Removable Flue Gas Strainer for Continuous Catalyst Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial processes involving heaters and boilers often result in the shedding of fibers and dust particles from heating elements, which can foul downstream catalysts and equipment, leading to unplanned shutdowns and lost profits.
Innovation Solution
The development of removable flue gas strainers that can capture solid particulates from heated fluid streams upstream of catalysts, allowing for continuous operation without disrupting the heating or catalytic processes. These strainers include a housing with a moveable strainer portion featuring removable mesh portions that can be cleaned without stopping the fluid stream.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional fixed strainers are used to remove solid particulates, then catalyst fouling is reduced, but the system requires shutdown for cleaning and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer is designed with moveable components that allow it to transition between operational and cleaning positions. The mesh screen can be retracted from the flow path using actuated mechanisms, enabling dynamic adaptation between filtration mode and cleaning mode without system shutdown
Solution Approach 2:
The strainer is divided into separable components including the housing, mesh screen, and actuation mechanisms. This segmentation allows the mesh screen to be independently removed and cleaned while the housing remains in place, enabling maintenance without full system shutdown
2Power
If heating elements with fiber refractories are used to heat fluid streams, then heating efficiency is improved, but fibers and dust particles are shed that foul downstream catalysts
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer acts as an intermediary component positioned between the heating elements and downstream catalysts. It captures harmful fibers and dust particles generated by the heating elements before they can reach and foul the catalysts, allowing the heating elements to operate at full efficiency
3Reliability
If the strainer captures solid particulates continuously, then catalyst fouling is prevented, but the strainer itself becomes fouled requiring cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The strainer incorporates moveable components that enable easy transition between operational and cleaning states. The mesh screen can be actuated to retract from the flow path and positioned for accessible cleaning, making maintenance operations simple and quick
Solution Approach 2:
The mesh screen is designed as a removable component that can be extracted from the housing for cleaning. This extraction capability allows the captured particulates to be easily removed from the mesh screen without disassembling the entire strainer assembly
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 use of removable flue gas strainers effectively reduces catalyst fouling, allowing industrial process streams to operate smoothly without the need for shutdowns, thereby preventing costly downtime and maintaining process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the one or more removable mesh portions may include a plurality of pores and may be configured to capture solid particulates suspended in the heated fluid stream while providing pores for allowing the heated fluid stream to pass therethrough
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, systems, and methods operable to reduce catalyst fouling by removing solid particulates from a heated fluid stream upstream of a catalyst using one or more flue gas strainer apparatuses that may be cleaned or serviced without ceasing or disrupting heating or catalytic operations. The flue gas strainer apparatuses may include a housing having a front end and a back end, the housing comprising a receiving portion, an outer edge, an inner edge, and an inner bore extending from the front end to the back end of the housing along the inner edge. The inner bore is operable to allow a heated fluid stream to pass therethrough. The flue gas strainer apparatus may also include a moveable strainer portion comprising one or more removable mesh portions. Each of the one or more removable mesh portions may have a plurality of pores and configured to capture solid particulates suspended in the heated fluid stream. The one or more removable mesh portions may be operable to be removingly received in the receiving portion of the housing.