Apparatus for cooling gases and optionally for drying particulate solids contained in the gas.

The invention relates to a device for cooling gases and optionally drying of the gas added solid particles, in particular evaporation cooler and spray drier.

Such devices are known. They comprise a vertically arranged reactor housing, to which the gas is fed in vertical direction through at least one supply line and which is flowed through in vertical direction, wherein the gas after its entry into the reactor housing liquid and optionally solid particles are fed through at least one nozzle. By evaporation of the liquid to the gas evaporation heat is extracted, so that this is cooled. Provided that in the supplied liquid in addition solid particles are present, they are dried as it flows through the reactor housing.

The known, designed as an evaporative cooler or spray devices of the type described above have the drawback that the gas flow not only across the cross-section of the supply uneven velocity profile entering the reactor housing, but depends on the supply line course also from the central axis of the reactor housing deviating flow direction. This results in within the reactor housing and fluid temperature strands that lead to greater volume and a lower efficiency of the device. With the addition of solid particles consists in the known devices, in particular because of the lateral deflection of the gas stream the risk of deposits on the side walls, which result in that the reactor housing has to be cleaned in a relatively short time intervals, whereby frequent downtimes of the device are connected.

The invention is based on the object, a device of the type described above for cooling of gases and optionally drying of the gas to create added solids, in the lowest possible cost of construction, the disadvantages described above are avoided in that the gas stream regardless of the course of the supply line uniformly and parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the reactor housing is supplied.

The solution of this problem by the invention is characterized in that the mouth of the supply line is designed as a plenum chamber and that is arranged in the region of the plenum chamber at least one a leading edge vortex system generating installed vortex surface.

The inventive design of the mouth of the supply line as a plenum chamber formed a ring around the entry of the gas into the reactor housing a uniform pressure field which prevents lateral deflection of the gas stream and causes a central alignment of the gas stream to the longitudinal centerline of the reactor housing. The a leading edge vortex system generating installed vortex surfaces in the area of ​​the plenum chamber ensure an intensive and fast, that is taking place over a short path length mixing of gas and liquid or solid, so that the cooling and drying effect is finished after a short distance. Since each of which a leading edge vortex system generating mounting surfaces work loss and require only a relatively simple design, the inventive development is not associated with greater investment costs. Existing devices for cooling of gases and optionally drying of the gas added solids may be converted in accordance with the proposal of the invention.

With this inventive development of the known device, the advantage is achieved that in spite of non-uniform flow profile in the feed line there is a stable and uniform and concentric distribution of the optionally laden with solid particles gas to the entire flow cross-section of the reactor housing, at the same time wherein a pressurization of the reactor walls with liquid and solid particles is avoided. The resultant by the proposal according to the invention improved efficiency of the device allows simultaneously to reduce the overall volume of the reactor housing, so that the apparatus can be made cheaper. Furthermore, the maintenance costs are reduced by eliminating the previously periodically necessary cleaning. Finally, the downtime previously occurring because of the necessity of periodic cleaning accounts.

The installed vortex surfaces may according to the invention not only in the area of ​​the plenum chamber, but additionally be arranged downstream of the plenum chamber in the reactor housing.

According to a further feature of the invention the nozzles for the supply of liquid or solid particles are disposed in an area where the installed vortex surfaces, whereby the admixture of the liquid or the solid particles is optimized in the gas stream.

In the drawing, two embodiments of the apparatus according to the invention are shown, namely show:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>Fig. 1</dt><dd>shows a schematic vertical longitudinal section through a first, designed as a spray drier embodiment,</dd><dt>FIG. 2</dt><dd>one of Fig. 1 corresponding longitudinal section through the upper part of a second, designed as an evaporative cooler embodiment,</dd><dt>Fig. 3</dt><dd>a cross-section along the section line III-III in Fig. 2,</dd><dt>FIGS. 4-7</dt><dd>four different embodiments for the formation of the installed vortex surfaces and</dd><dt>FIGS. 8 and 9</dt><dd>Cross sections through such installed vortex surfaces.</dd></dl>

The spray dryer shown schematically in Fig. 1 has a standing vertically arranged reactor housing 1, wherein the gas to be cooled is fed from above through a feed line 2. At the lower end of the reactor housing 1, the cooled gas is discharged through a discharge line 3rd

The horizontally incoming, then arc-shaped and centrally connected from the top of the reactor housing 1 lead 2 opens in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1 in a funnel-shaped widening housing attachment 4. In the area of ​​this housing attachment 4 is the supplied gas to be cooled flow liquid through their evaporation causes cooling of the gas. In Fig. 1, a plurality, at the end of fluid lines 5 arranged liquid nozzle 6 schematically drawn. In this liquid stream particulate matter may be entered.

Due to the arcuate course of the supply line 2 is obtained before the occurrence of the gas stream in the reactor housing a non-uniform over the cross section of the supply line 2 velocity profile that is shown in FIG. 1. In this way, not only a deviation of the flow direction of the gas stream from the central axis of the reactor housing 1 would result, but also the emergence of liquid and temperature strands within the reactor housing 1. In order to avoid this, the mouth of the supply line 2 is formed as a plenum chamber 7th In the embodiment of FIG. 1, this training is done by the arrangement of a cylindrical ring, which projects into the extension lead 2 in the funnel-shaped housing attachment 4. By this plenum chamber 7 is formed annularly around the entry of the gas into the reactor housing 1 an even pressure field in spite of the non-uniform velocity profile of the incoming gas flow prevents lateral deflection of the gas flow and causes a central alignment of the gas stream to the longitudinal center line of the reactor housing first

To achieve an intense and fast, that is taking place over a short path length mixing of the material entering the reactor housing 1 gas and this gas through the liquid nozzle 6 liquid added and optionally also solid, 7 installed vortex surfaces 8 are in the area of ​​the plenum chamber arranged, each having a leading edge vortex system produce. This leading edge vortex system is a static vortex wake, the perpendicular to the main direction of flow achieved an intensive mixing with low eddy losses due to the flow components, thereby preventing the occurrence of temperature and velocity strands. In this way, the cooling and drying effect of the supplied liquid and the gas stream added particulate matter has already been completed after a short distance, whereby the overall height of the reactor casing 1 can be shortened. The arranged with its surface at an acute angle to the main flow direction of the gas installed vortex surfaces 8 have only a negligible reduction in the flow cross section for the sequence so that the costs arising from its mounting by low flow losses. Moreover, such installed vortex surfaces require 8 only a low construction.

In Figs. 4 to 9 embodiments of such installed vortex surfaces are shown. The FIG. 4 shows a triangular basic shape in the installed vortex surface 8 opposite its tip is positioned to the main flow direction. The installed vortex surface 8 shown in FIG. 5 is diamond-shaped and is also opposed to having one of their tips to the flow direction and at an acute angle made to the main flow direction in the region of the plenum chamber 7 arranged. Figs. 6 and 7 show the basic shape of circular or oval installed vortex surfaces 8. These installed vortex surfaces 8 are arranged at an acute angle to the main flow direction in the gas stream and cause by their being streamed front edge the development of leading edge vortices.

To further increase the intensity of the mixing vortex system and improve the static stability of the in-flow of gas installed vortex surfaces 8, this according to FIG. 8 can profiled, for example be designed in cross section is V-shaped. As shown in FIG. 9 is a stabilization of the installed vortex surfaces 8 is also achieved in that they are provided with a bent rim.

In order to effect a rapid mixing of the liquid into the gas stream, the liquid nozzles 6 are arranged in an area where the installed vortex surfaces 8, as can be seen in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 further shows that a conversion of existing spray is readily possible by a plenum chamber 7 and installed vortex surfaces are incorporated 8 into the housing cover 4.

The second embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 shows that a configuration of the plenum chamber 7 is also possible by appropriate design of the transition between the lead 2 and the reactor housing 1. The drawn in Fig. 2 rectangular transition between inlet 2 and top of the reactor housing 1 inevitably creates a plenum chamber 7, in whose area the installed vortex surfaces 8 can be arranged. The cross-section in Fig. 3 shows a possible arrangement for a total of four such installed vortex surfaces 8 having a triangular basic shape.

In the second embodiment of FIG. 2 7 other installed vortex surfaces 9 are arranged downstream of the plenum chamber, through their leading edge vortex systems that enhance the mixing effect and shorten the mixing zone further.

<b>LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS</b>

<dl id="dl0002"><dt>1</dt><dd>reactor housing</dd><dt>2</dt><dd>lead</dd><dt>3</dt><dd>management</dd><dt>4</dt><dd>housing attachment</dd><dt>5</dt><dd>liquid line</dd><dt>6</dt><dd>fluid nozzle</dd><dt>7</dt><dd>plenum chamber</dd><dt>8th</dt><dd>Installed vortex surface</dd><dt>9</dt><dd>Installed vortex surface</dd></dl>