Melter feeding system

Abstract

The invention relates to a material feeding system ( 1 ) for a melter comprising: (i) a substantially horizontal feeding barrel ( 5 ) designed to feed solid material through the melter wall ( 9 ) into the melt ( 11 ) contained in the said melter, and arranged below the level ( 13 ) of the melt ( 11 ) contained in the melter ( 30 ), (ii) said feeding barrel ( 5 ) comprising a material input opening ( 15 ) and material output opening ( 17 ), the material output opening ( 17 ) leading into the melt ( 11 ) contained in the melter ( 30 ), said feeding barrel ( 5 ) comprising an internal feeder ( 20 ) designed to push solid material ( 7 ) loaded through the material input opening ( 15 ), in the direction of the longitudinal barrel axis ( 6 ) toward the material output opening ( 17 ), the end of the internal feeder ( 20 ) on the material output side extending at a minimum at a distance from the internal melter surface ( 19 ) of two (2) to ten (10) times the diameter of the feeding barrel ( 5 ), preferably three (3) to eight (8) times the diameter of the feeding barrel, more preferably three (3) to six (6) times the diameter of the feeding barrel or three (3) to five (5) times the diameter of the feeding barrel ( 5 ). The invention further covers a submerged combustion melter equipped with above material feeding system and a process for feeding material into a melter.

1 . A material feeding system ( 1 ) for a melter ( 30 ) comprising:
 a substantially horizontal feeding barrel ( 5 ) designed to feed solid material ( 7 ) through the melter wall ( 9 ) into the melt ( 11 ) contained in the said melter ( 30 ), and arranged below the level ( 13 ) of the melt contained in the melter ( 30 ),   said feeding barrel ( 5 ) comprising a material input opening ( 15 ) and material output opening ( 17 ), the material output opening ( 17 ) leading into the melt ( 11 ) contained in the melter ( 30 ),   said feeding barrel ( 5 ) comprising an internal feeder ( 20 ) designed to push solid material ( 7 ) loaded through the material input opening ( 15 ), in the direction of the longitudinal barrel axis ( 6 ) toward the material output opening ( 17 ),   the end of the internal feeder ( 20 ) on the material output side extending at a minimum at a distance from the internal melter surface ( 19 ) of two (2) to ten (10) times the diameter of the feeding barrel, preferably three (3) to eight (8) times the diameter of the feeding barrel ( 5 ), more preferably three (3) to six (6) times the diameter of the feeding barrel or three (3) to five (5) times the diameter of the feeding barrel ( 5 ).   
     
     
         2 . The material feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein the feeding barrel wall ( 5 ) or walls ( 5 ′, 5 ″)comprise double steel walls ( 5 ′, 5 ″) separated by circulating cooling liquid, preferably water. 
     
     
         3 . The material feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein a material charge chute ( 23 ) is connected to the material input opening ( 15 ). 
     
     
         4 . The material feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein the internal feeder is a feeding piston ( 20 ). 
     
     
         5 . The material feeding system of  claim 4 , wherein the feeding piston is a hydraulically ( 21 ) activated feeding piston. 
     
     
         6 . The material feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein the internal feeder ( 20 ) is a feeding screw. 
     
     
         7 . The material feeding system of  claim 1 , wherein a screw feeder ( 25 ) is provided at the barrel material input opening ( 15 ). 
     
     
         8 . The material feeding system of  claim 7 , wherein the axis ( 26 ) of the screw feeder is inclined toward the barrel axis ( 6 ), and is preferably substantially perpendicular to the barrel axis, most preferably substantially vertical. 
     
     
         9 . A process for feeding material into a melter ( 30 ), below the level ( 13 ) of the melt ( 11 ) contained in the said melter, comprising pushing the said material substantially horizontally through a feeding barrel ( 5 ) into the melt ( 11 ) by way of an internal feeder ( 20 ), thereby maintaining the internal feeder ( 20 ) at a minimum at a distance from the internal melter surface ( 19 ) of two (2) to ten (10) times the diameter of the feeding barrel ( 5 ), preferably three (3) to eight (8) times the diameter of the feeding barrel, more preferably three (3) to six (6) times the diameter of the feeding barrel or three (3) to five (5) times the diameter of the feeding barrel ( 5 ). 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9  wherein the material is loaded under pressure through a material input opening ( 15 ) into the feeding barrel ( 5 ). 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the internal feeder is a feeding piston ( 20 ) moved from a position uncovering the material input opening ( 15 ) to allow for admission of material ( 7 ) under pressure, to a position closing the material input opening ( 15 ), thereby pushing the material into the melt ( 11 ). 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 9  wherein the material fed into the melter is melted therein and withdrawn for downstream processing. 
     
     
         13 . A melter ( 30 ) comprising a-the material feeding system ( 1 ) of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . The melter of  claim 13  comprising a submerged combustion melter.