Method and device for input thermal energy to a fluid, related device and use

Abstract

There is provided a method of inputting thermal energy into a fluid medium in a manufacturing process by at least one rotating apparatus, the rotating apparatus comprising: a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft; and a stator configured as an assembly of fixed vanes disposed at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a flow of fluid medium directed along a flow path formed inside a housing between an inlet and an outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring when the flow of fluid medium passes through a fixed guide vane and at least one row of rotor blades, respectively. The method further comprises integrating the at least one rotating device into a production facility configured to perform a material production process, such as the production of titanium oxide, mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathodes and anodes, or flash drying of chemicals at temperatures substantially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (DEG C), such as the production of titanium oxide, mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathodes and anodes. And conducting an amount of input energy into at least one rotating device integrated into the heat consuming process facility, the input energy including electrical energy. A rotating apparatus and related uses thereof are also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for inputting thermal energy (heat) into fluids. Specifically, the present invention relates to tools and methods for optimizing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas and particulate emissions in heat-consuming industrial processes, such as the production of titanium oxide, rock wool and mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathode and anode materials, and flash drying of chemicals, which processes may be performed and / or include steps performed at high and very high temperatures. Background Art

[0002] Industry and governments are continually striving to identify technologies that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Heavy industrial processes such as the production of metal oxide pigments, rock and mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, battery materials, and flash drying of chemicals (collectively referred to herein as "industrial processes") play a key role in achieving low-emission targets set by companies, governments, and international organizations. Electrification of these processes has been considered a solution to reducing emissions. One obstacle to electrification is achieving the high temperatures required in these industrial processes. For example, titanium dioxide production can be carried out using two different processing routes: a sulfate-based method with a high-temperature (up to 1100°C) calcination step; or a chloride-based method with a high-temperature (up to 1200°C) chlorination step and a high-temperature (up to 1400°C) oxidation step. Melting the raw minerals for spinning and bonding into mineral wool occurs in furnaces at temperatures of approximately 1300°C to 1500°C. Calcination of calcium carbonate in gypsum manufacturing, meanwhile, occurs at temperatures as high as 1200°C. High-temperature calcination of calcium carbonate is also part of the Kraft process used to make wood pulp. In battery manufacturing, calcination, sintering, and carbonization furnaces reach similar temperatures (up to 1300-1500°C). Material drying processes can also reach temperatures of around 1000°C or higher, depending on the material being dried and the process requirements. These high-temperature processes place stringent demands on the energy sources and technologies employed. In particular, while electricity is already used in some high-temperature processes (for example, in electric arc furnaces), in most cases, widespread use of electricity is technically and economically unavailable.

[0003] Several rotary solutions for heating purposes have been proposed. Thus, U.S. Patent 11,098,725 B2 (Sanger et al.) discloses a fluid-powered heater pump device operable to selectively generate a heated fluid and / or a pressurized fluid flow. The mentioned fluid-powered heater pump is designed to be incorporated into a motor vehicle cooling system to provide heat for heating the passenger compartment of the vehicle and to provide other functions such as window de-icing and engine cooling. The disclosed device is also capable of providing a pressurized fluid flow for cooling the engine. The disclosed technology is based on friction; and, since the fluid to be heated is a liquid, the proposed design is not suitable for conditions involving extreme turbulence of gas aerodynamics.

[0004] U.S. Patent 7,614,367 B1 (Frick) discloses a system and method for flameless heating, concentrating, or evaporating a fluid by converting rotational kinetic energy into heat. The system is configured for fluid heating and may include a rotational kinetic energy generator, a rotary heating device, and a main heat exchanger, all of which are in closed-loop fluid communication. The rotary heating device may be a hydraulic brake power meter. The document discloses the use of the system for heating water in offshore drilling or production platforms. However, the proposed system is not suitable for heating gaseous media and cannot be used at high or extremely high temperatures (due to reasons such as liquid stability and vapor pressure).

[0005] Furthermore, some units of the rotary turbine type are known for carrying out hydrocarbon (steam) cracking processes and aiming at maximizing the production of target products such as ethylene and propylene.

[0006] In this regard, there is still a need for innovations in the field of technology related to the design and manufacture of efficient heating systems, especially those suitable for applications related to high and very high temperatures, taking into account the challenges associated with increasing the temperature of fluid substances in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve or at least alleviate at least some of the problems caused by the limitations and disadvantages of the related art. Said one or more objects are achieved by various embodiments of the method for producing a heated fluid medium as described herein, the rotating device as defined herein and the related uses.

[0008] In one aspect, a titanium oxide production method is provided, the method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a titanium oxide production facility, the heated fluid medium configured to provide heat to a calcination process for reacting titanium hydroxide to form titanium oxide.

[0009] In another aspect, a titanium oxide production method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a titanium oxide production facility, the heated fluid medium being configured to provide heat to a chlorination process for reacting ilmenite (FeTiO3) to form titanium chloride and / or an oxidation process for reacting titanium chloride to form titanium oxide.

[0010] In another aspect, a method for producing mineral wool or rock wool is provided, the method comprising: generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a mineral wool production facility, the heated fluid medium being configured to provide heat to a melting process for melting a raw material, such as inorganic volcanic rock or slag, to form a melt, the melt being spun into fibers and forming the mineral wool.

[0011] In another aspect, a gypsum production method is provided, the method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a gypsum production facility, the heated fluid medium configured to provide heat to a calciner for dehydrating gypsum.

[0012] In another aspect, a method for producing wood pulp, such as in pulp and paper production, is provided, the method comprising: generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into the wood pulp production facility, the heated fluid medium being configured to provide heat to a kraft pulping process including a lime kiln (1100° C.) for reacting calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) to form carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and calcium oxide (CaO). In another aspect, a method for producing wood pulp comprises: generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into the wood pulp production facility, the heated fluid medium being configured to provide heat to a Yankee hood for drying tissue paper.

[0013] In another aspect, a method for producing cathode / anode materials is provided, the method comprising: generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a cathode and / or anode production facility, the heated fluid medium being configured to provide heat to kilns and burners used in the production of cobalt, nickel, manganese and / or graphite.

[0014] In another aspect, a method for flash drying one or more chemicals is provided, the method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a chemical production facility, the heated fluid medium configured to provide heat to a flash dryer.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the above-described method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into an industrial production facility improves energy efficiency or reduces greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, or both.

[0016] In an embodiment, the above method includes: generating a heated fluid medium by means of at least one rotating device integrated into an industrial process production facility, the at least one rotating device including: a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a rotor including at least one row of rotor blades, the at least one row of rotor blades being arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub mounted on a rotor shaft; and a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes, the plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes being arranged as an assembly adjacent to the at least one row of rotor blades, for example, at least as an assembly upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, wherein, by means of when the fluid medium flows through the stationary guide vanes and A series of energy conversions occurs when at least one row of rotor blades is rotated, imparting a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow guided along a flow path formed in a shell between an inlet and an outlet, thereby generating a heated fluid medium flow; the method also includes: conducting a certain amount of input energy to at least one rotating device integrated into a heat-consuming process facility, the input energy including electrical energy; supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device to an industrial production facility; and operating the at least one rotating device and the industrial production facility to perform the above method at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 500 degrees Celsius (℃).

[0017] In an embodiment, the method includes inputting thermal energy into one or more industrial processes, and the method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into the industrial production facility, the at least one rotating device including: a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a rotor including at least one row of rotor blades, the at least one row of rotor blades being arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub mounted on a rotor shaft; and a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes, the plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes being arranged as an assembly adjacent to the at least one row of rotor blades, for example, at least as an assembly arranged upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, the method further comprising: rotating the at least one rotating device The device is integrated into an industrial production facility, wherein the industrial production facility is configured to perform one or more high temperature or extremely high temperature processes associated with material production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C); a certain amount of input energy is conducted to at least one rotating device integrated into the industrial production facility, the input energy including electrical energy; and the at least one rotating device integrated into the industrial production facility is operated to impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow guided along a flow path formed in a shell between an inlet and an outlet by means of a series of energy conversions that occur when the fluid medium flow passes through fixed guide vanes and at least one row of rotor blades, thereby generating a heated fluid medium flow.

[0018] In embodiments, the method includes generating a fluid medium heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C), or substantially equal to or exceeding about 1200°C, or substantially equal to or exceeding about 1700°C.

[0019] In embodiments, the method includes regulating the velocity and / or pressure of a flow of fluid medium propagating through a rotating device to generate conditions that produce a heated flow of fluid medium.

[0020] In an embodiment, in the method, the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor axis.

[0021] In an embodiment, the method comprises generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device, the rotating device further comprising a diffuser region disposed downstream of at least one row of rotor blades, the method further comprising operating the at least one rotating device integrated into an industrial production facility to impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow guided along a flow path formed within a housing between an inlet and an outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow successively passes through fixed guide vanes, the at least one row of rotor blades, and the diffuser region, thereby generating the heated fluid medium flow. The diffuser region may or may not be provided with fixed guide vanes.

[0022] In an embodiment, in the method, the amount of thermal energy added to a flow of fluid medium propagating through a rotating device is controlled by adjusting the amount of input energy conducted into at least one rotating device integrated into the industrial production facility.

[0023] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: arranging an additional heating device downstream of at least one rotating device, and introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the fluid medium flow propagating through the rotating device and / or through the additional heating device, thereby adding the certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow through one or more exothermic reactions. In an embodiment, the reactive compound or the mixture of reactive compounds is introduced into the fluid medium flow preheated to a predetermined temperature. In an embodiment, the reactive compound or the mixture of reactive compounds is introduced into the fluid medium flow preheated to a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 1700° C. In an embodiment, preheating the fluid medium flow to the predetermined temperature is carried out in the rotating device.

[0024] In embodiments, the method comprises generating a heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into an industrial production facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series. In embodiments, the method comprises generating a heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices connected in sequence, wherein a fluid medium stream is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotating device in the sequence, and wherein in at least a second rotating device in the sequence, the fluid medium stream is further heated by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the preheated fluid medium stream propagating through the second rotating device. In embodiments, in the method, the fluid medium stream is preheated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding approximately 1700°C in at least the first rotating device in the sequence. In embodiments, in the method, the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the fluid medium stream by introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the fluid medium stream propagating through at least the second rotating device in the sequence. In embodiments, the method comprises introducing the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds into one or more processes related to the production of titanium oxide (pigment), mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp, or cotton paper. For example, such one or more processes may be performed in a furnace configured to produce the above-mentioned materials.

[0025] In embodiments, in the method, the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is selected from the group consisting of: feed gas, recycle gas, make-up gas, and process fluid. In embodiments, in the method, the fluid medium entering the rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

[0026] In an embodiment, the method includes generating a heated fluid medium in a rotating device. In an embodiment, in the method, the fluid medium heated in the rotating device includes any of the following: air, steam (H2O), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), or any combination thereof. Any other gas may be used where appropriate. In embodiments, the fluid medium to be heated in the rotating apparatus is a recycle gas recovered from a waste gas, such as exhaust gas, produced from: (i) calcining titanium hydroxide to produce titanium oxide; (ii) chlorinating ilmenite to form titanium chloride; (iii) oxidizing titanium chloride to form titanium oxide; (iv) melting feedstock minerals to produce a melt configured to be spun into fibers for forming mineral wool; (v) dewatering crushed gypsum ore; (vi) reacting calcium carbonate to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide in a kraft pulping process; (vii) dewatering tissue paper in a Yankee hood; (viii) calcining and / or oxidizing feedstock for cathode and / or anode production; or (ix) drying chemicals in a flash drying process.

[0027] In an embodiment, the method further comprises generating a heated fluid medium (e.g., gas, vapor, liquid, and mixtures thereof) and / or a heated solid substance outside the rotating device by a heat transfer process between the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device and any of the above substances that bypass the rotating device.

[0028] In an embodiment, the method further comprises supplying a heated fluid medium generated by or in at least one rotating device to at least one heat consuming unit within the industrial production facility, the heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following: (i) a calciner (also referred to as a calciner) configured to calcine titanium hydroxide to form titanium oxide, (ii) a reactor configured to chloride ilmenite to form titanium chloride, (iii) a reactor configured to oxidize titanium chloride to form titanium oxide, (iv) a furnace configured to melt raw minerals for spinning and bonding into mineral wool, (v) a calciner configured to calcine and dewater crushed gypsum ore, (vi) a lime kiln for reacting calcium carbonate to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide in a kraft pulping process, (vii) a Yankee hood for drying tissue paper, (viii) a calciner or other reactor for forming cathode and / or anode material, or (ix) a dryer for flash drying chemicals. In embodiments, the heat consuming unit comprises or consists of a conversion reactor configured to perform thermal or thermochemical conversion (with or without decomposition) of a feedstock to obtain a desired product.

[0029] In embodiments, the method further comprises increasing the pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

[0030] In an embodiment, in the method, the amount of electrical energy conducted as input energy to at least one rotating device integrated in the industrial production facility is about 5% to 100%.

[0031] In an embodiment, in the method, the amount of electrical energy conducted as input energy to at least one rotating device integrated in the industrial production facility may be obtained from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, said energy source optionally being a renewable energy source.

[0032] In an embodiment, in the method, at least one rotating device is utilized to balance variations, such as surpluses and shortages, in the amount of electrical energy (e.g., obtained through supply and / or generation), optionally renewable electrical energy, by integrating at least one rotating device together with at least one non-electrically operated heater device into an industrial production facility.

[0033] In another aspect, a titanium oxide production facility is provided that includes at least one rotating device configured to produce a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with titanium oxide production according to the present disclosure.

[0034] In another aspect, a mineral wool production facility is provided that includes at least one rotating device configured to produce a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with mineral wool production according to the present disclosure.

[0035] In another aspect, a gypsum production facility is provided that includes at least one rotating apparatus configured to produce a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with gypsum, crushed gypsum, plaster of Paris, or stucco production according to the present disclosure.

[0036] In another aspect, a pulp and paper production facility is provided that includes at least one rotating device configured to generate a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with a kraft pulping process and tissue paper production according to the present disclosure.

[0037] In another aspect, a cathode or anode production facility is provided, comprising at least one rotating device configured to produce a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with cathode and / or anode production for a battery according to the present disclosure.

[0038] In another aspect, a chemical production facility is provided that includes at least one rotating device configured to produce a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with flash drying of a chemical according to the present disclosure.

[0039] In one aspect, a method for inputting thermal energy into one or more processes associated with producing materials in a production facility is provided, the method comprising: generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into the production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft; a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to an assembly of the at least one row of rotor blades; and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially downstream of a bladed portion thereof, the method further comprising:

[0040] - integrating at least one rotating device into a production facility configured to perform one or more processes associated with the production of said material at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C),

[0041] - conducting a quantity of input energy, including electrical energy, into at least one rotating device integrated into the production facility, and

[0042] - operating at least one rotating device integrated into the production facility so as to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and

[0043] The materials produced include one of the following: (i) titanium oxide, (ii) mineral wool, (iii) gypsum, (iv) wood pulp and paper, (v) cathode / anode for batteries, or (vi) flash-dried chemicals.

[0044] In embodiments, the process associated with producing material in a production facility is any one of the following: (i) calcining titanium hydroxide to produce titanium oxide, (ii) chlorinating ilmenite to form titanium chloride, (iii) oxidizing titanium chloride to form titanium oxide, (iv) melting feedstock minerals to produce a melt configured to be spun into fibers for forming mineral wool, (v) dewatering crushed gypsum ore, (vi) reacting calcium carbonate in a kraft pulping process to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide, (vii) dewatering tissue paper in a Yankee hood, (viii) calcining and / or oxidizing feedstock for cathode and / or anode production, or (ix) drying chemicals in a flash drying process.

[0045] In one or more aspects, various production facilities are contemplated. For simplicity only, where aspects of the rotating equipment are substantially similar, production facilities of the above aspects are collectively referred to herein as "industrial production facilities."

[0046] In an embodiment, an industrial production facility includes at least one rotating device configured to generate a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with industrial production, the at least one rotating device comprising: a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades, the at least one row of rotor blades being arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub mounted on a rotor shaft; and a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes, the plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes being arranged as an assembly adjacent to the at least one row of rotor blades, for example, at least an assembly arranged upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, wherein at least one rotating device comprises: a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades, the at least one row of rotor blades being arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub mounted on a rotor shaft; and a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes, the plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes being arranged as an assembly adjacent to the at least one row of rotor blades, for example, at least an assembly arranged upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, The rotating device is configured to, when in operation, impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow guided by a flow path formed in a shell between an inlet and an outlet by means of a series of energy conversions that occur when the fluid medium flow passes continuously through fixed guide vanes and at least one row of rotor blades, thereby generating a heated fluid medium flow, and wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive a certain amount of input energy, which includes electrical energy; and generate heated fluid medium to input thermal energy into at least one heat consuming unit, which is configured to perform one or more processes related to industrial production at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

[0047] In an embodiment, at least one rotating device provided within the industrial production facility is further configured to increase the pressure of a fluid flow propagating through the rotating device.

[0048] In some configurations, at least one rotating device provided within the industrial production facility is configured to cause a fluid to flow between an inlet and an outlet along a flow path established according to any one of the following trajectories: a substantially spiral trajectory formed within a substantially torus-shaped housing; a substantially spiral trajectory formed within a substantially tubular housing; a substantially radial trajectory along a flow path substantially parallel to a rotor axis enclosed in a substantially tubular housing, and a substantially radial trajectory along a flow path established by means of two spiral-formed fluid medium flows wound into vortex rings in left and right directions.

[0049] In another aspect, an assembly is provided, comprising at least two rotating devices according to some of the preceding aspects, the rotating devices being connected in parallel or in series.

[0050] In another aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one rotating device according to some of the preceding aspects, the at least one rotating device being connected to at least one furnace.

[0051] As used herein, a "furnace" refers to a device that generates or adds heat as part of a combustion process. Depending on the needs of the specific application, the furnace may be a blast furnace, cupola furnace, retort furnace, shaft furnace, regenerative furnace, or other furnace. For the sake of brevity, the term "furnace" is used without reference to any particular type of furnace or other combustion device, but this is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0052] In another aspect, an industrial production facility is provided, which is configured to implement an industrial production process by the method according to some of the foregoing aspects and embodiments; and the industrial production facility includes at least one rotating device according to some of the foregoing aspects.

[0053] The present invention is useful for a variety of reasons, depending upon the specific embodiment of the invention.

[0054] In general, embodiments provide an electrified rotary fluid heater, rather than a fuel-fired heater, to provide a high-temperature fluid, such as a gas, for use in the production of metal oxides (pigments) (e.g., titanium oxide), mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathodes and anodes, and flash-dried chemicals. The proposed method enables the input of heat energy into furnaces used in the production of these materials, which operate at high and very high temperatures, such as temperatures typically exceeding 500°C. The present invention provides apparatus and methods for heating fluid substances to temperatures ranging from about 500°C to about 2000°C, temperatures used in industrial processes.

[0055] The production of these materials typically utilizes equipment that requires high thermal energy and heat consumption, such as fired heaters. These heat-consuming equipment is used to heat the fluid to the temperature required for the production process. The present invention enables the replacement of conventional heat-consuming equipment, such as fuel-fired heaters, with one or more rotating devices. Advantages achieved by replacing a fuel-fired heater with at least one rotating device in the described method include at least:

[0056] -Support electric heating;

[0057] - Eliminate or at least significantly reduce greenhouse gases (e.g. NO, CO2, CO, NO x ), other harmful components (such as HCl, H2S, SO2 and heavy metals), particulate emissions and smoke emissions;

[0058] - Reduced heater volume: The volume of the rotating device is at least an order of magnitude smaller than that of a conventional process heater or heat exchanger;

[0059] - Reduce investment costs;

[0060] - Improve safety when working with flammable and hazardous fluids / gases;

[0061] - Capable of handling large volumes of gas;

[0062] - No pressure drop;

[0063] - Gas compression (blower function) can also be performed using rotary (heater) equipment;

[0064] - Direct gas heating is independent of temperature differences. The temperature rise in rotating equipment can be from about 10°C to 1700°C or more;

[0065] - Rotating devices can be used for indirect heating of the fluid, optionally by optimizing the temperature difference in the heat exchanger;

[0066] - hot process gases can be at least partially recycled, thereby improving and simplifying heat recovery and increasing energy efficiency;

[0067] The temperature of the gas to be heated can be further increased by adding reactive chemicals which, by exothermic reaction, further increase the gas temperature, for example to 2000° C. or more.

[0068] In an embodiment, a rotary device can be used instead of a conventional fired heater or process furnace for direct or indirect heating of materials in the above-mentioned production process. Traditionally, this heat is mainly generated by burning fossil fuels, which results in large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. Replacing fossil fuels with wood or other bio-based materials has serious resource limitations and other serious environmental impacts, such as in terms of sustainable land use. As the cost efficiency of renewable electricity increases, that is, with the rapid development of wind and solar energy, rotary devices driven by renewable electricity can be used to replace fossil fuel combustion, thereby significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Rotary devices allow fluids to be electrically heated to temperatures of 1700°C or higher. Such temperatures are difficult or impossible to achieve using current electric heating applications.

[0069] The rotary device can be used to directly heat process gas, inert gas, air or any other gas, or to indirectly heat process fluid (liquid, steam, gas, steam / liquid mixture, etc.). The heated fluid generated in the rotary device can be used to heat any one of gas, steam, liquid and solid matter. Specifically, the rotary device can be used to directly heat gas recovered from exhaust gas, which is generated from the heat-consuming process used in the material production described herein. The rotary device can at least partially replace various types of furnaces, heaters, kilns, gasifiers and reactors that are traditionally burned or heated with solid, liquid or gaseous fossil fuels or in some cases with bio-based fuels, or can be combined with them (for example as a preheater). Such appliances include, but are not limited to: furnaces, ovens, kilns, heaters, burners, incinerators, boilers, dryers, conveyor devices, reactors and combinations thereof. Some specific examples include, but are not limited to: blast furnaces, cupolas, tank furnaces and pool furnaces, shaft furnaces, regenerative furnaces, rotary kilns, steam boilers, catalytic reactors and fluidized bed reactors. The heated gases can be flammable, reactive or inert and they can be recycled to the rotating device.In addition to heating, the rotating device can also act as a combined blower and heater, allowing the pressure to be increased and the gas to be recycled.

[0070] Heated fluids (e.g., gases) can be used in a variety of applications. Furthermore, the heated object can be a solid substance, a liquid, or a gas, which can also participate in a number of reactions or be used as a heating medium. Thus, hot gases can be used to heat solid materials, such as those used in various industrial facilities, including production facilities for titanium oxide, mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathode / anode materials, and / or chemical production plants. Furthermore, the rotary apparatus described herein can be used in production processes / facilities to provide heat and fluidization in fluidized bed applications.

[0071] When rotating equipment is used instead of a flame heater, the present invention can reduce greenhouse gases (CO, CO2, NO x ) and particulate emissions. By using rotating equipment, it is also possible to have closed or semi-closed heating circuits for heat-consuming processes, improving the energy efficiency of these processes by reducing heat losses in the flue gases. In conventional heaters, the flue gases can only be partially recycled.

[0072] Furthermore, the solution according to the invention enables an improved optimization of the temperature differences in the heat exchangers used in indirect heating.

[0073] The present invention also enables flexible use of electrical energy, such as that obtained from renewable sources. Renewable energy production often varies from day to day or even hour to hour. For example, the present invention allows for balancing renewable electricity production by integrating the rotating equipment disclosed herein with conventional fuel-operated (fuel-burning) burners to provide heat to industrial processes.

[0074] The present invention can also reduce on-site investment costs compared to conventional fossil fuel burning furnaces.

[0075] The expression "a number" herein refers to any positive integer starting from one (1), such as one, two, or three. The expression "a plurality" herein refers to any positive integer starting from two (2), such as two, three, or four. The terms "first" and "second" are used herein only to distinguish one element from another and do not denote any particular order or importance, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0076] The term "gasification" is used herein to indicate that a substance is converted to gaseous form by any possible means.

[0077] Various embodiments of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] Figure 1 is a block diagram representing at 1000 a layout of a high temperature heat consuming process facility configured to implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Figure 2A-2F is an exemplary layout for arranging the rotating equipment 100 within a production facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Figure 3-10 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0081] Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0082] Figure 1 is a block diagram representing at 1000 a layout of a high temperature heat consuming process facility configured to implement a method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A-2F and Figure 3-10 Apparatus and methods according to embodiments of the present invention are described. Specifically, Figure 3-10 Various heat-consuming industrial processes and how to integrate at least one rotating device therein are shown. Figure 3 The sulfate-based titanium oxide production process is schematically shown. Figure 4 The chlorine-based titanium oxide production process is schematically shown. Figure 5 The mineral wool production process is schematically shown. Figure 6 The kraft pulping process for wood pulp production is shown schematically. Figure 7 The tissue paper production process is schematically shown. Figure 8A The gypsum production process is schematically shown. Figure 8B A schematic diagram of a gypsum production process using dry sorbent injection (DSI) technology is shown. Figure 9A and Figure 9B The cathode material production process is schematically shown, and Figure 9C The anode material production process is schematically shown. Figure 10 A flash drying process for drying chemicals is schematically illustrated. The drawings and related examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the applicability of the inventive concept to the arrangements explicitly presented in this disclosure. The portions of the block diagram shown in dashed lines are optional.

[0083] for Figure 1 , the following codes are used for each component. flow: 1. Feed; 2. Preheated feed mixture; 3. Feed heated by the rotating device (100); 4. Feed after its temperature has been raised / increased in an (additional) heater section or heater unit (also called booster section (unit)), for example by an (exothermic) chemical reaction; 5. Fluid medium leaving the heat-consuming unit / process and directed to heat recovery; 6. Fluid medium sent for purification; 7. Product or waste gas; 8. Reactive compound or mixture of compounds for raising the temperature in the booster section, for example one or more reactive chemicals, or auxiliary fuel; 9. Process stream (solid, liquid, gas, vapor or a mixture thereof) to be heated by the hot fluid medium in the heat-consuming process section; 10. Heated process stream (solid, liquid, gas, vapor or a mixture thereof) sent for further processing or storage; 11. Recycle stream from purification; 12. Feed stream entering heat recovery; 13. Hot fluid stream from heat recovery. Segment (unit) :100. Rotary heater unit (rotating equipment); 101. Heat consuming unit / process; 102. Preheater unit; 103. Auxiliary heater section (unit); 104. Heat recovery unit; 105. Purification unit.

[0084] The heat-consuming process facility 1000 is a facility configured to perform one or more heat-consuming industrial processes 101 at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 500 degrees Celsius (°C). In an embodiment, the facility is configured to perform a heat-consuming industrial process at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 1200°C. In an embodiment, the facility is configured to perform a heat-consuming industrial process at a temperature substantially equal to or greater than 1700°C. In some embodiments, the facility can be configured to perform an industrial process at a temperature exceeding 1700°C, for example, at a temperature of 2000°C or higher, for example, at a temperature between about 1700°C and about 2500°C. The facility can be configured to perform an industrial process at about 1700°C, about 1800°C, about 1900°C, about 2000°C, about 2100°C, about 2200°C, about 2300°C, about 2400°C, about 2500°C, and any temperature in between. It should be noted that the facility 1000 is not precluded from performing at least a portion of the industrial process at a temperature below 500°C. Heat consuming (process) facility 1000 is preferably configured as a production (manufacturing) facility and / or a feedstock conversion facility.

[0085] The heat-consuming process is represented by the reference numeral 101. In practice, section 101 is an industrial plant, a factory, or a process unit of any industrial system that is configured to include equipment designed to carry out one or a series of industrial processes, the purpose of which is to produce a commodity from essentially raw materials or raw energy. In this disclosure, the expression "producing a commodity" includes, but is not limited to, manufacturing, extracting, and / or refining materials (in this context, for example, steel or chemical compounds) and / or energy. In some embodiments, section 101 represents a heat-consuming facility, such as a furnace or reactor configured to carry out a heat-consuming process. In an embodiment, section 101 refers to a calciner (also referred to as a calciner) for reacting titanium hydroxide to form titanium oxide. In some embodiments, section 101 refers to a reactor for chlorinating ilmenite to form titanium chloride. In some embodiments, section 101 refers to a reactor for oxidizing titanium chloride to form titanium oxide. In some embodiments, section 101 refers to a furnace for melting a mineral to form a melt that is configured to be spun into fibers for forming mineral wool. In some embodiments, section 101 is a lime kiln used to react calcium carbonate to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide in a kraft pulping process. In some embodiments, section 101 is a Yankee hood used to dewater tissue paper. In some embodiments, section 101 is a calciner, oxidizer, or other reactor used to produce cathodes and / or anodes for batteries. In some embodiments, section 101 is a dryer used to flash dry chemicals.

[0086] Thus, section 101 may represent a reactor device configured to carry out one or a series of reactions, optionally mediated by a catalyst. In this case, the heated fluid medium generated by rotating device 100 is further directed to (reactor) unit 101 to participate in the (catalytic) reaction. The heated gaseous fluid / gas does not necessarily have to transfer its thermal energy to an external process, but rather the heat is used to carry out the endothermic reaction in unit 101.

[0087] The production of the above materials has high heat (heat energy) requirements and consumption, and, in conventional solutions (i.e., outside the heat integration solution 1000 presented here), produces a large amount of industrial emissions (such as carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere. The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for inputting heat energy into these heat-consuming steps 101 with high heat energy requirements, thereby significantly improving the energy efficiency of the process and / or reducing the amount of air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Layout 1000 ( Figure 1 ) schematically illustrates these improved facilities and methods.

[0088] In an embodiment, the method includes generating a heated fluid medium, such as air or oxygen, or fuel-enriched air, by means of a rotary heater unit 100, which includes or consists of at least one rotating device 100, which is also referred to as device 100 hereinafter. For clarity, the rotary heater unit is represented in this disclosure by the same reference numeral 100 as the rotating device. The rotary heater unit is preferably integrated into the process facility 1000. In an embodiment, the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device, but in some embodiments, multiple rotating devices may be used in series or in parallel.

[0089] The rotating device 100 can be arranged as a standalone device, or as a plurality of devices arranged in series (sequential) or in parallel. One or more devices can be connected to a common heat consuming unit 101, such as a furnace. The connection can be direct or through a plurality of heat exchangers.

[0090] Heat consuming units 101 are configured as one or more furnaces or other facilities suitable for implementing processes related to the manufacture of titanium oxide, mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathodes and anodes, or flash-dried chemicals. In some configurations, the heat energy of a fluid (e.g., gas) heated in at least one rotating device 100 (or related unit) is used to carry out an endothermic reaction in heat consuming unit 101. In this case, the fluid heated in one or more devices 100 at least partially forms the process fluid of 101. In some other configurations, the fluid heated in one or more devices 100 transfers its heat energy to a process fluid used in one or more heat consuming units / processes 101, indirectly providing reaction heat to the one or more processes. In the case of indirect heating, the fluid heated in one or more devices 100 can be the same as or different from the process fluid used in one or more heat consuming units / processes 101; however, it is typically different. For the purposes of this disclosure, the terms "process fluid," "process stream," or "process fluid stream" are used to refer to any of gases, liquids, vapors, solids (including granular, granular, or powdered materials), or mixtures thereof. In configurations involving indirect heating, the thermal energy added to the fluid in the rotating apparatus 100 can be transferred to the heat consuming unit / process 101 using a so-called "heat exchanger" type configuration, represented herein by any existing fired heater, reactor, or furnace, or any conventional heat exchanger device, all of which are considered part of the heat consuming unit 101. In other configurations, the fluid (e.g., gas) heated in the rotating apparatus 100 does not necessarily have to transfer its thermal energy to the heat consuming unit 101, but the heat can be used to carry out an endothermic reaction in the same or a subsequent rotating apparatus unit 100 (not shown).

[0091] The heat-consuming unit / facility 101 for manufacturing the aforementioned materials is typically one or more furnaces, reactors, kilns, calciners, etc. In some configurations, several rotating equipment units can be connected to multiple heat-consuming facilities. Different configurations can be envisioned, such as n+x rotating equipment connected to n facilities (e.g., furnaces), where n is equal to or greater than zero (0) and x is equal to or greater than one (1). Therefore, in some configurations, the facility 1000 - in particular, the rotary heater unit 100 - can include one, two, three or four rotating equipment units connected in parallel, which are connected to a common heat-consuming unit, such as a furnace; it is not excluded that the number of rotating equipment exceeds four (4). When several rotating equipment are connected in parallel to a common heat-consuming unit, one or more of the facilities 100 can have different types of drive engines, for example, a reactor driven by an electric motor can be combined with a reactor driven by a steam turbine, a gas turbine and / or a gas engine.

[0092] In an embodiment, input energy E1 is conducted to at least one rotating device 100 integrated into the process facility 1000 as a (rotating) heater unit. Input energy E1 preferably comprises electrical energy. In an embodiment, the amount of electrical energy conducted as input energy to the at least one rotating device integrated into the heat-consuming process facility is about 5% to about 100%, preferably about 50% to about 100%, of the total energy consumed. Thus, the amount of electrical energy conducted as input energy to the at least one rotating device integrated into the heat-consuming process facility can be any of the following percentages: 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, and 100% (of the total energy input), or any intermediate value therebetween.

[0093] The electrical energy may be supplied from an external source or an internal source. In practice, the electrical input energy E1 supplied to the device may be defined in terms of electrical power, which is defined as the rate of energy transfer per unit time (measured in Watts).

[0094] Figure 1 The rotating device 100 is configured to receive a feed stream 1, which is referred to as feed 1 in the following. In general, the feed 1 may comprise or consist of any fluid (such as a liquid or a gas or a combination thereof) provided as a pure component or a mixture of components. The feed may be a raw gas, a process gas, a make-up gas (so-called replacement / make-up gas) or the like. The gaseous feed may comprise an inert gas (air, nitrogen, etc.) or a reactive gas, such as oxygen; a combustible gas, such as hydrocarbons; or any other gas, such as hydrogen and ammonia. The choice of feed depends on the process; in other words, the nature of the heat-consuming process 101 (and indeed the specific industry / industry sector to which said heat-consuming process 101 belongs) implies specific requirements and / or restrictions on the choice of feed material.

[0095] Preferably, the feed 1 enters the apparatus 100 in a substantially gaseous form. Preheating the feed or converting a liquid or substantially liquid feed into a gaseous form can be performed in an optional preheater unit 102, which is configured as one or a group of (pre)heater devices. In the preheater unit 102, the feed stream (e.g., one or more process gases) initially provided in a gaseous form can be further heated (e.g., superheated). In the preheater unit 102, if the feed 1 is not already in a gaseous form, it can be vaporized and optionally superheated.

[0096] The preheater unit 102 can be any conventional device / system configured to provide heat to a fluid substance. In some configurations, the preheater unit 102 can be a fired heater (e.g., a direct-fired heat exchanger that uses high-temperature combustion gases (flue gases) to increase the temperature of a fluid feed (e.g., a process fluid) flowing through a coil disposed within the heater). Additionally or alternatively, the preheater unit 102 can be configured to utilize energy available from other units in the heat-consuming facility (e.g., by extracting thermal energy from the heat stream 13 from the heat recovery 104). Thus, the preheater unit 102 can be configured to utilize other steam streams as well as electricity and / or waste heat streams (not shown).

[0097] According to heat-consuming process 101 and associated equipment, feed stream 1, used to generate a heated fluid medium (e.g., air) using a rotary heater unit (i.e., apparatus 100), comprises unprocessed feed (fresh feed) and / or a recycle stream. Thus, feed 1 can be composed of any of fresh feed, recycle (fluid) streams, and mixtures thereof. Stream 2, representing the (pre-)heated feed, can also include, in addition to feed 1, any recycle streams, such as those from purification section 105 and / or heat recovery section 104.

[0098] In the rotary heater unit / rotating device 100, the temperature is raised to the level required by the heat-consuming process 101 or to the maximum level reached by the rotating device. In the event that the temperature rise achieved by the rotating device 100 is not sufficient for the heat-consuming process and / or in the event that the temperature of the fluid needs to be raised again, for example after the fluid has transferred its heat to the heat-consuming process 101, a further temperature rise can be achieved by arranging additional heater units (100B, 103) (also called "auxiliary" heaters) downstream of the main rotary heater unit 100 (100A); see also Figure 2B Each of the additional heater units comprises or consists of an additional heating device implemented as described below.

[0099] In the heat consuming process 101, the main sources of heat consumption are the heating of the working fluid and / or related equipment and endothermic reactions (reactions that require external energy to proceed). In some applications, it is also feasible to recover heat from the heat consuming process 101. Figure 1 The recovered heat can be further used to heat the feed stream 1 and / or the recycle stream (a separate recycle stream is shown in FIG. Figure 1 11 in the figure).

[0100] A heat recovery section 104 may be arranged before or after the preheater 102 to recover heat from the hot fluid medium, which may be further used to heat the feed stream 1 and the recycle stream 11 .

[0101] Section 104 represents a heat recovery unit that is configured to recover heat from the process stream arriving at section 104 from the heat consuming unit (section 101). Heat recovery can be achieved by collecting gases leaving the process unit 101 at atmospheric pressure above the process liquid and recycling these gases to the preheater unit 102 and / or the rotary heater unit / rotating device 100. The heat recovery device 104 can be represented by at least one heat exchanger device (not shown). For example, in a closed gas system, heat recovery can be achieved by a feasible heat exchanger device. Heat exchangers based on any suitable technology can be used. If the heat is consumed elsewhere, or if the heat cannot be recovered for safety reasons or any other reason, then heat recovery can be optional for heating the feed gas.

[0102] In facility layout 1000, heat recovery unit 104 can be arranged before and / or after preheater 102. In the latter configuration, heat recovery unit 104 is arranged to recover heat from the hot fluid medium (stream 5) flowing from manufacturing process 101, which can be further used to heat feed stream 1 and recycle stream 11. On the other hand, when heat recovery unit 104 is arranged before preheater 102, feed 1 is first directed to unit 104 (as stream 12) and then returned to preheater 102 as stream 13. In this case, unit 104 acts as a first preheater.

[0103] In some cases, the gas needs to be cleaned before being directed to heat recovery, for example to remove dust and fine particles. Cleaning can be accomplished, for example, by a series of filters (not shown) arranged before the heat recovery section 104. Additionally or alternatively, the gas leaving the process unit 101 can be directed to a cleaning unit 105 (i.e., bypassing the heat recovery unit 104) and, after cleaning, returned to the heat recovery (not shown).

[0104] Heat recovery is optional for heating the feed gas if the heat is consumed elsewhere or if heat recovery is not possible for safety or any other reasons.

[0105] The process gas, in addition to valuable products, may also contain unwanted impurities and byproducts that may accumulate in the rotary heater apparatus 100, 103 and / or process unit 101 and / or be detrimental to the rotary heater apparatus 100, 103 and / or process unit 101 by causing corrosion and poisoning the catalyst bed. Purification and separation of the stream discharged from the heat-consuming process 101 is performed in the purification unit 105. The purification unit 105 is configured to separate the recycled product or exhaust gas or other impurities from the recycled gas. The purification and separation methods vary depending on the nature of the heat-consuming process 101. The unit 105 may include a variety of devices suitable for mechanically removing dust and solid particles, such as filters, cyclones, etc. Any conventional purification / separation methods and devices may be used. Exemplary purification / separation methods include, but are not limited to, cryogenic separation methods, membrane processes, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), distillation, absorption, and any combination of these methods. The unit 105 may also include, for example, a device configured to increase the gas pressure by compression. Typically, purification unit 105 operates at a lower temperature than process unit 101; therefore, the product gas stream is cooled (e.g., in heat recovery 104) before entering the purification unit. Controlling the composition of recycle gas 11 is also important to minimize degradation of the reactor bed in 101. Purification unit 105 may also include a device configured to increase the gas pressure, for example, by compression.

[0106] The purification unit 105 may also be adapted to purify the exhaust gas, such as carbon dioxide, to achieve further carbon capture. Figure 1 ) The exhaust gas discharged from the production facility can also be used for carbon capture (not shown). Suitable methods for purifying the exhaust gas include, for example, pressure swing adsorption (PSA), distillation, absorption, etc.

[0107] The heated fluid medium required for carrying out the heat-consuming process 101 is generated by means of at least one rotating device 100 .

[0108] In an embodiment, the heated fluid medium is generated in the rotating device 100, wherein a certain amount of thermal energy is directly added to the fluid medium propagating through the device. In this case, the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device can be, for example, a process gas, such as a hydrocarbon-containing gas (e.g., methane) (see Figure 1 , streams 1-4, in particular stream 2), while the hot fluid medium 5 leaving the heat consuming unit 101 may represent a product-containing stream. In direct heating, streams 1-5 relate to working fluids or process fluids.

[0109] The heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device can also be used as a carrier to transfer thermal energy to a heat consuming unit 101, which is configured to implement or mediate one or more heat consuming processes (101). For example, an inert gas such as air, nitrogen, or steam (H2O) can be heated in the rotating device 100 and further used to transfer the heat generated by the rotating device to a furnace suitable for performing the process 101. In this regard, the generation of the heated medium (e.g., a fluid or solid stream utilized by the process 101) can be performed external to the rotating device by a heat transfer process between the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device and an appropriate medium utilized by the process 101, thereby bypassing the rotating device. Therefore, Figure 1 Stream 9 (process stream) is shown bypassing rotating apparatus 100. Stream 9 represents the feed / process stream, while streams 1-4, which pass through rotary heater 100 and reach process unit 101, represent the fluid medium (e.g., air, nitrogen, steam, or other heating medium) directed to process unit 101 to heat the "cold" process stream 9. In indirect heating applications, when the process stream to be heated is under high pressure or vacuum, the use of an inert hot gas as the heating medium may be preferred. Stream 10 represents the "hot" process stream and / or product stream, respectively.

[0110] In an embodiment, the method comprises generating a heated fluid medium by means of a rotating heater unit comprising or consisting of at least one rotating device 100. Preferably, the rotating heater device 100 is integrated into a heat consuming facility / feedstock conversion facility 1000 as described herein. In an embodiment, the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device; however, multiple rotating devices may be used in series (sequentially) or in parallel.

[0111] In an embodiment, the disclosed method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device 100 integrated into an associated facility 1000, the at least one rotating device including: (a) a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub mounted on a rotor shaft; (b) a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged as an assembly adjacent to the at least one row of rotor blades; and (c) a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that the bladeless portion of the duct is substantially arranged after its bladed portion, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the duct between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions that occur as the fluid medium flow passes continuously through the bladed and bladeless portions of the duct, thereby generating a heated fluid medium flow.

[0112] Thus, according to the above-described embodiment, a rotary device 100 configured to generate a heated fluid medium to be supplied to a production facility includes a rotor including a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row around the circumference of a rotor hub or rotor disk mounted on a rotor shaft, and a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, with the rotor enclosed within the housing. In rotary device 100, a certain amount of thermal energy is imparted to the fluid medium flow guided along a flow path within the housing formed between the inlet and the outlet by a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow propagates within the rotary device housing between the inlet and the outlet while passing through the at least one row of rotor blades, thereby generating a heated fluid medium flow.

[0113] The embodiment of the rotating apparatus 100 may generally follow the teachings of US Pat. Nos. 7,232,937 (Bushuev), 9,494,038 (Bushuev), and 9,234,140 ( et al.) and the disclosure of a radial reactor apparatus in U.S. Pat. No. 10,744,480 (Xu and Rosic), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Any other embodiment that can be configured to employ a method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be utilized.

[0114] In the patent documents cited above, rotary turbine-type equipment is designed as a reactor for processing hydrocarbons, particularly for steam cracking. The general requirements for these applications are rapid gas heating, high temperatures, short residence times, and plug flow (a flow pattern that implies no axial mixing). These requirements lead to the design of turbine-type reactors that accommodate multiple heating stages within a relatively small volume.

[0115] The present disclosure is based on the observation that rotating equipment (including but not limited to those mentioned above) can be electrically driven and used as heaters to produce a heated fluid medium, which in turn is supplied to a heat consuming process 101, such as one or more processes associated with the manufacture of titanium oxide, mineral wool, gypsum, wood pulp and paper, cathodes and anodes, or flash-dried chemicals. By integrating one or more rotating equipment heater units into one or more heat consuming processes, greenhouse gas and particulate emissions can be significantly reduced. For example, the rotating equipment can replace fuel-fired heaters in various applications (described below). The temperature range can be extended from about 1000°C (a temperature typically achievable using the reactor apparatus described above) to at least about 1700°C, and even as high as 2500°C. It is possible to construct rotating equipment capable of achieving these high temperatures because there are no aerodynamic obstacles.

[0116] In the facility 1000 , the rotating apparatus 100 may be retrofitted using existing equipment such as furnaces, reactors, and reactor systems, as described above.

[0117] Thus, a rotary device 100, integrated into a heat-consuming (process) facility / feedstock conversion facility according to an embodiment and configured to generate a heated fluid medium for use in a method according to an embodiment, comprises a rotor shaft arranged along a horizontal (longitudinal) axis, to which at least one rotor unit is mounted. The rotor unit comprises a plurality of rotor blades (also referred to as rotating or working blades), which are arranged on the circumference of a rotor hub or rotor disk and together form a rotor blade cascade. Thus, the rotary device 100 comprises a plurality of rotor blades, which are arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub / rotor disk mounted on the rotor shaft and form a substantially annular rotor blade assembly or rotor blade cascade.

[0118] In an embodiment, the device 100 also includes a plurality of fixed blades or guide vanes arranged in an assembly adjacent to at least one row of rotor blades. The term "fixed" refers to non-rotating blades / guide vanes (in contrast to rotor blades). Note that the attachment of the fixed guide vanes to the casing (inner wall or its lining) can be fixed (immovable) or essentially movable. In the latter case, the attachment of the fixed guide vanes can adopt a certain degree of movement, thereby allowing the blade angle to be adjusted to a certain extent relative to the interior of the rotor blades and / or casing. The fixed blades / guide vanes can be attached directly to the casing (inner wall and / or its lining) or attached by means of an auxiliary connection device, which is, for example, a track, an annular support frame, etc. The movable connection can be achieved by an articulated joint or any other suitable connection method.

[0119] In an embodiment, the rotating blades and the stationary blades are enclosed within an apparatus housing, and a conduit is formed within the apparatus housing, thereby forming a bladed portion of the conduit. In an embodiment, the rotating blades and the stationary blades are arranged within the conduit such that a bladeless portion of the conduit is formed substantially after the stationary blades and / or the rotating guide vanes. In an embodiment, the bladeless portion of the conduit is arranged substantially after the bladed portion thereof.

[0120] Thus, the rotating device is configured to impart a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions that occur as the fluid medium flow successively passes through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow.

[0121] In some embodiments, the plurality of stationary guide vanes may be arranged into at least one stationary cascade provided as a substantially annular assembly upstream and / or downstream of at least one row of rotor blades.

[0122] A plurality of fixed guide vanes arranged in an assembly upstream of at least one row of rotor blades may be provided as fixed guide vanes (GVs), such as inlet guide vanes (IGVs), and configured according to their profile, size and arrangement about a central axis to direct fluid flow into the rotor in a predetermined direction, thereby controlling and in some cases maximizing work input capability specific to the rotor.

[0123] In an embodiment, the rotary device 100 further comprises a diffuser region arranged downstream of at least one row of rotor blades (rotor blade cascade). The diffuser region may be provided with or without fixed (diffuser) guide vanes. Thus, the diffuser region may be provided as a substantially bladeless portion of the duct or as a bladed portion of the duct. In the latter case, the diffuser region comprises a vaned diffuser, which is implemented as a plurality of fixed blades or guide vanes arranged in a diffuser cascade, the diffuser cascade being provided as a substantially annular assembly downstream of the rotor. In some configurations, the diffuser region may comprise a vaneless diffuser.

[0124] The rotating machine may be configured with two or more rows of substantially annular rotor blades (rotor blade cascades) arranged in sequence on / along the rotor shaft. In this case, the fixed guide vanes may be installed upstream of the first row of rotor blades, upstream of each row of rotor blades in the sequence, or upstream of any selected row of rotor blades in the sequence; and the fixed diffuser vanes may be installed downstream of the first row of rotor blades, downstream of each row of rotor blades in the sequence, or downstream of any selected row of rotor blades in the sequence.

[0125] The rotor and stationary blades (IGVs and / or diffuser vanes) are enclosed within an internal passage (duct) formed in the casing.

[0126] A diffuser region provided as a substantially vaneless portion of the duct is described in more detail in US Pat. No. 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic. In this configuration, the provision of a diffuser device (whether vaned or vaneless) may be omitted, and the diffuser region may be represented by a substantially vaneless portion of the duct located downstream of the rotor (the so-called vaneless space) and configured, according to its geometric shape and / or size parameters, to diffuse the high-speed fluid flow from the rotor.

[0127] In general, the arrangement of the bladeless / vaneless section of the duct is common to all configurations of the rotary device 100 described above. Depending on the configuration, the bladeless section is arranged after (downstream of) the rotor blades (see US 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic) or after (downstream of) the fixed diffuser blades (see US 9,494,038 to Bushuev and et al. US9,234,140). In the case of et al. describe configurations in which the rows of rotating and stationary blades are arranged in an internal passage within the casing so as to create one or more bladeless sections between the outlet of the stationary diffuser blades arranged downstream of the rotor blades and the inlet of the stationary guide vanes arranged upstream of the rotor blades of the subsequent rotor cascade unit.

[0128] The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer here to the spatial and / or functional arrangement of structural parts or components relative to a predetermined part or component (here the rotor) in the direction of fluid flow of the entire device (from inlet to outlet).

[0129] In some configurations, at least one row of rotor blades (working blades) may be located between multiple rows of stationary (stator) guide vanes, which are arranged in a substantially annular assembly (referred to as a cascade) on one or both sides of the row of working blades. Configurations including two or more rows of rotor blades / rotor cascades arranged in series (in sequence) on / along the rotor shaft, with or without stationary vanes between them, are conceivable. In the absence of stationary guide vanes between multiple rows of rotor blades, the velocity of the fluid medium propagating through the duct increases with each subsequent row. In this case, the multiple stationary guide vanes may be arranged as an assembly upstream of the first rotor cascade in the sequence (as stationary guide vanes) and as an assembly downstream of the last rotor cascade (as stationary diffuser vanes).

[0130] A row of rotor blades (rotor cascade) enclosed within a housing and a portion of a duct downstream of the rotor blades (optionally provided with a fixed diffuser guide vane assembly (within the diffuser region)) can be considered a minimum process stage (hereinafter referred to as a stage) configured to regulate a complete energy conversion cycle. Thus, as the fluid medium flow exits the rotor blades and propagates in the duct toward the next row of rotor blades or enters the same row of rotor blades along a substantially spiral trajectory formed within the substantially annular housing, the kinetic energy added to the fluid medium flow by at least one row of rotating blades is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluid medium to a predetermined value. Thus, as the fluid flow successively passes through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the duct, thermal energy is added to the fluid medium flow between at least one inlet and at least one outlet of the duct by converting the mechanical energy of the rotor's rotating blades into the internal energy of the fluid (thereby adding thermal energy to the fluid flow). The duct (enclosing the periphery of the rotor) is preferably shaped such that as the fluid flow propagates within the duct, the flow decelerates and dissipates kinetic energy as the internal energy of the fluid medium, adding a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow.

[0131] One or more rows of stationary guide vanes arranged upstream of at least one row of rotor blades prepare the required flow conditions at the inlet of a row of rotating blades (blade cascade) during an energy conversion cycle.

[0132] In some configurations, the process stage consists of an assembly of fixed guide vanes (upstream of the rotor blades), a row of rotor blades, and a diffuser region arranged downstream of the rotor blades, the diffuser region being configured as a substantially vaneless portion of the duct, optionally provided with diffuser vanes. During the energy conversion cycle, mechanical energy of the rotor shaft is converted into kinetic energy and further into internal energy of the fluid, resulting in an increase in the fluid temperature, by causing the fluid medium flow to propagate sequentially in a controlled manner through the fixed guide vanes, at least one row of rotor blades, and the diffuser region. As the fluid medium flow exits the rotor blades and passes through the diffuser region within the duct, the amount of kinetic energy added to the fluid medium flow by the rotating blades of the rotor is sufficient to increase the temperature of the fluid medium to a predetermined value, thereby decelerating the flow and dissipating the kinetic energy as internal energy of the fluid medium, while also adding a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow. Within the row of rotor blades, the flow accelerates, and the mechanical energy of the shaft and rotating blades is transferred to the fluid flow. In at least a portion of each row of rotor blades, the flow can reach a supersonic flow regime. In the diffuser region, the high-speed fluid flow from the rotor diffuses with a significant entropy increase, whereby the flow dissipates kinetic energy as internal energy of the fluid mass, thereby providing thermal energy to the fluid. If the flow upstream of the diffuser is supersonic, the kinetic energy of the fluid flow is converted into internal energy of the fluid by a system of multiple impacts and viscous mixing and dissipation. The increase in internal energy of the fluid results in an increase in the temperature of the fluid. The energy conversion function can be performed, for example, by a vaneless portion of the duct located downstream of the rotor blades (see US Pat. No. 10,744,480 of Xu and Rosic) and / or by a diffuser vane assembly (see et al. (US9,234,140).

[0133] The rotating device 100 can be configured as a multi-stage or single-stage solution. A multi-stage configuration is contemplated that includes a plurality of rotor units (e.g., 1-5 rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially on / along the rotor shaft) alternating with one or more bladeless regions. In some configurations, the bladeless region can be referred to as a (bladeless) diffuser region. In some configurations, the bladeless region (the bladeless portion of the duct) can be arranged after the fixed blades, such as after the fixed diffuser blades.

[0134] exist In the exemplary configuration outlined in US Pat. No. 9,234,140 to et al., the rotating device 100 can be implemented essentially in the shape of an annular torus, wherein the cross-section of the duct in the meridian plane forms an annular profile. The device includes a rotor unit arranged between fixed guide vanes (nozzle vanes) and fixed diffuser vanes. The stage is formed with multiple rows of fixed nozzle vanes, rotor blades, and diffuser vanes, through which the fluid flow propagates in a continuous manner along a flow path established according to a substantially spiral trajectory. In this configuration, the fluid flow circulates through the rotating rotor blades multiple times while propagating between the inlet and outlet of the device. A similar annular configuration is described in US Pat. No. 9,494,038 to Bushuev.

[0135] exist In another exemplary configuration outlined in US Pat. No. 9,234,140 to U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,964, the rotating apparatus 100 can be configured as a substantially tubular axial flow turbine. In this configuration, the apparatus includes an elongated (elongated) rotor hub along which a plurality of rotor blades are arranged in a plurality of sequential rows. The rotor is enclosed in a housing, the inner surface of which is provided with fixed (stator) guide vanes and diffuser guide vanes arranged so that the blades / vanes of the stator, rotor, and diffuser cascades are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction (along the length of the rotor shaft, from inlet to outlet) along the rotor hub. The blades of the rotor cascade at a certain position along the longitudinal direction of the rotor form the stages with adjacent pairs of fixed guide (nozzle) guide vanes and diffuser guide vanes, respectively.

[0136] In the configuration described, there are bladeless / vaneless spaces between subsequent stages.

[0137] In another exemplary configuration outlined in US 10,744,480 to Xu and Rosic, the rotating device 100 can be configured as a radial flow turbine that generally follows the design of a centrifugal compressor or centrifugal pump. The term "centrifugal" means that the fluid flow within the device is radial; therefore, in this disclosure, the device may be referred to as a "radial flow device." The device includes a number of rotor units mounted on an elongated shaft, with fixed guide vanes preceding each rotor unit. A vaneless portion of the duct, which is shaped in a manner that enables energy conversion (e.g., a U-shaped bend or an S-shaped bend), is located after the rotor unit. In addition, the configuration can include a separate diffuser device (with or without guide vanes) arranged downstream of the rotor.

[0138] In all of the above-described configurations, the rotating device 100 performs the method disclosed herein in a similar manner. During operation, input energy conducted to at least one rotating device integrated into a heat consuming facility / feedstock conversion facility is converted into mechanical energy of the rotor. Conditions within the rotating device are adjusted to produce specific flow rate conditions, under which the amount of kinetic energy added to the fluid medium flow by the rotating rotor blades is sufficient to raise the temperature of the fluid medium to a predetermined value as the fluid medium flow exits at least one row of rotor blades and passes through a duct and / or a diffuser region to enter the next row of rotor blades or the same row of rotor blades in the manner described above. Fixed guide vanes may be provided in front of one or more rows of rotor blades. Thus, the adjustable conditions include at least adjusting the flow of the fluid medium propagating within the housing of the rotating device between an inlet and an outlet (discharge). Adjusting the flow may include adjusting parameters related to the operation of the device, such as temperature, mass flow rate, pressure, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the flow conditions may be adjusted by modifying the shape of the duct formed within the housing.

[0139] In some exemplary configurations, the rotating device 100 can be configured to cause the fluid flow to flow between its inlet and outlet along a flow path established according to any one of the following trajectories: a substantially spiral trajectory formed within a substantially torus-shaped housing, as described in US Pat. Nos. 9,494,038 and 9,494,038 to Bushuev. et al. US9,234,140; a substantially spiral trajectory formed in a substantially tubular housing, as described in patent document et al., US Pat. No. 9,234,140; a substantially radial trajectory, as described in US Pat. No. 10,744,480 by Xu and Rosic; and a flow path established by a fluid medium flow in the form of two spirals wound into left-right vortex rings, as described in US Pat. No. 7,232,937 by Bushuev. In some configurations, the rotating device is configured to cause the fluid to flow between its inlet and outlet along a flow path substantially parallel to the rotor axis enclosed in a substantially tubular housing. The aerodynamic design of the rotating device may vary.

[0140] The rotating device 100 utilizes a drive engine. In a preferred embodiment, the device utilizes electrical energy as input energy and is therefore driven by an electric motor. For the purposes of the present invention, any appropriate type of electric motor (i.e., a device capable of transferring energy from a power source to a mechanical load) can be used. Appropriate couplings and various devices, such as power converters, controllers, etc., arranged between the motor drive shaft and the rotor shaft are not described here. In addition, the rotating device can be directly driven by, for example, a gas turbine or a steam turbine or any other appropriate drive device. For example, in a layout involving several rotating devices 100 connected in parallel to a common heat consuming unit 101 (e.g., a furnace), one or more of the devices can utilize different types of drive engines, for example, a device driven by an electric motor can be combined with a device driven by a steam turbine, a gas turbine, and / or a gas engine.

[0141] The rotating device may be supplied with electrical power (defined as the rate of energy transfer per unit time) by supplying current to an electric motor that propels a rotating shaft of the rotating device. Electrical power may be supplied to the rotating device from one or more external sources (associated with the rotary heater unit / device 100 and / or the heat-consuming process facility 1000). Additionally or alternatively, electrical energy may be generated internally within the facility 1000.

[0142] The one or more external sources include various supporting facilities suitable for sustainable energy production. Thus, electricity can be provided from a power generation system utilizing at least one renewable energy source or a combination of power generation systems utilizing different renewable energy sources. The external source of renewable energy can be provided as solar energy, wind energy and / or hydro energy. Thus, electricity can be received into the process from at least one of the following devices: a photovoltaic power generation system, a wind power generation system and a hydroelectric power generation system. In some exemplary instances, a nuclear power plant can be provided as an external source of electricity. Nuclear power plants are generally considered to be zero-emission. The term "nuclear power plant" should be interpreted as using conventional nuclear energy and, in addition or alternatively, also using fusion energy.

[0143] Electricity can be provided from a power plant that utilizes turbines as kinetic energy to drive generators. In some cases, the electricity to drive at least one device 100 can be provided by at least one gas turbine (GT), for example, configured as a standalone device or within a combined heat and power facility and / or a combined cycle power generation facility. Thus, electricity can be provided by at least one of the following: a combined cycle power generation facility, such as a combined cycle gas turbine power plant (CCGT), and / or a combined heat and power facility configured to generate electricity through combined heat and power (CHP) with heat recovery. In some examples, the CHP power plant can be a biomass-fired power plant to increase the share of renewable energy in the process. Additionally or alternatively, power can be provided by spark-ignition engines (e.g., gas engines) and / or compression engines (e.g., diesel engines), for example, optionally provided as part of an engine power plant. Furthermore, any conventional power plant configured to generate electricity from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, or gasoline (typically regulated using a steam turbine) can be used to generate electricity as input energy for the rotating device 100. Furthermore, hydrogen can be used as a source of renewable energy, for example by converting it back into electricity using fuel cells.

[0144] It is contemplated that any combination of the above electricity sources may be implemented as external and internal sources.The import of low emission electricity from alternative (external) sources can improve the energy efficiency of heat consuming process facilities.

[0145] The transfer of input energy (including electricity) to the drive engine of the rotating equipment 100 may also be accompanied by the transfer of mechanical shaft power from the power turbine, for example, optionally utilizing heat generated elsewhere in the facility 1000 or external to the facility. Shaft power is defined as the mechanical power transferred from one rotating element to another and is calculated as the sum of the torque and the rotational speed of the shaft. Mechanical power is defined as work or energy per unit time (measured in watts).

[0146] For example, in practice, the shaft power from the electric motor and the power turbine may be split so that either one can provide all or part of the shaft power.

[0147] Please refer again Figure 1 , segment 103 represents the so-called additional or auxiliary heating (see Figure 2B 、 Figure 2CDescription of ). Auxiliary heating is an optional method for (additional) heating of a fluid medium, such as a process gas, e.g. in cases where the capacity of the rotary device 100 is exceeded. Thus, the auxiliary heating can be used to heat the fluid medium to temperatures exceeding 1700° C. The temperature increase can be achieved by adding a reactive gas 8 (combustion gas or reactant, such as hydrogen, hydrocarbons, other reactive gases, ammonia, oxygen, air, etc.) to the flow of gaseous medium which is guided through the auxiliary section 103 (which medium has already been heated in the heater section 100). In the auxiliary section 103, by means of an exothermic reaction, the temperature is raised to a level that would not be achievable with a single rotary device. For example, a fuel gas, such as hydrogen, can be introduced into an oxygen-containing process gas, such as air. At the elevated temperature, the hydrogen and oxygen react exothermically to produce water molecules (hydrogen combustion).

[0148] For example, an auxiliary heater may be used when the temperature of a fluid heated in the rotating apparatus 100 needs to be raised again after the fluid has transferred its heat to a heat consuming process. An example of this is a series of consecutive catalytic endothermic reactors where the temperature drops in each reactor and needs to be raised again between reactors (e.g., Figure 2E described above).

[0149] Additionally or alternatively, the temperature increase can be achieved by arranging an additional independent "auxiliary" heater device (100B) downstream of the "main" heater device (100A), for details of which see the reference to Figure 2B-2D The devices 100A, 100B may be identical and differ in size or internal design.

[0150] Thus, the auxiliary section 103 may include at least one rotating device 100 (see Figure 2C 、 Figure 2E ).

[0151] Additionally or alternatively, the stream containing the reactive or inert gas 8 can be fed to the rotating apparatus 100 (not shown) or any apparatus downstream thereof (e.g., to a heat-consuming process section 101) (not shown). Thus, if the heat-consuming process unit 101 is configured as a heat-consuming facility (e.g., a reactor), the reactive gas 8 can also be injected directly into the heat-consuming process unit 101. In many applications, auxiliary fuel (8) can be injected directly into the process unit 101 to generate heat and / or participate in the reaction. One example is the reduction of iron ore with methane or hydrogen in a blast furnace (as discussed in more detail below).

[0152] Figure 2A-2FAn exemplary layout of a rotating device 100, representing one or more rotating heater units within a facility 1000, relative to a preheater unit 102 (which, in some cases, also serves as a heat recovery unit), and an auxiliary warming section 103 is shown. The following reference numbers are used for the various components: 100, 100A, 100B. Rotary heater unit (rotating device); 101. Heat consuming unit / process; 102. Preheater unit; 103. Additional heating device (auxiliary heater).

[0153] Figure 2A A basic embodiment of a rotary device 100 is schematically shown, which is configured to input heat into a flow of a fluid medium (feed flow 1) guided through it. The heated flows leaving the device 100 are respectively indicated by the reference numeral 2. In a basic embodiment, the rotor system of the rotary device 100 is aerodynamically configured so that a certain amount of fluid is heated to a predetermined temperature while propagating along a flow path formed in the housing of the device 100 between an inlet and an outlet (so-called "single-pass" embodiment). The device 100 is capable of achieving a temperature rise (ΔT) of about 10°C to about 120°C in one process level, in some configurations, up to a temperature rise of about 500°C. Thus, in the case of a multi-stage embodiment, the fluid can be heated to 1000°C in a "single-pass" embodiment (in a 10-stage device, the temperature rise per stage is 100°C). Since the residence time of the fluid medium through the process stage of the device is in the order of a fraction of a second, for example about 0.01-1.0 milliseconds, fast and efficient heating can be achieved in the basic configuration. The temperature rise can be optimized as required.

[0154] Figure 2B A basic concept involving so-called additional or auxiliary heating is shown. Auxiliary heating is an optional method of heating a fluid medium, such as a process gas, for example, if the capacity of a stand-alone heater device 100 is exceeded.

[0155] The boost can be considered as thermal, chemical or both. In the first configuration (a) (also called "thermal boost"), the "main" rotating heater device (in Figure 2B 、 2C and 2D are marked as 100A) are arranged downstream of an additional rotary heater device (in Figure 2B 、 2Cand 2D are designated as 100B). In the present disclosure, the devices 100A, 100B are generally considered to be a rotary heater unit 100. Thus, by providing at least two rotating devices 100A, 100B connected in sequence, the generation of a heated fluid medium can be achieved, wherein the fluid medium flow (see feed flow 1) is heated to a predetermined temperature in at least the first rotating device (100A) in the sequence, which is referred to herein as the main heater, and wherein the fluid medium flow (see flow 2) is further heated in at least the second rotating device 100B in the sequence by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow (see flow 3) that is "preheated" in the first rotating device 100A and propagates through the second rotating device 100B. Therefore, the device 100B is referred to as an auxiliary heater. The devices 100A, 100B can be identical or differ in size or internal design. Two or more auxiliary devices (e.g. 100B) can be arranged in sequence after the main heater 100A. The auxiliary devices may be arranged in parallel or in series, or in any combination that allows their rotational speed and aerodynamics to be optimized.

[0156] In an additional or alternative second configuration (also referred to as "chemical boost"), an additional heating device is indicated as 103 ( Figure 1 、 Figure 2B ) is adapted to receive a reactive component 5 (e.g., combustible fuel) into a fluid medium flow propagating therethrough to provide heat by an exothermic reaction before directing the fluid medium flow to the heat consuming process 101. In this configuration, auxiliary temperature increase can be achieved by introducing (e.g., by injection) one or more reactive chemicals 5 into the fluid medium flow directed through the additional heater unit / heating device 103. It should be noted that Figure 2B Stream 5 corresponds to Figure 1 Stream 8 shown.

[0157] The auxiliary heater unit 103 based on reactive chemicals may be located after the thermal auxiliary heater unit 100, 100B ( Figure 2B ), or directly after the main heater 100, 100A ( Figure 1 ). The reactive chemical substances (reactants) 5 may include combustion gases, such as hydrogen, hydrocarbons, ammonia, oxygen, air, other gases, and / or any other suitable reactive compounds, optionally including a catalyst. In unit 103, by means of an exothermic reaction, the fluid stream may be heated to a level that would not normally be achievable by a single rotating device 100 without involving chemically mediated heating (see stream 4). For example, a fuel gas (e.g., hydrogen) may be introduced into an oxygen-containing process gas (e.g., air). At elevated temperatures, the hydrogen and oxygen react exothermically to produce water molecules (hydrogen combustion).

[0158] Fuel gas can be injected into the auxiliary heater unit 103 along with air (or oxygen-enriched gas) through a burner to raise the gas temperature. If the heated gas contains combustible gases, these gases can be consumed for heating, with only air and / or oxygen added. The process gas may contain hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, or fuel gas (methane, propane, etc.), all of which can be burned to generate heat. Other reactive gases can also be injected to generate heat, if applicable.

[0159] The additional heater 103 suitable for chemical assistance can be configured as a section of pipe or chamber in which the exothermic reaction occurs, and / or it can include at least one rotating device 100 arranged to receive reactive compounds for the exothermic reaction, thereby generating additional heat energy. Thus, the auxiliary section 103 can include at least one rotating device 100. Optionally, the reactive chemicals can be injected directly into the heat-consuming process 101 (not shown). Additionally or alternatively, the reactive chemical-mediated auxiliary temperature increase can be implemented in a correspondingly modified individual device 100, 103.

[0160] In an arrangement involving auxiliary heating, the temperature of the fluid medium flow preheated to a predetermined temperature in the first rotating device (100A) can be further increased to a maximum limit value in the subsequent heater units (100B, 103). For example, the temperature of the fluid medium flow preheated to approximately 1700°C in the main heater (100A) can be further increased to 2500°C or higher in the subsequent heater units (100B, 103).

[0161] The mentioned concepts can be used individually or in combination, enabling the reactive chemical 5 to be introduced into any of the devices 100 connected in parallel or in series (sequentially). The provision of an auxiliary heater is optional.

[0162] In an additional or alternative configuration, preheating and additional heating can be implemented in the same apparatus 100 (not shown). This can be achieved in a multi-stage configuration comprising a plurality of rotor units (e.g., 1-5 rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially on / along the rotor shaft) alternating with a common diffuser region (with or without guide vanes).

[0163] Additionally or alternatively, auxiliary heating may be used, for example, when the temperature of the fluid heated in the rotating device 100 needs to be increased again after having transferred its heat to the heat consuming process 101 . Figure 2EAn exemplary configuration is shown comprising several rotating heater devices 100 (100A, 100B and / or optional 103) alternating with heat consuming cells 101. This configuration may be employed when a temperature drop occurs in each cell 101 and the temperature needs to be raised again between cells 101. Figure 2E An arrangement may be beneficial for a series of consecutive catalytic endothermic reactors (here representing heat consuming unit 101 ), where the temperature drops in each reactor and has to be raised again between reactors.

[0164] When at least two rotating devices (eg, 100A, 100B) and optionally 103 (when 103 is implemented as the rotating device 100) are connected in parallel or in series, a rotating device assembly (eg, see Figures 2B-2D ). The connection between the rotating devices 100 implemented as "main" heaters 100A or "auxiliary" heaters 100B, 103 can be mechanical and / or functional. A functional (e.g. in terms of achievable heat input) connection can be established when an association is made between at least two separate, physically integrated or non-integrated independent device units. In the latter case, the association between the at least two rotating devices can be established by means of several auxiliary devices (not shown). In some configurations, the assembly includes at least two rotating devices connected in a mirror image to each other, whereby the at least two devices are at least functionally connected via their central (rotor) axis. This mirror image configuration can be further defined as having at least two rotating devices 100 that are mechanically connected in series (in sequence), while the functional connection can be considered to be a parallel connection (in an array). In some cases, the aforementioned "mirror image" arrangement can be further modified to include at least two inlets and a common exhaust (exhaust) module located substantially in the center of the arrangement.

[0165] By means of said auxiliary heating (thermal or chemical), the temperature of the fluid medium stream, which has already been preheated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C., can be further increased to 2500° C. or higher. Thus, the provision of additional “auxiliary” units allows the fluid temperature to be raised to levels exceeding what can normally be achieved with a single rotary device 100. In the auxiliary device, further heating of the fluid can be achieved by burning fuel gas and air / oxygen or by injecting reactive gases into the fluid (increasing the fluid temperature by an exothermic reaction).

[0166] In chemically assisted heating 103, fuel gas can be injected along with air (or oxygen-enriched gas) through a burner to raise the gas temperature. If the heated gas contains combustible gases that can be consumed for heating, only air and / or oxygen can be added. The process gas may contain hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, or fuel gas (methane, propane, etc.), which can be burned to generate heat. Other reactive gases can also be injected to generate heat, if feasible.

[0167] The rotating device (100A, 100B, 103, see Figure 2B ) are assembled on the same (rotor) shaft. Each rotating device can optionally be provided with a separate drive (motor), which allows for independent optimization of the devices. When using two or more independent rotating devices, construction costs (materials, etc.) can be optimized depending on the operating temperature and pressure.

[0168] Additionally or alternatively, at least one rotating device within the assembly may be designed to increase the pressure of the fluid flow.Thus, at least one rotating device in the assembly may have a combined heater and blower function.

[0169] Additionally or alternatively, a stream containing a reactive gas or an inert gas (e.g. Figure 1 8) is sent to the rotating device 100 (not shown) or any device downstream of the device (for example, to the heat-consuming process section 101). Therefore, if the heat-consuming process unit 101 is configured to receive such chemicals, the reactive gas (for example Figure 1 Stream 8) is injected directly into the heat-consuming process unit 101.

[0170] Figure 2CThe use of a rotary heater device 100 in indirect process heating is shown, which rotary heater device 100 is, for example, a main rotary heater device 100A and an optional additional rotary heater device 100B. The rotary devices 100 (100A, 100B) can be used for indirect heating of a fluid in a heat consuming unit 101, where heat is transferred between two non-mixing fluids, just as in a heat exchanger type configuration. Thus, the fluid heated in the rotary device 100 can be used to evaporate (gasify) or superheat a fluid (e.g., a gas or liquid) in a feasible heat exchanger device 101. The heat consuming unit 101 configured to carry out a heat consuming process can be represented by any (existing) fired heater, reactor or furnace or any conventional heat exchanger device. The type of "heat exchanger" configuration (101) can be selected according to the need for optimal heat transfer. The heating gas (see streams 1-3) acting as the heat transfer medium here can be selected to be most suitable for heating and safety (e.g., steam, nitrogen, air). The gas heated in the rotating apparatus 100A, 100B can be at near atmospheric pressure or at an increased pressure to improve heat transfer. The heat transfer medium 3 heated in the apparatus 100 (see stream 3 exiting 100B) is directed to the heat consuming process 101, where heat is transferred from stream 3 to a "cold" process stream 6 to produce a "hot" process stream 7. Stream 4 represents the outflowing heat transfer medium.

[0171] therefore, Figure 2C Process flows 6 and 7 correspond to Figure 1 Streams 9 and 10 (indirect heating configuration); and Figure 2C The heat transfer medium flows 3 and 4 correspond to Figure 1 Streams 3 (optional stream 4) and 5 (indirect heating configuration) are provided.

[0172] exist Figure 2F is another exemplary arrangement for indirectly heating a process fluid using a rotating device 100. Heat consuming unit 101 is configured to act as a heat exchanger designed to heat an incoming process stream 6 to a predetermined temperature using a heating medium stream 3 (heat transfer medium) supplied from rotating device 100. This generates a heated ("hot") process fluid stream 7. The heat transfer medium exits heat consuming unit 101 as stream 4 for recirculation back to device 100. Figure 2F The configuration can be applied to heat a gaseous medium, such as hydrogen (gas) and / or a hydrogen-containing gas stream, in a heat exchanger 101 within a production facility. The same arrangement can be applied to increase the temperature of any other process stream flowing through the heat exchanger arrangement.

[0173] Although heating of the gaseous medium can be achieved in the rotating device 100 by using only steam as the heating fluid (not shown), in cases where the pressure of the gaseous process fluid stream rises above, for example, 10 bar (1 MPa), or in cases where the temperature of the gaseous process fluid stream becomes very high, for example, up to above 1000°C, it is not possible to apply Figure 2F The indirect heating concept shown is beneficial. Designing the rotating apparatus 100 to operate at high pressure and / or high temperature increases its material requirements and may complicate its technical solution, which increases the cost of the apparatus. However, designing the apparatus to heat an inert gas such as air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or steam at low pressure and using the heated gas to heat hydrogen or other process streams in the process unit 101 (in a heat exchanger configuration) can keep the overall cost of the heating system lower.

[0174] exist Figure 2F In the embodiment of the invention, the rotating device 100 is used to heat a non-working fluid (e.g. an inert fluid) such as air, (water) steam, carbon dioxide or nitrogen (N2) at low pressure (e.g. a pressure below 10 bar (1 MPa)). This non-working fluid is called a "heat transfer medium". The influent stream 4 (cold heat transfer medium) entering the device 100 has a temperature of about 200-1100°C; the effluent stream 3 (hot heat transfer medium) leaving 100 has a temperature of about 800-1200°C. In turn, the temperature of the "cold" process fluid 6 (e.g. hydrogen) entering the heat consuming unit 101 is about 20-500°C, while the temperature of the "hot" process fluid effluent stream 7 leaving the heat consuming unit 101 is about 700-1000°C. In order to allow heat to be transferred from the heat transfer fluid to the process steam, the temperature of the heated fluid discharged from the rotating device 100 must exceed the target temperature of the heated process fluid.

[0175] The “hot” heat transfer fluid 3 discharged from the rotating device 100 is introduced into the heat consuming unit 101. Figure 2F In the layout, heat consumption unit 101 is configured as a heat exchanger that allows heat energy to be transferred from the heat transfer medium (the inert fluid heated in 100) to the process fluid through heat transfer surfaces, thereby heating the hydrogen gas stream. As the heat transfer medium provides its heat to the process stream, it cools down. The cooled heat transfer medium 4 can be reintroduced into the rotary heater 100 to improve the thermal efficiency of the system.

[0176] The material of the heat exchanger 101 is selected so that it can withstand the high temperature hydrogen atmosphere and / or elevated pressure; however, for a stationary device like a heat exchanger, this is still a more cost-effective option than rotating the device 100.

[0177] The use of rotating equipment 100 allows for optimization of temperature differences in a heat exchanger configuration (here represented by heat consuming unit 101), thereby minimizing the size of unit 101 (configured as a heat exchanger, reactor, furnace, heater, etc.) and minimizing possible adverse reactions (fouling, coking) on ​​its surface due to excessively high surface temperatures. High surface temperatures may lead to excessive fouling in process heaters. For example, a rotating device such as Figure 2F Indirect heating is shown to replace conventional process heaters in various industrial applications.

[0178] Figure 2D A rotary heater device 100A is shown, along with a preheater 102 and a recycled process fluid (stream 4) recycled from a heat-consuming process (not shown). The preheater 102 can be electrically driven, combustion-type, internal combustion engine-type, gas turbine-type, etc., or can be a heat exchanger for recovering excess heat from any high-temperature stream in the process. The provision of the preheater 102 is optional. The concept can also include an optional auxiliary heater 100B downstream of the device 100A. Thermal auxiliary heating or chemical auxiliary heating can be utilized. Stream 1 'represents the (feed) fluid sent to the preheater 102. The fluid further propagates through the rotary devices 100A, 100B, where the feed is heated and sent to the heat-consuming process as stream 3.

[0179] Any of the rotating devices 100A, 100B may be equipped with a fluid recirculation device (see Figure 2D 、 Figure 2F 4). Any combination of rotating devices and fluid recirculation devices can be envisaged. Recirculation can be achieved by recirculating the fluid medium flow via at least one rotating device.

[0180] In some configurations, the rotary device 100 can utilize low oxygen content flue gas from a conventional fired heater. In this case, the hot flue gas from the fired heater is mixed with the recirculated gas ( Figure 2D The flue gas is mixed with the stream 4) for heating in the rotary heater 100, 100A. In this case, the oxygen content of the flue gas used is preferably below the flammable limit to provide safe heating. Flue gas generally contains CO2, CO, H2O, SO2, NO x and any combination of them.

[0181] The method according to this aspect may be fully or partially applicable to a variety of heat-consuming processes 101 , which will be explained below based on the following embodiments and a number of non-limiting examples.

[0182] In an embodiment, the method includes operating at least one rotating device 100 operably connected to a titanium oxide production facility ( Figure 3 In one embodiment, the at least one calciner is configured to produce titanium oxide. In one embodiment, the calciner is configured to react titanium hydroxide to form titanium oxide in a titanium oxide (pigment) production facility.

[0183] In some configurations, at least one rotating device 100 may be operably connected to at least one reactor configured for a chlorination process by which ilmenite is chlorinated to form titanium chloride ( Figure 4 In some configurations, the at least one rotating device is operably connected to at least one reactor configured to oxidize titanium chloride to form titanium oxide.

[0184] Titanium oxide, with the molecular formula TiO2, is typically made by one of two production routes: the sulfate process, in which titanium hydroxide (TiOH) is calcined in a calciner to produce titanium oxide; or the chloride process, in which ilmenite (FeTiO3) is first chlorinated in the presence of chlorine and coke (i.e., carbon) to form titanium chloride (TiCl4), and then oxidized in the presence of oxygen and, optionally, toluene to form titanium oxide.

[0185] exist Figure 3 In a sulfate-based process for forming titanium oxide, schematically illustrated in , sulfuric acid is used to digest ilmenite (ilmenite is a titanium-iron oxide mineral having the general formula FeTiO3) so that it can be reduced, clarified, crystallized, and dissolved in a titanium oxysulfate (TiOSO4) solution. The digestion of the ilmenite is typically carried out at about 100°C. Sulfuric acid is also used to digest the titanium slag so that it can be clarified and dissolved in the TiOSO4 solution. These solutions are combined and hydrolyzed (starting at about 110°C) to form titanium hydroxide, which is filtered and then calcined. The calcining step involves heating the titanium hydroxide to a temperature of up to 1100°C, but typically between about 300°C and 900°C, so that the water evaporates and the TiO2 crystallizes. In facility 1000, a rotating apparatus is operably connected to at least one calcining furnace ( Figure 3 In addition, the apparatus 100 may also be operably connected to a digester and / or a hydrolysis reactor or furnace, such as Figure 3 By utilizing rotating equipment as described herein, the temperatures required to calcine titanium hydroxide in a sulfate-based titanium oxide production process can be efficiently achieved with significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

[0186] Thus, a calciner for reacting titanium hydroxide to form titanium oxide represents a heat consuming unit / facility 101. Figure 3 As shown, within the concept of the present invention, the digester and / or hydrolysis reactor or furnace to which the rotating device 100 is operatively connected may also represent the heat consuming facility 101 .

[0187] Furthermore, the use of rotating equipment as described herein enables adjustment of the calcination temperature, thereby enabling the formation of titanium oxides having different crystal structures and properties.

[0188] In a chloride-based process for forming titanium oxide within a related production facility 1000, such as Figure 4 As shown schematically, ilmenite or other TiO2-containing feedstock such as natural or synthetic rutile and coke (carbon) are chlorinated in the presence of oxygen and chlorine to form titanium chloride. Figure 4 The process is advantageously suitable for feedstocks containing at least 68% titanium oxide. This step of the process (block "Chlorination") is a carbothermal reaction performed at temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius (900-1000°C) using coke as a reducing agent.

[0189] An exemplary chlorination of ilmenite in the presence of coke is performed as follows:

[0190] 2FeTiO3+7Cl2+6C→2TiCl4+2FeCl3+6CO

[0191] After the titanium chloride is formed, it is purified and oxidized in the presence of oxygen to produce titanium oxide and gaseous chlorine which is recycled to the chlorination step, e.g. Figure 4 The oxidation step involves heating the oxygen to about 1200°C before introducing the titanium chloride into the oxidation reactor and separately heating the titanium chloride to about 800°C.

[0192] Thus, in an embodiment, a method for producing titanium oxide is provided, comprising: in a titanium oxide production facility, connecting at least one rotating device 100 to at least one reactor or furnace configured to react ilmenite and coke in the presence of oxygen and chlorine to produce titanium chloride. Any reactor apparatus suitable for producing titanium oxide may be used, such as a fluidized bed reactor.

[0193] In embodiments, the at least one rotating device is further connected to a second reactor or furnace configured to react titanium chloride in the presence of oxygen and optionally toluene to produce titanium oxide ( Figure 4 In one embodiment, the process comprises (super)heating the titanium chloride (TiCl4) to 500-1000°C using a rotating device prior to the actual conversion reactor. A parallel rotating device may be used to (super)heat oxygen (O2) to a temperature substantially >1000°C before contacting it with the titanium chloride in the conversion reactor. The heating by the rotating device may be direct (the process fluid is heated in the rotating device) or indirect (the fluid heated in the rotating device is a heat transfer fluid which further transfers its heat to the process fluid in a contactless manner).

[0194] The reactor for chlorinating ilmenite to form titanium chloride and the reactor for oxidizing titanium chloride to form titanium oxide each represent a separate heat consuming unit / facility 101, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0195] The temperatures involved in the different steps of the chloride-based method are as follows:

[0196] Chlorination reaction temperature: 700-1200℃;

[0197] Oxidation reaction temperature: 900-1400℃;

[0198] TiCl4 superheat before the oxidation reactor: 500-1000℃;

[0199] The oxygen before the oxidation reaction is superheated: above 1000°C, up to 1700°C.

[0200] Superheating of the oxygen can be accomplished by adding a limited amount of carbon monoxide or other fuel so that part of the oxygen burns and is able to reach an excessively high temperature for superheating the oxygen.

[0201] Note that in conventional methods, the heating of the titanium chloride is carried out indirectly in a furnace heater, while conventional methods of oxygen heating are carried out with a plasma flame by burning a portion of the oxygen with carbon monoxide or other fuels. By using rotating equipment, it is also possible to heat the actual conversion reactor indirectly.

[0202] In embodiments, in an actual conversion reactor, titanium chloride is reacted in the presence of oxygen and toluene to form titanium oxide.

[0203] One or more rotating devices as described herein may be used to effectuate a carbothermal reaction, preheating of oxygen, preheating of titanium chloride, or combinations thereof.

[0204] The calcination process mediated by the rotating device 100 described above can be used to produce other metal oxides respectively from the relevant carbonates, for example, the carbonates are iron (II) carbonate (FeCO3), lead (II) carbonate (PbCO3), zinc (II) carbonate (ZnCO3), copper (II) carbonate (CuCO3) and magnesium (II) carbonate (MgCO3), and their mixtures and / or hydrated forms, and the metal oxides are iron (II) oxide (FeO), lead (II) oxide (PbO), zinc (II) oxide (ZnO), copper (II) oxide (CuO) and magnesium (II) oxide (MgO).

[0205] In some configurations, at least one rotating device 100 can be operably connected to at least one furnace and associated facilities 1000 configured to melt ore, such as inorganic volcanic rock, basalt, and / or dolomite, in a rock wool or mineral wool production process. Rock wool or mineral wool, referred to herein for simplicity as "mineral wool," is a thermal insulation material that involves melting the ore at a temperature of approximately 1300° C. to 1500° C. in the presence of a thermosetting resin binder (typically in a ratio of 98% mineral to 2% binder), such as Figure 5 The material is spun into fibers after being melted into a so-called "melt" (see Figure 5 Fibers are pulled from the spinning wheel and blown into a spinning chamber with a stream of compressed air. A binder is added, and the fibers are then cooled and hardened in a curing oven at approximately 200°C using hot air, typically provided by an afterburner. Within the scope of the present invention, a rotary device 100 (not shown) can be used in place of the afterburner. After leaving the curing oven, the mineral wool is conveyed through a cooling section where it is cooled by ambient air from the production floor and then cut into the desired size and shape for subsequent packaging. Exhaust gases from the spinning, curing, and cooling processes are directed through filters and / or other environmental barriers before the emissions leave the production facility. Waste mineral wool and other recyclable mineral wool materials from this process can be mixed with raw materials and recycled.

[0206] A furnace used to melt minerals to form a melt that can be spun into fibers and, in turn, mineral wool represents a heat-consuming unit / facility 101. The furnace 101 used to melt minerals can be in the form of a cupola, which is commonly used in mineral wool production. Electric arc furnaces or gas-fired furnaces are also sometimes used to produce mineral wool. However, by using a furnace 101 heated by one or more rotating devices 100 as described herein, raw materials can be melted in the mineral wool production process without burning fossil fuels.

[0207] Thus, in an embodiment, a method for producing mineral wool or rock wool is provided, the method comprising generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a mineral wool production facility, the heated fluid medium being configured to provide heat to a melting process for melting a raw material, such as an inorganic volcanic rock or slag, to form a melt, which is spun into fibers and forms the mineral wool. In an embodiment, the method comprises supplying the heated fluid medium generated by the rotating device 100 to a furnace 101 and / or a curing oven configured to melt the raw material mineral for spinning and bonding into the mineral wool.

[0208] In summary, in the mineral wool or rock wool production facility, at least one rotating device 100 can be operably connected to at least one heat consuming unit 101, which is configured as any of the following devices: (i) a furnace, kiln or reactor configured for manufacturing mineral wool, (ii) a furnace configured to melt raw materials into a melt for spinning into fibers, or (iii) any combination thereof.

[0209] The present invention also relates to methods and facilities for manufacturing gypsum using the rotary device 100. In some configurations, at least one rotary device can be operably connected to at least one calciner configured to calcine crushed gypsum (CaSO4) powder. The crushed gypsum is used to form gypsum plaster or plaster by first crushing natural gypsum ore into small particles and then grinding the particles into a powder. This powder is calcined to remove moisture, resulting in dehydrated gypsum powder suitable for use as gypsum plaster or plaster. The calcination process is carried out at a temperature of about several hundred degrees Celsius. By using a furnace or calcination reactor heated by the rotary device 100 as described herein, the gypsum manufacturing process can be more efficient and consume fewer non-renewable resources.

[0210] Figure 8A The integration of at least one rotary device 100 into a gypsum production process and associated facilities 1000 is schematically illustrated. Gypsum (CaSO4) calciners operate at approximately 600-700°C. The raw material (here, pulverized gypsum powder) is first cleaned, its pH controlled, and then dried / water-reduced before undergoing the calcination process, which is typically performed in a rotary kiln. Drying the gypsum powder prior to calcination ensures a more efficient and uniform calcination process, resulting in a higher-quality gypsum product.

[0211] Calcination (dehydration) of gypsum (2CaSO4.2H2O, calcium sulfate dihydrate) at temperatures ranging from 40°C or 200°C to 1180°C or even higher with heat provided by an inert gas such as air, nitrogen or other gases produces partially or fully dehydrated calcined gypsum, i.e., hemihydrate ((CaSO4)2.H2O) or anhydrate (free of water), according to the following equation:

[0212] Gypsum → Gypsum products + water

[0213]

[0214]

[0215] Gypsum production is usually carried out in a fired rotary kiln or an indirectly heated kettle (vertical or horizontal). The rotary device can be connected to any of these units. Before calcination, the gypsum powder can be (pre)heated to reduce the energy required during the calcination process by removing some of the moisture from the gypsum powder beforehand. This can result in faster and more efficient calcination. The (pre)heating and calcination processes can be carried out in the same kiln unit; thus, Figure 8A In the present invention, these processes (and associated equipment) are collectively denoted by reference numeral 101. However, these processes can also be performed in separate kilns or furnaces. Thus, any of these kilns or furnaces can represent heat-consuming facility 101. If the process requires, the heated medium generated in rotating device 100 can be further used to dry the gypsum powder. A portion of the inert gas used for (pre-)heating can be withdrawn from the process and recycled.

[0216] Figure 8B A schematic diagram illustrates a gypsum production process utilizing dry sorbent injection (DSI) technology, which is commonly used for flue gas desulfurization. In the DSI process, sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions are reduced by injecting dry calcium-based sorbent material into a furnace. Suitable calcium-based sorbents include, for example, limestone (CaCO3), slaked lime (Ca(OH)2), and quicklime (CaO). As the particles are heated, the sorbent activates, forming porous particles with a large surface area. This process occurs in the furnace by calcining the particles. For example, during the calcination of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), reactive calcium oxide (CaO) is formed, while carbon dioxide and water are extracted from the sorbent crystal structure. Calcination is an endothermic reaction and, in this case, it occurs in a temperature range of approximately 800-1200°C. The calcium oxide then undergoes a process of sulfation or sulfur capture by reacting with sulfur dioxide gas according to the following equation:

[0217] CaO+SO2→CaSO4

[0218] Calcium sulfate (CaSO₄) is thus formed as the gypsum product. The sulfation rate is controlled by regulating the diffusion rate of SO₂ through the porous adsorbent particles. The sulfation reaction occurs at high temperatures (typically above about 870°C). Below about 870°C, the reaction rate is very slow, and the SO₂ removal efficiency is very low.

[0219] Another phenomenon that occurs at these temperatures is the deactivation of CaO via thermal sintering (not shown). In the temperature range mentioned above (800-1200°C), the calcination, sulfation and sintering of the adsorbent occur essentially simultaneously. Therefore, the calcination, sulfation and sintering are carried out in the same furnace, which can be configured as a horizontal combustion unit or a vertical combustion unit. Therefore, these processes are carried out in Figure 8BThe furnaces in which these processes are carried out are collectively designated by the reference numeral 101. The furnace in which these processes are carried out thus represents the heat-consuming unit / facility 101. A portion of the inert gas used for (pre-)heating can be withdrawn from the process and recycled.

[0220] The fluid heated using the rotary device 100 can be any of the following: flue gas (e.g., SO2), recycled gas and its components, as well as air, oxygen, and nitrogen. To improve the efficiency of the DSI process, two rotary devices 100 can be used to heat the inert gas (air, nitrogen) used as the heating medium in the calcination and the SO2 used as the reactant in the sulfation reaction. However, at the high temperatures used in the DSI process, it is not advisable to mix oxygen with SO2 because, in the presence of excess oxygen, at approximately 800°C, SO2 is further oxidized to sulfur trioxide (SO3). The latter forms a liquid aerosol known as sulfuric acid (H2SO4) mist, which is difficult to remove.

[0221] The present invention also relates to a method for producing wood pulp, such as for pulp and paper production, in which at least one rotating device is integrated into a wood pulp production facility and is configured to supply a heated fluid medium to the wood pulp production facility. In some configurations, the at least one rotating device can be operably connected to at least one heat-consuming process associated with a kraft pulping process of wood pulp production. Figure 6 The kraft pulping process and related facilities 1000 shown schematically in FIG are used to convert wood chips into pulp through a series of steps including steaming, digestion, impregnation with liquid, cooking, recovery, blowing, screening, washing, and bleaching. The kraft pulping process uses sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfide (Na2S) to pulp the wood raw material. An aqueous solution of sodium sulfide and sodium hydroxide, called white liquor, is used to cook the wood chips in a digester to produce fiber and a liquid stream called black liquor. The usable fiber (pulp) is sent for further storage or bleaching. The black liquor is separated from the fiber pulp by washing and concentrated in a multiple-effect evaporator to a level that can be effectively boiled in a recovery boiler under an oxygen-deficient environment to form Na2S. The sodium and sulfur are recovered as a molten melt, mainly consisting of Na2S and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). The molten melt enters a melt dissolution tank where it dissolves in water to form green liquor (an aqueous solution of sodium carbonate and sodium sulfide). Biogenic carbon dioxide is produced. The green liquor is sent to the causticizer through the clarifier, where the green liquor reacts with calcium oxide (CaO) to convert Na2CO3 (in the form of Na2CO3·(H2O) xThe causticizing step converts the green liquor (in the form of NaOH) into Na2S, producing calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The Na2S remains unchanged during the causticizing step (not shown). The causticizer typically includes a digester with a cyclone separator and scrubber to minimize dust. The causticized green liquor forms white liquor, primarily containing NaOH and Na2S, which is returned to the digestion step. The calcium carbonate precipitated during the causticizing step (in the white liquor clarifier) ​​is washed, filtered, and sent to the lime kiln.

[0222] Specifically, the cooking process is typically carried out in a lime kiln at temperatures of approximately 800°C to 1100°C. The lime kiln is characterized by heating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to form calcium oxide (CaO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The CaO is used in a recovery process where the causticizer recovers sodium hydroxide, which is then used in the digestion step. The carbon dioxide produced by the lime kiln is of biogenic origin and, therefore, can react with hydrogen (H2), such as Figure 6 100-4).

[0223] Figure 6 The integration of the rotary device 100 in an exemplary kraft pulping process is shown. In addition to operatively connecting the rotary device 100 (100-4) to a lime kiln 101 configured to perform a cooking process, the rotary device can also be used in a variety of processes prior to cooking. For example, the rotary device 100 can be operatively connected to any one of a digester (see 100-1), a recovery boiler (see 100-2), and a causticizer including a white liquor clarifier (see 100-3). Therefore, within the scope of the present invention, any of these units / facilities can represent a heat-consuming unit / facility 101.

[0224] In some configurations, at least one rotating device may be operably connected to at least one Yankee hood associated with a tissue manufacturing process in the associated facility 1000, such as Figure 7The process is schematically shown in Figure 1. The process includes pulping (i), in which wood chips are cooked in a mixture of chemicals, breaking down the resulting material into cellulose fibers, lignin, and other substances. The usable fiber (pulp) then undergoes refining (ii), where the pulp is washed and bleached, and different types of pulp stock are mixed according to output requirements. The refined fiber then proceeds to the web-forming step (iii), where it is received in the headbox section of a tissue paper machine, where the fiber is sprayed onto a screen to remove water and further passes through a press section to remove the water from the paper web. The paper stock is then sent to the Yankee hood drying process (iv), where the paper is dried in the area between the suction press rolls and the Yankee hood (drying cylinder) to a dryness of approximately 45%. The Yankee dryer is heated with pressurized steam, and the paper web adheres to the hot surface of the dryer, causing water to evaporate through the web. Simultaneously, hot air is blown onto the paper web by a dryer (hood). The drying process is thus achieved by the combined action of hot air blown onto the paper web by the dryer (hood) and pressurized steam in the Yankee dryer. In tissue papermaking, the tissue paper is heated in the suction press rolls to dry it while ensuring that its surface area is maintained. The Yankee hood drying process is carried out at temperatures of approximately 400°C to 600°C. The paper, which contains approximately 5% moisture, is separated from the Yankee dryer by a creping knife (v), after which the paper is wound into rolls for transport and storage. The processes of web forming (iii), Yankee drying (iv), creping and winding (v) are typically carried out in a tissue paper machine.

[0225] In an embodiment, by operatively connecting the rotary apparatus 100 to a Yankee drying process and associated Yankee hood apparatus ( Figure 7 By integrating the rotary apparatus 100 into the tissue manufacturing process, as described in step iv), the rotary apparatus 100 can be integrated into the tissue manufacturing process. The rotary apparatus 100 can replace a hood dryer by generating heated air and / or heating a Yankee dryer. By heating the Yankee hood using the rotary apparatus described herein, the tissue manufacturing process can be made more efficient. Therefore, within the scope of the present invention, the Yankee hood used to dewater tissue paper represents the heat-consuming unit / facility 101.

[0226] The present invention also relates to a method for producing cathode and / or anode materials. The method comprises generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device integrated into a battery manufacturing process and related facilities, wherein the heated fluid medium is configured to supply heat to kilns and burners used in the production of cobalt, nickel, manganese, and / or graphite.

[0227] In some configurations, at least one rotating device 100 can be operably connected to a kiln or burner associated with a battery manufacturing process. Batteries include processed metals as cathodes and anodes, with materials such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese typically used as cathodes and graphite typically used as anodes. These treatments include calcination, sintering, oxidation, etc. performed at high to very high temperatures. For example, calcination and sintering involve exposing cathode and / or anode powders to temperatures ranging from 700-1000°C in order to remove any residual water or binders from a previous drying process and to fuse the metals tightly together. Typical furnaces used for calcination and sintering in battery manufacturing processes are roller kilns, rotary kilns, and pusher kilns. By heating the heat-consuming process with a rotating device as described herein, the battery manufacturing process can be made more efficient.

[0228] Figure 9A 、 Figure 9B (cathode) and Figure 9C (Anode) Schematically illustrates the integration of a rotating device 100 in a battery manufacturing process involving cathode (active) material and anode (active) material production processes in an associated facility 1000 .

[0229] The cathode active material (CAM) is usually composed of metal oxides. The most commonly used cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries include lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNi x Co y Mn z O2 or NCM). These materials each offer varying levels of energy density, thermal stability, and cost-effectiveness.

[0230] On the other hand, anode active materials (AAMs) are typically made of carbon-based materials such as graphite, or silicon, or a combination of the two. Graphite is the most commonly used anode material due to its high electrical conductivity, high chemical and structural stability, high mechanical strength, and low cost.

[0231] While there are a variety of commercial methods for making anodes and cathodes, these methods generally have the following common steps. One of these common steps includes the formation of electrodes. The electrodes are formed from a mixture of compounds known as CAM and AAM to form the cathode and anode, respectively. These synthetic materials are then ground into a fine powder and mixed with a binder and solvent to produce a slurry for further processing. This slurry mixture is then applied to a metal foil (typically aluminum foil for the anode and copper foil for the cathode) and dried in an oven to fix the material to the foil and remove any residual solvent. After drying, the coated foil undergoes a calendering process, passing through a series of rollers to compress and smooth the coating, ensuring uniform thickness and good adhesion.

[0232] The resulting coated anode and cathode foils are then cut to appropriate size and combined with other components to construct a lithium-ion battery.

[0233] exist Figure 9A and Figure 9B The production of LiNi x Co y Mn z Example process of O2(NCM) cathode material. Figure 9A The cathode material obtained as shown also contains tin (Sn). Figure 9A During the synthesis of the dry precursor (Ni 0.82 Co 0.12 Mn 0.06 (OH)2) was mixed with tin(II) ethoxide in isopropanol at 60°C. The tin-doped precursor was mixed with a stoichiometric lithium source (herein, LiOH (Li / Me=1.02)) and calcined at 800°C for 24 hours in an oxygen atmosphere to obtain the cathode active material Li[Ni 0.82 Co 0.12 Mn 0.06 ] 1-x Sn x O2(x=0.004, 0.008, 0.012, 0.024).

[0234] The rotary device 100 can be integrated into the above process to provide a heated fluid medium during the mixing of the precursor powder with the lithium source and / or during the calcination. The heating of the cathode precursor powder during mixing is preferably implemented with an inert gas, such as air or nitrogen (see 100-1). In the calcination step, the rotary device 100 (100-2) can be used for (indirect) heating of a calciner instead of a fossil fuel burner, or the heated oxygen-containing fluid medium (air or oxygen) can be supplied to the furnace. In some cases, the rotary device 100 (100-2) can be used to introduce hot oxygen into the calciner. The gas used as the heating medium can be extracted (dashed arrows) and / or recycled (not shown) from the process. The calciner therefore represents a heat consuming unit / facility 101.

[0235] Calcination temperature plays an important role in the structural and functional (e.g., energy storage) properties of metal oxide nanomaterials in lithium-ion battery applications. By varying the calcination temperature within the range of 800-1000°C, the microstructure of the cathode material can be affected and the electrochemical properties of the resulting electrode can be adjusted. Therefore, precise temperature control throughout the process is crucial because it affects the electrochemical properties of the final product and produces more ideal active materials. Operatively connecting the rotating device 100 to a calcining furnace allows for high-precision control of the calcining temperature, especially when temperature adjustment is required during the process. For example, some NCM cathode materials are calcined at a lower temperature (e.g., 500°C) for several hours; then, the temperature in the furnace must be raised to 800-1000°C (not shown). The rotating device 100 allows for high-precision control of temperature adjustment in the heat-consuming unit 101, which is here a calcining furnace or other reactor for forming cathode and / or anode materials, in a short period of time.

[0236] Figure 9B An exemplary method for incorporating the rotary apparatus 100 into a process for recycling cathode material from lithium-ion batteries commonly used in mobile phones is shown. Incorporating recycled content into the production of cathode and anode materials is an important step in achieving electrification and clean energy goals worldwide. Reusing valuable materials from end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap conserves natural resources, reduces waste, and minimizes the environmental impact of mining and raw material processing. Incorporating sustainable practices into battery manufacturing can lead to a greener, more efficient energy storage industry, ultimately supporting the shift to renewable energy and electric transportation.

[0237] exist Figure 9B In a process, recycled cathode material from lithium-ion batteries is used to produce a lithium / cobalt ferrite composite. In this process, the used lithium-ion batteries are shredded and heat-treated at 150-500°C for a short time (1-2 hours) to separate the cathode active material (LiCoO2) containing residual carbon powder from the aluminum foil. Iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) is then added to the CAM, and the resulting mixture is fired in a furnace (herein representing heat-consuming unit 101) at a temperature range of 900-1100°C for several hours (1-10 hours), thereby obtaining the lithium / cobalt ferrite composite.

[0238] Incorporating the rotary apparatus 100 into the high-temperature firing step of the process (by operatively connecting the apparatus 100 to a firing furnace to supply a heated fluid medium to heat the furnace) can improve the efficiency of the process and make the recycling process more sustainable from an electrification perspective. Any suitable medium, such as an inert gas (air, nitrogen), can be used as the heating fluid.

[0239] Now refer to Figure 9CThe production of anode materials using the rotary device 100 is described. As mentioned above, the most commonly used anode materials are carbon-based materials, with graphite being the main one. Synthetic (also known as molded) graphite is a carbon material that has been treated at temperatures above 2700°C.

[0240] Synthetic graphite is traditionally made from carbon-based fillers such as coke, recycled graphite, natural graphite, and carbon black. The filler raw materials are calcined in a calciner at about 1200-1300°C, crushed, and sieved to obtain a specific particle size distribution. A binder (coal tar pitch or petroleum pitch) is used to bind these particles together, and the mixture is formed (molded) into a certain shape ( Figure 9C ). Forming techniques include, for example, extrusion, compression, and isostatic pressing. The choice of forming technique may affect the properties of the final product (graphite).

[0241] These shaped binders are baked when heated to 1200°C in an inert atmosphere (a process known as carbonization) and produce an extensive pore network. To achieve the desired porosity and quality, the product is impregnated with the same binder material (e.g., coal tar pitch) or polymer in an autoclave. Impregnation and baking (carbonization) are repeated until the desired density and / or other properties are achieved. Finally, in a graphitization furnace at temperatures as high as 3000°C, the carbon material is converted into a graphite structure by passing an electric current through a conductive coke bed surrounding the product. The graphitization furnace is typically a resistance furnace or an induction furnace.

[0242] Cooling newly made graphite usually produces microcracks (known as Mrozowski cracks). These cracks and pore networks account for about 20% of the total volume of the graphite product. The porous structure can greatly increase the number of sites for lithium ion insertion and deinsertion in the graphite lattice and promote the diffusion of lithium ions therein. Therefore, porous graphite exhibits improved high-rate cycling stability as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. In addition, the porous structure also plays an important role in the radiation behavior of graphite (so-called nuclear graphite).

[0243] By operatively connecting the at least one rotating device 100 to any one or both of the calcining furnace (see device 100) and the carbonizing furnace (see device 100-1), the at least one rotating device 100 can be advantageously integrated into the Figure 9CThe graphite manufacturing facility 1000 of FIG. 1000 is a graphite manufacturing facility. The rotating apparatus 100, 100-1 can be configured to heat an inert gas (e.g., air or nitrogen) which will be used as a heating medium in the associated furnace. The inert gas heated by the rotating apparatus and injected into the furnace can be used to create an inert atmosphere required for a particular process step. Additionally or alternatively, for example, the rotating apparatus 100 (see apparatus 100-2) can be used to indirectly heat a carbonization furnace in place of a natural gas fuel burner. Any suitable heating medium can be used for this purpose. The electrification of the rotating apparatus 100 allows the emissions from the graphitization process (particulate matter, SO x 、NO x The calcining furnace and the carbonizing furnace are considered as heat consuming units 101 herein.

[0244] In some cases, one or more rotating devices 100 may also be operably connected to a graphitization furnace to supply heat thereto (not shown).

[0245] The present invention also provides a method for flash drying one or more chemicals using a heated fluid medium generated by at least one rotating device integrated into a chemical production facility 1000. In some configurations, at least one rotating device 100 can be operably connected to a dryer 101 ( Figure 10 Some chemicals that come in the form of powders or other granular materials must be flash dried to ensure that the chemical has no residual moisture. In addition, some of these chemicals are temperature sensitive. These chemicals are often flash dried to remove moisture without affecting the chemical's efficacy. By heating a flash dryer with a rotary device as described herein, the chemical manufacturing process can be made more efficient.

[0246] Drying is one of the most fundamental operations in industrial production facilities, including chemical manufacturing. The principle of flash drying is to evaporate surface moisture instantaneously (approximately 0.5 to 3 seconds) by exposing a feed to hot air or other gas. Most flash dryers utilize air as the drying medium. Flash dryers have proven particularly effective at drying feeds with a moisture content of approximately 30-40%. Flash drying can be performed at temperatures ranging from about 150°C to about 1000°C, or even higher, depending on the requirements of the drying process.

[0247] Flash dryers can be used to remove excess moisture from a variety of products such as slurries, pastes, crumb cakes, powders and granules. Flash dryers operate efficiently at operating rates ranging from a few kilograms per hour to several hundred tons per hour (depending on the apparent density of the product).

[0248] Figure 10The integration of at least one rotating device 100 into a chemical production facility comprising a flash dryer 101 is schematically shown. Figure 10 A closed loop flash drying apparatus is shown; however, the rotary device 100 can also be integrated into an open loop drying apparatus in a similar manner. Figure 10 In a flash dryer, the rotary device 100 can be used to directly heat the drying medium (e.g., air, nitrogen, or other suitable inert gas) within the rotary device, or used as a heat exchanger to indirectly heat the drying medium through an (indirect) heat transfer process. Figure 2C and Figure 2F Indirect heating is described using the apparatus 100. For indirect heating of a drying medium (eg air), the rotating apparatus may be arranged to superheat steam; the drying medium (air) will thereby be heated by a heat transfer process between the air and the superheated steam.

[0249] The drying medium (e.g., air) heated by the apparatus 100 via direct or indirect heating is further blown into the dryer 101, where the feedstock is dispersed in the hot air / gas stream and thoroughly mixed. The feedstock, mixed with the hot air / gas, is conveyed through a drying conduit to a cyclone separator by the pressure generated by a blower (not shown). In cases where the rotary apparatus 100 is used to directly heat the fluid, a separate condenser or heat exchanger (HEX) may be required.

[0250] Thus, the rotary device 100 replaces conventional hot air generators and / or steam / thermal fluid based heat sinks and / or conventional indirect heat exchangers. All of these devices are typically powered by fossil fuels (e.g., natural gas, diesel, or propane) burned in a combustion chamber. By using the electrically powered device 100, a significant reduction in emissions can be achieved.

[0251] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, as technology advances, the basic idea of ​​the invention can be implemented and combined in various ways. Therefore, the invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described above, but rather they can generally vary within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing titanium oxide, comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into the titanium oxide production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - conducting input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said titanium oxide production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, - supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device to the titanium oxide production facility, and - operating the at least one rotating device and the titanium oxide production facility to perform titanium oxide production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein In the titanium oxide production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one reactor or furnace configured for titanium oxide production.

3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein In the titanium oxide production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one calciner configured to react titanium hydroxide to produce titanium oxide.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein In the titanium oxide production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one reactor or furnace configured to react ilmenite and coke in the presence of oxygen and chlorine to produce titanium chloride.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one rotating device is further connected to a second reactor or furnace configured to react titanium chloride in the presence of oxygen to produce titanium oxide.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein: In the titanium oxide production facility, the at least one rotating device is further configured to adjust a crystal structure of the titanium oxide according to a temperature of the at least one rotating device.

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged in sequence along the rotor axis.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device in which the bladeless portion of the duct is arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising regulating the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into the titanium oxide production facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices connected in sequence, wherein the fluid medium flow is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotating device in the sequence, and wherein in at least a second rotating device in the sequence, the fluid medium flow is further heated by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the preheated fluid medium flow propagating through the second rotating device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the fluid medium flow by introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the fluid medium flow propagating through the at least second rotating device in the sequence.

13. The method of claim 1 comprising introducing the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds into one or more processes associated with titanium oxide production.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, comprising generating a heated fluid medium in the at least one rotating device by adding thermal energy to the fluid medium propagating through the at least one rotating device, and using the fluid medium as a carrier to transfer thermal energy to the at least one reactor or furnace configured for titanium oxide production, and heating the titanium oxide precursor in the reactor or furnace to a temperature at which a conversion reaction occurs.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, comprising thermally or thermochemically converting a precursor fluid for preparing titanium oxide in the at least one rotating device, the precursor fluid being, for example, any one of titanium chloride, oxygen, chlorine or any combination thereof, wherein the reaction is initiated in the precursor fluid stream propagating through the rotating device by directly adding the heat energy required for the conversion reaction to the process fluid stream containing the precursor raw material.

16. The method of any preceding claim, comprising generating, by at least one rotating device, a fluid medium heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

17. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid medium entering the at least one rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising generating the heated fluid medium in the rotating device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device comprises any one of the following substances: air, steam (H2O), nitrogen (N2), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), chlorine (Cl), oxygen (O2), titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), sulfur trioxide (SO3), hydrocarbon-containing gas, fuel gas, flue gas, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the heated fluid medium produced in the rotating apparatus is recycle gas recovered from waste gas produced by calcining titanium hydroxide to produce titanium oxide.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the heated fluid medium produced in the rotating apparatus is a recycle gas recovered from an exhaust gas produced by: (i) chlorination of ilmenite to form titanium chloride, (ii) oxidation of titanium chloride to form titanium oxide, or (iii) a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is supplied to at least one heat-consuming unit within the titanium oxide production facility, the heat-consuming unit being configured as any one of the following devices: (i) a furnace, kiln or reactor configured for producing titanium oxide, (ii) a calciner configured for calcining titanium hydroxide into titanium oxide, (iii) a reactor configured for chlorinating ilmenite into titanium hydroxide, (iv) a reactor configured for oxidizing titanium hydroxide into titanium oxide, or (v) any combination thereof.

23. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is also supplied to at least one heat-consuming unit within the titanium oxide production facility, and the at least one heat-consuming unit is configured as any one of the following devices: a heater, a burner, an oven, an incinerator, a dryer, a conveyor device or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy to the at least one rotating device integrated in the titanium oxide production facility accounts for 5% to 100% of the total energy consumption of the at least one rotating device.

25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy to the at least one rotating device integrated in the titanium oxide production facility is obtainable from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, the energy source being optionally a renewable energy source.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

27. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rotating device is integrated into the titanium oxide production facility together with at least one non-electrically operated heater device, and the at least one rotating device is used to balance changes in the amount of electrical energy, such as surpluses and shortages, and the electrical energy is optionally renewable electrical energy.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein energy efficiency of the titanium oxide production facility is improved, and / or wherein greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from the titanium oxide production facility are reduced.

29. A method for producing mineral wool, the method comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into the mineral wool production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - conducting a quantity of input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said mineral wool production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, - supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device into the mineral wool production facility, and - operating said at least one rotating device and said mineral wool production facility to carry out mineral wool production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein In the mineral wool production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one reactor or furnace configured for mineral wool production.

31. The method according to any one of claims 29 or 30, wherein In the mineral wool production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one furnace configured to melt the raw material to produce a melt.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the feedstock comprises inorganic volcanic rock, basalt, dolomite, briquette, or a combination thereof.

33. The method of any one of the preceding claims 29-32, wherein the furnace comprises a cupola, an electric arc furnace, or a gas-fired furnace.

34. The method of any of the preceding claims 29-33, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor axis.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device in which the bladeless portion of the conduit is disposed downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

36. A method according to any one of the preceding claims 29 to 35, comprising regulating the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

37. The method according to any of the preceding claims 29-36, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into the mineral wool production facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series.

38. The method of claim 37 , comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices connected in sequence, wherein the fluid medium flow is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotating device in the sequence, and wherein in at least a second rotating device in the sequence, the fluid medium flow is further heated by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the preheated fluid medium flow propagating through the second rotating device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the fluid medium flow by introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the fluid medium flow propagating through the at least second rotating device in the sequence.

40. A method according to claim 29, comprising introducing the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds into one or more processes associated with mineral wool production.

41. A method according to any one of claims 29 or 30, comprising generating a heated fluid medium in the at least one rotating device by adding thermal energy to the fluid medium propagating through the at least one rotating device, and using the fluid medium as a carrier to transfer thermal energy to at least one furnace configured for manufacturing mineral wool.

42. The method of any preceding claim 29-41, comprising generating, by at least one rotating device, a fluid medium heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

43. The method of any one of the preceding claims 29-42, wherein the fluid medium entering the at least one rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

44. The method of claim 29, comprising generating the heated fluid medium in the rotating device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device comprises any one of the following: air, nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), flue gas, or any combination thereof.

46. ​​The method of claim 44, wherein the heated fluid medium produced in the rotating apparatus is recycle gas recovered from exhaust gas produced by melting feedstock to produce a melt configured to be spun into fibers and formed into mineral wool.

47. The method of claim 29, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is supplied to at least one heat consuming unit within the mineral wool production facility, the heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following: (i) a furnace, kiln, or reactor configured for manufacturing mineral wool, (ii) a furnace configured for melting raw material into a melt for spinning into fibers, or (iii) any combination thereof.

48. The method of claim 29, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is also supplied to at least one heat consuming unit within the mineral wool production facility, the at least one heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following: a heater, a burner, an oven, an incinerator, a dryer, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof.

49. The method according to claim 29, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy into the at least one rotating device integrated in the mineral wool production facility accounts for 5% to 100% of the total energy consumption of the at least one rotating device.

50. The method according to claim 29, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy into the at least one rotating device integrated in the mineral wool production facility is obtainable from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, the energy source being optionally a renewable energy source.

51. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

52. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one rotating device is utilized to balance variations in the amount of electrical energy, such as surpluses and shortages, by integrating the at least one rotating device together with at least one non-electrically operated heater device into the mineral wool production facility, the electrical energy being optionally renewable electrical energy.

53. The method of claim 29, wherein the energy efficiency of the mineral wool production facility is improved, and / or wherein greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from the mineral wool production facility are reduced.

54. A method for producing gypsum, comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into the gypsum production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - conducting a quantity of input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said gypsum production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, - supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device into the gypsum production facility, and - operating the at least one rotating device and the gypsum production facility to carry out titanium oxide production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

55. The method of claim 54, wherein In the gypsum production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one reactor or furnace configured for gypsum production.

56. The method according to any one of claims 54 or 55, wherein In the gypsum production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one boiler configured to dewater crushed gypsum ore.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor shaft.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device in which the bladeless portion of the conduit is disposed downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

59. A method according to any one of the preceding claims 54 to 58, comprising regulating the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

60. The method according to any of the preceding claims 54-59, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into the gypsum production facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series.

61. The method of claim 60, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices connected in sequence, wherein the fluid medium flow is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotating device in the sequence, and wherein in at least a second rotating device in the sequence, the fluid medium flow is further heated by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the preheated fluid medium flow propagating through the second rotating device.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the flow of fluid medium by introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the flow of fluid medium propagating through the at least second rotating device in the sequence.

63. The method of claim 54, comprising introducing the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds into one or more processes associated with gypsum production.

64. The method of claim 54, comprising generating a heated fluid medium in the at least one rotating device by adding thermal energy to the fluid medium propagating through the at least one rotating device, and using the fluid medium as a carrier to transfer thermal energy to the at least one furnace configured for manufacturing gypsum.

65. The method of any preceding claim 54-64, comprising generating, by at least one rotating device, a fluid medium heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

66. The method of any of the preceding claims 54-65, wherein the fluid medium entering the at least one rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

67. The method of claim 54, comprising generating the heated fluid medium in the rotating device.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device comprises any one of the following substances: air, nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), flue gas, or any combination thereof.

69. The method of claim 67, wherein the heated fluid medium produced in the rotating apparatus is recycle gas recovered from exhaust gas produced by dewatering crushed gypsum ore.

70. The method of claim 54, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is supplied to at least one heat consuming unit within the gypsum production facility, the heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following: (i) a furnace, kiln, or reactor configured for producing gypsum, (ii) a dehydrator configured for crushed gypsum ore, or (iii) any combination thereof.

71. The method of claim 54, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is also supplied to at least one heat consuming unit within the gypsum production facility, the at least one heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following devices: a heater, a burner, an oven, an incinerator, a dryer, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof.

72. The method of claim 54, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy to the at least one rotating device integrated in the gypsum production facility represents 5% to 100% of the total energy consumption of the at least one rotating device.

73. The method of claim 54, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy to the at least one rotating device integrated in the gypsum production facility is obtainable from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, the energy source being optionally a renewable energy source.

74. The method of claim 54, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

75. A method according to claim 54, wherein the at least one rotating device is used to balance changes in the amount of electrical energy, such as surpluses and shortages, by integrating the at least one rotating device into the gypsum production facility together with at least one non-electrically operated heater device, wherein the electrical energy is optionally renewable electrical energy.

76. The method of claim 54, wherein energy efficiency of the gypsum production facility is improved, and / or wherein greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from the gypsum production facility are reduced.

77. A method for producing wood pulp, the method comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into the paper production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - conducting a quantity of input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said paper production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, - supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device into the paper production facility, and - operating said at least one rotating device and said paper production facility to carry out titanium oxide production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

78. The method of claim 77, wherein In the paper production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one reactor or furnace configured for papermaking.

79. The method according to any one of claims 77 or 78, wherein In the paper production facility, the at least one rotating device is connected to at least one lime kiln configured to react calcium carbonate to produce carbon dioxide and calcium oxide as part of a kraft pulping process.

80. The method according to any one of claims 77 or 78, wherein In the paper production facility, the at least one rotary device is connected to at least one Yankee hood configured to dewater tissue paper.

81. The method of claim 77, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor shaft.

82. The method of claim 77, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device in which the bladeless portion of the conduit is disposed downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

83. A method according to any one of claims 77 to 82, comprising regulating the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

84. The method according to any of the preceding claims 77-83, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices integrated into the paper production facility, wherein the at least two rotating devices are connected in parallel or in series.

85. The method of claim 84, comprising generating the heated fluid medium by at least two rotating devices connected in sequence, wherein the fluid medium flow is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotating device in the sequence, and wherein in at least a second rotating device in the sequence, the fluid medium flow is further heated by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the preheated fluid medium flow propagating through the second rotating device.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the flow of fluid medium by introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the flow of fluid medium propagating through the at least second rotating device in the sequence.

87. The method of claim 77, comprising introducing the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds into one or more processes associated with the production of wood pulp and paper.

88. A method according to any one of claims 77 or 78, comprising generating a heated fluid medium in the at least one rotating device by adding thermal energy to the fluid medium propagating through the at least one rotating device, and using the fluid medium as a carrier to transfer thermal energy to the at least one furnace configured for papermaking.

89. The method of any of the preceding claims 77-88, comprising generating, by at least one rotating device, a fluid medium heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

90. The method of any of the preceding claims 77-89, wherein the fluid medium entering the at least one rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

91. The method of claim 90, comprising generating the heated fluid medium in the rotating device.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device comprises any one of the following substances: air, nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), flue gas, or any combination thereof.

93. The method of claim 91, comprising introducing the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds into one or more processes associated with paper production.

94. The method of claim 91 wherein the heated fluid medium produced in the rotating apparatus is recycle gas recovered from waste gas produced by reacting calcium carbonate to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide in a kraft pulping process.

95. The method of claim 91 wherein said heated fluid medium produced in said rotating apparatus is recycle gas recovered from exhaust gases produced by dewatering tissue paper in a Yankee hood.

96. The method of claim 77, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is supplied to at least one heat consuming unit within the paper production facility, the heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following: (i) a furnace, kiln, or reactor configured to react calcium carbonate, (ii) a dewaterer configured to dewater tissue paper, (iii) a Yankee hood configured to dewater tissue paper, or (vi) any combination thereof.

97. The method of claim 77, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is also supplied to at least one heat consuming unit within the paper production facility, the at least one heat consuming unit being configured as any one of the following devices: a heater, a burner, an oven, an incinerator, a dryer, a conveyor device, or a combination thereof.

98. The method of claim 77, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy into the at least one rotating device integrated in the paper production facility accounts for 5% to 100% of the total energy consumption of the at least one rotating device.

99. The method according to claim 77, wherein the electrical energy conducted as input energy into the at least one rotating device integrated in the paper production facility is obtainable from a renewable energy source or a combination of different energy sources, the energy source being optionally a renewable energy source.

100. The method of claim 77, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source, such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

101. A method according to claim 77, wherein the at least one rotating device is integrated into the paper production facility together with at least one non-electrically operated heater device, and the at least one rotating device is utilized to balance changes in the amount of electrical energy, such as surpluses and shortages, wherein the electrical energy is optionally renewable electrical energy.

102. The method of claim 77, wherein energy efficiency of the paper production facility is improved, and / or wherein greenhouse gas and particulate emissions from the paper production facility are reduced.

103. A method for producing a cathode or anode, the method comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into the battery production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - conducting a quantity of input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said battery production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, - supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device into the battery production facility, and - operating the at least one rotating device and the battery production facility to perform titanium oxide production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), Wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to supply heat to the cathode and / or anode production process.

104. A method for flash drying one or more chemical substances, the method comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into a chemical substance production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and The method further comprises: - conducting a quantity of input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said chemical substance production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, - supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device to the chemical substance production facility, and - operating the at least one rotating device and the chemical production facility to flash dry the one or more chemicals at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C).

105. The method according to any one of claims 1-104, comprising generating, by the rotating device, the fluid medium heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C), preferably heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 1200°C, and more preferably heated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 1700°C.

106. The method of any one of claims 1-104, comprising adjusting the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device to generate conditions that produce the heated flow of fluid medium.

107. The method of any one of claims 1-104, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor axis.

108. The method according to any one of claims 1-104 further includes arranging an additional heating device downstream of the at least one rotating device and introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds into the fluid medium flow propagating through the additional heating device, thereby adding a certain amount of thermal energy to the fluid medium flow through an exothermic reaction.

109. The method of any one of claims 1-108, wherein a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced into the flow of fluid medium that is preheated to a predetermined temperature.

110. The method of claim 109, wherein the reactive compound or mixture of reactive compounds is introduced into the flow of fluid medium preheated to a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 1700°C.

111. The method of claim 110, wherein preheating the fluid medium flow to the predetermined temperature is performed in the rotating device.

112. The method of any one of claims 1-111, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is selected from the group consisting of feed gas, recycle gas, make-up gas, and process fluid.

113. The method of any one of claims 1-112, wherein the fluid medium entering the rotating device is a substantially gaseous medium.

114. The method according to any one of claims 1-113 further includes generating a heated fluid medium and / or heated solid substance outside the rotating device, wherein the fluid medium is, for example, a gas, steam, liquid and a mixture thereof, by a heat transfer process between the heated fluid medium generated in the rotating device and any of the above-mentioned substances bypassing the rotating device.

115. The method of any one of claims 1-114, further comprising increasing the pressure of the flow of fluid medium propagating through the rotating device.

116. An industrial production facility comprising at least one rotating device configured to generate a heated fluid medium and at least one heat consuming unit configured to perform one or more processes associated with the industrial production, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, wherein the rotating device is configured to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through the bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby producing a heated fluid medium flow, and wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive an amount of input energy, the input energy comprising electrical energy; and is configured to generate a heated fluid medium to input thermal energy into at least one heat consuming unit, the heat consuming unit being configured to perform one or more processes associated with material production at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding approximately 500 degrees Celsius (°C), wherein the industrial production facility is one of the following: (i) a titanium oxide production facility, (ii) a mineral wool production facility, (iii) a gypsum production facility, (iv) a wood pulp and paper production facility, (v) a cathode / anode production facility, or (vi) a chemical production facility.

117. The industrial production facility of claim 116, wherein the at least one heat consuming unit is a reactor or a furnace, and wherein the at least one rotating device is connected to the reactor or the furnace.

118. The industrial production facility of claim 116, wherein the at least one heat consuming unit is any one of the following: (i) a calciner configured to calcine titanium hydroxide to form titanium oxide, (ii) a reactor configured to chloride ilmenite to form titanium chloride, (iii) a reactor configured to oxidize titanium chloride to form titanium oxide, (iv) a furnace configured to melt raw minerals for spinning and bonding into mineral wool, (v) a calciner configured to calcine and dewater crushed gypsum ore, (vi) a lime kiln for reacting calcium carbonate to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide in a kraft pulping process, (vii) a Yankee hood for drying tissue paper, (viii) a calciner or other reactor for forming cathode and / or anode material, or (ix) a dryer for flash drying chemicals, and wherein the at least one rotating device is connected to and / or integrated into any one of (i)-(vii).

119. An industrial production facility according to claim 116, wherein the at least one rotating device is also connected to a heat consuming unit, and the heat consuming unit is configured as any one of the following devices: a heater, a burner, an oven, an incinerator, a dryer, a conveyor device or a combination thereof.

120. The industrial production facility of claim 116, wherein the at least one rotating device comprises two or more rows of rotor blades arranged sequentially along the rotor shaft.

121. The industrial production facility of claim 116, wherein the at least one rotating device further comprises a diffuser region disposed downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades.

122. The industrial production facility of claim 116, wherein the rotating equipment includes a diffuser region with or without fixed diffuser vanes.

123. The industrial production facility of claim 116, wherein the at least one rotating device is further configured to increase the pressure of the fluid flow propagating through the rotating device.

124. The industrial production facility according to claim 116, wherein at least two rotating devices are arranged as an assembly and connected in parallel or in series.

125. An industrial production facility configured to carry out one or more processes associated with material production by the method defined in any one of claims 1-115.

126. A method for inputting thermal energy into one or more processes associated with producing a material in a production facility, the method comprising: The heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device integrated into the production facility, the at least one rotating device comprising: a rotor having a plurality of rotor blades arranged in at least one row about a rotor hub mounted to a rotor shaft, a plurality of stationary blades or guide vanes arranged adjacent to the assembly of at least one row of rotor blades, and a housing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, the duct being configured to surround the rotating blades and the stationary blades such that a bladeless portion of the duct is disposed substantially behind a bladed portion thereof, The method further comprises: - integrating said at least one rotating device into said production facility, said production facility being configured to carry out one or more processes associated with the production of said material at a temperature substantially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (°C), - conducting a quantity of input energy into said at least one rotating device integrated into said production facility, said input energy comprising electrical energy, and - operating the at least one rotating device integrated into the production facility so as to impart thermal energy to the fluid medium flow flowing in the conduit between the inlet and the outlet by means of a series of energy conversions occurring as the fluid medium flow passes successively through bladed and non-bladed portions of the conduit, thereby generating a heated fluid medium flow, and The material produced comprises one of the following: (i) titanium oxide, (ii) mineral wool, (iii) gypsum, (iv) wood pulp and paper, (v) cathode / anode for batteries, or (vi) flash-dried chemicals.

127. The method of claim 126, wherein the process associated with producing the material in the production facility is any one of the following: (i) calcining titanium hydroxide to produce titanium oxide, (ii) chlorinating ilmenite to form titanium chloride, (iii) oxidizing titanium chloride to form titanium oxide, (iv) melting feedstock minerals to produce a melt configured to be spun into fibers for forming mineral wool, (v) dewatering crushed gypsum ore, (vi) reacting calcium carbonate in a kraft pulping process to form carbon dioxide and calcium oxide, (vii) dewatering tissue paper in a Yankee hood, (viii) calcining and / or oxidizing feedstock for cathode and / or anode production, or (ix) drying chemicals in a flash drying process.

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