METHOD FOR EXPLOSION-PROOF THAWING OF MEANS OF TRANSPORT OR MEANS OF TRACTION TRANSPORTING IN PARTICULAR BULK MATERIAL

Abstract

A method for thawing of a transport transporting bulk material includes providing water vapor, introducing water vapor into a thawing chamber. The transport transporting bulk material and to be thawed is at least partially located in the thawing chamber. Air loaded with the water vapor and having a preset dew point temperature T.sub.T is generated in the thawing chamber, and the dew point temperature T.sub.T is adapted to the transport transporting bulk material.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A method for thawing of means of transport and/or means of traction transporting in particular bulk material, comprising: providing water vapor, introducing water vapor into a thawing chamber, wherein the means of transport and/or means of traction transporting bulk material and to be thawed is at least partially located in the thawing chamber, wherein air loaded with the water vapor and having a preset dew point temperature TT is generated in the thawing chamber, wherein the dew point temperature TT is adapted to the means of transport and/or means of traction transporting bulk material.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the water vapor is mixed with air and introduced into the thawing chamber together with the air.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air loaded with water vapor at least approximately corresponds to a maximum permissible temperature Tmax of the at least one means of transport or the means of traction transporting bulk material, preferably 50° C.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air loaded with water vapor is between 50° C. and 80° C., preferably between 50° C. and 70° C., preferably between 50° C. and 60° C.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the air loaded with water vapor has a relative humidity of at least 80%, preferably at least 90%, preferably at least 95%.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the air loaded with water vapor has a temperature TL which fulfills the condition TL≤(TT+20 K), preferably the condition TL≤(TT+10 K).

27. The method according to claim 21, wherein the air loaded with water vapor is saturated, preferably oversaturated.

28. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air loaded with water vapor is adjusted at the beginning of a thawing process to the temperature TTM of the means of transport or the means of traction transporting bulk material.

29. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air loaded with water vapor is adjusted during a thawing process at specific times and/or in specific areas of the thawing chamber to the temperature TTM of the means of transport (10) or means of traction transporting bulk material.

30. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air loaded with water vapor is continuously adjusted during a thawing process to the temperature TTM of the means of transport or means of traction transporting bulk material.

31. The method according to claim 21, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air (30) loaded with water vapor is adjusted by controlling the water vapor partial pressure of the air loaded with water vapor.

32. The method according to claim 31, whereinthe water vapor partial pres-sure of the air loaded with water vapor is reduced as soon as the temperature TTM of the means of transport or means of traction transporting bulk material reaches a predefined threshold temperature TSchwelle, preferably as soon as the condition |TSchwelle−TTM|<5 K is fulfilled.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the predefined threshold temperature TSchwelle at least approximately corresponds to a maximum permissible temperature Tmax of the means of transport or the means of traction transporting bulk material, preferably 50° C.

34. The method according to claim 21, wherein the temperature TTM of the means of transport or the means of traction transporting bulk material is monitored, preferably during the entire thawing process.

35. The method according to claim 21, wherein the means of transport and/or the means of traction transporting bulk material is at least partially wetted with a wetting agent before the air loaded with water vapor is introduced into the thawing chamber.

36. The method according to claim 21, wherein by blowing off the liquid water formed on the means of transport or on the means of traction transporting bulk material at the end of the thawing process and/or during the thawing process.

37. The method according to claim 21, wherein the thawing process is per-formed in at least two phases, wherein the dew point temperature TT of the air loaded with water vapor can be controlled separately in each phase.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the at least two phases of the thawing process take place in different spatial sections of the thawing chamber, with the means of transport transporting bulk material or the means of traction being moved along the sections of the thawing chamber.

39. The method according claim 21, wherein several means of transport and/or means of traction transporting bulk material and/or at least one means of transport transporting bulk material and at least one means of traction are sequentially or simultaneously moved through the thawing chamber.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the speed at which the means of transport and/or the means of traction transporting bulk material and/or the at least one means of transport transporting bulk material and the at least one means of traction are moved through the thawing chamber is preset, preferably adapted to a defined dwell time in the thawing chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0050] In the following, the method according to the invention in explained in more detail with reference to the Figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The FIGURE of the invention shows an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention with two rail sections 40 on which the means of transport 10 transporting bulk material drives. The means of transport 10 transporting bulk material comprise one or several means of transport 11 with which respectively one bulk material 12 can be transported.

[0052] The means of transport 10 transporting bulk material drive through a thawing chamber 20 having a first section 21 and a second section 22, the sections 21, 22 being spatial sections.

[0053] The thawing chamber 20 comprises for each rail section 40 an entry opening 23 and an exit opening 24 through which the means of transport 10 transporting bulk material can drive into or drive out of the thawing chamber 20. The entry and exit openings 23, 24 can be provided with air locks which are not illustrated. For example, said air locks can have vertically extending, parallel strips of flexible material, preferably a rubber material, which are arranged at opening edges of the entry and exit opening 23, 24 and form an opening adapted to the contour of the means of transport 10. This can increase an inflow resistance of cold air from the outside into the thawing chamber 20 and prevent energy losses. Moreover, fans may be arranged in the air locks to control the air pressure in the thawing chamber 20. The thawing chamber contains air 30 loaded with water vapor and having a preset dew point temperature T.sub.T, wherein the dew point temperature T.sub.T may differ in the respective sections 21, 22. For example, the first section 21 of the thawing chamber 20 may have a higher dew point temperature than the second section 22 of the thawing chamber 20. For this purpose, each section 21, 22 of the thawing chamber comprises a separate conditioning device 50 with a mixing device 51, a steam generator 52 and an air intake device 53. The steam generators 52 are preferably continuously variable and provide water vapor with predefinable, preferably preset thermodynamic properties. The steam generated in the steam generators is supplied by means of supply lines of the respective mixing chamber 51. The air intake device 53 is used to intake ambient air and supply it to the mixing chamber by means of supply lines. The mixing chambers 51 mix the water vapor from the respective steam generator 52 and the air from the respective air intake device 53 and provide a preconditioned mixture of water vapor and air having a preset dew point temperature. The mixture of water vapor and air is introduced into the respective section 21, 22 of the thawing chamber 20 by means of supply lines.

[0054] According to the exemplary embodiment of the only FIGURE, a thawing process may proceed as follows: The starting point is a means of transport 10 transporting bulk material and travelling on a rail 40, where icing is present due to low ambient temperatures. The thawing process for the means of transport 10 transporting bulk material begins with its entry into the thawing chamber 20 through the respective entry opening 23 of the thawing chamber. The means of transport 10 transporting bulk material first drives through the first section 21 of the thawing chamber 20 and then through the second section 22 of the thawing chamber 20 and, as it drives through the section, is thawed by means of latent heat released during condensation processes, depending on the respective prevailing dew point temperature T.sub.T. The thawing process ends with the complete exit of the means of transport 10 transporting bulk material from the thawing chamber 20 through the respective exit opening 24 of the thawing chamber 20. After the thawing process has been completed, the means of transport transporting bulk material can be provided, for example, to a wagon tipping facility, which is not illustrated, where the bulk material 12 located in the respective means of transport 11 of the means of transport 10 transporting bulk material can be reloaded.