Sintering Belt Sealing Rolls to Cut Wear and False Air Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sintering or induration belts in sinter or pellet plants suffer from abrasive and sandblasting wear, and are prone to false air leakage due to gaps and high pressure differentials, leading to increased maintenance and operational costs.
Innovation Solution
The belt incorporates sealing rolls with elastically deformable outer sleeves and complementary rotation drivers to ensure tightness, distribute wear, and prevent gas flow, using transversal and longitudinal sealing elements to define plenum chambers and minimize wear and false air flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adaptative plates are used to ensure tightness by adjusting elevation to allow passage of grate cars, then tightness is improved, but abrasive wear and sandblasting wear increase due to contact pressure and gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible sealing elements (such as rubber or polymer seals) instead of rigid adaptative plates. These flexible seals can deform to accommodate the passage of grate cars while maintaining continuous contact for tightness, eliminating the gap formation that causes sandblasting wear and reducing the contact pressure that causes abrasive wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the sealing elements by using elastomeric or polymeric materials with specific hardness and elasticity properties. This allows the seals to adapt their physical state during operation - remaining firm for tightness but deforming to reduce contact stress and avoid wear damage from sandblasting and abrasion.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a gap is formed on the adaptative plate to allow passage, then wear is reduced, but false air flow increases due to high pressure differential
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible sealing elements can dynamically deform to accommodate grate car passage without forming permanent gaps. The elasticity of the material allows the seal to be pushed aside during passage and then return to its original position, maintaining continuous sealing and preventing false air flow while avoiding the wear associated with rigid plate gaps.
3Reliability
If contact pressure is increased to ensure tightness, then false air flow is minimized, but abrasive wear increases due to friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using elastomeric or polymeric sealing materials with optimized hardness and elasticity. These materials can generate sufficient contact pressure for tightness through their elastic recovery properties rather than relying on high static contact pressure, thereby minimizing abrasive wear while maintaining sealing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible sealing elements distribute contact pressure over a larger area and through deformation rather than concentrated friction, reducing abrasive wear while maintaining tightness through elastic recovery and continuous contact.
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 solution enhances durability, reduces maintenance, and minimizes false air flow, thereby improving operational efficiency and reducing wear-related costs.
Implementation Method 1
The suction ducts are further configured to generate an under or over pressure in said plenum chambers. Therefore, when a pressure differential is generated by the suction duct, a gaseous flow is generated through the bottom surface of the chain of grate cars and through the mixture of fine materials therein.
Implementation Method 2
The sealing roll comprising an inner roll defining an inner radius and an elastically deformable outer sleeve defining an outer radius.
Data Source
AI summary
A sintering belt (10) comprising a chain of grate cars (12); a supporting structure configured to support and allow movement of the chain of grate cars (12); at least two longitudinal sealing elements, parallel to a direction of motion (D) of the chain of grate cars (12) along the sintering or induration belt (10); at least two transversal sealing elements (14), intersecting with the direction of motion (D) of the chain of grate cars (12) along the sintering or induration belt (10), and partially obstructing its motion; and at least one suction duct (16). The suction duct (16), the at least two longitudinal sealing elements, the at least two transversal sealing elements (14) and a bottom surface of grate cars (12) are configured to define at least one plenum chamber (PC). The suction duct (16) is further configured to generate an under or over pressure in said plenum chamber (PC). A transversal sealing element (14) comprises at least one sealing roll (18, 18.1-18.15), the sealing roll (18, 18.1-18.15) configured to partially obstruct the motion of the chain of grate cars (12), and the sealing roll (18, 18.1-18.15) comprising an inner roll (18a) defining an inner radius and an elastically deformable outer sleeve (18b) defining an outer radius, and a transversal sealing element (14) comprises a plurality of parallel sealing rolls (18, 18.1-18.15) defining at least one roller table (20). A roller table (20) comprises at least two engaging sealing rolls (18.1-18.5), such that the distance between two adjacent engaging sealing rolls (18.1-18.5) is strictly comprised between the sum of their inner radii and the sum of their outer radii, consecutive engaging sealing rolls (18.1-18.5) defining a continuous surface (20′) of the roller table (20).