Fluidized Bed Granulator Triangular Nozzle Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fluidized bed/spouted bed-type granulators face challenges such as increased facility size, non-uniform operational conditions, and energy inefficiency due to air flow requirements, leading to irregularly shaped products and high pressure loss.
Innovation Solution
A granulator design featuring spray nozzles arranged in a triangular configuration on a perforated plate with inclined openings, utilizing high-pressure air as an auxiliary gas, and optimizing fluidization air velocity to enhance granulation efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional rectangular nozzle arrangement is used, then spray coverage is achieved, but facility size increases and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetric triangular arrangement of spray nozzles instead of conventional symmetric rectangular patterns. This asymmetric configuration optimizes spray coverage by reducing overlapping zones and improving material distribution efficiency, thereby achieving the same coverage with smaller facility footprint and lower energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces inclined openings in the perforated plate at specific angles (30-60 degrees) to create three-dimensional spray patterns. This dimensional change allows the spray to penetrate deeper into the fluidized bed and improves material coverage efficiency, reducing the required facility area while maintaining productivity.
2Productivity
If high-pressure air is used as auxiliary gas, then granulation efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the pressure parameter of the auxiliary gas to a specific range (0.1-0.5 MPa) rather than using high pressure continuously. This parameter change maintains sufficient granulation efficiency while significantly reducing energy consumption. The optimized pressure ensures proper atomization and fluidization without excessive energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses auxiliary gas only in specific zones and at controlled intervals rather than continuously throughout the granulator. This partial application of high-pressure gas achieves the necessary granulation efficiency in critical areas while minimizing overall energy consumption.
3Stability of the object's composition
If fluidization air velocity is increased, then fluidized bed stability improves, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the fluidization air velocity to a specific range (0.5-2.0 m/s) rather than using high velocities. This optimized parameter maintains adequate fluidized bed stability for proper granulation while minimizing pressure loss and energy consumption. The specific velocity range ensures sufficient particle suspension and mixing without excessive energy input.
4Productivity
If conventional granulator design is used, then granulation process is achieved, but product shape uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates different local conditions within the granulator by using inclined openings at different angles in different zones. This local variation in spray angle and gas flow direction ensures uniform material distribution and consistent granule formation throughout the process, improving particle size distribution while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses adjustable inclined openings that can be modified to change spray patterns and gas flow directions during operation. This dynamic adjustment capability allows optimization of granulation conditions to maintain uniform product shape and size distribution while adapting to different production requirements.
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
The triangular nozzle arrangement allows for a smaller facility size, improved particle size distribution, reduced energy consumption, and enhanced stability of the fluidized bed, preventing irregularly shaped granules and lowering pressure loss.
Implementation Method 1
fluidizing air is supplied from the upper inlet of a line 23, jet through a plurality of openings in a bottom floor 9 to the upper space, thereby to form a fluidized bed 12 in which the grown granular urea 70 on the bottom floor 9 is in the fluidized state
Implementation Method 2
by a spouting air flow supplied from the lower inlet of a line 24 through a lower air-supplying pipe 2 and then through air-supplying pipes 3, 4 and 5 branched from the pipe 2, a spouted bed 44 is formed over each of the openings of the air-supplying pipes, and the grown urea granules floating into the space 60 over the spouted beds
Implementation Method 3
an aqueous urea solution containing 90% by mass or more, preferably 95% by mass or more, of urea is sprayed as liquid droplets, having a diameter of 150 to 600 μm, to the nuclei at a prescribed spray angle chosen from 30 to 80 degrees, from spray nozzles 6, 7, and 8
Data Source
AI summary
A granulator, having a granulation unit having a bottom floor with a perforated plate as its bottom part; an upper air-supplying pipe for supplying a fluidizing air to the bottom of the granulation unit; a lower air-supplying pipe; air-spouting pipes, each of which is branched from the lower air-supplying pipe, and has an opening in the bottom of the perforated plate, for jetting the air into the granulation unit; and spray nozzles for spraying a granulation raw material liquid, which each are provided in the center of an air outlet of the air-spouting pipe, or having: the bottom; the air-supplying pipe; and spray nozzles for spraying a granulation raw material liquid each of which are provided in an opening in the bottom of the perforated plate, and use a high-pressure atomizing air as an auxiliary gas, with the spray nozzles being provided in a triangular arrangement.