Vertical continuous graphitization furnace

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of vertical continuous graphitization furnace, it is related to graphitization furnace technical field, comprising: furnace body, jacket, heating device, first water cooling jacket, conveying device. Furnace body is vertically arranged, furnace body upper end is provided with feed inlet, furnace body lower end is provided with discharge port;Jacket is circumferentially arranged in furnace body middle part outside, pre-carbonization passage is formed between jacket and furnace body, material can pass through pre-carbonization passage from top to bottom;Heating device is installed in jacket inner side wall, and heating device is used to heat the material in the inside of furnace body and pre-carbonization passage;First water cooling jacket is circumferentially arranged in furnace body and located in jacket lower end, and first water cooling jacket is used to cool the material discharged from the lower side of pre-carbonization passage;Conveying device is used to receive the material discharged from the lower side of first water cooling jacket, and conveying device is used to convey material to feed inlet. The utility model can reduce energy consumption in production, save cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of graphitization furnace technology, and in particular to a vertical continuous graphitization furnace. Background Technology

[0002] In the production of graphite materials, graphitization is a crucial high-temperature heat treatment process, and its energy consumption accounts for a very high proportion of the total production cost. Existing technologies, especially traditional Atchison furnaces and internally heated series furnaces, generally suffer from extremely low energy utilization rates. Traditional graphitization furnaces are mostly operated intermittently. Each production cycle requires reheating the furnace body and materials inside from room temperature to a high temperature of 3000°C. Materials in traditional graphitization furnaces are allowed to cool naturally after exiting the furnace, typically without a cooling water jacket. This results in long cooling cycles and ineffective heat recovery, leading to significant energy waste. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a vertical continuous graphitization furnace, which can reduce energy consumption and save costs during production.

[0004] A vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a furnace body, a jacket, a heating device, a first water-cooled jacket, and a conveying device. The furnace body is vertically arranged, with a feed inlet at the upper end and a discharge outlet at the lower end. The jacket is arranged around the outer side of the middle portion of the furnace body, forming a pre-carbonization channel between the jacket and the furnace body, through which material can pass from top to bottom. The heating device is installed on the inner wall of the jacket and is used to heat the material inside the furnace body and the pre-carbonization channel. The first water-cooled jacket is arranged around the furnace body and located at the lower end of the jacket, and is used to cool the material discharged from below the pre-carbonization channel. The conveying device receives the material discharged from below the first water-cooled jacket and conveys the material to the feed inlet.

[0005] A vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to an embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: before entering the furnace body, the material is gradually heated and pre-carbonized in a pre-carbonization channel formed by the jacket and the outer wall of the furnace body. The material in the pre-carbonization channel can serve as an insulation layer for the furnace body, reducing the overall radial heat loss to a certain extent, utilizing the residual heat diffused outward from the furnace body, realizing the step-by-step utilization of energy, and significantly reducing the total energy consumption of the entire process.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the furnace body is divided into a preheating section, a high-temperature section and a cooling section from top to bottom. A preheating device is arranged around the outer wall of the preheating section. The preheating device is used to heat the material passing through the preheating section. The heating device is installed in the high-temperature section. A second water-cooling jacket is arranged around the outer wall of the cooling section. The second water-cooling jacket is used to cool the material passing through the cooling section.

[0007] According to some embodiments of this utility model, the top of the furnace body is connected to an exhaust pipe, which is used to extract the volatile gases generated in the high-temperature section into the preheating device, where the volatile gases are burned.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the preheating device is connected to a combustion-supporting fan, which is used to input combustion-supporting air into the preheating device. A fire channel is arranged around the inside of the preheating device, in which volatile gases and combustion-supporting air are mixed and burned.

[0009] According to some embodiments of this utility model, the combustion-supporting fan is a centrifugal fan.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cooling water heated in the first water-cooled jacket is used to heat the combustion air entering the preheating device.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a heat exchange device is connected between the combustion-supporting blower and the preheating device. The combustion-supporting air output by the combustion-supporting blower passes through the heat exchange device and is then input into the preheating device. Cooling water is heated in the first water-cooling jacket and then enters the heat exchange device to heat the combustion-supporting air.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the flue gas discharged from the preheating device enters the upper part of the precarbonization channel.

[0013] According to some embodiments of this utility model, the conveying device is a bucket elevator.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this utility model, two conveying devices are provided.

[0015] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall installation structure of one embodiment of the present utility model; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the furnace body according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Icon labels: Furnace body 100, preheating section 101, high temperature section 102, cooling section 103, feed inlet 110, discharge outlet 120, exhaust pipe 130; Jacket 200, pre-carbonization channel 210; Heating device 300; First water-cooling jacket 400, conveying device 410; Preheating device 500, combustion fan 510, fire duct 520, heat exchange device 530; Second water cooling jacket 600. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0019] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0022] Reference Figures 1 to 2As shown, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a vertical continuous graphitization furnace, comprising: a furnace body 100, a jacket 200, a heating device 300, a first water-cooled jacket 400, and a conveying device 410. The furnace body 100 is vertically arranged, with a funnel-shaped feed inlet 110 at its upper end for convenient material addition. A discharge outlet 120 is located at the lower end of the furnace body 100. The specific structures of the feed inlet 110 and discharge outlet 120 are existing technologies and will not be described in detail. The material moves downwards by gravity; this integrated continuous design avoids the energy loss caused by frequent heating and cooling of the traditional intermittent furnace body 100, resulting in high production efficiency and thermal energy utilization. The jacket 200 is bolted to the frame, which is fixed to the ground. A jacket 200 is arranged around the outside of the furnace body 100, located on the outer side of the middle part of the furnace body 100. A pre-carbonization channel 210 is formed between the jacket 200 and the furnace body 100, through which material can pass from top to bottom. A heating device 300 is installed on the inner wall of the jacket 200 and is used to heat the material inside the furnace body 100 and the pre-carbonization channel 210. The heating device 300 uses two graphite electrodes, which are symmetrically arranged with the furnace body 100 as the center. The material in the pre-carbonization channel 210 and the material in the furnace body 100 are both thermally and electrically conductive coke. The graphite electrodes heat the material through the thermal effect of electric current, exhibiting characteristics such as high temperature resistance, good thermal stability, excellent electrical conductivity, and increased strength at high temperatures, ensuring heating efficiency and reliability. The material in the pre-carbonization channel 210 can also serve as an insulation layer for the furnace body 100, reducing radial heat loss. A first water-cooling jacket 400 is arranged around the furnace body 100 and located at the lower end of the jacket 200. The first water-cooling jacket 400 is used to cool the material discharged from below the pre-carbonization channel 210. The conveying device 410 is used to receive the material discharged from below the first water-cooling jacket 400 and convey the material to the feed inlet 110. The material discharged from below the pre-carbonization channel 210 is cooled by the first water-cooling jacket 400 before entering the conveying device 410. The first water-cooling jacket 400 cools the high-temperature material to a temperature that the conveying device 410 can safely withstand, preventing the high-temperature material from damaging the conveying device 410. The temperature of the material discharged from below the first water-cooling jacket 400 is between 80 degrees Celsius and 500 degrees Celsius, extending the service life of the conveying device 410. The temperature of the material discharged from below the first water-cooling jacket 400 should be as high as possible without affecting the operation of the conveying device to improve energy utilization efficiency. Before entering the furnace body 100, the material is gradually heated and pre-carbonized in the pre-carbonization channel 210 formed by the jacket 200. By utilizing the waste heat diffused outward from the furnace body 100, energy was utilized in a tiered manner, significantly reducing the total energy consumption of the entire process.

[0023] Reference Figures 1 to 2As shown, in some embodiments, the furnace body 100 is divided into a preheating section 101, a high-temperature section 102, and a cooling section 103 from top to bottom. The feed inlet 110 is connected to the top of the preheating section 101, and the discharge outlet 120 is connected to the bottom of the cooling section 103. A preheating device 500 is arranged around the outer wall of the preheating section 101, which is used to heat the material passing through the preheating section 101. The large heat exchange area between the surrounding preheating device 500 and the outer wall of the preheating section 101 avoids local overheating or underheating, ensuring the uniformity of material preheating. The material is first heated in the preheating section 101, then enters the high-temperature section 102, and finally cools. This design reduces heat loss in the high-temperature section 102 because the material entering the high-temperature section 102 is already preheated, reducing the load on the heating device 300 and ensuring that the material can uniformly complete the graphitization transformation, forming a regular graphite crystal structure and obtaining a high-purity graphite product. Heating device 300 is installed in high-temperature section 102, where the material is heated to 3000 degrees Celsius, undergoing graphitization at approximately 3000 degrees Celsius. A second water-cooling jacket 600 is arranged around the outer wall of cooling section 103. The first and second water-cooling jackets 400 and 600 are common water-cooling jackets in the boiler industry, and their specific structures are existing technology and will not be described in detail. The second water-cooling jacket 600 is used to cool the material passing through cooling section 103. The second water-cooling jacket 600 cools the material to a temperature that downstream processes can withstand. The material cooled by the second water-cooling jacket 600 is discharged from outlet 120 and directly enters packaging, crushing, or subsequent processing steps.

[0024] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, a suction pipe 130 is connected to the top of the furnace body 100. The suction pipe 130 is used to extract volatile gases generated in the high-temperature section 102 to the preheating device 500. When the material is heated, a large amount of combustible volatile gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon gases are generated. In traditional processes, these gases are usually directly ignited and discharged as waste gas. By actively drawing these high-temperature combustible gases to the preheating device 500 through the suction pipe 130 and burning them, heat is directly provided for the preheating stage of the material. Some or all of the fuel required for the preheating section 101 comes from by-products generated by the system itself, effectively reducing energy consumption. After being generated, the volatile gases are discharged from the top of the furnace body 100 by the action of buoyancy due to heat, and enter the upper fire channel after passing through the suction pipe 130 to start combustion. The volatile gases flow from top to bottom in the fire channel. To improve the efficiency of suction, the suction pipe 130 can be connected to a suction fan, which actively extracts the volatile gases from the upper part of the furnace body 100.

[0025] Reference Figures 1 to 2As shown, in some embodiments, the preheating device 500 is connected to a combustion-supporting fan 510, which supplies combustion air to the preheating device 500. The function of the combustion-supporting fan 510 is to provide controllable and sufficient oxygen for combustion. This allows the volatile gases extracted from the high-temperature section 102 to achieve an optimal mixing ratio with air within the preheating device 500, thereby ensuring complete combustion. A fire channel 520 is arranged around the interior of the preheating device 500, where the volatile gases and combustion air mix and burn. The built-in combustion system saves equipment volume. Before leaving the preheating device 500, the high-temperature flue gas generated by combustion flows along the fire channel 520 for a relatively long distance within the preheating device 500. The fire channel 520 increases the contact area between the high-temperature flue gas and the preheating device 500, improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0026] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the combustion air fan 510 is a centrifugal fan. The preheating device 500 has a relatively long, surrounding fire channel 520 structure, and the presence of bends creates significant flow resistance. Compared to axial fans and other types, centrifugal fans can provide stable flow and high pressure output at a constant speed and are less affected by changes in the resistance of the fire channel 520. This ensures a stable supply of combustion air to the fire channel 520, guaranteeing the stability and safety of combustion.

[0027] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the cooling water heated in the first water-cooled jacket 400 is used to heat the combustion air entering the preheating device 500. The function of the first water-cooled jacket 400 is to cool the material, and its cooling water absorbs heat from the material. Existing technology directly dissipates this heat into the atmosphere through a cooling tower. Instead of wasting heat, this heat is used to raise the temperature of the combustion air, reducing energy consumption. Using heated air for combustion can increase the combustion temperature of volatile gases in the preheating device 500. By recovering the waste heat from the first water-cooled jacket 400, the combustion efficiency of volatile gases is improved, reducing operating costs.

[0028] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, a heat exchange device 530 is connected between the combustion blower 510 and the preheating device 500. The combustion air output by the combustion blower 510 passes through the heat exchange device 530 and then enters the preheating device 500. The heat exchange device 530 is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, which is suitable for gas-water heat exchange. The cooling water is heated in the first water-cooled jacket 400 and then enters the heat exchange device 530 to heat the combustion air.

[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 2As shown, in some embodiments, the lower end of the preheating device 500 extends into the upper part of the precarbonization channel 210. Multiple inclined air outlets are provided on the lower outer wall of the preheating device 500. The flue gas discharged from the preheating device 500 enters the upper part of the precarbonization channel 210 through these outlets, preheating the material just entering the precarbonization channel 210. While the flue gas has already released most of its high-temperature heat in the preheating device 500, its temperature is still much higher than the ambient temperature, and direct emission would still result in energy loss. Introducing it into the precarbonization channel 210 allows the room-temperature material just entering the precarbonization channel 210 to undergo preliminary preheating. Using gas to preheat the material also removes moisture present in the material, preventing moisture from affecting the subsequent heating process.

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the conveying device 410 is a bucket elevator. Bucket elevators are suitable for vertically conveying bulk materials and can efficiently lift materials discharged from the pre-carbonization channel 210 back to the feed inlet 110 at the top of the furnace body 100. Although the material has been cooled by the first water-cooling jacket 400, its temperature may still be high. The metal buckets and metal chain of the bucket elevator are well-suited to high temperatures and have better temperature tolerance and a longer service life compared to belt conveyors, etc.

[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 2 As shown, in some embodiments, two conveying devices 410 are provided. When one conveying device 410 needs maintenance, it can be isolated and maintained independently without affecting the normal operation of the other conveying device 410, thus ensuring the continuity of graphite production.

[0032] Operating steps: The material at room temperature enters the pre-carbonization channel 210 formed by the jacket 200 and the furnace body 100, and moves from top to bottom by gravity. Here, it is initially heated and pre-carbonized by the heat conducted by the high-temperature section 102 in the middle of the furnace body 100. Then, the material is initially cooled by the first water cooling jacket 400. The cooled material is received by the conveying device 410 and transported back to the feed port 110 at the top of the furnace body 100. The material moves from top to bottom in the furnace body 100 by gravity, passing through the preheating section 101, the high-temperature section 102 and the cooling section 103 in sequence. In the preheating section 101, the material is heated by the preheating device 500. After entering the high-temperature section 102, the material is heated to approximately 3000 degrees Celsius by graphite electrodes, completing the graphitization transformation. The volatile gases generated during this process are drawn out by the exhaust pipe 130 and sent back to the preheating device 500. Under the action of combustion air provided by the combustion fan 510 and preheated by the shell-and-tube heat exchanger, these volatile gases are fully combusted in the surrounding flue 520 of the preheating device 500, providing the main heat source for the preheating section 101. The flue gas after combustion is introduced into the upper part of the pre-carbonization channel 210 for preliminary preheating of the material. The high-temperature material that has completed graphitization in the high-temperature section 102 continues to move down into the cooling section 103, where it is gradually cooled by the second water-cooling jacket 600 to a temperature that can be handled by downstream processes, and then discharged from the discharge port 120.

[0033] The embodiments of the present utility model have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A vertical continuous graphitization furnace, characterized in that, include: The furnace body (100) is vertically arranged, with a feed inlet (110) at the upper end and a discharge outlet (120) at the lower end. A jacket (200) is arranged around the outer side of the middle part of the furnace body (100), and a pre-carbonization channel (210) is formed between the jacket (200) and the furnace body (100), through which the material can pass from top to bottom. A heating device (300) is installed on the inner wall of the jacket (200) and is used to heat the materials inside the furnace body (100) and the pre-carbonization channel (210). A first water-cooled jacket (400) is arranged around the furnace body (100) and located at the lower end of the jacket (200). The first water-cooled jacket (400) is used to cool the material discharged from below the pre-carbonization channel (210). A conveying device (410) is used to receive material discharged from below the first water-cooled jacket (400) and convey the material to the feed inlet (110).

2. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The furnace body (100) is divided into a preheating section (101), a high-temperature section (102) and a cooling section (103) from top to bottom. A preheating device (500) is arranged around the outer wall of the preheating section (101). The preheating device (500) is used to heat the material passing through the preheating section (101). The heating device (300) is installed in the high-temperature section (102). A second water-cooling jacket (600) is arranged around the outer wall of the cooling section (103). The second water-cooling jacket (600) is used to cool the material passing through the cooling section (103).

3. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the furnace body (100) is connected to an exhaust pipe (130), which is used to extract the volatile gases generated in the high-temperature section (102) into the preheating device (500), where the volatile gases are burned.

4. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that: The preheating device (500) is connected to a combustion-supporting fan (510), which is used to input combustion-supporting air into the preheating device (500). A fire channel (520) is arranged around the inside of the preheating device (500), in which volatile gases and combustion-supporting air are mixed and burned.

5. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The combustion-supporting fan (510) is a centrifugal fan.

6. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cooling water heated in the first water-cooled jacket (400) is used to heat the combustion air entering the preheating device (500).

7. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that: A heat exchange device (530) is connected between the combustion blower (510) and the preheating device (500). The combustion air output by the combustion blower (510) passes through the heat exchange device (530) and is then input into the preheating device (500). The cooling water is heated in the first water-cooled jacket (400) and then enters the heat exchange device (530) to heat the combustion air.

8. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flue gas discharged from the preheating device (500) enters the upper part of the precarbonization channel (210).

9. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying device (410) is a bucket elevator.

10. The vertical continuous graphitization furnace according to claim 9, characterized in that: Two conveying devices (410) are provided.

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