COOLER FOR COOLING BULK MATERIAL

Abstract

A cooler for cooling bulk material, such as cement clinker, for example, may include an aeration floor through which cooling gas can flow. The aeration floor may be configured to receive bulk material and to transport the bulk material in a conveying direction. The aeration floor comprises a plurality of conveying beams that are mounted so as to be movable in the conveying direction and counter to the conveying direction. A seal is mounted between two adjacent conveying beams, and the seal has at least two sealing elements mounted so as to be movable relative to one another. The sealing elements each have a sealing profile, which interact with one another such that a sealing gap is formed between them. The sealing gap has a double or multiple U-profile.

Claims

1.-9. (canceled)

10. A cooler for cooling bulk material including cement clinker, the cooler comprising: an aeration floor through which cooling gas can flow, the aeration floor configured to receive bulk material and to transport the bulk material in a conveying direction; conveying beams that are mounted so as to be movable in the conveying direction and counter to the conveying direction; and a seal mounted between two adjacent conveying beams of the conveying beams, wherein the seal includes sealing elements that are mounted so as to be movable relative to one another, wherein the sealing elements each have a sealing profile, the sealing profiles interacting with one another such that a sealing gap is formed therebetween, wherein the sealing gap has a double or multiple U-profile.

11. The cooler of claim 10 wherein one of the sealing profiles is configured as a U-profile.

12. The cooler of claim 10 wherein one of the sealing profiles is configured as a double U-profile.

13. The cooler of claim 10 wherein each sealing element is mounted on mutually adjacent conveying beams.

14. The cooler of claim 10 wherein the seal includes a chamber for collecting bulk material that has entered the sealing gap, wherein the chamber is formed between the sealing profiles.

15. The cooler of claim 14 wherein the seal has a compressed air generating device that is connected to the chamber to supply the chamber with compressed air.

16. The cooler of claim 15 wherein the compressed air generating device is configured to supply the chamber with compressed air in the conveying direction.

17. The cooler of claim 10 wherein the seal comprises seal segments that are arranged one behind another in the conveying direction and that are connected to one another.

18. The cooler of claim 10 wherein the seal extends in the conveying direction over an entire length of the conveying beams.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention is explained in greater detail below by means of a number of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a cooler for cooling bulk material in a longitudinal sectional view according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a detail of an aeration floor of a cooler with a seal in a cross-sectional view according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a cooler 10 for cooling hot bulk material 20, in particular cement clinker. The cooler 10 is preferably arranged downstream of a kiln, not shown in FIG. 1, in particular a rotary kiln, for firing cement clinker, and therefore hot bulk material 20 emerging from the kiln falls onto the cooler 10 as a result of gravity, for example.

[0026] The cooler 10 has a material inlet 18 for the admission of hot bulk material 20 into the cooler 10. The material inlet 18 is, for example, the region between the kiln outlet and the aeration floor of the cooler 10, the bulk material 20 preferably falling through the material inlet 18 as a result of gravity. The bulk material 20 to be cooled has, for example, a temperature of 1200 to 1450° C. in the material inlet 18.

[0027] The cooler 10 has an aeration floor 12, which serves to receive the bulk material 20 to be cooled. The aeration floor 12 comprises a plurality of conveying beams 14, which are arranged adjacent to one another and together form the aeration floor 12, on which the bulk material 20 to be cooled rests. The conveying beams 14 extend in the conveying direction F over the entire length of the cooler 10, for example. The aeration floor 12, in particular each of the conveying beams 14, has a plurality of cooling air passages or is designed, for example, as a grate, thus enabling cooling air to flow from below the aeration floor 12, through the latter and the bulk material 20 lying thereon. Arranged below the aeration floor there are, for example, two fans 22, 24 for applying cooling air to the bulk material 20. The cooler 10 furthermore has a housing 26 for delimiting the cooling chamber within the cooler 10 with respect to the ambient air. By way of example, a recuperation air outlet 28, through which cooling air heated in the cooler 10 leaves the cooler 10 and is fed, for example, to the upstream kiln, preheater or calciner, is arranged in the housing 26. The cooler 10 has a material outlet 30, through which the cooled bulk material 20 leaves the cooler 10.

[0028] Within the cooler 10, the bulk material 20 to be cooled is moved in the conveying direction F. The conveying beams 14 are mounted within the cooler 10 so as to be movable in the conveying direction F and counter to the conveying direction F. Preferably, the conveying beams 14 can be moved in accordance with the “walking floor principle”, in which the conveying beams 14 are all moved simultaneously in the conveying direction F and non-simultaneously counter to the conveying direction F. The cooler in FIG. 1 can additionally have a static grate, which is arranged upstream of the aeration floor and, in particular, forms the inlet region of the cooler, on which the bulk material to be cooled emerging from the kiln first impinges. The static grate is, for example, a grate set at an angle to the horizontal of 10° to 35°, preferably 12° to 33°, in particular 13° to 21°, through which cooling air flows from below.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the cooler. In particular, FIG. 2 shows a detail view of a seal 16 between two adjacent conveying beams 14, two adjacent conveying beams 14 being illustrated at least partially.

[0030] The two adjacent conveying beams 14 are mounted in such a way that they can be moved relative to one another in the conveying direction F and counter to the conveying direction F. A gap 32 is formed between the adjacent conveying beams 14, through which gap the bulk material 20 lying on the upper side of the conveying beams 14 can fall, particularly when the bulk material is being conveyed and the conveying beams 14 are moving relative to one another. Mounted on the upper side of each of the conveying beams 14 there are, for example, conveying elements 42, 44, which preferably extend transversely to the conveying direction F and simplify the transport of the bulk material 20 in the conveying direction.

[0031] Furthermore, the cooler 10 has a seal 16, which is arranged between two adjacent conveying beams 14. By way of example, the seal comprises two seal elements 34, 36. Each of the seal elements 34, 36 is secured on a respective conveying beam 14. By way of example, the seal elements 34, 36 are each screwed to the respective conveying beam by means of screws 38, 40. The seal elements each have a sealing profile 46, 48, wherein the sealing profiles 46, 48 interact with one another in such a way that a sealing gap 50, preferably of substantially uniform width, is formed between them.

[0032] By way of example, the seal 16 is a double labyrinth seal. A labyrinth seal is to be understood as meaning a seal in which the sealing gap 50 has at least two angles of at least 90°. As a result, the flow path of the bulk material 20 for entry into the gap 32 between the adjacent conveying beams 14 is significantly increased.

[0033] By way of example, one of the sealing profiles 46 is designed as a U-profile and, in particular, has two parallel webs spaced apart from one another. The webs extend in the vertical direction, for example, and are preferably of equal length. By way of example, the other sealing profile 48 is designed as a double U-profile and, in particular, has three parallel webs which are each spaced apart from one another and are preferably of the same length. In particular, the central web is designed to be shorter than the two outer webs. The two outer webs of the sealing profile 48 which is designed as a double U-profile preferably at least partially or completely enclose the webs of the sealing profile 46 which interacts therewith.

[0034] By way of example, a chamber 52, in which material which has penetrated into the sealing gap 50 collects, is formed within the seal 16. The chamber 52 is in each case formed between two webs of a respective sealing profile 46, 48, for example. In particular, the chamber 52 is an extension of the sealing gap 50 and is preferably arranged in the middle of the seal 16.

[0035] For example, the chamber 52 is arranged between the two webs of the sealing profile 46 which is designed as a simple U-profile, and is preferably bounded at the top by the central web of the sealing profile 48 which is designed as a double U-profile.

[0036] The chamber 52 preferably extends over the entire length of the seal 16. In particular, the chamber 52 is connected to a compressed air generating device 54, which is indicated only schematically in FIG. 2 for reasons of clarity. The compressed air generating device 54 serves to supply the chamber 52 with compressed air, the compressed air generating device 54 being, for example, a fan. The chamber 52 preferably has an outlet for discharging bulk material from the chamber 52, thus enabling the bulk material to be blown out of the chamber 52 by means of the compressed air generating device 54. The chamber 52 preferably forms a low point of the sealing gap 50.

[0037] The compressed air generating device 54 can alternatively be formed by one of the fans 22, 24, the chamber 52 thus being supplied with compressed air by means of the cooling air below the aeration floor 12. In this case, this is then a natural, unforced air flow in the chamber 52.

[0038] The seal 16 has, for example, a plurality of seal segments (not illustrated in the figures) arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction F. Respective adjacent seal segments are preferably connected to one another and together form the seal 16.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0039] 10 cooler [0040] 12 aeration floor [0041] 14 conveying beam [0042] 16 seal [0043] 18 material inlet [0044] 20 bulk material [0045] 22 fan [0046] 24 fan [0047] 26 housing [0048] 28 recuperation air outlet [0049] 30 material outlet [0050] 32 gap [0051] 34 seal element [0052] 36 seal element [0053] 38 screw [0054] 40 screw [0055] 42 conveying element [0056] 44 conveying element [0057] 46 sealing profile [0058] 48 sealing profile [0059] 50 sealing gap [0060] 52 chamber [0061] 54 compressed air generating device [0062] F conveying direction