Mass transfer apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to energy mechanical engineering and can be used in power installations involving a liquid-metal heat carrier. A mass transfer apparatus including a housing and, provided therein, a flow reaction chamber filled with a solid-phase granulated oxidation agent, and an electric heater positioned in the reaction chamber. The housing of the apparatus is equipped with a repository for reserves of the solid-state granulated oxidation agent, said repository being located below the reaction chamber and being made in the form of a cup having a bottom, said cup being connected to the re-action chamber. The technical result consists in extending the operational duration of the mass transfer apparatus.

Claims

1. A mass transfer apparatus, comprising: a housing and, provided therein, a flow reaction chamber filled with an oxidation agent, provided with an adjustable heating system, and systems for inlet and outlet of oxidizable material, wherein the housing is equipped with a repository for reserves of the oxidation agent.

2. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an electric heater is used as an adjustable heating system.

3. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a high resistance wire made of nichrome or fechral is used as a heating element.

4. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent includes a bottom and a side wall, formed by a lower part of the housing.

5. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein openings are made in an upper part of the side wall of the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent, adjacent to the flow reaction chamber.

6. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein openings are made in a lower part of the side wall of the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent.

7. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent is located below the flow reaction chamber.

8. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent is located below a lower end of the electric heater.

9. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in an initial state, a volume of the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent is filled with the oxidation agent.

10. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow reaction chamber is formed by a middle part of the housing, defined from below by an upper part of the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent, and from above, by a restrictive grille.

11. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in the restrictive grille, there are openings provided.

12. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the system for inlet of the oxidizable material is formed by an upper part of a side wall of the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent.

13. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the system for outlet of the oxidizable material is formed by a restrictive grille of the flow reaction chamber and openings in a wall of the housing.

14. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the system for outlet of the oxidizable material is located below the flow reaction chamber.

15. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the oxidation agent is comprised of a solid-phase agent.

16. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the produced oxidation agent is comprised of separate particles.

17. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a granulated lead oxide is used as a solid-phase oxidation agent.

18. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the openings are made in the form of a series of slits having a width lesser than a size of particles of a solid-phase oxidation agent.

19. The mass transfer apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is located horizontally in the oxidizable material reservoir.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows the schematic layout of the mass transfer apparatus.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(2) In the FIGURE, the following conventional symbols are adopted: 1housing; 2bottom; 3cover; 4perforated grille; 5electric heater; 6solid-phase granulated oxidation agent; 7outlet openings; 8inlet openings; 9openings (drainage); 10volume with the heat carrier; 11heat carrier, 13flow reaction chamber, 14bottom part of the repository for reserves of the oxidation agent (cup) 15repository for reserves of the solid-phase granulated oxidation agent, 16pocket for the housing of the mass transfer apparatus.

(3) The mass transfer apparatus includes a reservoir formed by the housing 1, defined by the bottom 2 and a ring-shaped cover 3. In the reservoir, a flow reaction chamber 13 located inside the reservoir below the level of the liquid-metal heat carrier and defined from above by the perforated grille 4, is arranged. The restrictive grille 4 is intended for restraining the solid-phase granulated oxidation agent 6 from floating up under the action of the buoyancy force. Through the restrictive grille 4 and the openings 7 in the wall of the housing 1, located in the upper part of the wall of the housing 1 above the restrictive grille 4, the oxygen-enriched liquid-metal heat carrier leaves the mass transfer apparatus and mixes with the heat carrier of the main circuit of the installation.

(4) The solid-phase oxidation agent 6, housed below the grille 4, when interacting with the liquid-metal heat carrier, is dissolved enriching the heat carrier with oxygen.

(5) The heater 5, located in the reaction chamber 13 and passing through the perforated grille 4, is intended to heat the heat carrier in the reaction chamber 13.

(6) The inlet openings 8 are located in the wall of the housing 1 at the level of the lower end of the electric heater 5, so that during operation of the mass transfer apparatus, the liquid-metal heat carrier moves substantially through the layer of the solid-phase oxidation agent, located in the reaction chamber 13 in the gap between the housing 1 and the electric heater 5.

(7) Below the reaction chamber, the housing 1 is made in the form of a cup 14 having a bottom 2, in which the repository 15 for reserves of the solid-phase granulated oxidation agent 6 is located.

(8) The drainage openings 9 located in the lower part of the reservoir, are intended for draining the liquid-metal heat carrier during extraction of the mass transfer apparatus from the installation.

(9) The outlet openings 7, the inlet openings 8, the drainage openings 9 and the perforation holes in the grille 4 are made, preferably, in the form of narrow slits having a size lesser than the granules of the solid-phase oxidation agent.

(10) When in operating position, the mass transfer apparatus is immersed into the lead-containing heat carrier, so that the outlet openings 7 are located below the level of the liquid-metal heat carrier. The mass transfer apparatus is arranged in the reservoir of the installation, wherethrough the liquid-metal heat carrier flows. If the height of the layer of the liquid-metal heat carrier is insufficient for immersing the housing of the mass transfer apparatus thereinto, the reservoir is equipped with the pocket 16, into which the housing 1 of the mass transfer apparatus is embedded. The flow of the liquid-metal heat carrier through the pocket 16 is ensured as a result of a convective flow of the liquid-metal heat carrier through the reaction chamber during operation of the electric heater 5.

(11) The mass transfer apparatus operates as follows. Upon switching of the electric heater 5, due to the natural convection, an outflow of the liquid-metal heat carrier through the granulated solid-phase oxidation agent 6, located in the flow reaction chamber 13 in the gap between the housing 1 and the electric heater 5, is created. The liquid-metal heat carrier 11 from the ambient volume enters the mass transfer apparatus through the inlet openings 8 and moves bottom-upwards through the granulated solid-phase oxidation agent 6 located in the reaction chamber 13. The granules of the solid-phase oxidation agent, when interacting with the heat carrier, are dissolved therein enriching the liquid-metal heat carrier with oxygen. The oxygen-enriched liquid-metal heat carrier leaves the mass transfer apparatus through the outlet openings 7, and mixes with the liquid-metal heat carrier of the main circuit of the installation. The value of throughput, i.e. the amount of oxygen inflowing from the mass transfer apparatus per unit of time, is adjusted by altering the power level of the electric heater. During operation of the mass transfer apparatus, there is practically no outflow of the liquid-metal heat carrier through the reserves of the solid-phase oxidation agent, located in the repository 15 positioned in the cup 14 in the lower part of the housing 1 between the bottom 2 and the reaction chamber. In the process of operation, first the layer of the granulated solid-phase oxidation agent, located in the reaction chamber 13 in the gap between the housing 1 of the mass transfer apparatus and the electric heater 5, wherethrough the outflow of the heat carrier is ensured, begins to run out. Moreover, this layer is under elevated temperature, which facilitates the dissolution of the solid-phase oxidation agent. Since the density of the solid-phase oxidation agent (lead oxide) is lower than the density of the liquid-metal heat carrier, as the above-said layer runs out, the reserves of the solid-phase oxidation agent, located in the repository 15, when floating up, fill the freed up space in the reaction chamber 13 between the housing of the mass transfer apparatus and the electric heater.

(12) Specific exemplary embodiment of the mass transfer apparatus.

(13) Design characteristics of the mass transfer apparatus and the materials used: housing 1: inner diameter64 mm, height1500 mm, size of the inlet and drainage openings2 mm, size of the outlet openings10 mm, materialstainless steel 12H18N10T; perforated grille 4: size of perforation holes2 mm, materialstainless steel 12H18N10T; electric heater 5: typeelectric rod heater having a power capacity of 7 kW, height of the heating part820 mm, heater housing dia. 25 mm, heating elementnichrome wire (H20N80) dia. 1.6 mm; solid-phase oxidation agent 6: pebble fill consisting of granules dia. 8-9 mm, materiallead oxide (PbO) of a Ch grade, TU 6-09-5382-88. Lead-containing liquid-metal heat carrier: PbBi alloy, temperature340 C. Oxygen throughput (at an inlet temperature of 340 C.): 1 g[O]/h.