Maumee Research & Engineering, Incorporated

C2o Technologies, LLC

Sgi International, Inc.

C20 Technologies, LLC

Tek-kol Partnership

Surface Combustion, Inc.

Tek-kol

Global Research and Engineering, LLC

Franklin G Rinker

Deane Avent Horne

Dennis W Coolidge

Daniel A Molnar

James Alan Thornton

Timothy J Kuhn

Valdis R Daiga

Ernest P Esztergar

James L Howe

Klaus H Hemsath

Thomas J Schultz

William L Thome

Jay K Shah

William C Rinker

James G Powers

James Darrell Kinder

Carl L Porter

Robert W Mueller

Thomas J Sack

A continuous process and apparatus for treating dried coal and coal char to promote passivation of the reactive carbon particles by forming a protective oxide coating and simultaneously adding moisture to rehydrate said particles. The passivation process is conducted in a novel apparatus providing for the staged control of the reaction temperature and the staged introduction of both oxygen and moisture. The fluidized bed apparatus has internal in-bed cooling means embedded within the fluidized coal or coal char particles so as to remove the heat energy as it is released by virtue of the exothermic passivation reactions.

Coal char passivation process and apparatus

A method for treating coal includes drying coal in an initial drying step. The dried coal is pyrolyzed in a pyrolysis step to form coal char and evolved gases. The coal char is eventually cooled and blended. The evolved gases are condensed in at least two, preferably three or more, distinct zones at different temperatures to condense coal-derived liquids (CDLs) from the evolved coal gas. Noncondensable gases may be returned to the pyrolysis chamber as a heat-laden sweep gas, or further processed as a fuel stream. The CDLs may optionally be centrifuged and/or filtered or otherwise separated from remaining particulate coal sludge. The sludge may be combined with coal char, optionally for briquetting; while the CDLs are stored. Precise control of the condensing zone temperatures allows control of the amount and consistency of the condensate fractions collected.

Process for treating coal to improve recovery of condensable coal derived liquids

A process for treating input coal includes treating input coal in a pyrolysis step to form coal char. The pyrolysis step includes heating the coal substantially in the absence of oxygen to remove volatile material from the coal. The volatile material evolved from the coal in the pyrolysis step is treated to separate the volatile material into gases and liquids, wherein the liquids contain condensed volatile material. A portion of the liquids is directed to the coal char, and the returned portion of the liquids is mixed with the coal char, thereby returning some of the volatile material to the coal char.

Coal processing with added biomass and volatile control

A process for treating agglomerating coal includes drying coal in a drying step, and treating the dried coal in an oxidizing step to form oxides sufficient to convert the coal into a substantially non-agglomerating coal. The oxidized coal is pyrolyzed in a pyrolysis step to form coal char, and the coal char is cooled. At least one of the drying, oxidizing, and pyrolyzing steps is a dual zone step, with the dual zone step having a first zone and a second zone, with the temperature of the second zone being higher than that of the first zone. The effluent from such a dual zone pyrolyzer are subjected to a condensation process to separate the effluents into liquids and on-gases, and the on-gases are combined with other available gases to achieve a composition of blended on-gases having a specific heat of at least about 0.50 Btu/lb-&#xb0; F. (2.013 kJ/Kg &#xb0; C.) at 1200&#xb0; F. (649&#xb0; C.) and recirculated into the pyrolyzer.

Process for treating coal using multiple dual zone steps

A process for treating coal includes introducing coal into a chamber and passing an oxygen deficient sweep gas into contact with the coal, the sweep gas being at a higher temperature than the temperature of the coal so that heat is supplied to the coal. The process further includes providing additional heat to the coal indirectly by heating the chamber, wherein the heating of the coal by the sweep gas and by the indirect heating from the chamber causes condensable volatile components to be released into the sweep gas. The proportion of heat supplied to the coal by the sweep gas is less than 40% of the total heat supplied to the coal. The sweep gas is then removed from the chamber and treated to remove condensable components of the coal.

Process for treating coal by removing volatile components

A process for treating bituminous coal includes providing dried, pulverized coal, and treating the pulverized coal in a vessel with a gas stream having an oxygen content sufficient to form oxides on surface of coal particles. The treated coal is transferred into a pyrolyzing chamber and passed into contact with an oxygen deficient sweep gas, the sweep gas being at a higher temperature than the temperature of the coal so that heat is supplied to the coal. The process further includes providing additional heat to the coal indirectly by heating the chamber, wherein the heating of coal by the sweep gas and by the indirect heating from the chamber causes condensable volatile components to be released into the sweep gas. Some of the oxides are converted into paramagnetic mineral components, which are removed from coal to form a coal char having reduced ash and sulfur.

Process for treating bituminous coal by removing volatile components

A process for treating agglomerating coal includes providing dried, pulverized, agglomerating coal, and treating the coal in a vessel with a gas stream having an oxygen content sufficient to form at least some oxides on surface of coal particles, wherein the oxides are sufficient to convert coal into substantially non-agglomerating coal. The treated coal is transferred into a pyrolyzing chamber and passed into contact with an oxygen deficient sweep gas, the sweep gas being at a higher temperature than the temperature of the coal so that heat is supplied to the coal. The process further includes providing additional heat to coal indirectly by heating the chamber, wherein the heating of coal by the sweep gas and by the indirect heating from the chamber causes condensable volatile components to be released into the sweep gas. The sweep gas is removed from the chamber and treated to remove condensable components of coal.

Process for treating agglomerating coal by removing volatile components

A rotary hearth furnace for treating metal oxide materials comprises a hearth mounted for rotary movement within an enclosure. One or more fuel burners are positioned above the hearth. The burners are operably fired to heat the furnace so that heat radiates toward the hearth. One or more oxygen nozzles are positioned between the hearth and the burners in a manner that avoids substantial contact between the oxygen and the briquettes, thereby creating a quiescent zone immediately above the briquettes, with the quiescent zone being sufficient to minimize reoxidation of the reduced briquettes, and minimize entrainment of particulate matter from the briquettes.

Rotary hearth furnace for treating metal oxide materials

A furnace discharge system for removing material from a hearth ( ) of a rotary hearth furnace ( ) and method of operation. The system includes at least two material discharge augers ( ) positioned above the hearth ( ) of the rotary hearth furnace ( ). Each discharge auger ( ) is operatively mounted to allow for height adjustment of the discharge auger ( ) in alternating sequence from a material removal position to an elevated material by-pass position.

Furnace discharge system and method of operation

A method of processing flue dust, where the flue dust contains one or more compounds from a first group of zinc, lead and cadmium compounds, and contains one or more compounds from a second group of iron, silicon, calcium, magnesium and aluminum compounds, includes mixing the flue dust with a carbonaceous material, heating the flue dust/carbonaceous material mixture under non-turbulent conditions to cause a substantial portion of the compounds from the first group to become gas-borne while retaining a substantial portion of the compounds of the second group in a non-gas-borne condition, and separating the gas-borne compounds from the non-gas-borne compounds.

Furnace flue dust processing method

A rotary hearth furnace for reducing a feed material is disclosed. The rotary hearth furnace includes a rotating hearth disposed in an enclosure and mounted for rotary movement. The enclosure includes an annular inner wall, an annular outer wall and a roof. The enclosure is sealed to the hearth and divided into a plurality of zones including at least a loading zone, a process zone and a discharge zone. The furnace further includes a plurality of burners positioned in at least the outer wall of the enclosure to provide a controlled temperature within the rotary hearth furnace and a flue positioned within the reduction zone of the furnace between the preheat zone and the discharge zone to exhaust combustion gases from the burners and gases resulting from the processing of the feed material. Said flue contains space for combustion and settling of the unburned particulates. A water spray quench reduces the temperature of the furnace off-gas so that subsequent combustion by the introduction of air or oxygen does not produce significant nitrogen oxides.

Method and apparatus for reducing a feed material in a rotary hearth furnace

A process for recovering iron from iron-bearing materials including steel mill waste and iron-bearing ores. The process includes the steps of providing a mixture of iron-bearing materials having iron oxides therein and carbonaceous material. Blending with the mixture an organic binder. The mixture is then agglomerated to form green compacts. The green compacts are then loaded into a preheated rotary hearth furnace void of compacts to form a layer of compacts no more than about two compacts high. The green compacts are heated for about 5-12 minutes at a temperature of between about 2200-2500&deg; F. to reduce the compacts and evolve undesirable oxides from the compacts. The reduced compacts are then discharged from the rotary hearth furnace whereupon they are soaked to provide additional time for reaction to achieve 99% or more reduction of the iron oxides. The metallized iron compacts may then be cooled or transported hot to a steel making operation.

Process for treating metal oxide fines

A screw having a field replaceable flight. The screw includes a barrel and a helical flighting that is removably attached to the barrel by a plurality of brackets. The helical flighting includes a plurality of segments, each segment includes first and second opposing faces having an opening extending there though and side edges. The segments are positioned side by side to generally cooperatively form the flighting of the screw. At least one face of each segment includes raised bosses. The raised bosses project perpendicularly outwardly from the face of the segment to form a pocket within which the bracket is received. The segments are removably attached to the barrel by inserting a segment forming part of the flighting within the pocket and then removably fastening the segment within the pocket.

Field replaceable helical flight

A discharge assembly for removing material from a hearth in a rotary hearth furnace including a discharge auger and a coolant spray. The discharge auger is positioned above the hearth of the rotary hearth furnace and includes a central shaft having at least one helical flight affixed to the exterior of the central shaft and the hood is disposed above the discharge auger. The coolant spray cools the discharge auger.

Spray cooled furnace discharge assembly

A discharge assembly for removing material from a hearth in a rotary hearth furnace. The discharge assembly includes, in combination, a discharge auger and a fluid cooled hood. The discharge auger is positioned above the hearth of the rotary hearth furnace and includes a central shaft having at least one helical flight affixed to the exterior of the central shaft. The fluid cooled hood is disposed over the discharge auger to lower the temperature of the helical flights.

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Perrysburg, OH, United States of America

Franklin G Rinker