Particle recovery facility

Abstract

This particle recovery facility comprises: a cyclone configured to separate particles from gas containing the particles by swirling the gas; a pressure container including a cyclone storage chamber for storing the cyclone; a filter configured to capture particles remaining in the gas discharged upward from the cyclone; a delivery line for guiding the particles captured by the filter toward a recovery chamber for recovering particles discharged downward from the cyclone; and a first communicative pipe for communicating the recovery chamber with the cyclone storage chamber.

Description

Particle collection equipment

[0001] This disclosure relates to a particle recovery system that recovers particles from a gas. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-198173, filed with the Japan Patent Office on November 22, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, particle recovery equipment for recovering particles from a gas containing particles has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cyclone-integrated storage device that is integrally configured with a cyclone and a particle storage chamber located below the cyclone. A gas containing particles is introduced into the cyclone. As the gas swirls within the cyclone, particles (e.g., coarse particles) separate from the gas and fall into the particle storage chamber. The gas discharged upward from the cyclone is sent to a filter via an exhaust pipe. The filter captures particles (e.g., fine particles) remaining in the gas. The captured particles are sent to the particle storage chamber via a delivery pipe. Furthermore, the particle storage equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a connecting pipe that connects a pressure vessel housing the cyclone with an exhaust pipe. The connecting pipe suppresses a pressure increase within the particle storage chamber by equalizing pressure, which reduces the pressure difference between the particle storage chamber and a flow path in the exhaust pipe.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-114469

[0004] When particles captured by the filter flow into the particle storage chamber via the supply pipe, particles suspended in the storage chamber may flow into the discharge pipe via the connecting pipe, which may increase the amount of particles captured by the filter and shorten the filter's lifespan.

[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a particle collection system that extends the life of filters for capturing particles contained in gases.

[0006] A particle recovery system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cyclone configured to separate particles from a gas containing particles by swirling the gas; a pressure vessel including a cyclone chamber that houses the cyclone; a filter configured to capture particles remaining in the gas discharged upward from the cyclone; a delivery line for guiding the particles captured by the filter toward a recovery chamber that recovers the particles discharged downward from the cyclone; and a first communication pipe that connects the recovery chamber and the cyclone chamber.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a particle collection facility can be provided that extends the life of a filter for capturing particles contained in gas.

[0008] It is a schematic diagram of an integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation facility according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a schematic diagram of a char recovery facility according to a first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of a char recovery facility according to a second embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of a char recovery facility according to a third embodiment.

[0009] Several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure and are merely illustrative examples. For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute arrangements, such as "in a certain direction," "along a certain direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," or "coaxial," not only strictly express such arrangements, but also express relative displacements with a tolerance or angle or distance to the extent that the same function is achieved. For example, expressions expressing the equality of things, such as "same," "equal," and "homogeneous," not only express strict equality, but also express tolerance or differences to the extent that the same function is achieved. For example, expressions expressing shapes such as a square or cylindrical shape not only express shapes such as a square or cylindrical shape in the strict geometric sense, but also express shapes including concave and convex portions, chamfered portions, etc., to the extent that the same effect is achieved. On the other hand, the expressions "comprise," "include," or "have" one component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. Note that similar components may be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0010] In the following explanation, "upper" refers to the vertically upward direction, and "upper" in terms such as upper part and upper surface refers to the vertically upward part. Similarly, "lower" refers to the vertically downward part, and the vertical direction is not precise and may include errors.

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation facility 10 to which a gasifier 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is applied.

[0012] An integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) 10 to which the gasifier 101 according to this embodiment is applied uses air as a primary oxidant and employs an air combustion system in which the gasifier 101 produces combustible gas (produced gas) from fuel. The integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) 10 refines the produced gas produced in the gasifier 101 in a gas refinement system 16 to produce fuel gas, which is then supplied to a gas turbine 17 to generate power. That is, the integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) 10 according to the first embodiment is an air combustion (air-blown) power generation system. While the present embodiment will be described as an air combustion system, an oxygen combustion (oxygen-blown) system may also be used. A carbon-containing solid fuel, such as coal, is used as the fuel supplied to the gasifier 101.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation facility (integrated gasification combined cycle power generation facility) 10 includes a coal supply facility 11, a gasifier 101, a char recovery facility 15, a gas purification facility 16, a gas turbine 17, a steam turbine 18, a generator 19, and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) 20.

[0014] The coal supply facility 11 receives coal, which is a carbon-containing solid fuel, as raw coal and pulverizes the coal using a coal mill (not shown) or the like to produce pulverized coal pulverized into fine particles. The pulverized coal produced by the coal supply facility 11 is pressurized at the outlet of the coal supply line 11a by nitrogen gas, which serves as an inert gas for transportation and is supplied from an air separation facility 42 (described later), and is supplied toward the gasifier 101. The inert gas is an inert gas having an oxygen content of approximately 5% by volume or less, and typical examples include nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and argon gas, but is not necessarily limited to approximately 5% by volume or less.

[0015] The gasification furnace 101 is supplied with pulverized coal produced in the coal supply facility 11, and also with char (unreacted coal and ash) recovered in the char recovery facility 15 for the purpose of reusing it as energy.

[0016] A compressed air supply line 41 extending from the gas turbine 17 (compressor 61) is connected to the gasifier 101, and a portion of the compressed air compressed by the gas turbine 17 is boosted to a predetermined pressure by a booster 68 so that it can be supplied to the gasifier 101. The air separation facility 42 separates and generates nitrogen and oxygen from atmospheric air, and a first nitrogen supply line 43 connects the air separation facility 42 to a coal feed line 11a extending from the coal feed facility 11, and the first nitrogen supply line 43 is then connected to the gasifier 101 as the fuel supply line 12. A second nitrogen supply line 45 branching off from the first nitrogen supply line 43 is also connected to a char return line 46 extending from the char recovery facility 15, and the second nitrogen supply line 45 is then connected to the gasifier 101 as the char supply line 13. The air separation facility 42 is further connected to the compressed air supply line 41 by an oxygen supply line 47. The nitrogen separated by the air separation equipment 42 is used as a carrier gas for coal and char by flowing through a first nitrogen supply line 43 and a second nitrogen supply line 45. The oxygen separated by the air separation equipment 42 is used as an oxidizing agent (air, oxygen) in the gasifier 101 by flowing through an oxygen supply line 47 and a compressed air supply line 41.

[0017] The gasifier 101 is configured, for example, as a two-stage entrained flow type, and gasifies coal (pulverized coal) and char supplied therein by partial combustion using an oxidizing agent (air, oxygen) to produce a produced gas. The gasifier 101 is provided with a foreign matter removal system 48 that discharges coal, ash (coal ash), and the like to the outside. A first produced gas line 49 that supplies the produced gas toward the char recovery system 15 is connected to the gasifier 101, allowing the produced gas containing char to be discharged. In this case, a syngas cooler (gas cooler) (not shown) may be provided in the first produced gas line 49 to cool the produced gas to a predetermined temperature before supplying it to the char recovery system 15.

[0018] The char recovery facility 15 includes a dust collector 51 and a supply hopper 52. In this case, the dust collector 51 is composed of one or more cyclones or porous filters, and is capable of separating char contained in the product gas generated in the gasifier 101. The product gas from which char has been separated is sent to the gas purification facility 16 through a second product gas line 53. The supply hopper 52 recovers the char separated from the product gas by the dust collector 51. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which a bin is disposed between the dust collector 51 and the supply hopper 52, and multiple supply hoppers 52 are connected to this bin. A char return line 46 from the supply hopper 52 is connected to the second nitrogen supply line 45.

[0019] The gas purification equipment 16 purifies the product gas from which char has been separated by the char recovery equipment 15 by removing impurities such as sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds. The gas purification equipment 16 then purifies the product gas to produce fuel gas, which is supplied to a gas turbine 17. Note that the product gas from which char has been separated contains sulfur compounds (such as H2S), so the gas purification equipment 16 removes and recovers the sulfur compounds using an amine absorption solution or the like, and effectively utilizes the sulfur compounds as gypsum or the like.

[0020] The gas turbine 17 includes a compressor 61, a combustor 62, and a turbine 63, and the compressor 61 and the turbine 63 are connected by a rotary shaft 64. A compressed air supply line 65 from the compressor 61, a fuel gas supply line 66 from the gas purification facility 16, and a combustion gas supply line 67 extending toward the turbine 63 are connected to the combustor 62. The gas turbine 17 is also provided with a compressed air supply line 41 extending from the compressor 61 to the gasifier 101, and a booster 68 is provided midway through the line. Therefore, the combustor 62 generates combustion gas by mixing and burning a portion of the compressed air supplied from the compressor 61 with at least a portion of the fuel gas supplied from the gas purification facility 16, and supplies the generated combustion gas to the turbine 63. The turbine 63 rotates the rotary shaft 64 using the supplied combustion gas, thereby rotating the generator 19.

[0021] The steam turbine 18 includes a turbine 69 connected to a rotary shaft 64 of the gas turbine 17, and the generator 19 is connected to the base end of the rotary shaft 64. The steam turbine 18 and the gas turbine 17 do not have to share the same shaft to rotate and drive one generator 19, but may share different shafts to rotate and drive multiple generators. The exhaust heat recovery steam generator 20 is connected to an exhaust gas line 70 from the gas turbine 17 (turbine 63), and generates steam by exchanging heat between water supplied to the exhaust heat recovery steam generator 20 and the exhaust gas from the turbine 63.

[0022] A steam supply line 71 and a water supply line 72 are provided between the heat recovery boiler 20 and the turbine 69 of the steam turbine 18, and a condenser 73 is provided on the water supply line 72. The steam generated in the heat recovery boiler 20 may include steam generated by heat exchange with the generated gas in a syngas cooler (not shown) of the gasifier 101. Therefore, in the steam turbine 18, the turbine 69 is rotationally driven by the steam supplied from the heat recovery boiler 20, which rotates the rotary shaft 64 and thereby drives the generator 19. An exhaust gas purification system 74 is provided from the outlet of the heat recovery boiler 20 to the chimney 75.

[0023] Here, the operation of the integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation facility 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0024] In the integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation plant 10 of this embodiment, when raw coal (coal) is supplied to the coal feeding facility 11, the coal is pulverized into fine particles in the coal feeding facility 11 to become pulverized coal. The pulverized coal produced in the coal feeding facility 11 is supplied to the gasifier 101 through the fuel supply line 12 by nitrogen supplied from the air separation facility 42 through the first nitrogen supply line 43.

[0025] Furthermore, char recovered in a char recovery facility 15 (described later) is supplied to the gasifier 101 through a char supply line 13 by nitrogen supplied from an air separation facility 42 through a second nitrogen supply line 45. Furthermore, compressed air extracted from a gas turbine 17 (described later) is pressurized by a booster 68, and then supplied to the gasifier 101 through a compressed air supply line 41 together with oxygen supplied from the air separation facility 42.

[0026] In the gasifier 101, the supplied pulverized coal and char are combusted with compressed air (oxygen) and gasified to generate a generated gas. The generated gas is then discharged from the gasifier 101 through a first generated gas line 49 and sent to the char recovery facility 15.

[0027] In this char recovery facility 15, the produced gas is first supplied to a dust collector 51, where fine char contained in the produced gas is separated. The produced gas from which the char has been separated is then sent to the gas purification facility 16 through a second produced gas line 53. Meanwhile, the fine char separated from the produced gas is deposited in a supply hopper 52 and returned to the gasifier 101 through a char return line 46 for recycling.

[0028] The generated gas from which char has been separated by the char recovery facility 15 is purified in the gas purification facility 16 to remove impurities such as sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds, and fuel gas is produced. A compressor 61 generates compressed air and supplies it to a combustor 62. The combustor 62 generates combustion gas by combusting the compressed air supplied from the compressor 61 with the fuel gas supplied from the gas purification facility 16. The combustion gas rotates a turbine 63, which then rotates the compressor 61 and the generator 19 via a rotary shaft 64. In this way, the gas turbine 17 can generate electricity.

[0029] The heat recovery boiler 20 generates steam by exchanging heat between the exhaust gas discharged from a turbine 63 in the gas turbine 17 and water supplied to the heat recovery boiler 20, and supplies the generated steam to the steam turbine 18. In the steam turbine 18, the steam supplied from the heat recovery boiler 20 drives the turbine 69 to rotate, thereby driving the generator 19 via the rotating shaft 64, thereby generating electricity. Note that the gas turbine 17 and the steam turbine 18 do not have to be on the same shaft to rotate and drive one generator 19, but may be on different shafts to rotate and drive multiple generators.

[0030] Thereafter, in the exhaust gas purification equipment 74, harmful substances are removed from the exhaust gas discharged from the heat recovery boiler 20, and the purified exhaust gas is released into the atmosphere from a chimney 75.

[0031] <Char recovery equipment 15A (15) of first embodiment> As described above, the char recovery equipment 15 includes a dust collector 51 configured to separate char from the produced gas, and a supply hopper 52 to which the separated char is supplied. The dust collector 51 is an example of a "particle recovery equipment" of the present disclosure, the char is an example of a "particle" of the present disclosure, and the produced gas is an example of a "gas" of the present disclosure. The char recovery equipment 15A (15) of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

[0032] The char recovery facility 15A (15) includes a dust collector 51A (51). The dust collector 51A is provided with a pressure vessel 82 including a cyclone housing chamber 81, and a cyclone 80A (80) is housed in the cyclone housing chamber 81. The cyclone 80A (80) is configured to separate char from the produced gas by swirling the produced gas containing char. The separated char is discharged downward from the cyclone 80A, and the produced gas is discharged upward from the cyclone 80A.

[0033] The pressure vessel 82 illustrated in FIG. 2 is an integrated vessel including a recovery chamber 83 for recovering char and the cyclone housing chamber 81 described above. More specifically, the pressure vessel 82 includes an upper vessel 821 that defines the cyclone housing chamber 81 and a lower vessel 823 that defines the recovery chamber 83, with the upper vessel 821 and the lower vessel 823 being integrally configured with each other. The upper vessel 821 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. The lower vessel 823 has a shoulder portion 826 that connects to the lower end 821d of the upper vessel 821 and a lower main body portion 827 located below the shoulder portion 826. The shoulder portion 826 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an inner diameter that increases toward the bottom. The lower main body portion 827 is longer in the vertical direction than the shoulder portion 826.

[0034] The dust collector 51A includes a filter 85 configured to capture char remaining in the product gas discharged upward from the cyclone 80A. The filter 85 is housed in a filter container 39, and a gas delivery line 88 is connected to the filter container 39 and the cyclone 80A. The product gas discharged from the cyclone 80A flows into the filter container 39 via the gas delivery line 88. The inflowing product gas passes through the filter 85 and is discharged to the second product gas line 53 described above.

[0035] The dust collector 51A includes a delivery line 110 configured to guide the char captured by the filter 85 toward the recovery chamber 83. The delivery line 110 connects the filter container 39 and the lower container 823.

[0036] The char recovery system 15A further includes a first communication pipe 91 that connects the recovery chamber 83 and the cyclone storage chamber 81. A first communication on-off valve 141 is disposed in the first communication pipe 91, which extends in the vertical direction. The first communication pipe 91 includes a first connection port 31 connected to the recovery chamber 83 and a third connection port 33 connected to the cyclone storage chamber 81. In the example of FIG. 2 , the first connection port 31 is connected to the shoulder 826, and the third connection port 33 is connected to the upper vessel 821.

[0037] The principle by which the dust collector 51A recovers char from the produced gas is as follows. The produced gas flowing through the first produced gas line 49 (see FIG. 1 ) flows into the cyclone 80A (arrow A in FIG. 2 ). As the char-containing produced gas swirls through the cyclone 80A, the char separates from the produced gas. The separated char is discharged downward from the cyclone 80A and flows toward the lower vessel 823. As a result, the char is recovered in the recovery chamber 83.

[0038] On the other hand, the product gas discharged upward from cyclone 80A flows into filter container 39 via gas discharge line 88. As the product gas passes through filter 85, filter 85 captures char remaining in the product gas. The captured char flows from filter container 39 into collection chamber 83 via discharge line 110. As a result, the char that has flowed through discharge line 110 is collected in collection chamber 83. The product gas that has passed through filter 85 is discharged into second product gas line 53 and flows into gas purification equipment 16 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0039] According to the above configuration, when the char captured by the filter 85 flows into the collection chamber 83 via the delivery line 110, the gas containing particles that was in the collection chamber 83 is pushed out to the first connection port 31 of the first communication pipe 91 and flows through the first communication pipe 91 (arrow B). The gas containing particles then flows into the cyclone storage chamber 81 from the third connection port 33 of the first communication pipe 91, thereby preventing the char that was in the collection chamber 83 from flowing into the filter 85. This reduces the amount of char captured by the filter 85, thereby realizing a char recovery system 15A (15) with an extended filter 85 life. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the pressure vessel 82 being an integrated vessel. The pressure vessel 82 including the cyclone storage chamber 81 and the collection vessel (not shown) including the collection chamber 83 may be configured separately from each other. In this case, the pressure vessel 82 and the collection vessel may be connected by piping. Furthermore, the shape of the collection container may be different from the shape of the lower container 823 described above, and the collection container may not include components such as the shoulder portion 826. Even in such an embodiment, it is possible to obtain the above-mentioned technical advantages.

[0040] 2, a configuration is adopted in which the pressure vessel 82 is an integrated vessel. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the pressure difference between the cyclone housing chamber 81 and the collection chamber 83. Therefore, when char flows from the delivery line 110 into the collection chamber 83, it is possible to reduce the flow rate of char in the first communicating pipe 91. As a result, the flow rate of char from the first communicating pipe 91 to the cyclone housing chamber 81 is reduced, and scattering of char in the cyclone housing chamber 81 can be suppressed.

[0041] The configuration of the delivery line 110 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 2. The dust collecting device 51A further includes a hopper 94 disposed on the delivery line 110. The hopper 94 includes a hopper storage chamber 95 for temporarily storing the char captured by the filter 85. The delivery line 110 includes an upstream delivery line 111 connecting the hopper 94 and the filter container 39, and a downstream delivery line 112 connecting the hopper 94 and the lower container 823. An upstream delivery on-off valve 113 and a downstream delivery on-off valve 114 are disposed on the upstream delivery line 111 and the downstream delivery line 112, respectively.

[0042] The char discharged from the filter vessel 39 flows into the hopper storage chamber 95 via the upstream discharge line 111. After being temporarily stored in the hopper storage chamber 95, the char flows into the recovery chamber 83 via the downstream discharge line 112. The timing of discharging the char from the hopper storage chamber 95 is determined by the timing of opening and closing the downstream discharge on-off valve 114.

[0043] The dust collecting device 51A further includes a second communication pipe 92 that communicates the collection chamber 83 and the hopper storage chamber 95. The second communication pipe 92 includes a second connection port 32 connected to the collection chamber 83 and a fourth connection port 34 connected to the hopper storage chamber 95. In the example of FIG. 2, the second connection port 32 is connected to the shoulder portion 826, and the fourth connection port 34 is connected to the top of the hopper 94. Furthermore, a second communication on-off valve 142 is disposed in the second communication pipe 92. In the example of FIG. 2, the first connection port 31 of the first communication pipe 91 is located above the second connection port 32 of the second communication pipe 92.

[0044] According to the above configuration, when char flowing through the downstream delivery line 112 flows into the collection chamber 83, the gas containing char that was in the collection chamber 83 is pushed not only into the first communication pipe 91 but also into the second communication pipe 92 (arrow C). By pushing the gas into the second communication pipe 92, a significant decrease in pressure in the hopper storage chamber 95 can be suppressed, and stagnation of the flow of char in the downstream delivery line 112 can be suppressed. Furthermore, because the first connection port 31 is located above the second connection port 32, the char that flows into the collection chamber 83 from the second connection port 32 flows downward and is less likely to flow toward the first communication pipe 91. Therefore, the amount of char that flows out from the first communication pipe 91 to the cyclone storage chamber 81 can be reduced, and char scattering in the cyclone storage chamber 81 can be suppressed. The first connection port 31 may be connected to the upper container 821 instead of the shoulder 826, and the second connection port 32 may be connected to the lower main body 827 instead of the shoulder 826. Even in such an embodiment, it is possible to obtain the above-mentioned technical advantages.

[0045] The configuration of the cyclone 80A (80) will be described in detail. The cyclone 80A includes a body portion 121 extending in the vertical direction and a tapered portion 122 formed so that the inner diameter decreases downward. The body portion 121 is configured to swirl the generated gas. The tapered portion 122 extends downward from a lower end portion 121d of the body portion 121. The char that has swirled within the body portion 121 is discharged downward from the lower end portion 121d of the tapered portion 122, and the discharged char flow may include a swirling component.

[0046] In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the third connection port 33 of the first communicating pipe 91 is located above the lower end 122d of the tapered portion 122. As a more specific example, the third connection port 33 is located above the lower end 122d of the tapered portion 122 and below the lower end 121d of the body portion 121. This configuration prevents the flow of char flowing out of the third connection port 33 into the collection chamber 83 from being disturbed by the flow of char discharged downward from the cyclone 80A. This allows the char to flow out smoothly from the third connection port 33. The third connection port 33 may also be located above the lower end 121d of the body portion 121. Even in this embodiment, the above-described technical advantages can be achieved.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 2 , the dust collecting device 51A further includes a swirl prevention portion 135 extending from the inner circumferential surface 132 of the pressure vessel 82 toward the center of the pressure vessel 82. In this example, the swirl prevention portion 135 extends from the inner circumferential surface 132 of the upper vessel 821 toward the center and downward of the pressure vessel 82, and is inclined relative to the vertical direction. A swirl base end 136, which is the base end of the swirl prevention portion 135, is located below the lower end of the cyclone 80A (lower end 122d in the example of FIG. 2 ). The swirl prevention portion 135 also separates the cyclone housing chamber 81 from the collection chamber 83. With this configuration, the swirling flow of char discharged downward from the cyclone 80A is weakened by the swirl prevention portion 135, thereby suppressing char scattering in the collection chamber 83.

[0048] The swirl prevention part 135 includes a swirl base end part 136 that connects to the inner circumferential surface 132, and the third connection port 33 of the first communication pipe 91 is located above the swirl base end part 136. According to the above configuration, the flow of char flowing out from the third connection port 33 into the cyclone housing chamber 81 is weakened by the swirl prevention part 135, so that scattering of char in the recovery chamber 83 can be suppressed.

[0049] Furthermore, the first connection port 31 of the first communication pipe 91 is located below the swirl base end portion 136. With the above configuration, the swirl prevention portion 135 suppresses scattering of char in the recovery chamber 83, thereby reducing the flow rate of char pushed out to the first connection port 31 below the swirl prevention portion 135. This reduces the flow rate of char in the first communication pipe 91, and makes it possible to reduce the flow rate of char from the third connection port 33 to the cyclone housing chamber 81.

[0050] Continuing with the description of the configuration of the char recovery equipment 15A, the char recovery equipment 15A further includes a char discharge line 96 for discharging the char accumulated in the recovery chamber 83 to the above-mentioned supply hopper 52, a first return line 21 connecting the supply hopper 52 and the lower vessel 823, and a second return line 22 connecting the supply hopper 52 and the gas delivery line 88.

[0051] When char flows from the char discharge line 96 into the supply hopper 52, the gas that was in the supply hopper 52 flows through the first return line 21 or the second return line 22. The gas flowing through the first return line 21 flows into the lower vessel 823, and the gas flowing through the second return line 22 flows into the gas delivery line 88. Since gas flows through the first return line 21 and the second return line 22 according to the volume of char flowing through the char discharge line 96, stagnation of the flow of char in the char discharge line 96 can be suppressed.

[0052] <Char recovery facility 15B (15) of second embodiment> A char recovery facility 15B (15) of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Of the components shown in Fig. 3, the same components as those of the char recovery facility 15A (see Fig. 2) are assigned the same reference numerals. Description of these components may be omitted or omitted below.

[0053] The dust collector 51B (51) of the char recovery facility 15B (15) includes a cyclone 80B (80). The cyclone 80B includes a cylindrical extension 124 in addition to a body 121 and a tapered portion 122. The cylindrical extension 124 extends downward from a lower end 122d of the tapered portion 122. The inner diameter of the cylindrical extension 124 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the tapered portion 122 at the lower end 122d. The cylindrical extension 124 is longer in the vertical direction than the tapered portion 122. In the example of FIG. 3, the lower end of the cylindrical extension 124 is located above the lower end 821d of the upper vessel 821. The char recovery facility 15B does not include a swirl prevention unit 135 (see FIG. 2).

[0054] In the example of Fig. 3, char separated from the produced gas in the body portion 121 passes through the tapered portion 122 and the cylindrical extension portion 124 in that order, and is then discharged downward. With the above configuration, the swirling flow of char that has swirled within the body portion 121 is weakened as it flows through the cylindrical extension portion 124. This makes it possible to suppress scattering of char in the recovery chamber 83. In other words, instead of the swirl prevention portion 135 (see Fig. 2), the cylindrical extension portion 124 functions to weaken the swirling flow of char.

[0055] <Char recovery equipment 15C (15) of the third embodiment> A char recovery equipment 15C (15) of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 4. Of the components shown in Figure 4, the same components as those of the char recovery equipment 15A (see Figure 2) are assigned the same reference numerals. Description of these components may be omitted or omitted below. The char recovery equipment 15C does not include a swirl prevention unit 135 (see Figure 2). In the dust collector 51C (51) of the char recovery equipment 15C (15), the third connection port 33 is located above the vertical center of the upper container 821.

[0056] The dust collecting device 51C (51) includes a level sensor 99 for measuring the amount of char stored in the hopper storage chamber 95. The level sensor 99 is configured to switch an output signal when the amount of char stored in the hopper storage chamber 95 exceeds a threshold value.

[0057] The char recovery facility 15C also includes a controller 90. The controller 90 is configured to control the opening and closing of the downstream discharge on-off valve 114. The controller 90 determines whether the storage amount exceeds a threshold based on the output signal of the level sensor 99. When the output signal of the level sensor 99 changes, the controller 90 sends a command to the downstream discharge on-off valve 114 to switch it from a closed state to an open state. Note that the on-off control of the downstream discharge on-off valve 114 performed by the controller 90 monitoring the level sensor 99 may be performed in the char recovery facilities 15A and 15B shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 without any problems.

[0058] According to the above configuration, each time the amount of char stored in the hopper 94 exceeds the threshold, the downstream delivery on-off valve 114 switches from a closed state to an open state, and char flows from the delivery line 110 into the collection chamber 83. Depending on the inflow volume of char, the fluid in the collection chamber 83 is pushed out into the first communicating pipe 91 and the second communicating pipe 92 (arrows B and C), thereby preventing the flow of char in the delivery line 110 from stagnating.

[0059] The controller 90 is configured by a computer and includes a processor, memory (storage medium), and an external communication interface. The processor may be a CPU, GPU, MPU, DSP, or a combination thereof. The processor according to other embodiments may be implemented by an integrated circuit such as a PLD, ASIC, FPGA, or MCU. The memory is configured to temporarily or non-temporarily store various data and may be implemented by at least one of a RAM, a ROM, or a flash memory. The processor executes various control processes according to instructions from a program loaded into the memory.

[0060] <Other Modifications> The "particle recovery system" of the present disclosure is not limited to the char recovery system 15 applied to the integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation system 10. The "particle recovery system" may also be applied to a waste melting system or a gasification furnace system for chemical products. Chemical products are substances obtained through chemical synthesis or products obtained from such substances, such as medicines, paints, solvents, or chemical fibers. Therefore, the "particles" of the present disclosure are not limited to char, and the "gas" of the present disclosure are not limited to the produced gas.

[0061] <Summary> The contents described in the above-described embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0062] 1) A particle recovery facility (e.g., dust collector 51) according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a cyclone (80) configured to separate particles (e.g., char) from a gas (e.g., a product gas) containing the particles by swirling the gas; a pressure vessel (82) including a cyclone chamber (81) for accommodating the cyclone; a filter (85) configured to capture the particles remaining in the gas discharged upward from the cyclone; a delivery line (110) for guiding the particles captured by the filter toward a recovery chamber (83) for recovering the particles discharged downward from the cyclone; and a first communication pipe (91) for communicating the recovery chamber with the cyclone chamber.

[0063] According to the configuration 1), when particles captured by the filter flow into the collection chamber via the delivery line, gas containing the particles flows through the first communication pipe. The particles flowing through the first communication pipe flow into the cyclone storage chamber, preventing particles in the collection chamber from flowing into the filter. This allows for a particle collection system with an extended filter life.

[0064] 2) In some embodiments, the particle recovery equipment described in 1) above further comprises: a hopper (94) disposed on the delivery line, the hopper including a hopper storage chamber (95) for temporarily storing the particles captured by the filter; and a second communication pipe (92) connecting the recovery chamber and the hopper storage chamber, wherein the first communication pipe includes a first connection port (31) connected to the recovery chamber, and the second communication pipe includes a second connection port (32) connected to the recovery chamber, and the first connection port is located above the second connection port.

[0065] According to the configuration of 2) above, when particles flow from the hopper into the collection chamber via the delivery line, the gas containing the particles in the collection chamber is pushed not only into the first communicating pipe but also into the second communicating pipe. By pushing the gas into the second communicating pipe, a significant decrease in pressure in the hopper storage chamber can be suppressed, and the flow of particles in the delivery line can be prevented from stagnating. Furthermore, because the first connecting port is located above the second connecting port, particles that flow into the collection chamber from the delivery line are less likely to flow toward the first communicating pipe. This reduces the flow rate of particles from the first communicating pipe to the collection chamber, thereby suppressing particle scattering in the cyclone storage chamber.

[0066] 3) In some embodiments, in the particle recovery equipment described in 1) or 2) above, the cyclone includes a body portion (121) extending in the vertical direction and for swirling the gas, and a tapered portion (122) connected to a lower end (121d) of the body portion and formed so that the inner diameter decreases downward, and the first communicating pipe includes a third connecting port (33) connected to the cyclone storage chamber, and the third connecting port is located above the lower end (122d) of the tapered portion.

[0067] According to the configuration of 3), the flow of particles flowing into the cyclone chamber from the third connection port can be prevented from being disturbed by the flow of particles discharged downward from the cyclone, allowing the particles to flow out of the third connection port without stagnation.

[0068] 4) In some embodiments, in the particle recovery equipment according to any one of 1) to 3) above, the pressure vessel is an integrated vessel including the cyclone storage chamber and the recovery chamber.

[0069] According to the configuration of 4) above, the pressure difference between the cyclone chamber and the collection chamber can be reduced. Therefore, when particles flow from the delivery line into the collection chamber, the flow rate of particles in the first communicating pipe can be reduced. Therefore, the flow rate of particles from the first communicating pipe to the cyclone chamber is reduced, and scattering of particles in the cyclone chamber can be suppressed.

[0070] 5) In some embodiments, the particle recovery equipment described in 4) above further includes a swirl prevention portion (135) extending from the inner peripheral surface (132) of the pressure vessel below the cyclone toward the center of the pressure vessel.

[0071] According to the above configuration 5), the swirling flow of particles discharged from the cyclone is weakened by the swirling prevention portion, so that scattering of particles in the collection chamber can be suppressed.

[0072] 6) In some embodiments, in the particle recovery equipment described in 5) above, the first communicating pipe includes a third connection port (33) connected to the cyclone storage chamber, the anti-swirl portion includes a swirl base end portion (136) connected to the inner circumferential surface of the pressure vessel, and the third connection port is located above the swirl base end portion.

[0073] According to the above configuration 6), the flow of particles flowing into the cyclone chamber from the third connection port is weakened by the swirl prevention portion, so that scattering of particles in the collection chamber can be suppressed.

[0074] 7) In some embodiments, the particle recovery equipment is as described in 5) or 6) above, wherein the first communicating pipe includes a first connection port (31) connected to the recovery chamber, the anti-swirl portion includes a swirl base end portion (136) connected to the inner circumferential surface of the pressure vessel, and the first connection port is located below the swirl base end portion.

[0075] According to the configuration of 7), the anti-swirl section prevents char from scattering in the collection chamber, reducing the flow rate of char pushed out to the first connecting port. This reduces the amount of particles in the first connecting pipe, and the flow rate of particles from the first connecting pipe to the cyclone storage chamber can be reduced.

[0076] 8) In some embodiments, in the particle recovery equipment described in 4) above, the cyclone comprises: a body portion (121) extending in the vertical direction and for swirling the gas; a tapered portion (122) connected to a lower end (121d) of the body portion and formed so that the inner diameter decreases downward; and a cylindrical extension portion (124) extending downward from the lower end (122d) of the tapered portion and for discharging the particles downward toward the recovery chamber.

[0077] According to the configuration of 8) above, the swirling flow of particles that has swirled inside the body portion is weakened as they flow through the cylindrical extension portion, thereby making it possible to suppress scattering of particles in the recovery chamber.

[0078] 9) In some embodiments, the particle recovery equipment described in any one of 1) to 8) above further comprises: a hopper (94) arranged on the delivery line, the hopper including a hopper storage chamber (95) for temporarily storing the particles captured by the filter; a delivery on-off valve (downstream delivery on-off valve 114) arranged on the delivery line between the hopper storage chamber and the recovery chamber; and a controller (90) configured to send a command to the delivery on-off valve to switch the delivery on-off valve from a closed state to an open state when the amount of particles stored in the hopper storage chamber exceeds a threshold.

[0079] According to the configuration of 9), each time the amount of particles stored in the hopper exceeds the threshold, the delivery on-off valve switches from a closed state to an open state, and the particles flow into the collection chamber from the delivery line. According to the volume of the particles flowing in, the gas in the collection chamber is pushed out into the first communicating pipe, thereby preventing the flow of particles in the delivery line from stagnating.

[0080] 10: Integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation facility 11: Coal supply facility 11a: Coal supply line 12: Fuel supply line 13: Char supply line 15: Char recovery facility 16: Gas purification facility 17: Gas turbine 18: Steam turbine 19: Generator 20: Heat recovery boiler 21: First return line 22: Second return line 31: First connection port 32: Second connection port 33: Third connection port 34: Fourth connection port 39: Filter container 41: Compressed air supply line 42: Air separation facility 43: First nitrogen supply line 45: Second nitrogen supply line 46: Char return line 47: Oxygen supply line 48: Foreign matter removal facility 49: First produced gas line 51: Dust collector 52: Supply hopper 53 : Second generated gas line 61 : Compressor 62 : Combustor 63 : Turbine 64 : Rotating shaft 65 : Compressed air supply line 66 : Fuel gas supply line 67 : Combustion gas supply line 68 : Booster 69 : Turbine 70 : Exhaust gas line 71 : Steam supply line 72 : Feedwater line 73 : Condenser 74 : Exhaust gas purification equipment 75 : Chimney 80 : Cyclone 81 : Cyclone housing chamber 82 : Pressure vessel 83 : Recovery chamber 85 : Filter 88 : Gas delivery line 90 : Controller 91 : First communicating pipe 92 : Second communicating pipe 94 : Hopper 95 : Hopper storage chamber 96 : Char discharge line 99 : Level sensor 101 : Gasifier 110 : Delivery line 111: Upstream delivery line 112: Downstream delivery line 113: Upstream delivery on-off valve 114: Downstream delivery on-off valve 121: Body portion 121d: Lower end portion 122: Tapered portion 122d: Lower end portion 124: Cylindrical extension portion 132: Inner peripheral surface 135: Swirl prevention portion 136: Swirl base end portion 141: First communication on-off valve 142: Second communication on-off valve 821: Upper container 821d: Lower end portion 823: Lower container 826: Shoulder portion 827: Lower main body portion

Claims

1. A particle recovery system comprising: a cyclone configured to separate particles from a gas containing particles by swirling the gas; a pressure vessel including a cyclone chamber that houses the cyclone; a filter configured to capture the particles remaining in the gas discharged upward from the cyclone; a delivery line for guiding the particles captured by the filter toward a recovery chamber that recovers the particles discharged downward from the cyclone; and a first communication pipe that communicates between the recovery chamber and the cyclone chamber.

2. The particle recovery equipment according to claim 1, further comprising: a hopper disposed on the delivery line, the hopper including a hopper storage chamber for temporarily storing the particles captured by the filter; and a second communication pipe connecting the recovery chamber and the hopper storage chamber, the first communication pipe including a first connection port connected to the recovery chamber, the second communication pipe including a second connection port connected to the recovery chamber, and the first connection port being located above the second connection port.

3. The particle recovery equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cyclone comprises: a body portion extending in the vertical direction for swirling the gas; and a tapered portion connected to the lower end of the body portion and formed so that the inner diameter becomes smaller as it extends downward; and the first communicating pipe includes a third connection port connected to the cyclone storage chamber, and the third connection port is located above the lower end of the tapered portion.

4. The particle recovery system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressure vessel is an integrated vessel including the cyclone housing chamber and the recovery chamber.

5. The particle recovery equipment according to claim 4, further comprising a swirl prevention section extending from the inner peripheral surface of the pressure vessel toward the center of the pressure vessel below the cyclone.

6. The particle recovery equipment described in claim 5, wherein the first communicating pipe includes a third connection port connected to the cyclone storage chamber, the anti-swirl portion includes a swirl base end portion connected to the inner surface of the pressure vessel, and the third connection port is located above the swirl base end portion.

7. The particle recovery equipment described in claim 5, wherein the first communicating pipe includes a first connection port connected to the recovery chamber, the anti-swirl portion includes a swirl base end portion connected to the inner surface of the pressure vessel, and the first connection port is located below the swirl base end portion.

8. The particle recovery equipment of claim 4, wherein the cyclone comprises: a body portion extending in the vertical direction for swirling the gas; a tapered portion connected to the lower end of the body portion and formed so that the inner diameter becomes smaller as it extends downward; and a cylindrical extension portion extending downward from the lower end of the tapered portion for releasing the particles downward toward the recovery chamber.

9. The particle recovery equipment of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a hopper disposed on the delivery line, the hopper including a hopper storage chamber for temporarily storing the particles captured by the filter; a delivery opening / closing valve disposed on the delivery line between the hopper storage chamber and the recovery chamber; and a controller configured to send a command to the delivery opening / closing valve to switch from a closed state to an open state when the amount of the particles stored in the hopper storage chamber exceeds a threshold value.

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