Method and apparatus for producing cement clinker

Claim 2

The process is accordance with claim 1 wherein said cement-forming raw materials are calcined prior to introduction into said reaction zone.

Claim 3

at least one means disposed in the lower portion of said reactor for tangentially introducing into or forming in said reactor at least one stream of hot gas and for directing said stream of hot gas circumferentially around the periphery of said reactor;

Claim 4

at least one gas outlet means in said reactor disposed above said gas inlet means;

Claim 5

The process in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least two streams of hot gas are introduced or formed in said reaction zone at at least two different levels.

Claim 6

directing said stream of hot gas circumferentially around the periphery of said reaction zone and removing said stream of hot gas from said reaction zone near the upper portion thereof, said hot gas forming a generally upwardly spiralling helical stream without significant reverse flow from the upper portion toward the lower portion of said reaction zone,

Claim 7

introducing cement-forming raw materials into said hot gas stream in said reaction zone at a point no lower than the lowest point of introduction or forMation of said hot gas stream, whereby said cement-forming raw materials react to form clinkers and whereby the centrifugal force of said gas stream maintains the clinker particles in suspension until said particles grow to sufficient size so that their weight is sufficient to overcome the upward component of force of said hot gas stream and said clinker particles drop to the portion of said reaction zone blow the lowest point of introduction or formation of said hot gas stream.

Claim 8

The process in accordance with claim 3 wherein the lowest of said gas streams is directed upwardly from the horizontal at an angle of less than 10*.

Claim 9

at least one means for introducing cement-forming raw materials into said reactor disposed at the same level or above the lowest of said hot gas introducing or forming means; and

Claim 10

means disposed below the lowest of said gas introducing or forming means for removing cement clinker from said reactor;

Claim 11

Apparatus suitable for the production of cement clinker which comprises:

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 wherein said gas introducing or forming means are located in said frustoconical sections and said cement-forming raw material introducing means is located near the top of the uppermost of said right circular cylindrical sections.

Claim 13

said reactor comprising two or more right circular cylindrical sections disposed one above the other, the lowest of said right circular cylindrical sections having the smallest diameter and the diameter of each right circular cylindrical section being larger than the diameter of the next lowest right circular cylindrical section, said right circular cylindrical sections being connected to each other or to said cement clinker removal means, as the case may be, by frustoconical sections such that said frustoconical sections and right circular cylindrical sections form a continuous reactor shell; and said means for introducing or forming hot gas in said reactor and for introducing cement-forming raw materials into said reactor being disposed near the frustoconical sections below each right circular cylindrical section, except that additional gas introduction or forming means and/or cement-forming raw material introducing means may be disposed along said right circular cylindrical sections.