Stepped Rotating Grate for Solid Fuel Gasifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grates for solid fuel gasifiers face challenges in efficiently removing ashes and ensuring complete combustion of char, leading to clogging and reduced efficiency, especially when dealing with non-homogeneous materials and impurities, and fail to consider the importance of unburned components in waste products affecting process quality and pollution.
Innovation Solution
A grate design featuring a movable annular element and a fixed annular element with eccentric rotation, allowing for the automatic removal of ashes and complete combustion of char, with the movable element placed near the inlet and the fixed element near the outlet, facilitating the discharge of residues and optimizing the pyrolysis/gasification process by ensuring all unburned components are eliminated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a stationary grate is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but ashes accumulate and clog the combustion chamber reducing efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The grate is divided into stationary and rotating sections. The rotating section actively moves ashes toward the discharge area while the stationary section provides structural stability. This dynamic configuration prevents ash accumulation and maintains combustion efficiency without requiring complete grate replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The grate is segmented into multiple functional zones: stationary grate frames providing structural support, rotating grate frames for ash movement, and discharge areas for ash removal. This segmentation allows each zone to perform its specific function optimally while working together as an integrated system.
2Device complexity
If ashes are not removed efficiently, then the grate structure remains simple, but the combustion chamber becomes clogged and process quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating grate section automatically moves ashes along the grate surface using its rotational motion, and the inclined design facilitates gravity-assisted ash discharge. This self-service mechanism continuously removes ashes without external intervention, maintaining process reliability and preventing clogging.
3Productivity
If the grate is designed to move ashes efficiently, then combustion efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating grate section provides active ash movement through controlled rotation, significantly improving ash removal efficiency compared to stationary designs. The rotation mechanism is driven by a simple motor connected to the rotating grate frame, adding minimal complexity while achieving superior ash management.
4Productivity
If a larger grate area is used to handle non-homogeneous materials, then processing capacity increases, but the gasifier volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grate utilizes a three-dimensional configuration with rotating sections that move ashes in both radial and axial directions. This multi-dimensional ash movement allows efficient processing of non-homogeneous materials without requiring excessive grate area, maintaining compact gasifier volume while handling varied fuel types effectively.
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 grate design enhances the efficiency and cleanliness of the pyrolysis/gasification process by ensuring complete combustion and discharge of ashes, preventing clogging, and allowing for reduced dimensions and easier maintenance, while maintaining the energy needed for the process.
Implementation Method 1
the movable annular element and the fixed annular element, supported by a movable tubular element and a fixed tubular element respectively, arranged one inside the other and with their longitudinal axes parallel, such that the movable tubular element rotates around its longitudinal axis. Moreover the movable annular element rotates in an eccentric way with respect to the fixed annular element
Implementation Method 2
the combustible material placed on the grate is subjected to a pyrolysis/gasification process to obtain gaseous products
Implementation Method 3
the combustible material placed on the grate is subjected to a pyrolysis/gasification process to obtain gaseous products
Implementation Method 4
the former continue to burn inside the pile, the latter burn in the top portion of the combustion chamber creating a flame generating the energy necessary for the gasification
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
Grate for solid fuel burners or gasifiers comprising a solid fuel inlet portion (1), a deposit portion for the deposit of ashes and char produced by the pyrolysis/gasification of the solid fuel and an outlet portion for said ashes. The deposit portion comprises at least two parts, of which a movable part (21, 23, 25) and a fixed part (22, 24, 26), in such a way that the movable part (21, 23, 25) presents a relative displacement with respect to the fixed part (22, 24, 26) and with respect to the inlet portion (1), the movable part (21, 23, 25) overlapping at least in part the fixed part (22, 24, 26), in such a way to push said ashes towards the outlet portion.