumbling zone within the cylinder wherein there is a considerable amount of tumbling, free-fall action of the particulate material through the de-dusting agent spray from the preceding zone so that the particulate material becomes thoroughly mixed with the de-dusting agent sprayed upon it, thereby substantially de-dusting it; E. a final discharge zone in said cylinder wherein there is again relatively little tumbling, free-fall action of the particles; and F. external means outside the inclined cylinder for providing the de-dusting aGent spray to the intermediate zone C.

63. An apparatus according to claim 62 including a thermocouple within the zone of C for measuring the temperature of the particles being cooled and for actuating a contingently demanded water spray supply when the temperature of the particles exceeds that desired for contact with the de-dusting agent.