Fluid bed cooler and method for cooling material flow in fluid bed cooler

Abstract

Fluid bed cooler (1) comprises an inlet (3) for receiving material into the fluid bed cooler (1) to be cooled, a first cooling chamber (4) provided downstream from the inlet (3) for cooling material flow (28) received in the fluid bed cooler (1) via the inlet (3), and an outlet (5) provided downstream from the first cooling chamber (4) for discharging material cooled down in the fluid bed cooler (1). The fluid bed cooler (1) further comprises a prechamber (6) provided downstream from the inlet (3) and upstream from the first cooling chamber (3) for collecting agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding a first predetermined particle size. The prechamber (6) comprises at a lower portion (7) of the prechamber (6) a prechamber collection box (8) provided with a fluidizing nozzle arrangement (9) comprising an opening with a size larger than the first predetermined particle size. Thereby the fluidizing nozzle arrangement (9) enables agglomerates and coarse particles larger than the first predetermined particle size but smaller than the size of the opening (21) in at least two perpendicular directions of the particle to be drained from the prechamber (6) through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement (9).

Description

[0001] FLUID BED COOLER AND METHOD FOR COOLING MATERIAL FLOW IN FLUID BED COOLER

[0002] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The disclosure relates to fluidizing bed plants, and more particularly to fluid bed coolers. The present disclosure further concerns a method of cooling material flow in a fluid bed cooler.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] Fluid bed coolers (FBC) are used in many fields of industry for cooling material coming from fluid bed plants and dust collection from the fluid bed offgas, for instance from a waste heat boiler.

[0006] A problem of existing fluid bed cooling equipment is its lifetime and unplanned shutdowns due to equipment failure, which can be caused by non-compliant inlet material out of the specified material characterization range, particularly a non-compliant particle size distribution.

[0007] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a new method for cooling material in a fluid bed and a new fluid bed cooler.

[0009] The object of the disclosure is achieved by a method and an arrangement, which are characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Some embodiments of the disclosure are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0010] The disclosure is based on the idea of that a prechamber is provided with a fluidizing nozzle arrangement comprising at least one opening enabling draining particles outside of the normal operating range of the fluid bed cooler through fluidizing nozzle arrangement.

[0011] An advantage of [the method and arrangement] of the disclosure is that it provides a solution to safely discharge agglomerates or coarse particles from the fluid bed cooler.

[0012] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In the following the disclosure will be described in greater detail by means of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates schematically a fluid bed cooler according to a first embodiment;

[0015] Figure 2 illustrates schematically a fluid bed cooler according to a second embodiment;

[0016] Figure 3 illustrates schematically a fluid bed cooler according to a third embodiment; Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d illustrate schematically fluidizing nozzle arrangements according to different embodiments seen from above;

[0017] Figures 5a and 5b illustrate schematically a lower part of the prechamber according to two different embodiments in cross section seen from a side;

[0018] Figure 6 illustrates schematically a method for cooling material in a fluid bed cooler; and

[0019] Figure 7 illustrates schematically a method for cooling material in a fluid bed cooler according to an embodiment.

[0020] The figures are provided for illustrating some features of the disclosure only and are not shown to scale. Same reference numbers are used for similar features in different figures and embodiments. Not all similar features are necessarily provided with reference numbers for the sake of clarity.

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0022] Figure 1 illustrates schematically a fluid bed cooler according to a first embodiment, Figure 2 illustrates schematically a fluid bed cooler according to a second embodiment, and Figure 3 illustrates schematically a fluid bed cooler according to a third embodiment. Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d illustrate schematically fluidizing nozzle arrangements according to different embodiments seen from above, and Figures 5a and 5b illustrate schematically a lower part of the prechamber according to two different embodiments in cross section seen from a side.

[0023] A fluid bed cooler 1 , such as a fluid bed cooler 1 according to an embodiment of one of the Figures 1 - 3, comprises an inlet 3 for receiving material into the fluid bed cooler 1 to be cooled. The fluid bed cooler 1 also comprises a first cooling chamber 4 provided downstream from the inlet 3 for cooling material, such as material flow 28, received in the fluid bed cooler 1 via the inlet 3. The fluid bed cooler 1 further comprises an outlet 5 provided downstream from the first cooling chamber 4 for discharging material cooled down in the fluid bed cooler 1 .

[0024] Furthermore, the fluid bed cooler 1 comprises a prechamber 6 provided downstream from the inlet 3 and upstream from the first cooling chamber 4 for collecting agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding a first predetermined particle size. In other words, the material to be cooled down is thus configured to flow within the fluid bed cooler 1 from the inlet 3 to the outlet 5, namely from right to left in Figures 1 - 3 indicated with angled arrows 28, whereas the agglomerates and coarse particles are configured to flow downwards in the prechamber 6 indicated by arrow 23. The prechamber 6 comprises at a lower portion 7 of the prechamber 6 a prechamber collection box 8. The lower portion 7 of the prechamber 6 refers to a portion of the prechamber 6 provided below the level of the inlet 3. The collection box 8 is provided with a fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. The fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 comprises an opening 21 with a size larger than the first predetermined particle size. The fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 comprises at least one opening 21 with a size larger than the first predetermined particle size. The size of the opening 21 refers to the dimensions of the opening(s) 21 along a plane 22 transverse to the direction of flow of the material 23 through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. In other words, the size of the opening 21 , or in case of more than one opening 21 the size of the largest opening 21 , determines the maximum size of at least two perpendicular dimensions of particles capable of passing through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. Thereby, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 enables agglomerates and coarse particles larger than the first predetermined particle size but smaller than the size of the opening 21 in at least two perpendicular directions of the particle to be drained from the prechamber 6 through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. In other words, the fluid bed cooler 1 is designed to pass the agglomerates and coarse particles, or at least the agglomerates and coarse particles larger than the first predetermined size and smaller than the grid size defined by the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9, through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 via the opening(s) 21 , which decreases the frequency of a need to discharge agglomerates and coarse particles collected onto fluidizing nozzles and adverse effect of the collected particles on fluidizing operation considerably.

[0025] According to an embodiment, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 may comprise one opening 21. More particularly, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 may comprise one opening 21 for enabling discharging of agglomerates and coarse particles through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. According to an embodiment, the opening 21 may be provided in the middle of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 or close to the middle of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 in such a manner that the opening 21 overlaps the middle of the plane 22. According to an embodiment, the opening 21 may comprise a round, oval or rectangular cross section, or any other suitable cross section. According to an embodiment, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 may comprise two or more of such openings 21 for enabling discharging of agglomerates and coarse particles through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 may comprise an open grid design. The open grid design refers to the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 comprising a structure, wherein gaps are formed between the fluidizing nozzles 14, which gaps form the opening(s) 21 enabling discharging of agglomerates and coarse particles through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. The dimensions of these gaps along a plane 22 transverse to the direction of flow of the material 23 through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 define the size of the opening(s) 21 , in this case a grid size. In such embodiments, the size of the opening 21 being larger than the first predetermined particle size, thus, refers to the grid size being larger than the first predetermined particle size. In other words, the grid size determines the maximum size of at least two perpendicular dimensions of particles capable of passing through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. A fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 comprising an open grid design thus forms a fluidizing nozzle grate for discharging agglomerates and coarse particles through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. According to an embodiment, the prechamber 6, and more particularly the prechamber collection box 8, may comprise a conical box provided under the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 for discharging the agglomerates and coarse particles drained through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 from the prechamber 6. In other words, according to an embodiment, the prechamber collection box 8 may be formed as a conical box. The conical box, in other words the prechamber collection box 8, being conical refers to the walls of the conical box being tapered in such a manner that cross-sectional area of the conical box decreases in the direction of the flow of the material 23. The cross section of the conical box may comprise a round, ellipse, triangular, rectangular, or other rounded or angled shape. According to an embodiment, a part of the prechamber collection box 8 may be formed as a conical box. According to another embodiment, the entire prechamber collection box 8 may be formed as a conical box. According to an embodiment, the prechamber collection box 8 may comprise any other shape suitable for discharging agglomerates and coarse particles from the prechamber 6.

[0027] According to an embodiment, such as in the embodiment of Figures 2 and 3, the fluid bed cooler 1 may further comprise a housing 2. The inlet 3 and the outlet 5 may be provided in the housing 2. Furthermore, the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4 may be provided within the housing 2. This type of a structure may be for instance cost effective. According to another embodiment, the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4 may be provided within separate housings and connected to each other via a connecting pipe 27, such as in the embodiment of Figure 1 , or another type of a line guiding the material to be cooled from the prechamber 6 to the first cooling chamber 4, such as in the embodiment of Figure 1 . According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 further comprises one, two or more further cooling chambers 10 provided downstream from the first cooling chamber 4 and upstream from the outlet 5. According to a further embodiment, the one, two or more further cooling chambers 10 are provided within the same housing 2 with the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4.

[0028] According to an embodiment, a first partial partition wall 18 is provided between the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4. The first partial partition wall 18 may only extend a portion of the height of the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4. In other words, the first partial partition wall 18 does not extend over the entire height of the prechamber. According to an embodiment, the first partial partition wall 18 may extend at least from a level of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 of the prechamber 6 to a position spaced from the top 24 of the prechamber 6 or the housing 2, thus leaving the opening above the first partial partition wall 18. According to another embodiment, the opening may be provided in the first partial partition wall 18 above the level of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 and below the top 24 of the prechamber 6 or the housing 2. Thereby, the first partial partition wall is designed to provide an opening between the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4, which opening enables material to be cooled to enter from the prechamber 6 to the first cooling chamber 4.

[0029] According to an embodiment, a second partial partition wall 19 is provided between the first cooling chamber 4 and an adjacent further cooling chamber 10. The second partial partition wall 19 may only extend a portion of the height of the first cooling chamber 4 and the further cooling chamber 10. The second partial partition wall 19 may thus provide an opening between the first cooling chamber 4 and the further cooling chamber 10 enabling material to be cooled to enter from the first cooling chamber 4 to the further cooling chamber 10. The position of the opening and the working principle of the second partial partition wall 19 may be similar to the first partial partition wall 18, except for the position between the first cooling chamber 4 and the further cooling chamber 10 instead of the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4.

[0030] According to an embodiment, a lower portion 11 of one or more of the first cooling chamber 4 and the further cooling chamber(s) 10 comprises a windbox-type of a collection box 12 enabling collecting particles exceeding a second predetermined particle size to be collected in the windbox-type collection box(es) 12. The lower portion 11 of one or more of the first cooling chamber 4 and the further cooling chamber(s) 10 refers to a portion of the cooling chamber 4, 10 in question, which is provided below the opening between the first cooling chamber 4 and the further cooling chamber 10, or between the adjacent further cooling chambers 10 for flow of material to be cooled. This type of windbox-type as such are known in the art and are, thus, not described here in more detail.

[0031] According to an embodiment, such as the embodiment of Figures 4d and 5b, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 comprises a planar structure 25 extending in plane 22 on the side of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 configured to face the flow of the material, in other words upwards for instance in Figure 5b, and the fluidizing nozzles 14 and the opening(s) 21 are provided in the planar structure 25. According to an embodiment, fluidizing air may be provided to the fluidizing nozzles 14 via one or more supply line(s) 26 connected to the fluidizing nozzles 14 directly or via connecting lines. Depending on the embodiment, such connecting lines may comprise for instance tubes provided within or below the planar structure 25, namely on a side of the planar structure 25 opposite to the one provided with the fluidizing nozzles 14, or channels formed within the planar structure 25.

[0032] According to another embodiment, such as the embodiments of Figures 4a, 4b, 4c and 5a, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 comprises a plurality of parallel first fluidizing tubes 13. Each first fluidizing tube 13 may be provided with at least one fluidizing nozzle 14. The first fluidizing tubes 13 may be spaced from adjacent first fluidizing tubes 13 by a distance larger than the first determined particle size. This distance defines the gaps 21 and the grid size, and thus the size of the openings 21 , discussed in connection with the concept of the open grid design in one dimension. According to an embodiment, the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 further comprises a plurality of parallel second fluidizing tubes 15 provided in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the first fluidizing tubes 13. Each second fluidizing tube 15 may be provided with at least one fluidizing nozzle 14 directed towards material received in the prechamber 6 via the inlet 3. The second fluidizing tubes 15 may be spaced from adjacent second fluidizing tubes 15 by a distance larger than the first determined particle size. Similarly to the first fluidizing tubes 13, this distance between adjacent second fluidizing tubes 15 defines the gaps and the grid size, and thus the size of the openings 21 , in a second dimension, namely a dimension perpendicular to the one defined by the first fluidizing tubes 13. In such embodiments, the first fluidizing tubes 13 and / or second fluidizing tubes 15 may form the open grid design, as discussed in connection with the size of the opening(s) 21 . Different kind of fluidizing nozzles 14 used in fluid bed coolers are as such known in the art and are, therefore, not explained here in more detail.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the first fluidizing tubes 13 and / or the second fluidizing tubes 15 extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of agglomerates and / or coarse particles in the area of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. According to an embodiment, the first fluidizing tubes 13 and / or the second fluidizing tubes 15 extend in a horizontal direction 16. According to a further embodiment, both the first fluidizing tubes 13 and the second fluidizing tubes 15 extend in a horizontal direction 16, namely in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the acceleration due to gravity vector. According to an embodiment, the plane 22 is equal to and / or parallel to the horizontal direction 16.

[0034] According to an embodiment, air, namely fluidizing air, is supplied to the fluidizing nozzles at an operating range of 100 - 10000 Nm3 / h, preferably at an operating range of 500-1500 Nm3 / h.

[0035] According to an embodiment, at least one first fluidizing tube 13 is provided in a fluid connection with at least one other first fluidizing tube 13 and / or second fluidizing tube 15. In other words, at least to first fluidizing tubes 13 may be in fluid connection with each other and / or at least one first fluidizing tube 13 may be in fluid connection with at least one second fluidizing tube 15. According to an embodiment, at least two second fluidizing tubes 15 may be in fluid connection with each other. According to a further embodiment, all the first fluidizing tubes 13 may be provided in fluid connection with each other and / or all the second fluidizing tubes 15 may be provided in fluid connection with each other. According to a further embodiment, all the fluidizing tubes 13, 15 in the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9, namely all the first fluidizing tubes 13 and all the second fluidizing tubes 15 may be in fluid connection with each other. In such embodiments, fluidizing air may be supplied centrally to all fluidizing tubes 13, 15 provided in fluid connection with each other. In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to control air supply to fluidizing tubes 13, 15 separately. This may be implemented by either not connecting the fluidizing tubes 13, 15, or at least not all the fluidizing tubes 13, 15, to each other, or by providing air supply controlling equipment after a branching point between connected first fluidizing tubes 13 and / or second fluidizing tubes 15. According to an embodiment, fluidizing air may be provided to one or more of the first fluidizing tubes 13 and / or to the second fluidizing tubes 15, and thus to the fluidizing nozzles 14, via one or more supply line(s) 26 connected to the fluidizing tubes 13, 15. In Figures 4a to 4d, flow of the fluidizing air is marked by small arrows inside the fluidizing tubes 13, 15.

[0036] According to an embodiment, the fluid flow, especially the fluidization velocity of the fluidizing air, from the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 is adjusted to a level, where the material with a particle size smaller than the first predetermined particle size is enabled to enter the first cooling chamber 4. On the other hand, the fluid flow from the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 may simultaneously be adjusted to a level, where agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding a first predetermined particle size sink, at least for the most part, towards the prechamber collection box 8 due to their weight, which is heavier than the weight of the particles with a particle size smaller than the first predetermined particle size. According to an embodiment, the combination of the fluidization velocity of the air supplied to the prechamber 6 via the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9, more particularly via the fluidizing nozzles 14, and the height 24 of the first partial partition wall 18 are selected in such a manner that the material with a particle size smaller than the first predetermined particle size is enabled to enter the first cooling chamber 4, namely flow over the first partial partition wall 18, and a majority of the agglomerates and coarse particles, preferably at least 75 percent of the agglomerates and coarse particles, exceeding a first predetermined particle size sink towards the prechamber collection box 8.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the prechamber 6 is provided with instrumentation 20 to evaluate the fluidization behaviour of the material in the prechamber prior to the material either entering the first cooling chamber 4 or being drained from the prechamber 6 via the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9. According to an embodiment, the instrumentation 20 may comprise at least one of pressure instrumentation and temperature instrumentation. The fluidization behaviour of the material, such as breakage of particles and / or separation of particles with size exceeding or being smaller than the first predetermined particle size, in the prechamber 6 may be evaluated for instance on the basis of pressure and temperature. For example, if the pressure in the prechamber 6 drops, the material in the prechamber may not fluidize properly. This may be caused for instance by agglomerates and coarse particles being collected on the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 and not passing through it, thus blocking fluidizing nozzles 14 and / or the air flow.

[0038] According to an embodiment the first predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 100 mm. According to further embodiments, the first predetermined particle size may be smaller than or equal to 40 mm, preferably smaller than or equal to 20 mm, and most preferably smaller than or equal to 10 mm.

[0039] According to an embodiment, the second predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 300 microns. According further embodiments, the second predetermined particle size maybe smaller than or equal to 250 microns, preferably smaller than or equal to 200 microns, and most preferably smaller than or equal to 100 microns.

[0040] According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 comprises a fluid bed cooler for a fluidized bed plant. According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 comprises a fluid bed cooler for a metallurgical roasting plant, metallurgical calcination plant, a phosphor rock calcination plant, or any other fluidized bed application. According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 comprises a fluid bed cooler for cooling of calcine material coming from a fluid bed plant and / or dust collection from the fluid bed plant offgas, whereby the inlet 3 of the fluid bed cooler 1 may be connected, directly or indirectly, to a fluid bed plant and / or dust collection from the fluid bed plant offgas. According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 may be configured to cool calcine material in connection with at least one of azinc, pyrite, copper, cobalt, or gold roasting plant. In other words, a fluid bed cooler 1 disclosed in this disclosure may be used for cooling a material in a process forming a part of tailings and waste processing plant, a zinc, pyrite, copper, cobalt, or gold roasting plant or handling of side streams of such a plant.

[0041] According to an embodiment, the feed material of the fluidized bed plant may comprise at least one of: tailings, zinc concentrate, pyrite, copper concentrate, cobalt concentrate, and gold ore. According to an embodiment, the feed material of the fluidized bed plant may comprise for instance 0.5 - 60 % sulphur. According to an embodiment the feed material of the fluidized bed plant may comprise at least one of the following: tailings comprising 20-60 % sulphur, zinc concentrate comprising 20-50 % sulphur, pyrite comprising 20-60% sulphur, copper concentrate comprising 20-50 % sulphur, cobalt concentrate comprising 20-50 % sulphur, or gold ore comprising 0.5 - 20 % sulphur. According to an embodiment, calcine material in the material flow 28 cooled in the fluid bed cooler 1 , namely calcine material from one or more of these fluidized bed plant feed materials, such as roaster feed materials, may comprise a sulphur content for instance in the range of 0.01 to 10%, wherein the combustible sulphur content in the calcine is preferably in the range of 0.1 - 1 %.

[0042] According to an embodiment, the size of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9, more particularly the dimensions of the fluid nozzle arrangement 9 in two perpendicular dimensions on the plane 22, may be in the range of 0.2 m x 0.2 m to 5 m x 5 m, preferably in the range of 0.5 m x 0.5 m to 3 m x 3 m. The shape of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 may be round, rectangular or any other shape suitable for a prechamber 6 in question.

[0043] According to an embodiment, a fluid bed plant comprises a fluid bed cooler 1 according to an embodiment disclosed in this description and / or accompanying claims and drawings, or a combination of such embodiments.

[0044] Figure 6 illustrates schematically a method for cooling material flow in a fluid bed cooler.

[0045] A method for cooling material flow in a fluid bed cooler 1 , such as a method according to Figure 6, comprises cooling 60 material flow in a fluid bed cooler 1 according to an embodiment disclosed in this description and / or accompanying claims and drawings, or a combination of such embodiments. Figure 7 illustrates schematically a method for cooling material in a fluid bed cooler according to an embodiment.

[0046] According to an embodiment, such as the embodiment of the method illustrated in Figure 7, the method, namely the cooling material flow 28 in a fluid bed cooler 1 according to an embodiment, comprises receiving 70 material flow 28 to be cooled into the fluid bed cooler 1 via the inlet 3 and collecting 72 agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding a first predetermined particle size in a prechamber 6 provided downstream from the inlet 3 and upstream from the first cooling chamber 3. According to an embodiment, the method further comprises draining 74 agglomerates and coarse particles larger than the first predetermined particle size but smaller than the grid size in at least two perpendicular directions of the particle to be drained from the prechamber 6 through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9, cooling 76 the material flow 28 received from the prechamber 6 in the first cooling chamber 4, and discharging 78 material flow 28 cooled down in the fluid bed cooler 1 via the outlet 5.

[0047] According to an embodiment, the prechamber 6, more particularly the prechamber collection box 8, comprises a conical box provided under the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9, and the method further comprises discharging the agglomerates and coarse particles drained through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement 9 from the prechamber 6 via the prechamber collection box 8, which may be formed as the conical box.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 further comprises a housing 2, and the inlet 3 and the outlet 5 are provided in the housing 2, and the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4 are provided within the housing 2.

[0049] According to an embodiment, the fluid bed cooler 1 may further comprises one, two or more further cooling chambers 10 provided downstream from the first cooling chamber 4 and upstream from the outlet 5, and the method may further comprise further cooling the material in the one, two or more further cooling chambers 10. According to an embodiment, the one, two or more further cooling chambers 10 are provided within the same housing 2 with the prechamber 6 and the first cooling chamber 4.

[0050] According to an embodiment, inlet temperature of the material to be cooled, such as fine solids calcine, may be in the range of 400 - 1000 degrees Celsius, and it may be cooled down to an outlet temperature in the range of 50 - 300 degrees Celsius in the fluid bed cooler 1 .

Claims

CLAIMS1 . Fluid bed cooler comprising an inlet for receiving material into the fluid bed cooler to be cooled, a first cooling chamber provided downstream from the inlet for cooling material flow received in the fluid bed cooler via the inlet, and an outlet provided downstream from the first cooling chamber for discharging material cooled down in the fluid bed cooler, characterized in that the fluid bed cooler further comprises a prechamber provided downstream from the inlet and upstream from the first cooling chamber for collecting agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding a first predetermined particle size, wherein the prechamber comprises at a lower portion of the prechamber a prechamber collection box provided with a fluidizing nozzle arrangement comprising at least one opening with a size larger than the first predetermined particle size, whereby the fluidizing nozzle arrangement enables agglomerates and coarse particles larger than the first predetermined particle size but smaller than the size of the opening in at least two perpendicular directions of the particle to be drained from the prechamber through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement.

2. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 1 , wherein the prechamber collection box comprises a conical box provided under the fluidizing nozzle arrangement for discharging the agglomerates and coarse particles drained through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement from the prechamber.

3. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluid bed cooler further comprises a housing, and wherein the inlet and the outlet are provided in the housing, and the prechamber and the first cooling chamber are provided within the housing.

4. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 3, wherein the fluid bed cooler further comprises one, two or more further cooling chambers provided downstream from the first cooling chamber and upstream from the outlet.

5. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 4, wherein the one, two or more further cooling chambers are provided within the same housing with the prechamber and the first cooling chamber.

6. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein a first partial partition wall is provided between the prechamber and the first cooling chamber, which first partial partition wall only extends a portion of the height of the prechamber and the first cooling chamber thus providing an opening between the prechamber and the first cooling chamber enabling material to be cooled to enter from the prechamber to the first cooling chamber.

7. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 4 - 6, wherein a second partial partition wall is provided between the first cooling chamber and an adjacent further cooling chamber, which second partial partition wall only extends a portion of the height of the first cooling chamber and the further cooling chamber thus providing an opening between the first cooling chamber and the further cooling chamber enabling material to be cooled to enter from the first cooling chamber to the further cooling chamber.

8. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 7, wherein a lower portion of one or more of the first cooling chamber and the further cooling chamber(s) comprises a windbox-type of a collection box enabling collecting particles exceeding a second predetermined particle size to be collected in the windbox-type collection box(es).

9. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 8, wherein the fluidizing nozzle arrangement comprises a planar structure extending in plane on the side of the fluidizing nozzle arrangement configured to face the flow of the material, and the fluidizing nozzles and the opening(s) are provided in the planar structure.

10. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 8, wherein the fluidizing nozzle arrangement comprises a plurality of parallel first fluidizing tubes, each provided with at least one fluidizing nozzle, wherein the first fluidizing tubes are spaced from adjacent first fluidizing tubes by a distance larger than the first determined particle size.

11. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 10, wherein the fluidizing nozzle arrangement further comprises a plurality of parallel second fluidizing tubes provided in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the first fluidizing tubes, each second fluidizing tube provided with at least one fluidizing nozzle directed towards material received in the prechamber via the inlet, wherein the second fluidizing tubes are spaced from adjacent second fluidizing tubes by a distance larger than the first determined particle size.

12. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the first fluidizing tubes and / or the second fluidizing tubes extend in a horizontal direction.

13. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 10 - 12, wherein at least one first fluidizing tube is provided in a fluid connection with at least one other first fluidizing tube and / or second fluidizing tube.

14. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 13, wherein the combination of the fluidization velocity of air supplied to the prechamber via the fluidizing nozzle arrangement and the height of the first partial partition wall are selected in such a manner that the material with a particle size smaller than the first predetermined particle size is enabled to enter the first cooling chamber and a majority of the agglomerates and coarse particles of the agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding the first predetermined particle size sink towards the prechamber collection box..

15. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 14, wherein the prechamber is provided with instrumentation to evaluate the fluidization behaviour of the material in the prechamber prior to the material either entering the first cooling chamber or being drained from the prechamber via the fluidizing nozzle arrangement.

16. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 15, wherein the instrumentation comprises at least one of pressure instrumentation and temperature instrumentation.

17. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 16, wherein the first predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 100 mm.

18. A fluid bed cooler of claim 17, wherein the first predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 40 mm.

19. A fluid bed cooler of claim 17 or 18, wherein the first predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 20 mm.

20. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 19, wherein the second predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 300 microns.21 . A fluid bed cooler according to claim 20, wherein the second predetermined particle size is smaller than or equal to 100 microns.

22. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 21 , wherein the fluid bed cooler comprises a fluid bed cooler for a fluidized bed plant.

23. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 21 , wherein the fluid bed cooler comprises a fluid bed cooler for a metallurgical roasting plant metallurgical calcination plant, or a phosphor rock calcination plant.

24. A fluid bed cooler according to claim 23, wherein the fluid bed cooler comprises a fluid bed cooler for cooling of calcine material coming from a fluid bed plant and / or dust collection from the fluid bed plant offgas, whereby the inlet of the fluid bed cooler is connected, directly or indirectly, to a fluid bed plant and / or dust collection from the fluid bed plant offgas.

25. A fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 24, wherein the fluid bed cooler is configured to cool calcine material in connection with at least one of tailings and waste processing plant, a zinc, pyrite, copper, cobalt, or gold roasting plant.

26. A method for cooling material flow in a fluid bed cooler, wherein the method comprises cooling material in a fluid bed cooler according to any one of claims 1 - 25.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the method comprises receiving material flow to be cooled into the fluid bed cooler via the inlet; collecting agglomerates and coarse particles exceeding a first predetermined particle size in a prechamber provided downstream from the inlet and upstream from the first cooling chamber; draining agglomerates and coarse particles larger than the first predetermined particle size but smaller than the size of the opening in at least two perpendicular directions of the particle to be drained from the prechamber through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement; cooling the material flow received from the prechamber in the first cooling chamber; and discharging material flow cooled down in the fluid bed cooler via the outlet.

28. A method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the prechamber collection box comprises a conical box provided under the fluidizing nozzle arrangement, and wherein the method further comprises discharging the agglomerates and coarse particlesdrained through the fluidizing nozzle arrangement from the prechamber via the prechamber collection box.

29. A method according to any one of claims 26 - 28, wherein the fluid bed cooler further comprises a housing, and wherein the inlet and the outlet are provided in the housing, and the prechamber and the first cooling chamber are provided within the housing.

30. A method according to any one of claims 26 - 29, wherein the fluid bed cooler further comprises one, two or more further cooling chambers provided downstream from the first cooling chamber and upstream from the outlet, and wherein the method further comprises further cooling the material in the one, two or more further cooling chambers.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the one, two or more further cooling chambers are provided within the same housing with the prechamber and the first cooling chamber.

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