Regenerators with pressurized cavity in partition walls

Abstract

A pressurized cavity is provided around at least a portion or all of a regenerator, within which gas such as flue gas is maintained at a pressure in excess of the pressure within the regenerator, to protect against leakage of gas through the walls of the regenerator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method of carrying out combustion in a furnace, comprising (A) combusting fuel in a furnace to produce gaseous combustion products, and (B) alternately 
       (1) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled first regenerator to heat the first regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing a first part of said cooled gaseous combustion products from said first regenerator, and fuel, into a heated second regenerator and, in the second regenerator, reacting the gaseous combustion products and the fuel in an endothermic reaction to form syngas comprising hydrogen and CO, and passing said syngas from the second regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace, while passing the remainder of said gaseous combustion products from said first regenerator to exhaust, and 
       (2) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled second regenerator to heat the second regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing a first part of said cooled gaseous combustion products from said second regenerator, and fuel, into a heated first regenerator and, in the first regenerator, reacting the gaseous combustion products and the fuel in an endothermic reaction to form syngas comprising hydrogen and CO, and passing said syngas from the first regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace, while passing the remainder of said gaseous combustion products from said second regenerator to exhaust;
 wherein said first and second regenerators are connected by a partition between and connected to the first and second regenerators, wherein the partition comprises a first surface that is exposed to the passageway in the first regenerator, a second surface that is exposed to the passageway in the second regenerator, and top and bottom surfaces, the partition defining an interior void space which is in flow communication with the first and second surfaces, the partition also comprising an inlet through which gas can be fed into an interior void portion from outside the regenerators; and 
 feeding gas selected from the group consisting of air, gaseous combustion products formed by combustion in said furnace, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, steam, and mixtures thereof, into said interior void space to maintain the gas pressure in voids in said interior void space in excess of the gas pressure in said passageways that are exposed to surfaces of said partition. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said inlet is connected to the outlet of a blower that compresses gaseous combustion products produced and cooled in said regenerators. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein a temperature sensor is present in the gas feed line connected to said inlet by which the temperature within said void space can be read outside said regenerator. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 7  wherein a pressure sensor is present in the gas feed line connected to said inlet by which the pressure within said void space can be read outside said regenerator. 
     
     
         11 . A method of carrying out combustion in a furnace, comprising
 (A) combusting fuel in a furnace to produce gaseous combustion products, and   (B) alternately   
       (1) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled first regenerator to heat the first regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing gaseous oxidant into a heated second regenerator to form heated oxidant and cool the second regenerator, and passing said heated oxidant from the second regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace, and 
       (2) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled second regenerator to heat the second regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing gaseous oxidant into a heated first regenerator to form heated oxidant and cool the first regenerator, and passing said heated oxidant from the first regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace;
 wherein said first and second regenerators are connected by a partition between and connected to the first and second regenerators, wherein the partition comprises a first surface that is exposed to the passageway in the first regenerator, a second surface that is exposed to the passageway in the second regenerator, and top and bottom surfaces, the partition defining an interior void space which is in flow communication with the first and second surfaces, the partition also comprising an inlet through which gas can be fed into an interior void portion from outside the regenerators; and 
 feeding gas selected from the group consisting of air, gaseous combustion products formed by combustion in said furnace, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, steam, and mixtures thereof, into said interior void space to maintain the gas pressure in voids in said interior void space in excess of the gas pressure in said passageways that are exposed to surfaces of said partition. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein said inlet is connected to the outlet of a blower that compresses gaseous combustion products produced and cooled in said regenerators. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein a temperature sensor is present in the gas feed line connected to said inlet by which the temperature within said void space can be read outside said regenerator. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein a pressure sensor is present in the gas feed line connected to said inlet by which the pressure within said void space can be read outside said regenerator. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of carrying out combustion in a furnace, comprising
 (A) combusting fuel in a furnace to produce gaseous combustion products, and   (B) alternately   
       (1) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled first regenerator to heat the first regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing a first part of said cooled gaseous combustion products from said first regenerator, and fuel, into a heated second regenerator and, in the second regenerator, reacting the gaseous combustion products and the fuel in an endothermic reaction to form syngas comprising hydrogen and CO, and passing said syngas from the second regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace, while passing the remainder of said gaseous combustion products from said first regenerator to exhaust, and 
       (2) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled second regenerator to heat the second regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing a first part of said cooled gaseous combustion products from said second regenerator, and fuel, into a heated first regenerator and, in the first regenerator, reacting the gaseous combustion products and the fuel in an endothermic reaction to form syngas comprising hydrogen and CO, and passing said syngas from the first regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace, while passing the remainder of said gaseous combustion products from said second regenerator to exhaust;
 wherein each regenerator further comprises (i) a refractory wall surrounding at least a portion of the exterior of the regenerator, (ii) a top surface and a bottom surface which together with the refractory wall and the exterior of the regenerator define an interior void portion, and (iii) an inlet through which gas can be fed into said interior void portion from outside the regenerator; and 
 feeding gas selected from the group consisting of air, gaseous combustion products formed by combustion in said furnace, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, steam, and mixtures thereof, into said interior void space to maintain the gas pressure in voids in said interior void space in excess of the gas pressure in said passageways. 
 
     
     
         17 . A method of carrying out combustion in a furnace, comprising
 (A) combusting fuel in a furnace to produce gaseous combustion products, and   (B) alternately   
       (1) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled first regenerator to heat the first regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing gaseous oxidant into a heated second regenerator to form heated oxidant and cool the second regenerator, and passing said heated oxidant from the second regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace, and 
       (2) passing gaseous combustion products from the furnace into and through a passageway in a cooled second regenerator to heat the second regenerator and cool said gaseous combustion products, and passing gaseous oxidant into a heated first regenerator to form heated oxidant and cool the first regenerator, and passing said heated oxidant from the first regenerator into the furnace and combusting it in the furnace;
 wherein each regenerator further comprises (i) a refractory wall surrounding at least a portion of the exterior of the regenerator, (ii) a top surface and a bottom surface which together with the refractory wall and the exterior of the regenerator define an interior void portion, and (iii) an inlet through which gas can be fed into said interior void portion from outside the regenerator; and 
 feeding gas selected from the group consisting of air, gaseous combustion products formed by combustion in said furnace, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, steam, and mixtures thereof, into said interior void space to maintain the gas pressure in voids in said interior void space in excess of the gas pressure in said passageways.