Thermal Treatment System for Moisture-Rich Substance Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for processing high moisture content substances with low calorific value result in incomplete combustion, air pollutants, and inefficient energy recovery due to the presence of incondensable gases, which complicates latent heat recovery and increases the risk of fire and pollutant production during hot air drying.
Innovation Solution
A thermal treatment system comprising a reactor, circulation piping, heat exchanger, latent heat recovering device, gasifier, and combustion furnace, where the substance is treated with a high-temperature gaseous heating medium, allowing for efficient separation of gaseous and residual substances, and subsequent energy recovery through condensation and reuse of latent heat, eliminating the need for direct combustion and reducing pollutant emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hot air drying is used to remove water from high moisture content substances, then the substance can be dried to increase heating value, but the latent heat absorbed by water during drying is hard to recover due to incondensable gases lowering the dew point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a closed system where water vapor is generated in an inert environment (nitrogen or carbon dioxide atmosphere) rather than using hot air drying with oxygen. This prevents oxidation and allows the water vapor to be condensed and recovered as latent heat, solving both the drying problem and the energy recovery problem simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of water from liquid (in hot air drying) to vapor (in closed system thermal treatment), enabling latent heat recovery through condensation. The temperature and pressure parameters are controlled to facilitate complete vaporization and subsequent condensation, transforming the energy recovery challenge into an opportunity.
2Quantity of substance
If hot air drying is used to remove water from high moisture content substances, then the substance can be dried, but the substance will be oxidized and even catch fire due to the existing of oxygen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hot air (containing oxygen) with an inert atmosphere (nitrogen or carbon dioxide) in the closed system. This eliminates oxidation of the substance during thermal treatment while still achieving water removal through vaporization and condensation, thereby solving the fire safety problem.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional hot air drying is used to process high moisture content substances, then water can be removed, but large amount of pollutants such as dioxins and odors are produced requiring post treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an inert atmosphere (nitrogen or carbon dioxide) instead of air for thermal treatment, preventing oxidation reactions that produce dioxins and odors. The closed system also contains and controls emissions, eliminating the need for post-treatment while achieving effective drying.
4Loss of energy
If direct combustion is used to process high moisture content substances, then energy recovery can be achieved, but incomplete combustion and air pollutants result due to low combustion temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary thermal treatment in a closed system to remove water and concentrate the combustible materials before final combustion. This preliminary drying and concentration step raises the calorific value of the remaining material, enabling complete combustion and reducing pollutants while recovering energy.
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
This system achieves complete combustion, effective energy recovery, and reduces pollutant production by utilizing a closed system for thermal treatment, allowing for the recovery of latent heat and preventing the generation of drying exhaust gases, thereby enhancing the heating value of the substance and minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
the substance to be treated increases its temperature through direct contact with the gaseous heating medium. The substance to be treated will generates a gaseous substance and a residual substance
Implementation Method 2
the gaseous substance condenses and releases latent heat for heating cold fluids; the gaseous substance thus forms a condensed substance and a non-condensed substance
Implementation Method 3
The generated high-temperature flue gas is then used as a heat source to heat up the circulating heating media via a indirect heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
A system for substance separation and energy recovery by thermal treatment is disclosed. The system includes a thermal treatment reactor, a circulation piping, a heat exchanger, a discharge pipeline, a latent heat recovering device, a gasifier, and a combustion furnace. The substance is fed into the thermal treatment reactor for heating the treated substance so as to produces a gaseous substance by evaporation or pyrolysis. The treated substance is separated into the gaseous substance circulating between the heat exchanger and the thermal treatment reactor and a residual substance being fed into the thermal treatment reactor. The increased gaseous substance, during the circulation process, is fed into a latent heat recovery device, wherein the gaseous substance exchanges heat with a cold fluid and condenses to release latent heat, forming a liquid condensed substance and a non-condensed substance.