US4385567A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Solid fuel conversion system
Assignee: SOLID FUELS Inc A CORP OF ILL
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Filing: 1980-10-24
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Granted: 1983-05-31
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Expires: 2000-10-24
Abstract
Abstract A solid fuel conversion system feeds solid fuel to a burning area at a controlled and metered rate. In the burning area, the solid fuel is dried before it reaches a burning bed of coals. Once it reaches the bed of coals, it is advanced at a controlled rate from said drying means through the area of the burning bed of coals to an ash area. The fuel-drying and advancing is carried out by a series of grates having controlled amounts of grate movement. The drying grate is set at a relatively steep angle (here, 60°) which breaks the free-fall of an incoming curtain of solid fuel. The fuel-advancing is accomplished by a series of grates which are set at less than a free-fall angle (here, 15°). A reciprocating feeder moves the fuel-advancing grates back and forth by the controlled amounts. The controlled rate of advance causes the solid fuel to gasify in the area over the burning bed. An air delivery system controls the flow of gaseous fuel from the solid fuel burning area to a gaseous burning area.
Inventors
- 👤 George D. Voss
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 05:12
CPC Classifications
F; F23; F23B; F23B1/00; F23B1/16; F23B1/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
A solid fuel gasifying energy conversion system comprising means for delivering solid fuel from a feeder to a burning area at a controlled rate; means for advancing a bed of said solid fuels at a controlled rate from said fuel delivery means through an area containing a bed of coals to an ash area; means in said area containing said bed of coals for drying said solid fuel before it reaches said burning bed of coals; said means for delivering and said means for advancing causing said bed of solid fuel to form an underlying burning layer which is said bed of coals, an intermediate layer where said solid fuel gasifies while it is in said burning area and while it is over the bed of coals, and an overlaying green fuel layer; and combustion air delivery means for uniformly supplying primary combustion air throughout said bed of solid fuel as it advances from said fuel delivery means at said feeder through said advancing means, and means for supplying secondary combustion air for controlling the flow of said gasified fuel from the burning area where the controlled rate of advance occurs to a gaseous burning area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
196 words
A solid fuel gasifying energy conversion system comprising means for delivering solid fuel from a feeder to a burning area at a controlled rate; means for advancing a bed of said solid fuels at a controlled rate from said fuel delivery means through an area containing a bed of coals to an ash area; means in said area containing said bed of coals for drying said solid fuel before it reaches said burning bed of coals; said means for delivering and said means for advancing causing said bed of solid fuel to form an underlying burning layer which is said bed of coals, an intermediate layer where said solid fuel gasifies while it is in said burning area and while it is over the bed of coals, and an overlaying green fuel layer; and combustion air delivery means for uniformly supplying primary combustion air throughout said bed of solid fuel as it advances from said fuel delivery means at said feeder through said advancing means, and means for supplying secondary combustion air for controlling the flow of said gasified fuel from the burning area where the controlled rate of advance occurs to a gaseous burning area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
The system of claim 1 and means in said solid fuel burning area for drying said solid fuel before it reaches a burning bed of coals, said drying and fuel-advancing means being a cascaded series of grates, said drying means being a grate set at a relatively steep angle which breaks a free-fall of incoming solid fuel and said advancing means being a series of grates set at less than a free-fall angle, and means for reciprocating said series of grates for moving said solid fuel in said controlled rate of advance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 2 and rotary feeder means positioned above said grate set at a relatively steep angle to deliver in metered amounts a curtain of solid fuel to said grates.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
181 words
A solid fuel conversion system comprising means for feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled and metered rate, means in said solid fuel burning area for drying said solid fuel before it reaches a burning bed of coals, said drying means comprising a grate set at a relatively steep angle which breaks a free-fall of incoming solid fuel, means for advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate from said feeding means through the drying means and the area of said bed of coals to an ash area, said advancing means being a cascaded series of grates set at less than a free-fall angle, said controlled rate of advance causing said solid fuel to gasify while it is over the burning bed, refractory-lined feeder means positioned above said grate set at a relatively steep angle for introducing live coals to said grates, means for reciprocating said series of grates for moving said solid fuel in said controlled rate of advance, and combustion air delivery means for controlling the flow of gasified solid fuel to a gaseous burning area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
181 words
A solid fuel conversion system comprising means for feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled and metered rate, means in said solid fuel burning area for drying said solid fuel before it reaches a burning bed of coals, said drying means comprising a grate set at a relatively steep angle which breaks a free-fall of incoming solid fuel, means for advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate from said feeding means through the drying means and the area of said bed of coals to an ash area, said advancing means being a cascaded series of grates set at less than a free-fall angle, said controlled rate of advance causing said solid fuel to gasify while it is over the burning bed, refractory-lined feeder means positioned above said grate set at a relatively steep angle for introducing live coals to said grates, means for reciprocating said series of grates for moving said solid fuel in said controlled rate of advance, and combustion air delivery means for controlling the flow of gasified solid fuel to a gaseous burning area.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 4 and conveyor means for delivering solid fuel in metered amounts to a position above said grate set at a relatively steep angle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said solid fuel is burned at a rate which successively establishes a plurality of layers from the bottom to top, beginning with a burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 6 and means for depositing a layer of sulphur-absorbing material over said green fuel for removing SO 2 from the gasified fuel.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 6 and means for automatically conveying ash away from said ash area.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 6 and means for modularly mounting said system for easy transportation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 6 and means for modularly mounting said system, a plurality of said modules sharing a fuel input and an ash output.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 6 and means for cooling areas on opposite sides of said burning bed for minimizing a formation of clinkers which otherwise could adhere to adjacent surfaces.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 6 and means for sensing the level of solid fuels in said drying area, and means responsive to said sensing means for selectively adding more of said solid fuel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 12 wherein said sensing means comprises an oscillating probe, the oscillations of which are damped by said solid fuel when it reaches a predetermined level.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 6 and means for delivering said solid fuel on a timed basis.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 4 and means for adjusting the rate at which said solid fuels advance through said burning bed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 4 wherein said relatively steep angle is in the order of 60° and said less than free-fall angle is on the order of 15°.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 16 wherein each grate has tip ends with an upper angle on the order of 60° and a lower angle in the order of 30°.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of converting solid fuel into energy comprising the steps of: a. feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled rate, b. drying said solid fuel in said burning area before it reaches a burning bed of coals, c. advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate through an area containing a bed of coals to an ash area, and supplying primary air at one level for causing said solid fuel to burn at a rate which establishes a plurality of successive layers from the bottom to top, beginning with said burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel, d. delivering controlled amounts of secondary combustion air in a location and level which is different than the location and level of the primary air supply for driving the flow of gasified fuel to a gaseous burning area, and e. burning said gassified fuel with an intense flame responsive to a supply of tertiary air in said burning area.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
173 words
A method of converting solid fuel into energy comprising the steps of: a. feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled rate, b. drying said solid fuel in said burning area before it reaches a burning bed of coals, c. advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate through an area containing a bed of coals to an ash area, and supplying primary air at one level for causing said solid fuel to burn at a rate which establishes a plurality of successive layers from the bottom to top, beginning with said burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel, d. delivering controlled amounts of secondary combustion air in a location and level which is different than the location and level of the primary air supply for driving the flow of gasified fuel to a gaseous burning area, and e. burning said gassified fuel with an intense flame responsive to a supply of tertiary air in said burning area.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
64 words
The system of claim 5 and means responsive to a demand for heat for controlling the rate at which said fuel feeding means introduces said fuel and for controlling the rate at which said fuel advancing means advances fuel through the burning area in order to determine the depth of the bed of fuel and thereby control the rate at which heat is produced.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
64 words
The system of claim 12 and means responsive to a demand for heat for controlling the rate at which said fuel feeding means introduces said fuel and for controlling the rate at which said fuel advancing means advances fuel through the burning area in order to determine the depth of the bed of fuel and thereby control the rate at which heat is produced.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
202 words
A method of converting solid fuel into energy comprising the steps of: a. feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled rate, b. drying said solid fuel in said burning area before it reaches a burning bed of coals, c. advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate through an area of a bed of coals to an ash area, said solid fuel burning at a rate which establishes a plurality of successive layers from the bottom to top, beginning with said burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel, d. delivering controlled amounts of combustion air in a plurality of different locations and levels for controlling the flow of gasified solid fuel to a gaseous burning area, and e. delivering said solid fuel to the burning area at a timed rate, and f. introducing combustion air through uniformly distributed air holes in a grate supporting said bed of coals, the air distribution being controlled at least in part by a depth of the fuel bed in the burning area for providing a substantially uniform distribution of air to support combustion of said fuel in said burning area.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
202 words
A method of converting solid fuel into energy comprising the steps of: a. feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled rate, b. drying said solid fuel in said burning area before it reaches a burning bed of coals, c. advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate through an area of a bed of coals to an ash area, said solid fuel burning at a rate which establishes a plurality of successive layers from the bottom to top, beginning with said burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel, d. delivering controlled amounts of combustion air in a plurality of different locations and levels for controlling the flow of gasified solid fuel to a gaseous burning area, and e. delivering said solid fuel to the burning area at a timed rate, and f. introducing combustion air through uniformly distributed air holes in a grate supporting said bed of coals, the air distribution being controlled at least in part by a depth of the fuel bed in the burning area for providing a substantially uniform distribution of air to support combustion of said fuel in said burning area.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 21 and the added step of forming a layer of sulphur-absorbing material over said green fuel for removing SO 2 from the gasified fuel.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 21 and the added step of automatically conveying ash away from said ash area.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 21 and the added step of cooling areas on opposite sides of said burning bed for minimizing a formation of clinkers which otherwise could adhere to adjacent surfaces.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
50 words
The method of either one of the claims 22 or 23 and the added steps of sensing the level of solid fuels in said burning area, and of selectively adding more of said solid fuel responsive to said sensing means in order to maintain the successive layers of step c.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
28 words
The method of any one of the claims 22 or 23 and the added step of delivering said solid fuel to the burning area at a timed rate.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 21 and the added step of responding to a demand for fuel by controlling the rates of feeding and advancing set forth in steps a. and c. in order to adjust the depth of the fuel bed.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
124 words
A solid fuel conversion system comprising means for introducing fuel into said system responsive to a demand for heat, means for moving said introduced fuel into and through a burning area at a controlled rate which establishes a bed depth that controls a stratification of the fuel in the burning area, the stratification maintaining the heat in the burning area at a temperature which gasifies said fuel in one stratification without complete combustion in that layer, and means for removing ash after said fuel passes through said bed, said means for introducing and said means for moving automatically control the depth of a resulting bed of fuel in said burning area to regulate the gasification of said fuel as a function of energy demand.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
124 words
A solid fuel conversion system comprising means for introducing fuel into said system responsive to a demand for heat, means for moving said introduced fuel into and through a burning area at a controlled rate which establishes a bed depth that controls a stratification of the fuel in the burning area, the stratification maintaining the heat in the burning area at a temperature which gasifies said fuel in one stratification without complete combustion in that layer, and means for removing ash after said fuel passes through said bed, said means for introducing and said means for moving automatically control the depth of a resulting bed of fuel in said burning area to regulate the gasification of said fuel as a function of energy demand.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
54 words
The solid fuel conversion system of claim 28 and means for supplying combustion air to at least a region under said bed whereby the automatically controlled depth of said bed regulates and distributes combustion air through said stratifications of the fuel in said burning area to accommodated varying fuel characteristics, including dimensional fuel variations.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
40 words
The solid fuel system of claim 28 or 29 and means comprising a burning fuel supporting member having a plurality of relatively small air holes substantially uniformly distributed under said bed, whereby said distribution of air is made more uniform.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
34 words
The solid fuel conversion system of claim 28 or 29 and time delay means responsive to said demand for providing a time interval beginning with grate movement and ending with said introduction of fuel.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
24 words
The solid fuel conversion system of claim 28 or 29 wherein said means for moving fuel comprises means for moving fuel with adjustable stroke.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
56 words
The system of claim 28 wherein said bed depth is selected to establish a first strata of burning fuel having an overlying second strata of gasifying fuel, and said second strata having an overlying third strata of green fuel, with combustion air blowing said gasifying fuel through said green fuel and into a burning gas area.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of converting solid fuel into energy comprising the steps of: a. feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled rate, b. drying said solid fuel in said burning area before it reaches a burning bed of coals, c. advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate through an area of a bed of coals to an ash area, said solid fuel burning at a rate which establishes a plurality of successive layers from the bottom to top, beginning with said burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel, d. delivering controlled amounts of combustion air in a plurality of different locations and levels for controlling the flow of gasified solid fuel to a gaseous burning area, and e. cooling areas on opposite sides of said burning bed for minimizing a formation of clinkers which otherwise could adhere to adjacent surfaces.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of converting solid fuel into energy comprising the steps of: a. feeding solid fuel into a burning area at a controlled rate, b. drying said solid fuel in said burning area before it reaches a burning bed of coals, c. advancing said solid fuels at a controlled rate through an area of a bed of coals to an ash area, said solid fuel burning at a rate which establishes a plurality of successive layers from the bottom to top, beginning with said burning bed of coals, covered by a gasifying layer of solid fuel, and topped by a layer of green fuel, d. delivering controlled amounts of combustion air in a plurality of different locations and levels for controlling the flow of gasified solid fuel to a gaseous burning area, and e. cooling areas on opposite sides of said burning bed for minimizing a formation of clinkers which otherwise could adhere to adjacent surfaces.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 21 and the added steps of controlling the rate at which said fuel feeds into said burning area in step a. responsive to a demand for heat, and for controlling the rate at which said fuel advances through the burning area in order to determine the depth of the bed of fuel and thereby control the rate at which heat is produced.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 2 and conveyor means for delivering solid fuel in metered amounts to a position above said grate set at a relatively steep angle.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 2 wherein each grate has tip ends with an upper angle on the order of 60° and a lower angle in the order of 30°.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 2 and conveyor means for delivering solid fuel in metered amounts to a position above said grate set at a relatively steep angle.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 2 wherein each grate has tip ends with an upper angle on the order of 60° and a lower angle in the order of 30°.
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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) | 1986-05-30 | 1986-11-29 | 1987-05-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-05-30 | 1990-11-29 | 1991-05-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-05-30 | 1994-11-29 | 1995-05-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |