Reciprocating Plank Clinker Cooler Grate Bar Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing grate floors for cement clinker coolers are difficult to maintain as the grate bars are hard to replace due to packed space below the grate floor, and the complementary contours of moving gaps make it challenging to remove or replace defective bars without removing neighboring ones.
Innovation Solution
The grate bars are designed to be shorter and manufactured by simple casting, allowing for easy replacement from the top, with profiled sides that form moving gaps for cooling air injection and a bolt system accessible from the top for secure attachment, enabling single-person replacement without disturbing adjacent bars.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the grate bars are attached from below the grate floor using bolts, then the attachment is secure and reliable, but the space below the grate floor is packed and access for safe identification and replacement of defective grate bars is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the attachment approach by moving the bolt access from below the grate floor to the top side. The grate bars are attached to the supporting structure using bolts that are accessible from the top, allowing maintenance personnel to easily identify and replace defective grate bars without needing to access the packed space below the grate floor, while maintaining secure attachment reliability
2Reliability
If the grate bars have complementary contours forming moving gaps, then the moving gaps enable reciprocation and cooling air injection, but it becomes difficult to remove or replace defective grate bars without removing neighboring ones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the grate bar design by providing each grate bar with individual attachment points (bolts) that are accessible from the top. This segmentation allows each grate bar to be independently attached and detached, enabling maintenance personnel to remove and replace only the defective grate bar without needing to remove neighboring bars, while the complementary contours of adjacent bars continue to form functional moving gaps for cooling air injection
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design facilitates quick and easy replacement of worn or defective grate bars by a single person from the top, reducing downtime and improving safety, while maintaining effective cooling and conveying of bulk materials.
Implementation Method 1
The moving gaps enable to reciprocate the planks relative to each other and parallel to the direction of transport, thereby transporting the clinker by the known walking floor effect
Implementation Method 2
The moving gaps enable to reciprocate the planks relative to each other and parallel to the direction of transport, thereby transporting the clinker by the known walking floor effect. The moving gaps have a siphon like cross section and cooling air is blown into the clinker bed on the conveyor grate via these gaps, to thereby heat the cooling air and cool the clinker
Data Source
AI summary
A grate bar (for forming a plank of a conveyor grate for transporting bulk material) includes at least an up-facing surface for supporting bulk material, a down-facing surface for supporting the grate bar on at least one grate bar rest, front end and rear-end sides, first and second profiled narrow sides. The first and second profiled narrow sides are complementary to one another and form a moving gap therebetween if and/or when the first profiled narrow side of the chosen grate bar is positioned adjacent to the second profiled narrow side of a neighboring grate bar (that is identical to the chosen grate bar at least with respect to the profile of the second profiled narrow side). The grate bar can be easily replaced if a front edge between the up-facing surface and the front-end side has a front edge curvature, a rear edge between the up-facing surface and the rear-end side has a rear edge curvature and the rear edge curvature is complementary to the front edge curvature.