Fluidized bed boiler having a segmented grate

Claim 1

A fluidized bed furnace comprising a housing, a perforate grate means supported in said housing, a bed of particulate material including some combustibles supported on the grate means, said grate means being divided into a plurality of segments, means for supplying air beneath the grate means independently to each segment, burner means for directing hot combustion gases into the air being supplied to said grate means, first evaporating surface imbedded in the particulate material above first segments of the grate means, superheater surface imbedded in the particulate material above second segments of the grate means, reheater surface imbedded in the particulate material above third segments of the grate means, second evaporating surface in the form of vertical panels imbedded in the particulate material forming perforate walls separating the first evaporating surface, the superheating surface, and the reheater surface, igniter combustion means positioned so as to direct hot combustion gases into the particulate material above fourth segments of the grate means, there being no heating surface whatsoever imbedded in the particulate material above the fourth segments, so that the furnace can be quickly started up or initially fired without causing damage to any of the heating surface.