1,217,902. Carbonizing furnace. SOC. ANON. HEURTEY. 12 Jan., 1968 [23 Jan., 1967], No. 1941/68. Heading C5E. [Also in Divisions F3-F4] The continuous heat treatment of a layer of ball shaped products B during their passage through a sealed furnace chamber, is effected by the circulation of fine particulate material S through them. The ball shaped products B which may be produced by crushing or agglomerating are from 0.25 inch to 4 inches diameter, whilst the particulate material S is under 0.04 inch in size. The balls B are carried through the furnace on a stepped series of or a single horizontal or inclined vibrating grid 11 which with its associated supporting side framework 24, 24SP1/SP reciprocates on rollers 18. The fine particles S are distributed over the layer of balls B from one or more upper distributers 21, and pass through the balls B and the grid 11 into lower collector hoppers 30 which discharge the particles into a fluidized bed 31. The particle circulation rate through the balls B is controlled manually or automatically through a pair of obturating plates 28, 28SP1/SP. From fluidized bed 31 in which the particles are reheated by immersed burners 39, 40, Fig. 4, they are lifted back to the upper distributers 21 through pneumatically activated single or double tube conveyers, e.g. 32, 33, at a rate determined by automatic particle level sensors located in the upper distributers. The conveyers may be supplied with combustion products from the burners or with a fuel/air mixture to further heat the fine particles S. The furnace chamber may be divided into preheating, main heating and cooling zones, Z 1 Z 2 and Z 3 , Z 4 respectively, cold particulate material being circulated through the balls in the zone Z 4 to absorb heat therefrom. The fine particles in the fluidized bed 31 circulate round a path F in the opposite direction to the path of the balls B through the furnace chamber, so that the hottest fine particles from the vicinity of the burners 39, 40 are passed through the main heating zones Z 2 and Z 3 . The particle circulation rate through each of the zones may be independent of that of the other zones, Fig. 7, or the particles may be circulated in turn through each of the zones Z 4 -Z 1 (Fig. 8, not shown). After leaving zone Z 1 the fine particles S pass to a storage hopper T from which they are delivered at the requisite rate by pneumatic conveyer R back to zone Z 4 for recycling. In the return loop of path F the fluidized particles may be directly or indirectly steam or water cooled. The heat treatment effected may be roasting of agglomerated ores or ore pellets with or without a binder, in which case the ore fines may be used as the particulate material S, or the heat treatment of agglomerated coal particles. In the latter case a metal plate may be arranged under the grid 11 in the region where plastic deformation of the coal occurs to prevent its leakage, the heat from the fine particles deposited upon the agglomerated coal carrying it through such deformation phase. Volatile combustible products evolved from the coal and/or its binder may be drawn off by a suction fan (44, Fig. 9, not shown) for supply to the burners 39, 40 part of these products being reintroduced into the sealed furnace chamber to regulate the pressure therein. Dilution of these products as they are evolved is prevented by the fine particles in the upper distributers 21 and the lower hoppers 30 which form seals for the furnace chamber.
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