Patent US3654705A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3654705A
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Fluidized bed vapor compression drying apparatus and method
Assignee: Combustion Power Co Inc
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Filing: 1971-01-11
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Granted: 1972-04-11
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Expires: 1991-01-11
Abstract
Abstract A feed stream, which is to be dried, is introduced into a fluidized bed of solid particles. A plurality of conduits are immersed in the bed for channeling a heating fluid through the bed to supply heat for vaporizing volatiles contained in the feed stream. Solid particulates and volatiles produced within the hot bed are removed from the bed. Volatiles are separated from the solid particulates entrained therein whereupon dried feed solids are recovered. The separated volatiles are preferably split into a first and a second portion. The first portion is recycled to the bed to serve as the fluidizing gas. The second portion is compressed to a pressure at which its saturation temperature exceeds the boiling temperature of the feed stream at the conditions existing in the bed. The compressed second portion is then cooled to about its saturation temperature whereupon it is re-cycled through the bed heating conduits to serve as the heating fluid. The re-cycled compressed volatiles condense as they pass through these conduits to supply heat for vaporizing the volatiles contained in the feed stream.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard D Smith
- 👤 Dale A Furlong
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:45
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01J; B01J8/00; B01J8/18; B01J8/1836; B01J8/24; F; F26; F26B; F26B23/00; F26B23/001; F26B23/002; F26B23/004; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B30/00; Y02B30/52; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/10; Y10; Y10S; Y10S159/00; Y10S159/03
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 66
Claim 1
Independent Claim
13 words
introducing a material to be dried into said bed as a feed stream;
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said separator means is an inertial separator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
support means for supporting a bed of solid particles within said chamber;
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
support means for supporting a bed of sold particles within said chamber;
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
12 words
support means for supporting a bed of solid particles within said chamber;
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
a bed of solid particles supported by said support means, said particles having an average particles size of between about 50 microns and about one-eighth inch;
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
feed introduction means for introducing into said bed a feed stream which is to be dried;
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
introducing into said bed a gas stream to produce turbulent motion of said bed particles and to entrain solid particulates produced in said bed by drying of the feed stream;
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
feed introduction means for introducing into said bed a Feed stream which is to be dried;
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said temperature reduction means comprises a chamber through which said compressed second portion passes, and means disposed in said chamber for injecting into said second portion a liquid spray.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 3 further including means for pre-heating said feed stream, prior to its introduction into said bed, with the condensed recycled second portion discharged from said conduit means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
6 words
providing conduits disposed throughout said bed;
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
gas introduction means for introducing a gas stream into the bed disposed in said chamber to produce turbulent motion of said bed particles and to entrain solid particulates produced in said bed by drying of the feed stream;
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
gas introduction means for introducing a gas stream into the bed disposed in said chamber to produce turbulent motion of said bed particles and to entrain solid particulates produced in said bed by drying of the feed stream;
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
feed introduction means for introducing into said bed an aqueous feed stream which is to be dried;
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
gas introduction means for introducing steam into the bed to produce turbulent motion of said bed particles and to entrain solid particulates produced in said bed by drying of the feed stream;
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
conduit means disposed throughout said bed for channeling a heating fluid through said bed, without said fluid contacting said bed, to supply heat for vaporization of the volatiles in said feed stream;
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
conduit means disposed throughout said bed for channeling a heating fluid through said bed, without contacting said bed, to supply heat for vaporization of the volatiles in said feed stream;
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
directing a heating fluid through said conduits to supply heat for vaporization of the volatiles in said feed stream;
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further including means for removing impurities from said condensed recycled second portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
a plurality of conduits substantially uniformly disposed throughout said bed for channeling a heating fluid through said bed, without said fluid contacting said bed, to supply heat for vaporization of the water in said feed stream into steam;
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
effluent removal means for removing entrained solid particulates of the feed stream, and volatiles from said bed;
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
effluent removal means for removing entrained solid particulates of the feed stream, and volatiles, from said bed;
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 4 further including demister means disposed in said chamber for returning to said bed liquid entrained in the effluent from said bed.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
13 words
removing entrained solid particulates of the feed stream and volatiles from said bed;
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the volatiles of said feed stream comprise water and wherein said first and second portions comprise steam.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
11 words
separator means for separating said entrained solid particulates from said volatiles;
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
8 words
separating said entrained solid particulates from said volatiles;
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
11 words
separator means for separating said entrained solid particulates from said volatiles;
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
17 words
effluent removal means for removing steam and entrained solid particulates of the feed stream from said bed;
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
37 words
compressor means for raising the pressure of said volatiles to a pressure at which the saturation temperature of said volatiles is greater than the boiling temperature of the feed stream at the conditions eXisting in said bed;
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
compressing said separated volatiles to a pressure at which the saturation temperature of the volatiles is greater than the boiling temperature of the feed stream at the conditions existing in said bed;
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
14 words
splitting means for splitting said volatiles into a first portion and a second portion;
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the pressure to which said second portion is compressed corresponds to a saturation temperature of at least 20* F. greater than the boiling temperature of the feed stream at the conditions existing in said bed.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
12 words
separator means for separating said entrained solid particulates from said effluent steam;
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
splitting means for splitting said effluent steam into a first portion and a second portion;
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
4 words
A dryer apparatus comprising:
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
19 words
means for re-cycling said first portion to said gas introduction means where it serves as said introduced gas stream;
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
22 words
reducing the temperature of said compressed volatiles to about the saturation temperature at the pressure to which said volatiles are compressed; and
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
26 words
temperature reduction means for reducing the temperature of said compressed volatiles to about the saturation temperature at the pressure to which said volatiles are compressed; and
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
39 words
means for recycling said compressed volatiles through said conduit means where it serves as said heating fluid, said heating fluid condensing as it passes through said conduit means to supply heat for vaporizing the volatiles of said feed stream.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
36 words
recycling said compressed volatiles through said conduits, where said volatiles serve as said heating fluid, said volatiles condensing as they pass through said conduit means to supply heat for vaporizing the volatiles of said feed stream;
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
39 words
compressor means for raising the pressure of said second portion to a pressure at which the saturation temperature of said second portion is greater than the boiling temperature of the feed stream at the conditions existing in said bed;
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
21 words
means for recycling said first portion to said gas introduction means where it serves as the steam introduced into the bed;
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
4 words
A drying apparatus comprising:
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
39 words
compressor means for raising the pressure of said second portion to a pressure at which the saturation temperature of said second portion is greater than the boiling temperature of the feed stream at the conditions existing in said bed;
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said temperature reduction means comprises a chamber through which said compressed second portion passes and means disposed in said chamber for injecting into said second portion a liquid spray.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
28 words
temperature reduction means for reducing the temperature of said compressed second portion to about the saturation temperature at the pressure to which said second portion is compressed; and
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
27 words
temperature reduction means for reducing the temperature of said compressed second portion to about its saturation temperature at the pressure to which said second portion is compressed;
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further including means for removing impurities from said condensed recycled second portion.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
40 words
means for recycling said compressed second portion through said conduit means where it serves as said heating fluid, said heating fluid condensing as it passes through said conduit means to supply heat for vaporizing the volatiles of said feed stream.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
39 words
means for recycling said compressed second portion through said conduits where it serves as said heating fluid, said heating fluid condensing as it passes through said conduits to supply heat for vaporizing the water in said feed stream; and
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further including means for recovering said separated entrained solid particulates of said feed stream.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said bed particles are a silica having an average particle size of about 800 to 1,200 microns.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
23 words
means for pre-heating said feed stream, prior to its introduction into said bed, with the condensed recycled second portion discharged from said conduits.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said feed stream is a sewage sludge containing more than about 95 percent by weight water.
Claim 57
Independent Claim
8 words
A method for drying a material which comprises:
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 16 further including the step of splitting the separated volatiles into a first and a second portion, prior to the compression step, introducing the first portion into said bed to produce turbulent motion of the bed particles and to entrain said solid particulates, and compressing said second portion as in step (8) of claim 16.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the temperature of the compressed volatiles is reduced by spraying a liquid into said compressed volatiles.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 18 further including the step of pre-heating the feed stream, prior to its introduction into said bed, with the condensed recycled compressed volatiles discharged from said conduits.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said bed particles have an average particle size of about 50 microns to one-eighth inch.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 20 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, silicon carbide, limestone, and glass beads.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 21 wherein said particles are a silica having a particle size of about 800 to 1,200 microns.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the saturation temperature of the compressed volatiles recycled to said conduits is at least 2* F. higher than the boiling temperature of the feed at the conditions existing in the bed.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said gas introduced into said bed to produce turbulent motion of said bed particles is steam and wherein said volatiles in said feed stream comprise water.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 17 wherein said feed stream is a sewage sludge containing more than about 95 percent by weight water.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-11 | 1975-10-11 | 1976-04-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-11 | 1979-10-11 | 1980-04-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-11 | 1983-10-11 | 1984-04-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |