Material treatment system

{
  "publication_number": "US4109394A",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A",
  "title": "Material treatment system",
  "abstract": "A system for treatment of particulate material includes a conveyor for transporting particulate material through a treatment zone, a gas flow system for placing particles on the conveyor in fluidized condition as they move through the treatment zone, and means along the side of the treatment zone for projecting a gaseous stream inwardly along the transport surface of the conveyor to provide boundary sheath gas flow along the edge of the treatment zone, the boundary sheath gas flow containing particles on the conveyor and contributing to the fluidization of particles on the conveyor at the side boundary of the particle treatment zone.",
  "claims": [
    "1. In a system for treatment of particulate material comprising a conveyor for transporting particulate material through a treatment zone and a gas flow system for placing particles on the conveyor in fluidized condition as they move through the treatment zone, the improvement of means along the side of the treatment zone for projecting a gaseous stream downwardly against and inwardly along the transport surface of the conveyor to provide boundary sheath gas flow along the edge of the treatment zone, said boundary sheath gas flow containing particles on said conveyor and contributing to the fluidization of particles on the conveyor at the side boundary of the particle treatment zone.",
    "2. In a system for treatment of particulate material comprising a conveyor for transporting particulate material through a treatment zone and a gas flow system for placing particles on the conveyor in fluidized condition as they move through the treatment zone, the improvement of means along the side of the treatment zone for projecting a gaseous stream inwardly along the transport surface of the conveyor to provide boundary sheath gas flow along the edge of the treatment zone, said gas stream projecting means including a boundary plenum structure having a lower surface positioned closely adjacent the transport surface of said conveyor, and port structure in said boundary plenum structure defining a passage that directs gas downwardly from a point beneath said boundary plenum structure for flow inwardly along the surface of the conveyor, said boundary sheath gas flow retaining particles on said conveyor and contributing to the fluidization of particles on the conveyor at the side boundary of the particle treatment zone.",
    "3. In a system for treatment of particulate material comprising a conveyor for transporting particulate material through a treatment zone and a gas flow system for placing particles on the conveyor in fluidized condition as they move through the treatment zone, the improvement of means along the side of the treatment zone for projecting a gaseous stream inwardly along the transport surface of the conveyor to provide boundary sheath gas flow along the edge of the treatment zone, said gas stream projecting means including a boundary plenum structure having a lower surface positioned closely adjacent the transport surface of said conveyor, port means in said boundary plenum through which said gas stream flows and a shoe of low friction material spaced from but close to said transport surface, said boundary sheath gas flow retaining particles on said conveyor and contributing to the fluidization of particles on the conveyor at the side boundary of the particle treatment zone.",
    "4. The system as claimed in claim 3 and further including support structure for positioning said boundary plenum structure in fixed relation to the transport surface of said conveyor, and wherein said port means is located inwardly of said shoe and directs said gaseous stream downwardly against said transport surface for flow inwardly along said transport surface.",
    "5. In a system for treatment of particulate material comprising a conveyor for transporting particulate material through a treatment zone and a gas flow system for placing particles on the conveyor in fluidized condition as they move through the treatment zone, said gas flow system comprising a supply plenum above said treatment zone, an array of nozzles extending along the length of the particle treatment zone and across the width of the zone and arranged for flowing gas from said supply plenum downwardly in high velocity streams toward said conveyor for fluidizing particles on said conveyor, and means for exhausting gas from said high velocity streams and said boundary sheath gas flow upwardly away from said treatment zone, the improvement of means along the side of the treatment zone for projecting a gaseous stream inwardly along the transport surface of the conveyor to provide boundary sheath gas flow along the edge of the treatment zone, said boundary sheath gas flow containing particles on said conveyor and contributing to the fluidization of particles on the conveyor at the side boundary of the particle treatment zone.",
    "6. The system as claimed in claim 5 and further including conduit means extending between said supply plenum and said gaseous stream projecting means for supplying gas under pressure for said boundary sheath gas flow.",
    "7. The system as claimed in claim 6 and further including a flow restriction between said supply plenum and said nozzle array so that gas supplied to said gaseous stream projecting means is at higher pressure than gas supplied to said nozzle array.",
    "8. The system as claimed in claim 5 and further including adjustment mechanism for changing the vertical spacing between said nozzle array and said transport surface while maintaining said gas stream projecting means in fixed relation to said transport surface.",
    "9. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said conveyor is of the endless belt type.",
    "10. A particle treatment system comprising: structure defining a particle treatment zone including a belt type conveyor defining the lower boundary of the particle treatment zone and being arranged for transporting particulate material through the treatment zone, a supply plenum above said particle treatment zone, an array of nozzles arranged to project gaseous streams downwardly from said supply plenum against said conveyor surface for fluidizing particles on said conveyor, means for exhausting gases from said treatment zone upwardly away from said conveyor, a boundary plenum extending along each side of said treatment zone, each said boundary plenum having a lower surface positioned closely adjacent but spaced from the transport surface of said conveyor, a conduit to supply gas to each said boundary plenum, and ports in each said boundary plenum for projecting gaseous streams inwardly along the transport surface of said conveyor to provide boundary gas flow into said treatment zone along the length of each side of said treatment zone to prevent particles on said conveyor from passing beneath the lower surfaces of said boundary plenums and to contribute gas flow for fluidization of particles on said conveyor along the side boundaries of said treatment zone.",
    "11. The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein each said boundary plenum has port structure in its lower surface defining an inclined passage that directs gas flow from a point beneath said boundary plenum inwardly along said transport surface.",
    "12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein each said boundary plenum includes a shoe of low friction material spaced from but close to said transport surface.",
    "13. The system as claimed in claim 12 and further including support structure for positioning said boundary plenums in fixed relation to the transport surface of said conveyor and adjustment mechanism for changing the vertical spacing between said nozzle array and said transport surface.",
    "14. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein gas supplied to said boundary plenums is at higher pressure than gas supplied to said nozzle array.",
    "15. The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein each said boundary plenum has two vertical side walls, each with an inturned lower flange, said inturned lower flanges overlapping one another and defining said inclined passage and said shoe is formed of a series of polytetrafluoroethylene members that are secured to the outer side wall and extend along the entire length of the boundary plenum."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention relates to material treatment systems that employ a gaseous medium to fluidize particles in heat exchange or other treating relation and more particularly to particulate treatment systems suitable for use with transport mechanisms of the belt conveyor or similar type.\n\nParticulate material is advantageously treated by maintaining the particles in fluidized conditions as they are transported through a particle treatment zone. The particles may be fluidized by a gas flow that is in the heat exchange or other treating relation with the particles. In particular treatment apparatus, as shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,377 for example, gas jets are directed downwardly onto an imperforate surface, the surface having integral inclined side walls which retain the particles while they are being transported through the treatment zone. Such integral side wall retention structure cannot be employed with moving transport systems of the belt conveyor type due to the necessity for the belt to round sprockets at either end of the treatment zone.\n\nBelt type conveyors composed of metal flights or slats are preferred for use in the food industry where it is required to maintain high conditions of cleanliness. The metal flights fit closely together to form a flat moving table in a horizontal run through the particle treatment zone but are flexibly linked together to permit the belt to round a drive sprocket and return at either end of the conveyor.",
  "cpc": [
    "F26B 3/082",
    "F26B 17/04",
    "F26B 21/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F26B 17/04",
    "F26B 21/00",
    "F26B 3/08"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Wolverine Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Charles W. Hoyt"
  ],
  "filing_date": "1977-01-05",
  "publication_date": "1978-08-29",
  "grant_date": "1978-08-29",
  "priority_date": "1977-01-05",
  "application_number": "US-75689677-A",
  "family_id": "25045514",
  "cited_by_count": 37,
  "citations": [
    "US2805898A",
    "US3060590A",
    "US3229377A",
    "US3395943A",
    "US3582144A"
  ]
}