Ductile Sealing Ring for Coal Powder Piston Feeding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for feeding solids into high-pressure reactors face challenges such as high inert gas consumption, batch-type operation, valve sticking, and seal failures due to abrasive conditions, making them unsuitable for continuous operation and costly to maintain.
Innovation Solution
A piston member with a ductile sealing ring or seat that deforms to create a fluid-tight seal, allowing for continuous transportation of combustible materials without clogging, and can be easily replaced to maintain reliability, using a piston with a longer travel than the axial length of the cylinder barrel and a nose to compensate for volume differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a piston member with a ductile sealing ring is used, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the material properties of the sealing ring, specifically using a ductile material that can deform under pressure to create an effective seal. This changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the sealing component, allowing it to adapt to surface irregularities and maintain sealing reliability without requiring complex additional mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable sealing rings made of ductile material that can be easily replaced when worn. Instead of designing a complex, long-lasting sealing system, the invention uses simple, inexpensive sealing rings that can be quickly swapped out, reducing maintenance complexity and downtime while maintaining high sealing reliability during operation.
2Productivity
If lock hoppers are used for feeding solids into high pressure reactors, then material transportation is achieved, but inert gas consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for inert gas pressurization by using a piston-driven mechanical feeding system. The piston member directly transports material into the high-pressure reactor without requiring gas to push the material, thereby removing the harmful inert gas consumption while maintaining continuous material transportation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the pneumatic/mechanical lock hopper system with a direct piston-driven mechanical feeding mechanism. This substitution eliminates the need for inert gas while maintaining the ability to transport solids into high-pressure reactors, resolving the contradiction between material transportation and energy loss.
3Productivity
If valves are operated with high concentration of solids, then material feeding is achieved, but valve sticking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes valves from the material feeding path by using a piston-driven system where material is pushed directly into the reactor. This extraction of the valve component eliminates the sticking problem entirely while maintaining continuous material feeding capability through the piston's reciprocating motion.
4Stress or pressure
If rapid movement of hard solids through depressurizing valve occurs, then pressure equalization is achieved, but seal failure and abrasion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the depressurizing valve and associated seal system by using a piston-driven feeding mechanism. The piston system maintains pressure control without requiring rapid decompression through valves, thereby removing the source of seal failure and abrasion while still achieving necessary pressure equalization through controlled piston movement.
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
Enables continuous, safe, and efficient transportation of combustible materials to high-pressure recipients without bridging or leakage, reducing downtime and maintenance costs by providing a reliable and durable sealing mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sealing ring or seat, preferably a ductile sealing ring or a ductile seat, arranged inside the distal cylinder barrel chamber at the distal cylinder barrel end
Implementation Method 2
The ductile sealing ring or ductile seat is hit by the piston in a forward piston stroke by means of a force resulting in that the ductile sealing ring or ductile seat is deformed to such an extent that a fluid tight seal is created
Data Source
AI summary
A piston member that includes a piston rod provided with a piston serves for reciprocating inside a cylinder barrel, the piston dividing the cylinder barrel chamber into a proximal cylinder barrel chamber having a proximal capped end opposite the piston and a distal cylinder barrel chamber having a distal cylinder barrel end opposite the piston. The piston member has at least one sealing ring or seat arranged inside the distal cylinder barrel chamber at the distal cylinder barrel end. Preferably three consecutive piston members are arranged to operate in a series in an apparatus for transporting coal powder to a gasifier. The movement of the pistons inside the cylinder barrels is controlled in relation to each other to transport apportioned batches of coal powder to a high pressure reactor.