Method for carrying out endothermic processes in a shaft furnace

Claim 1

A METHOD OF OPERATING AN ENDOTHERMIC SHAFT FURNACE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS DISPOSED THEREIN, WHICH CONSISTS OF ALTERNATELY CHARGING THE SHAFTS WITH MATERIAL AT THEIR UPPER ENDS THEREOF, FIRST PASSING THE MATERIAL DELIVERED TO EACH SHAFT DOWNWARDLY BY GRAVITY AND THROUGH AN UPPER PREHEATING ZONE, ALTERNATELY INTRODUCING FUEL AT POINTS IN THE SHAFTS BETWEEN THE UPPER PREHEATING ZONE AND A SUBSEQUENT BURNING ZONE, SECONDLY ALTERNATELY PASSING THE MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY BY GRAVITY THROUGH THE SUBSEQUENT BURNING ZONE TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE DIRECT ACTION OF THE BURNING OF THE FUEL THEREWITHIN, THIRDLY ALTERNATELY LOWERING THE RESIDUAL MATERIAL INTO A SUBSEQUENT COOLING ZONE, AND THEREAFTER DISCHARGING THE RESIDUAL MATERIAL FROM THE COOLING ZONE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS BEING INTERCONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER BY A CONDUIT AT THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER ENDS OF THE BURNING ZONES, SAID METHOD FURTHER CONSISTING OF INITIATING A FIRST OPERATING PERIOD WHICH INCLUDES INTRODUCING PRIMARY COMBUSTION SUPPORTING AIR INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST SHAFT AND PASSING THE SAID PRIMARY AIR THROUGH THE FIRST PREHEAT ZONE AND DOWNWARDLY OVER THE MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY TREATED THEREBY TO PREHEAT THE SAID PRIMARY AIR, THEREAFTER PASSING SAID PRIMARY AIR TO THE BURNING ZONE THEREBELOW TO SUPPORT THE COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL INTRODUCED THEREINTO, AND THEREAFTER PASSING THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS PRODUCED FROM THE COMBUSTION WITHIN THE BURNING ZONE OF THE FIRST SHAFT THROUGH SAID CONDUIT TO THE BURNING ZONE OF SAID SECOND SHAFT AND UPWARDLY THROUGH BURNING AND PREHEATING ZONES OF THE SECOND SHAFT IN A DIRECTION COUNTER TO THE LOWERING OF THE MATERIAL THEREWITHIN TO PREHEAT THE SAME, THEREAFTER DISCHARGING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FROM THE UPPER END OF THE SECOND SHAFT TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SIMULTANEOUSLY DURING THIS FIRST OPERATING PERIOD INTRODUCING SECONDARY COMBUSTION AIR INTO AT LEAST ONE OF THE COOLING ZONES OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS, MIXING THE SECONDARY AIR WITH THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS WITHIN THE LOWER END OF THE BURNING ZONES AT THE CONDUIT LEVEL, PASSING THE MIXTURE THROUGH THE BURNING ZONE AND PREHEATING ZONES OF THE SECOND SHAFT TO FURTHER SUPPORT THE COMBUSTION OF THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS BEING PASSED THERETHROUGH AND INSURE THE PREHEATING OF THE MATERIAL THEREWITHIN; AND THEREAFTER INITIATING A SECOND OPERATING PERIOD BY SWITCHING THE FURNACE IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE SECOND SHAFT IN THE MANNER CORRESPONDING TO THE OPERATION OF THE FIRST SHAFT IN THE FIRST OPERATING PERIOD, AND TO OPERATE THE FIRST SHAFT IN THE MANNER CORRESPONDING TO THE OPERATION OF THE SECOND SHAFT IN THE FIRST OPERATING PERIOD, THE OPERATION IN SAID FIRST PERIOD AND THE OPERATION IN SAID SECOND PERIOD BEING REPEATEDLY SWITCHED IN A CYCLE OF PREDETERMINED PERIODS OF TIME IN ORDER TO RETAIN AND UTILIZE IN THE SHAFT HEAT PRESENT IN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY COMBUSTION AIR AND IN THE BURNT MATERIAL TREATED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF OPERATING AN ENDOTHERMIC SHAFT FURNACE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MATERIALS DISPOSED THEREIN, WHICH CONSISTS OF ALTERNATELY CHARGING THE SHAFTS WITH MATERIAL AT THEIR UPPER ENDS THEREOF, FIRST PASSING THE MATERIAL DELIVERED TO EACH SHAFT DOWNWARDLY BY GRAVITY AND THROUGH AN UPPER PREHEATING ZONE, ALTERNATELY INTRODUCING FUEL AT POINTS IN THE SHAFTS BETWEEN THE UPPER PREHEATING ZONE AND A SUBSEQUENT BURNING ZONE, SECONDLY ALTERNATELY PASSING THE MATERIAL DOWNWARDLY BY GRAVITY THROUGH THE SUBSEQUENT BURNING ZONE TO BE SUBJECTED TO THE DIRECT ACTION OF THE BURNING OF THE FUEL THEREWITHIN, THIRDLY ALTERNATELY LOWERING THE RESIDUAL MATERIAL INTO A SUBSEQUENT COOLING ZONE, AND THEREAFTER DISCHARGING THE RESIDUAL MATERIAL FROM THE COOLING ZONE, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS BEING INTERCONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER BY A CONDUIT AT THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER ENDS OF THE BURNING ZONES, SAID METHOD FURTHER CONSISTING OF INITIATING A FIRST OPERATING PERIOD WHICH INCLUDES INTRODUCING PRIMARY COMBUSTION SUPPORTING AIR INTO THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST SHAFT AND PASSING THE SAID PRIMARY AIR THROUGH THE FIRST PREHEAT ZONE AND DOWNWARDLY OVER THE MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY TREATED THEREBY TO PREHEAT THE SAID PRIMARY AIR, THEREAFTER PASSING SAID PRIMARY AIR TO THE BURNING ZONE THEREBELOW TO SUPPORT THE COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL INTRODUCED THEREINTO, AND THEREAFTER PASSING THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS PRODUCED FROM THE COMBUSTION WITHIN THE BURNING ZONE OF THE FIRST SHAFT THROUGH SAID CONDUIT TO THE BURNING ZONE OF SAID SECOND SHAFT AND UPWARDLY THROUGH BURNING AND PREHEATING ZONES OF THE SECOND SHAFT IN A DIRECTION COUNTER TO THE LOWERING OF THE MATERIAL THEREWITHIN TO PREHEAT THE SAME, THEREAFTER DISCHARGING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FROM THE UPPER END OF THE SECOND SHAFT TO THE ATMOSPHERE, SIMULTANEOUSLY DURING THIS FIRST OPERATING PERIOD INTRODUCING SECONDARY COMBUSTION AIR INTO AT LEAST ONE OF THE COOLING ZONES OF THE RESPECTIVE FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS, MIXING THE SECONDARY AIR WITH THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS WITHIN THE LOWER END OF THE BURNING ZONES AT THE CONDUIT LEVEL, PASSING THE MIXTURE THROUGH THE BURNING ZONE AND PREHEATING ZONES OF THE SECOND SHAFT TO FURTHER SUPPORT THE COMBUSTION OF THE COMBUSTION PRODUCTS BEING PASSED THERETHROUGH AND INSURE THE PREHEATING OF THE MATERIAL THEREWITHIN; AND THEREAFTER INITIATING A SECOND OPERATING PERIOD BY SWITCHING THE FURNACE IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE SECOND SHAFT IN THE MANNER CORRESPONDING TO THE OPERATION OF THE FIRST SHAFT IN THE FIRST OPERATING PERIOD, AND TO OPERATE THE FIRST SHAFT IN THE MANNER CORRESPONDING TO THE OPERATION OF THE SECOND SHAFT IN THE FIRST OPERATING PERIOD, THE OPERATION IN SAID FIRST PERIOD AND THE OPERATION IN SAID SECOND PERIOD BEING REPEATEDLY SWITCHED IN A CYCLE OF PREDETERMINED PERIODS OF TIME IN ORDER TO RETAIN AND UTILIZE IN THE SHAFT HEAT PRESENT IN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY COMBUSTION AIR AND IN THE BURNT MATERIAL TREATED.