Burning apparatus with means for heating and cleaning polluted products of combustion

Claim 2

Apparatus for cleaning gases within which pollutants are entrained and which gases are produced from burning material such as fuel, waste material and the like comprising: at least one combustion chamber, the combustion area of said combustion chamber being defined by wall means for enclosing the same including a top; means for retaining burning material in said combustion chamber up to a level below said top; flue tube means including at least one tube extending substantially below the level to which material to be burned in said chamber is retained; one end of said at least one tube comprising means for communication with a source of polluted gases produced by burning material; said flue tube means intermediate its ends comprising means for conducting such polluted gases through said flue tube means within the material being burned in said combustion chamber and for directly transferring heat between the material being burned in said chamber and the polluted gases conducted through said tube means; the other end of said flue tube means comprising means for exhausting gases conducted through said flue tube means; said flue tube means including means for direct fluid communication between the material being burned in said chamber and the conducted gases.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said direct fluid communication means comprise aperture means in said tube means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one tube extends substantially horizontally.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flue tube means include at least one tube extending substantially vertically.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said flue tube means include at least one tube which extends substantially vertically from said at least one horizontal tube to at least the level to which material to be burned is retained during buring in said chamber, said horizontal and vertical tubes being in fluid communication.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one vertical tube includes a vertical extension extending above the level to which material is supported during burning, said vertical extension also including aperture means for communicating between said one combustion chamber above the supported burning material level; and means are provided for directing the polluted gases of combustion from said chamber through said aperture means in said vertical extension of said at least one vertical tube.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said at least one vertical tube includes a further extension extending from said combustion chamber for exhausting the gases from said chamber.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a second combustion chamber adjacent said first mentioned combustion chamber, said second chamber being defined by wall means for enclosing the same including a top; second means for retaining burning material in said second combustion chamber up to a level below said top of said second chamber and above the level to which the burning material is retained in said first mentioned combustion chamber; second flue tube means including at least one tube extending substantially horizontally below the level to which material to be burned in said second combustion chamber is retained during burning; one end of said second flue tube means extending from within said first mentioned combustion chamber above the level to which material to be burned is supported in said first mentioned combustion chamber and comprising means for communicating with the gases produced in said first mentioned combustion chamber above the level to which material to be burned in said first mentioned chamber is retained, the intermediate portion of said second flue tube means comprising means for conducting such gases therethrough within the material being burned in said second chamber and for directly transferring heat between the material being burned in said second chamber and the polluted gases conducted through said second tube means; the other end of said second flue tube comprising means for exhausting the gases.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said fluid communication means of said second tube means comprise aperture means in said second tube means.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said second tube means include at least one tube which extends substantially vertically from said at least one horizontal tube of said second tube means to at least the level to which material to be burned in said second chamber is supported during burning, said horizontal and vertical tubes of said second tube means being in fluid communication.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said at least one vertical tube of said second tube means includes a vertical extension extending above the level to which material is supported in said second chamber during burning, said vertical extension of said second tube means also including aperture means for communicating between said second chamber above the supported burning material level; and means are provided for directing the polluted gases of combustion from said second chamber through said aperture means in said vertical extension of said at least one vertical tube of said second tube means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said at least one vertical tube of said second tube means includes a further extension extending from said second chamber for exhausting the gases.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein after burner means communicates directly into said further extension.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means of said one end of said at least one tube for communicating with a source of polluted gases communicates with conduit means for conducting the gases and entrained pollutants produced by the burning material in said combustion chamber out of said combustion chamber, one end of said conduit means being in fluid communication with the gases and pollutants produced in said combustion chamber and extending from said combustion chamber below the top thereof and above the level to which the material is in said combustion chamber when burning, said conduit means at its other end being in fluid communication with said one end of said flue tube.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said material retaining means includes a horizontal grate for retaining the burning material below said tube means.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said flue tube means comprises a plurality of horizontal tubes, at least one of which is perforated.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein further tube means are mounted within said combustion chamber above said first mentioned tube means and above the level to which the burning material is burned around said first tube means and exhaust conduit means extend from said other end of said first tube means, upwardly for fluid communication with said further tube means, said exhaust conduit means including means for directing the gases from said second tube means.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 17, wherein there are provided respective means positioned above said first tube means and said further tube means for feeding waste material to said first and further tube means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein second retaining means for retaining burning material below said further tube means and above the level to which burning material is burned around said first tube means and material to be burned to a second level above said further tube means, whereby the waste gases passing through said further tube means are further heated and further exhaust conducting means are provided above the second level for conducting smoke and waste gases from the burning material retained by said second retaining means.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein there is provided a burning station extending in vertical spaced relation below said grate and means are provided for feeding material thereto for burning the same, whereby the heat, flames, smoke and gases from said burning station are conducted upwardly through said grate.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a boiler is arranged in close adjacency to said combustion chamber, and exhaust conduit means are provided for directing the heated and cleaned gases from the other end of said flue tube means through said boiler for heating the same.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said boiler is disposed above said combustion chamber and boiler tubes extend through said boiler and said exhaust conduit means include means for directing the heated and cleaned gases through said boiler tubes.