A cooling tower (2) for cooling a liquid (4) with a gas (6), which cooling tower (2) comprises: (i) a vessel (8) for receiving the gas (6) passing upwardly and the liquid (4) passing downwardly, with the liquid (4) being hotter than the gas (6); (ii) a gas outlet (4) which is at a top portion (16) of the vessel (8) and which is for allowing the gas (6) to pass out of the vessel (8), (iii) a support member (20) which is positioned across a bottom portion (22) of the vessel (8): (iv) a plurality of apertures (24) which are in the support member (20) and through which the gas (6) and the liquid (4) are able to pass; (v) a fluidised bed (26) of packing elements (28) on the support member (20); (vi) liquid emitting means (30) which is positioned in the vessel (8) above the fluidised bed (26), and which is for emitting alas liquid (4) to be cooled such the liquid (4) passes downwardly towards the fluidised bed (26); (vii) pump means (32) for pumping the liquid to the liquid emitting means (30); and (viii) a fan (34) for blowing the pas upwardly through the fluidised bed (26), and the cooling tower (2) being such that it includes (ix) control means (31) for controlling (a) the velocity of the gas through die vessel (8), and (b) the liquid to gas ratio in the vessel (8), whereby the fluidised bed (26) is caused to operate at a tumbling rate which when combined with selected pre-fluidised packing height causes an approach temperature of below 10 F. (5.6 C.); (x) wherein the tumbling rate is controlled by a combination of controlled gas velocity and liquid to gas ratio creating turbulent mixing and tumbling of packing elements (28) in the fluidised bed (26); (xi) and wherein the pre-fluidised height of the fluidised bed (26) is from 0.15-1.0 m.

A method and apparatus for cooling hot gas streams in the temperature range 800 C. to 1600 C. using multi-stage circulating fluid bed (CFB) coolers is disclosed. The invention relates to cooling the hot syngas from coal gasifiers in which the hot syngas entrains substances that foul, erode and corrode heat transfer surfaces upon contact in conventional coolers. The hot syngas is cooled by extracting and indirectly transferring heat to heat transfer surfaces with circulating inert solid particles in CFB syngas coolers. The CFB syngas coolers are staged to facilitate generation of steam at multiple conditions and hot boiler feed water that are necessary for power generation in an IGCC process. The multi-stage syngas cooler can include internally circulating fluid bed coolers, externally circulating fluid bed coolers and hybrid coolers that incorporate features of both internally and externally circulating fluid bed coolers.

A method and apparatus for cooling hot gas streams in the temperature range 800 C. to 1600 C. using multi-stage circulating fluid bed (CFB) coolers is disclosed. The invention relates to cooling the hot syngas from coal gasifiers in which the hot syngas entrains substances that foul, erode and corrode heat transfer surfaces upon contact in conventional coolers. The hot syngas is cooled by extracting and indirectly transferring heat to heat transfer surfaces with circulating inert solid particles in CFB syngas coolers. The CFB syngas coolers are staged to facilitate generation of steam at multiple conditions and hot boiler feed water that are necessary for power generation in an IGCC process. The multi-stage syngas cooler can include internally circulating fluid bed coolers, externally circulating fluid bed coolers and hybrid coolers that incorporate features of both internally and externally circulating fluid bed coolers.

A heat removal tube set, and application of the same for controlling the temperature of a fluidized bed reactor and for producing an unsaturated nitrile are provided. The heat removal tube set has at least one first heat removal tube and at least one second heat removal tube, wherein the ratio of the total circumference Lb of the outer contours of all of the straight pipes b of the second heat removal tube on the cross section to the total circumference La of the outer contours of all of the straight pipes a of the first heat removal tube on the cross section is greater than 1 and less than 1.25. When the first heat removal tube and the second heat removal tube are switched coordinatively in a paired manner, the reaction temperature can be maintained substantially constant.

A heat removal tube set, a method for controlling reaction temperature using the heat removal tube set, and a method for producing an unsaturated nitrile are provided. The heat removal tube set has at least one first heat removal tube and at least one second heat removal tube. The number of all straight pipes a of the first heat removal tube is the same as that of all straight pipes b of the second heat removal tube. The ratio of the total circumference Lb of the outer contours of all of the straight pipes b of the second heat removal tube on the cross section to the total circumference La of the outer contours of all of the straight pipes a of the first heat removal tube on the cross section is 1.25-2. When the first heat removal tube and the second heat removal tube are switched coordinatively in a paired manner, a fine adjustment of the reaction temperature can be realized.

A heat removal tube set, a method for increasing reaction load by using the heat removal tube set, and application of the same in the production of unsaturated nitrile are provided. The heat removal tube set has at least 10 heat removal tubes, and in at least one and at most 88% of the total of the heat removal tubes of the heat removal tube set, an angle formed between an extended line of the central axis of at least one connecting fitting and an extended line of the central axis of other connecting fitting is greater than 0? and less than 180?. By arranging such a heat removal tube set, the heat removal capability and fluidization efficiency of the fluidized bed reactor is improved, so that the demand for increasing the reaction load can be fully satisfied.

The present invention provides a tri-piece thermal energy body heat exchanger having multi-layer pipeline and transferring heat to exterior through outer periphery of pipeline, which is configured by multiple layers of pipelines sleeved with each other, the fluid in the outer layer pipeline covers the inner layer pipeline for exchanging heat with the fluid in the inner layer pipeline, and the fluid in the outer layer pipeline is further used for transferring heat to the solid or fluid state thermal energy body which is in contact with the outer periphery of the outer layer pipeline, thereby forming a three-layer annular tri-piece thermal energy body heat exchanger.

A circulating fluidized bed apparatus, comprising a circulating fluidized bed furnace 10 with an outer furnace wall 10r and at least one heat exchange chamber 20, which is friction-locked to a section of the outer furnace wall 10r, as well as a platform PL which extends horizontally and at a distance to an upper ceiling 10c of said heat exchange chamber 20, wherein the heat exchange chamber 20 is further supported by at least one leverage 50, which is arranged onto said platform PL and extends from a first end 50f, pivotally mounted to the outer furnace wall 10r, away from said furnace wall 10r to a second end 50s, and a fastener 60 extending downwardly from said second end 50s of said leverage 50 to a part of the heat exchange chamber 20 offset the outer furnace wall 10r.

A circulating fluidized bed apparatus, comprising a circulating fluidized bed furnace 10 with an outer furnace wall 10r and at least one heat exchange chamber 20, which is friction-locked to a section of the outer furnace wall 10r, as well as a platform PL which extends horizontally and at a distance to an upper ceiling 10c of said heat exchange chamber 20, wherein the heat exchange chamber 20 is further supported by at least one leverage 50, which is arranged onto said platform PL and extends from a first end 50f, pivotally mounted to the outer furnace wall 10r, away from said furnace wall 10r to a second end 50s, and a fastener 60 extending downwardly from said second end 50s of said leverage 50 to a part of the heat exchange chamber 20 offset the outer furnace wall 10r.

An apparatus for the accumulation and transfer of thermal energy is disclosed including a thermal energy charging device having a bed of fluidizable solid particles received within a casing and acting as heat accumulation means by being exposed to a thermal energy source, heat exchange means operating in counter-current, configured for an exchange of thermal energy between a heated vector mass of the bed particles and an operative fluid, transport means configured for feeding the vector mass of the bed particles from the device to the heat exchange means and for returning part of the vector mass, downstream the heat exchange means, to the device, and a control unit associated with parameter detecting means arranged selected locations of the apparatus to control the flow of the vector mass within the apparatus.