Fuel particle separator disposed upstream from a boiler, and provided with an isolating valve member

A separator is disposed between a grinder and a boiler so as to select, on the basis of size, particles produced by grinding a fuel in the grinder and conveyed by a flow of air from the grinder to the separator, and then to the boiler. The separator extends in an axial direction and includes output compartments, each of which underlies a respective conveyor duct connecting the separator to the boiler. An isolating valve member is mounted to move inside the separator, and is moved in translation in the axial direction either to allow the flow to pass through all of the output compartments into the conveyor ducts or else to prevent said flow from passing therethrough. This isolating valve member makes it possible to close all of the output compartments together. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of isolating valve members to the number of separators in a grinding installation, regardless of the number of conveyor ducts from each separator.

If you were to search for Fuel particle separator disposed upstream from a boiler, and provided with an isolating valve member using relaxed search criteria, these patents would come up:

What is claimed is:

1. A separator, comprising:

a separator body adapted to be disposed between a grinder and a boiler, said separator body having a conveyor structure adapted to select, on the basis of size, particles of a certain maximum size by forcing said particles to travel in onedirection using forced air, and allowing particles of a certain minimum size to travel in another direction under the force of gravity, all of said particles having been produced by grinding a fuel in the grinder and conveyed by a flow of air from thegrinder to the separator, and then to the boiler;

wherein said separator extends in an axial direction and further includes output compartments, each of which underlies a respective conveyor duct connecting the separator to the boiler; and

wherein said separator further includes an isolating valve member mounted to move inside the separator in translation in the axial direction either to allow the flow to pass through all of the output compartments into the conveyor ducts or elseto prevent said flow passing therethrough.

2. A separator according to claim 1, in which the isolating valve member is secured to a valve member tube coupled to a control rod for movement in the axial direction, said control rod actuated by an actuator mounted outside the separator.

3. A separator according to claim 2, in which the valve member tube communicates with a pressurized enclosure disposed outside the separator and having an inlet for communicating with a source of barrier air.

4. A separator according to claim 3, in which the isolating valve member has two conical blades spaced apart by spacers and secured to the valve member tube, said valve member tube is provided with openings disposed between the two spaced-apartblades.

5. A separator according to claim 3, in which the valve member tube is provided with openings at the base of one of the two spaced-apart blades of the valve member.

6. A separator according to claim 3, further comprising a barrier air sealing valve member secured to the control rod so as to be actuated by the control rod, wherein the barrier air sealing member operates to isolate the valve member tube fromthe pressurized enclosure when the isolating valve member is in the open position.

7. A separator according to claim 6, in which the sealing valve member slides inside a cylinder secured to the valve member tube.

8. A separator according to claim 7, in which the cylinder is provided with openings enabling barrier air to flow from the pressurized enclosure to the inside of the valve member tube.

9. The separator according to claim 1, wherein the isolating valve member is secured to a valve member tube coupled to a control rod for movement in the axial direction, and

wherein the value member tube communicates with a pressurized enclosure having an inlet for communicating with a source of barrier air.

10. The separator according to claim 9, wherein the isolating valve member has two conical blades spaced apart by spacers and secured to the valve member tube, said valve member tube is provided with openings disposed between the twospaced-apart blades.

11. A separator according to claim 9, wherein the valve member tube is provided with openings at the base of one of the two spaced-apart blades of the valve member.

12. The separator according to claim 9, further comprising a barrier air sealing valve member secured to the control rod so as to be actuated by the control rod, wherein the barrier air sealing member operates to isolate the valve member tubefrom the pressurized enclosure when the isolating valve member is in the open position.

13. The separator according to claim 12, in which the sealing valve member slides inside a cylinder secured to the valve member tube.

14. The separator according to claim 13, in which the cylinder is provided with openings enabling barrier air to flow from the pressurized enclosure to the inside of the valve member tube.

15. A separator, comprising:

a separator body adapted to be disposed between a grinder and a boiler, said separator body having a conveyor structure adapted to select, on the basis of size, particles of a certain maximum size by forcing said particles to travel in onedirection using forced air, and allowing particles of a certain minimum size to travel in another direction under the force of gravity, all of the particles having been produced by grinding a fuel in the grinder and conveyed by a flow of air from thegrinder to said separator, and then to the boiler;

wherein said separator extends in an axial direction and further includes an output compartment that underlies a conveyor duct connecting the separator to the boiler;

wherein said separator further includes an isolating valve member mounted to move inside said separator in translation in the axial direction either to allow the flow to pass through said output compartment into said conveyor duct or else toprevent said flow passing therethrough;

wherein said isolating valve member is secured to a valve member tube coupled to a control rod for movement in the axial direction, and wherein said value member tube communicates with a pressurized enclosure having an inlet for communicatingwith a source of barrier air; and

wherein said isolating valve member has two conical blades spaced apart by spacers and secured to the valve member tube, said valve member tube provided with openings disposed between the two spaced-apart blades.

16. A separator, comprising:

a separator body adapted to be disposed between a grinder and a boiler, said separator body having a conveyor structure adapted to select, on the basis of size, particles of a certain maximum size by forcing said particles to travel in onedirection using forced air, and allowing particles of a certain minimum size to travel in another direction under the force of gravity, all of the particles having been produced by grinding a fuel in the grinder and conveyed by a flow of air from thegrinder to said separator, and then to the boiler;

wherein said separator extends in an axial direction and further includes an output compartment that underlies a conveyor duct connecting the separator to the boiler;

wherein said separator further includes an isolating valve member mounted to move inside said separator in translation in the axial direction either to allow the flow to pass through said output compartment into said conveyor duct or else toprevent said flow passing therethrough;

wherein said isolating valve member is secured to a valve member tube coupled to a control rod for movement in the axial direction, and wherein said value member tube communicates with a pressurized enclosure having an inlet for communicatingwith a source of barrier air; and

wherein the valve member tube is provided with openings at the base of one of the two spaced-apart blades of the valve member.

17. The separator according to claim 15, further comprising a barrier air sealing valve member secured to the control rod so as to be actuated by the control rod, wherein the barrier air sealing member operates to isolate the valve member tubefrom the pressurized enclosure when the isolating valve member is in the open position; and

wherein the sealing valve member slides inside a cylinder secured to the valve member tube.

18. The separator according to claim 17, in which the cylinder is provided with openings enabling barrier air to flow from the pressurized enclosure to the inside of the valve member tube.

19. The separator according to claim 16, further comprising a barrier air sealing valve member secured to the control rod so as to be actuated by the control rod, wherein the barrier air sealing member operates to isolate the valve member tubefrom the pressurized enclosure when the isolating valve member is in the open position; and

wherein the sealing valve member slides inside a cylinder secured to the valve member tube.

20. The separator according to claim 19, in which the cylinder is provided with openings enabling barrier air to flow from the pressurized enclosure to the inside of the valve member tube.