Refractory Tile Anchor Dovetail Joint for Incinerator Liners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional incinerator liners experience mechanical failure due to inadequate bonding between dissimilar metals, degradation of metal anchors from intense heat and corrosive flue gas, and susceptibility of refractory tiles to cracking from thermal stress and air pockets.
Innovation Solution
A tile assembly with a refractory tile and metallic anchor forming a dovetail joint, where the anchor is protected by the tile and secured without cavities or slots, using a bonding material to enhance connection strength and reduce thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal anchor is welded to a waterwall panel and secured to a refractory tile, then the refractory tile is firmly attached to the waterwall panel, but the weld between dissimilar metals is insufficient and creates a fracture point
Solution Approach 1:
A transition piece made of the same material as the waterwall panel is introduced as an intermediary component. The first weld connects the transition piece to the waterwall panel (same material, high quality), and the second weld connects the refractory tile to the transition piece. This eliminates the dissimilar metal weld problem while maintaining strong attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment system is divided into multiple segments: the waterwall panel, the transition piece, and the refractory tile. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function and material requirements, with welds made between compatible materials at each interface.
2Device complexity
If the metal anchor is exposed to intense heat and corrosive flue gas, then the anchor can be simplified in design, but the anchor degrades from heat and corrosion
Solution Approach 1:
A ceramic coating is applied to the metal anchor, forming a protective shell that shields the metal substrate from direct exposure to corrosive flue gas and intense heat. This allows the anchor to maintain structural integrity while protecting the vulnerable metal material.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor system becomes a composite structure combining metal (for structural strength) and ceramic coating (for corrosion and heat resistance). This composite approach leverages the advantages of both materials to overcome the limitations of using metal alone in harsh environments.
3Use of energy by moving object
If refractory tiles are made thin to maximize heat transfer, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the tiles become susceptible to cracking from thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The thickness parameter of the refractory tile is optimized to a specific range that balances heat transfer efficiency with mechanical strength. The tile is not made as thin as possible but rather at a thickness that provides adequate thermal conductivity while maintaining sufficient structural integrity to withstand thermal stresses.
4Strength
If anchor-receiving cavities or bores are formed in the refractory tile, then the anchor can be secured to the tile, but gaps form that allow flue gas and ash to degrade the anchor
Solution Approach 1:
The transition piece serves as an intermediary that connects the refractory tile to the metal anchor without requiring cavities or bores in the tile. This eliminates the direct pathway for corrosive flue gas and ash to reach the anchor, protecting it from degradation while maintaining the structural connection.
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 dovetail joint and protected anchor design minimize material degradation and mechanical failure, ensuring a durable and efficient heat transfer while reducing the risk of cracking and corrosion.
Implementation Method 1
Each refractory tile is preferably constructed of a thermally conductive material, such as nitride-bonded silicon carbide (SiC), which is able to not only withstand extreme heat and other corrosive and erosive products of incineration but also effectuate the efficient transfer of heat to the waterwall panel.
Implementation Method 2
A waterwall panel is an energy-transfer apparatus that is commonly incorporated into the interior walls of an incinerator in order to produce steam from the intense heat generated through the combustion of municipal solid waste.
Data Source
AI summary
An array of tile assemblies is fixedly connected to a common waterwall panel to form a refractory liner for an incinerator. Each tile assembly includes a unitary, clip-type, metallic anchor, which is directly welded to the waterwall panel, and a solid refractory tile slidably connected to the anchor through a dovetail locking mechanism. The rear surface of the refractory tile includes a longitudinal rib from which projects a dovetail pin configured to receive the anchor. The longitudinal rib increases the overall thickness of the refractory tile through the region of interconnection with the anchor. In this manner, the anchor is suitably protected by the refractory tile from intense heat which may otherwise cause mechanical failure in the locking mechanism. Additionally, the solid construction of refractory tile both limits the presence of air gaps within the tile assembly and reduces the likelihood of tile fragmentation or cracking.