Heat exchange – Regenerator
Patent
1995-01-17
1996-05-14
Rivell, John
Heat exchange
Regenerator
165 10, 165909, 432181, 432182, F23L 1502
Patent
active
055159095
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flow switching apparatus preferable for switching two gas flow systems, a regenerative heat exchanger system and a regenerative alternate combustion burner system both using the apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to: a flow switching apparatus for switching two flow systems, e.g., one flow in which the high temperature gas flows and another flow in which the low temperature gas flows; a regenerative heat exchanger system such as an waste heat recovery system or a regenerative heat exchanger for alternately flowing two types of fluid each having a different temperature through a regenerator to effect heat exchange; and a regenerative alternate combustion burner system using the apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The technique for recovering the considerable quantity of heat from the exhaust gas by using a regenerator to preheat the air for combustion has been recently developed. For example, a radiant tube burner having the configuration such as shown in FIG. 8 is proposed. In this burner, two burners 103 each having a regenerator 102 are fixed at both ends of a radiant tube 101, and combustion is alternately performed at the two burners 103. When combustion is effected at one burner 103, the produced combustion gas is exhausted through the regenerator 102 provided at the other burner 103 where no burning is made for preheating the air for combustion by using the heat of the combustion gas accumulated in the regenerator 102.
In such a regenerative alternate combustion burner system, the regenerator requires a flow switching apparatus for switching a flow through which the high temperature exhaust gas flows to another flow through which the low temperature air for combustion flows, and vice versa. Conventionally, a solenoid valve has been generally adopted as such a flow switching apparatus in the combustion system. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the prior art apparatus has a configuration in which the solenoid valves 104, 105, 106 and 107 are provided at four positions and are selectively opened or closed to switch the flows for two kinds of gas having high and low temperatures. In the drawing, reference numerals 108 and 109 designate the solenoid valves for selectively opening or closing a fuel supply system 110.
The flow switching apparatus having the solenoid valves therein however requires a plurality of expensive solenoid valves, thus increasing the production cost. In particular, application of the apparatus to a heat exchanger in the combustion system also requires a number of more expensive solenoid valves for high temperature, then the production cost increases. Further, since the size of the solenoid valve for the air piping is considerably large and these four valves must be used in the system, they take up the large space and the double piping arrangement is needed, complicating the configuration. For instance, when such an apparatus is applied in a furnace or a soaking pit in an ironworks, thousands of solenoid valves are required in the apparatus. Moreover, the frequent switching operations between the air flow and the exhaust gas flow in a short period like one minute or less may result in deterioration of the durability of the solenoid valves.
In addition, the use of a four-way valve 207 shown in FIG. 9 may be also possible. The four-way valve 207 uses a directional control valve stem 206 which swivels in a valve casing 205 having four ports 201, 202, 203 and 204 in order to communicate any two adjacent ports with each other to switch the flows.
However, this four-way valve alternately leads the two types of gas each having a temperature greatly different from each other into the system. Any clearance must therefore be set between the directional control valve stem 206 and a main frame 205 of the valve to avoid the action failure due to the thermal expansion, and the short pass which may occur to the two flows in the valve in apt to lead to the gas leakage. For example, when using this valve in the i
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Atkinson Christopher
Nippon Furnace Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Rivell John
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