Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for regenerating activated carbon using a furnace of the columnar type having a treatment chamber of substantially uniform sectional shape and area along a vertical direction and having an upper end provided with a spent carbon feed port and a lower end provided with reactivated carbon delivery port comprising the steps of: feeding through said feed port spent carbon having a bulk density of at least 0.35g/cm 3 , a particle size distribution of 5 to 40 mesh and a water content of 50% to 120% by weight; discharging carbon from said delivery port so as to cause a stabilized downward movement of the spent carbon in said chamber; and, forming drying, burning and reviving treatment zones through which the carbon successively passes in its stabilized downward movement through said chamber by introducing a high temperature combustion gas to said chamber at the lower portion of said reviving treatment zone so as to cause said gas to flow upwardly through and substantially uniformly contact the stabilized downwardly moving carbon and so as to heat said carbon to a maximum temperature of about 900° C in said reviving treatment zone.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
191 words
A method for regenerating activated carbon using a furnace of the columnar type having a treatment chamber of substantially uniform sectional shape and area along a vertical direction and having an upper end provided with a spent carbon feed port and a lower end provided with reactivated carbon delivery port comprising the steps of: feeding through said feed port spent carbon having a bulk density of at least 0.35g/cm 3 , a particle size distribution of 5 to 40 mesh and a water content of 50% to 120% by weight; discharging carbon from said delivery port so as to cause a stabilized downward movement of the spent carbon in said chamber; and, forming drying, burning and reviving treatment zones through which the carbon successively passes in its stabilized downward movement through said chamber by introducing a high temperature combustion gas to said chamber at the lower portion of said reviving treatment zone so as to cause said gas to flow upwardly through and substantially uniformly contact the stabilized downwardly moving carbon and so as to heat said carbon to a maximum temperature of about 900° C in said reviving treatment zone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method of regenerating activated carbon according to claim 1 wherein the carbon in said drying, burning and reviving treatment zones is heated to temperatures which progressively increase from a maximum of about 100° C in said drying zone to said maximum of about 900° C in said reviving zone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method of regenerating activated carbon according to claim 1 wherein the carbon in said drying treatment zone is heated to a temperature range of about 0° to 100° C, the carbon in said burning treatment zone is heated to a temperature range of about 100° to 750° C, and the carbon in said reviving treatment zone is heated to a temperature range of about 750° to 900° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of regenerating activated carbon according to claim 1 wherein the treatment time in each of said drying and burning treatment zones is about 11/2 hours and the treatment time in said reviving treatment zone is about one hour.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of regenerating activated carbon according to claim 1 wherein the temperature of said combustion gas is about 1000° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of regenerating activated carbon according to claim 1 wherein the flow of said combustion gas is substantially uniform in any horizontal plane passing through any of said treatment zones.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method of regenerating activated carbon according to claim 6 wherein the difference in temperature distribution in any horizontal plane passing through any of said zones is maintained within plus or minus 10° C.