Afterburner assembly

Claim 2

An assembly for combusting pyrolysis gases which comprises: a. a chamber having an open inlet end and an open outlet; b. a first conduit shaped like a truncated hollow cone and connected in gas flow communication, at its larger end, to said inlet end of said chamber for admitting a gas stream to said chamber; c. a cylindrical second conduit connected in gas flow communication with said first conduit and mounted to extend through the smaller end of said first conduit to have an open end positioned in the interior of said first conduit to admit a first air stream to said chamber; d. a conical baffle mounted within said first conduit and having its apex adjacent said open end of said second conduit so that the first air stream upon exiting said open end of said second conduit diverges over said baffle with a conical flow pattern; and e. duct means mounted to admit a second air stream into said first conduit and positioned so that the second air stream upon admission, converges with the first air stream.

Claim 3

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first conduit and second conduit are coaxially mounted at said smaller end of said first conduit so that the gas stream enters said smaller end as an annulus of flow about the exterior of said second conduit.

Claim 4

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said conical baffle is mounted to said second conduit.

Claim 5

An assembly according to claim 1 further including a second duct means mounted in gas flow communication with said chamber to admit additional air downstream of said first duct means.

Claim 6

An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said outlet of said chamber is oriented at an angle of about ninety degrees with respect to said inlet of said chamber.

Claim 7

A heat recovery system for recovering the heat content of pyrolysis gases generated in a multiple hearth furnace, said system comprising: a. an afterburner including: i. a chamber having an open inlet end and an open outlet; ii. a first conduit shaped like a truncated hollow cone and connected in gas flow communication, at its larger end, to said inlet end of said chamber for admitting a gas stream to said chamber; iii. a cylindrical second conduit connected in gas flow communication with said first conduit and mounted to extend through the smaller end of said first conduit to have an open end positioned in the interior of said first conduit to admit a first air stream to said chamber; iv. a conical baffle mounted within said first conduit and having its apex adjacent said open end of said second conduit so that the first air stream upon exiting said open end of said second conduit diverges over said baffle with a conical flow pattern; and v. duct means mounted to admit a second air stream into said first conduit and positioned so that the second air stream, upon admission, converges with the first air stream; and b. a multiple hearth furnace including a chamber having a feed inlet, a solids outlet and a gas outlet; a central shaft mounted in said chamber, a plurality of rotatable arms mounted within said chamber and supported from said central shaft; and means for delivering the exhaust gases from said gas outlet of said furnace to said smaller end of said first conduit of said afterburner.

Claim 8

A heat recovery system for recovering the heat content of pyrolysis gases generated in a multiple hearth furnace, said system comprising: a. an afterburner including: i. a chamber having an open inlet end and an open outlet; ii. a first conduit shaped like a truncated hollow cone and connected in gas flow communication, at its larger end, to said inlet end of said chamber for admitting a gas stream to said chamber; iii. a cylindrical second conduit connected in gas flow communication with said first conduit and mounted to extend through the smaller end of said first conduit to have an open end positioned in the interior of said first conduit to admit a first air stream to said chamber; iv. a conical baffle mounted within said first conduit and having its apex adjacent said open end of said second conduit so that the first air stream upon exiting said open end of said second conduit diverges over said baffle with a conical flow pattern; and v. duct means mounted to admit a second air stream into said first conduit and positioned so that the second air stream, upon admission, converges with the first air stream; and b. a multiple hearth furnace including a chamber having a feed inlet, a solids outlet and a gas outlet; a central shaft mounted in said chamber, a plurality of rotatable arms mounted within said chamber and supported from said central shaft; and means for delivering the exhaust gases from said gas outlet of said furnace to said smaller end of said first conduit of said afterburner.

Claim 9

A heat recovery system according to claim 6 further including an air cooling system having means for circulating air in said central shaft and plurality of arms for cooling and including means for delivering the air from said air cooling system after circulation to said second conduit of said afterburner.

Claim 10

A heat recovery system according to claim 6 further including a heat exchanger and means for delivering gases from said open outlet of said afterburner to said heat exchanger.