Vertical drying tower for prolonging the residence time of coal to improve the drying efficiency

Abstract

This invention discloses a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, belonging to the technical field of coal mine dust removal equipment. It includes a drying chamber, a discharge chamber, a dryer, and an exhaust fan. Its core improvement lies in the following: the drying chamber includes multiple layers of gently falling coal stacked vertically. Each layer includes a main frame, multiple gently falling components installed at intervals within the main frame at the same height and capable of lateral oscillation, and multiple air inlets located on the front and rear side walls of the main frame, sequentially facing the drying and exhaust mechanisms. Inside the drying chamber, the impact energy of falling coal drives the gently falling components to oscillate and adjust their angle, indirectly increasing the distance between adjacent components and preventing coal from getting stuck, significantly reducing the probability of blockage. Furthermore, the oscillation of the components dynamically adjusts the direction of the hot air, thereby adjusting the contact angle between the coal and the hot air, resulting in more uniform heating of the coal and further improving drying efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of coal drying equipment technology, specifically a vertical drying tower that improves the drying efficiency of coal by extending its residence time. Background Technology

[0002] During coal mining, high-moisture coals, such as lignite, are particularly vulnerable. Their high moisture content means that direct use during combustion leads to significant heat loss due to moisture evaporation, drastically reducing the coal's effective calorific value and resulting in energy waste. Furthermore, high-moisture lignite is prone to mold growth and spontaneous combustion during storage, posing safety hazards. Therefore, in many cases, lignite requires drying in a drying tower after mining to improve its calorific value and storage safety.

[0003] Traditional vertical drying towers typically include a vertical drying chamber, a bottom discharge chamber, a front dryer (for hot air intake), and a rear exhaust fan (for moisture discharge). They often incorporate multiple layers of fixed, slow-falling structures (such as grids and baffles) to prolong the coal's descent time. However, in practical applications, they still have the following problems: Easy to clog: Large pieces of lignite can easily get stuck in the gaps of the fixed, slow-falling structure, leading to material accumulation, shutdown of the drying chamber for cleaning, and thus affecting drying efficiency; Low drying efficiency: The fixed structure cannot dynamically adjust the contact angle between coal and hot air, resulting in insufficient heating of coal in some areas and high moisture content. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vertical drying tower that improves the drying efficiency of coal by extending the residence time of coal. By replacing the fixed structure with a swingable slow-fall component, combined with staggered layout, optimized air guide channel and multi-stage drying design, the coal residence time is significantly extended and the drying uniformity is improved, thus solving the problems of easy clogging and low drying efficiency of traditional drying towers.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A vertical drying tower that improves the drying efficiency of coal by extending its residence time includes a drying chamber with a feed inlet at the top and arranged vertically, a discharge chamber installed at the bottom of the drying chamber, a dryer installed on the front side of the drying chamber to supply air into the drying chamber, and an exhaust fan installed on the rear side of the drying chamber to exhaust air from the drying chamber. Its core improvement is that the drying chamber includes multiple layers of slow-fall layers installed vertically, each slow-fall layer including a main frame, multiple slow-fall components installed at intervals inside the main frame at the same height and capable of swinging left and right, and multiple air outlets opened on the front and rear side walls of the main frame and facing the drying mechanism and the exhaust mechanism in sequence.

[0006] By adopting the above scheme, in the drying chamber, the impact energy of falling coal drives the slow-falling components to swing and adjust their angle. This indirectly increases the distance between adjacent slow-falling components, preventing coal from getting stuck and greatly reducing the probability of blockage. Secondly, due to the swinging of the slow-falling components, the direction of hot air is dynamically adjusted, thereby adjusting the contact angle between the coal and the hot air, making the coal heated more evenly and further improving the drying efficiency.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, the slow-fall component includes a support rod fixed inside the main frame and extending back and forth. A slow-fall seat that can swing left and right and reduce the fall of coal is rotatably installed on the support rod. The positions of all slow-fall seats in every two adjacent slow-fall layers are staggered vertically. The staggered layout breaks the straight falling trajectory of coal, which not only reduces the falling speed of coal, but also forces a change in its direction of movement, further increasing the contact area with hot air and promoting moisture evaporation.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, the left and right edges of the slow-fall seat extend downwards at an angle, and a guide air channel is formed at the bottom of the slow-fall seat for guiding airflow. The guide air channel and the air outlet are on the same straight line. The guide air channel can accurately guide the hot air of the dryer to the coal, which greatly improves the utilization rate of hot air and accelerates the moisture evaporation rate.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, the cross-section of the air guide channel is an inverted V-shape that slopes downward from the middle to the left and right sides. The opening shape of the air outlet is a triangle similar to the cross-section of the air guide channel. The triangular opening is geometrically matched with the inverted V-shaped channel, which reduces hot air leakage (heat loss) and ensures that all airflow acts on the coal, thereby further achieving energy saving.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, the discharge chamber includes a discharge cone, a horizontally arranged auger seat is installed at the bottom of the discharge cone, a rotatable auger is installed inside the auger seat, a discharge motor that drives the auger to rotate is installed at one end of the auger seat, and a downward-facing discharge port is opened at the end of the auger seat away from the discharge motor; the auger conveys the dried coal at a uniform speed to avoid discharge blockage; the cone structure prevents material accumulation and greatly improves discharge efficiency.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, the dryer consists of three units arranged vertically, with the power of the three dryers gradually decreasing from the top right to the bottom. The upper high-power dryer quickly evaporates surface moisture, while the middle and lower low-power dryers deeply dry the internal moisture. Only one exhaust fan is provided, and the coverage area of ​​this exhaust fan includes the entire air supply area of ​​all three dryers. The single exhaust fan dehumidifies the air, resulting in a more stable airflow organization.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, a vertical climbing frame extending from the bottom to the top of the drying chamber is installed on the front side of the drying chamber. An inspection platform 1 adjacent to the vertical climbing frame is installed at the height of the dryer. Work can be carried out on the inspection platform 1 by climbing the vertical climbing frame. Maintenance personnel do not need external scaffolding and can reach the inspection platform 1 of the dryer within 5 minutes by climbing the vertical climbing frame, which greatly improves maintenance safety and efficiency.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, an elevator is also installed on one side of the drying chamber. The elevator can realize automated coal conveying and reduce the intensity of manual handling. The elevator extends from the bottom to the top of the drying chamber. At the top of the elevator, it is connected to the feed inlet at the top of the drying chamber through an inclined conveying pipe. The inclined conveying pipe ensures that the material enters the drying chamber evenly.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, an overflow pipe extending from the top to the bottom of the elevator is provided on one side. The top of the overflow pipe is connected to the top of the conveying pipe via a distribution pipe. When the drying chamber is too full of coal, excess coal cannot enter the drying chamber along the conveying pipe. At this time, it is diverted to the bottom through the overflow pipe to avoid material blockage.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of a vertical drying tower that improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, a maintenance platform 2 is installed on the top of the hoist. The maintenance platform 2 is directly connected to the top of the drying chamber via an inclined climbing frame. After reaching the top of the drying chamber via the vertical climbing frame, one can quickly reach the maintenance platform 2 via the inclined climbing frame. This facilitates the inspection of components such as the hoist's chain and motor, including chain tension and belt wear, thereby reducing downtime failure rate.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. High-efficiency drying: Due to the oscillation of the slow-falling components, the direction of the hot air is dynamically adjusted, thereby adjusting the contact angle between the coal and the hot air, making the coal heated more evenly and further improving the drying efficiency; secondly, the staggered layout of the slow-falling components breaks the straight falling trajectory of the coal, which not only reduces the falling speed of the coal, but also forcibly changes its movement direction, further increasing the contact area with the hot air and promoting moisture evaporation. 2. Reliable anti-blocking: In the drying chamber, the impact energy of falling coal drives the slow-falling components to swing and adjust their angle. This indirectly increases the distance between adjacent slow-falling components, preventing coal from getting stuck and greatly reducing the probability of blockage. 3. Safe and convenient: The built-in climbing frame and maintenance platform shorten maintenance time and significantly reduce operational risks; the overflow pipe protection system of the elevator operates stably. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 Three-dimensional for vertical drying tower Figure 1 ; Figure 2 Three-dimensional for vertical drying tower Figure 2 ; Figure 3 To showcase Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the internal structure of the drying chamber; Figure 4 This is a plan view showing multiple layers of gently falling material stacked on top of each other. Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 6 For the three-dimensional discharge chamber Figure 1 ; Figure 7 For the three-dimensional discharge chamber Figure 2 ; Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional view of the top part of the hoist.

[0019] The diagram shows the following markings: 1-Drying chamber; 2-Discharge chamber; 3-Dryer; 4-Exhaust fan; 5-Slow-fall layer; 6-Main frame; 7-Slow-fall assembly; 71-Support rod; 72-Slow-fall seat; 8-Air outlet; 9-Air guide channel; 10-Discharge cone; 11-Auger seat; 12-Auger; 13-Discharge motor; 14-Discharge port; 15-Vertical climbing frame; 16-Maintenance platform one; 17-Elevator; 18-Conveying pipe; 19-Overflow pipe; 20-Dividing pipe; 21-Maintenance platform two; 22-Inclined climbing frame. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a vertical drying tower is provided to improve the drying efficiency of coal by extending the residence time of coal. It is mainly used for drying high-moisture coals such as lignite. Specifically, it includes a drying chamber 1 with a feed inlet at the top and arranged vertically, a discharge chamber 2 installed at the bottom of the drying chamber 1, a dryer 3 (using a conventional dryer) installed on the front side of the drying chamber 1 to supply air into the drying chamber 1, an exhaust fan 4 (using a conventional exhaust fan) installed on the rear side of the drying chamber 1 to exhaust air from the drying chamber 1, and an elevator 17 (using a conventional elevator) installed on one side of the drying chamber 1.

[0022] like Figures 3 to 4 As shown, the drying chamber 1 includes multiple layers of slow-falling layers 5 stacked vertically. Each slow-falling layer 5 includes a main frame 6, multiple slow-falling components 7 installed at intervals inside the main frame 6 at the same height and capable of swinging left and right, and multiple air outlets 8 opened on the front and rear side walls of the main frame 6 and facing the dryer 3 and the exhaust fan 4 in sequence. Inside the drying chamber 1, the impact energy of falling coal drives the slow-falling components 7 to swing and adjust their angle. This indirectly increases the distance between adjacent slow-falling components 7, preventing coal from getting stuck and greatly reducing the probability of blockage. Secondly, due to the swinging of the slow-falling components 7, the direction of hot air is dynamically adjusted, thereby adjusting the contact angle between the coal and the hot air, making the coal heated more evenly and further improving the drying efficiency.

[0023] like Figures 4 to 5As shown, the slow-fall component 7 includes a support rod 71 fixed inside the main frame 6 and extending back and forth. A slow-fall seat 72 that can swing left and right and reduce the falling coal is rotatably installed on the support rod 71. The positions of all the slow-fall seats 72 in every two adjacent slow-fall layers 5 are staggered vertically. The staggered layout breaks the straight falling trajectory of the coal, which can not only reduce the falling speed of the coal, but also forcibly change its direction of movement, further increasing the contact area with hot air and promoting moisture evaporation.

[0024] like Figure 5 As shown, the left and right edges of the slow-fall seat 72 extend downwards at an angle, and a guide air channel 9 is formed at the bottom of the slow-fall seat 72 for guiding the flow. The guide air channel 9 and the air outlet 8 are on the same straight line. The guide air channel 9 can accurately guide the hot air of the dryer 3 to the coal, which greatly improves the utilization rate of the hot air and accelerates the moisture evaporation rate.

[0025] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, the cross-section of the air guide channel 9 is an inverted V-shape that slopes downward from the middle to the left and right sides. The opening shape of the air outlet 8 is a triangle similar to the cross-section of the air guide channel 9. The triangular opening is geometrically matched with the inverted V-shaped channel, which reduces hot air leakage (heat loss) and ensures that the airflow is fully applied to the coal, thereby further achieving energy saving.

[0026] like Figures 6 to 7 As shown, the discharge chamber 2 includes a discharge cone 10, a horizontally arranged auger seat 11 is installed at the bottom of the discharge cone 10, a rotatable auger 12 is installed inside the auger seat 11, a discharge motor 13 that drives the auger 12 to rotate is installed at one end of the auger seat 11, and a downward-facing discharge port 14 is opened at the end of the auger seat 11 away from the discharge motor 13; the auger 12 conveys the dried coal at a uniform speed to avoid discharge blockage; the cone structure prevents material accumulation and greatly improves discharge efficiency.

[0027] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, there are three dryers 3, arranged vertically, with the power of the three dryers 3 gradually decreasing from the top right to the bottom. The upper high-power dryer 3 quickly evaporates surface moisture, while the middle and lower low-power dryers deeply dry the internal moisture. There is only one exhaust fan 4, and the coverage area of ​​the exhaust fan 4 includes the entire air supply area of ​​the three dryers 3. The single exhaust fan 4 dehumidifies the air, resulting in a more stable airflow organization.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, a vertical climbing frame 15 extending from the bottom to the top of the drying chamber 1 is installed on the front side of the drying chamber 1. An inspection platform 16 adjacent to the vertical climbing frame 15 is installed at the height of the dryer 3. The inspection platform 16 can be climbed to the inspection platform 16 for work via the vertical climbing frame 15. Maintenance personnel do not need external scaffolding and can reach the inspection platform 16 of the dryer 3 within 5 minutes via the vertical climbing frame 15, which greatly improves maintenance safety and efficiency.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the elevator 17 extends from the bottom of the drying chamber 1 to the top of the drying chamber 1. At the top of the elevator 17, it is connected to the feed inlet at the top of the drying chamber 1 via an inclined conveying pipe 18. The inclined conveying pipe 18 ensures that the material enters the drying chamber 1 evenly.

[0030] like Figure 8 As shown, an overflow pipe 19 extending from the top to the bottom of the elevator 17 is also provided on one side. The top of the overflow pipe 19 is connected to the top of the conveying pipe 18 through the distribution pipe 20. When the drying chamber 1 is too full of coal, the excess coal cannot enter the drying chamber 1 along the conveying pipe 18. At this time, it is diverted to the bottom through the overflow pipe 19 to avoid material blockage.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a maintenance platform 21 is installed on the top of the hoist 17. The maintenance platform 21 is directly connected to the top of the drying chamber 1 via an inclined climbing frame 22. After reaching the top of the drying chamber 1 via the vertical climbing frame 15, the maintenance platform 21 can be quickly reached along the inclined climbing frame 22, which facilitates the inspection of components such as the chain and motor of the hoist 17, such as chain tension and belt wear, thereby reducing the downtime failure rate.

[0032] The working principle of this vertical drying tower, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is as follows: Feeding: Lignite is conveyed to the top via hoist 17 and falls into the feed inlet of drying chamber 1 via conveying pipe 18; Drying process: When the coal falls, it is blocked multiple times by the slow-fall seats 72 of the multi-layer slow-fall layer 5. The impact energy of the falling coal drives the slow-fall component 7 to swing to adjust its angle. At this time, the distance between adjacent slow-fall components 7 will be indirectly increased, avoiding the coal from being blocked and greatly reducing the probability of blockage. The dryer 3 sends hot air into the air passage 9 through the air outlet 8 and the exhaust fan 4 discharges the moisture. The staggered layout of the slow-fall components 7 breaks the straight falling trajectory of the coal, which can not only reduce the falling speed of the coal, but also forcibly change its movement direction, further increasing the contact area with the hot air and promoting moisture evaporation. Discharge: The dried coal falls into the discharge cone 10 and is pushed by the rotating screw conveyor 12 to the discharge port 14 for discharge; Maintenance: Maintenance personnel can access maintenance platform 16 (dryer 3 area) or maintenance platform 21 (elevator 17 area) via climbing frame to perform routine maintenance.

[0033] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vertical drying tower for improving the drying efficiency of coal by extending its residence time, comprising a drying chamber with a feed inlet at the top and arranged vertically, a discharge chamber installed at the bottom of the drying chamber, a dryer for supplying air into the drying chamber installed at the front of the drying chamber, and an exhaust fan for exhausting air from the drying chamber installed at the rear of the drying chamber; characterized in that: The drying chamber includes multiple layers of slow-fall layers stacked on top of each other. Each slow-fall layer includes a main frame, multiple slow-fall components installed at intervals inside the main frame at the same height and capable of swinging left and right, and multiple air outlets opened on the front and rear side walls of the main frame and facing the drying mechanism and the exhaust mechanism in sequence.

2. The vertical drying tower according to claim 1, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, The slow-fall assembly includes a support rod fixed inside the main frame and extending forward and backward. A slow-fall seat that can swing left and right and reduce the fall of coal is rotatably installed on the support rod. The positions of all slow-fall seats in every two adjacent slow-fall layers are staggered vertically.

3. The vertical drying tower according to claim 2, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that... The left and right edges of the slow-fall seat extend downwards at an angle, forming an air guide channel at the bottom of the slow-fall seat for guiding airflow, wherein the air guide channel and the air outlet are on the same straight line.

4. The vertical drying tower according to claim 3, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that... The cross-section of the air guide channel is an inverted V-shape that slopes downwards from the middle to the left and right sides, and the opening shape of the air outlet is a triangle similar to the cross-section of the air guide channel.

5. The vertical drying tower according to claim 1, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, The discharge chamber includes a discharge cone, a horizontally arranged auger seat is installed at the bottom of the discharge cone, a rotatable auger is installed inside the auger seat, a discharge motor that drives the auger to rotate is installed at one end of the auger seat, and a downward-facing discharge port is opened at the end of the auger seat away from the discharge motor.

6. The vertical drying tower according to claim 1, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, There are three dryers arranged vertically, with the power of the three dryers gradually decreasing from the top right to the bottom; there is only one exhaust fan, and the coverage area of ​​the exhaust fan includes the entire air supply area of ​​the three dryers.

7. The vertical drying tower according to claim 1, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, A vertical climbing frame extending from the bottom to the top of the drying chamber is installed on the front side of the drying chamber. An inspection platform 1 adjacent to the vertical climbing frame is installed at the height of the dryer. Work can be carried out on the inspection platform 1 by climbing the vertical climbing frame.

8. The vertical drying tower according to claim 1, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, A hoist is also installed on one side of the drying chamber. The hoist extends from the bottom to the top of the drying chamber. At the top of the hoist, a sloping conveying pipe connects to the feed inlet at the top of the drying chamber.

9. The vertical drying tower according to claim 8, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, The elevator is also provided with an overflow pipe extending from its top to its bottom, and the top of the overflow pipe is connected to the top of the conveying pipe through a distribution pipe.

10. The vertical drying tower according to claim 8, which improves drying efficiency by extending the residence time of coal, is characterized in that, A second maintenance platform is installed on the top of the elevator, and the second maintenance platform is directly connected to the top of the drying chamber via an inclined climbing frame.

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