JP-7856648-B2 - Industrial calcination equipment

Inventors

• ウールコット，ロブ
• サットン，ピーター
• カンチャラパリ，シヴァ
• パテル，マニッシュ
• トラン，ビン

Assignees

• サン－ゴバン プラコ

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20220113

Priority Date

20210120

Claims (13)

1. A baking container and An industrial calcinerator for particulate materials comprising a calcination vessel and a gas supply system in fluid communication with the calcination vessel, The gas supply system is configured to supply a calcination gas flow to the calcination container. The industrial calcination furnace further comprises at least one electric heater configured to heat the calcination gas, and the industrial calcination furnace further comprises at least one humidity control device and a humidity control system for controlling the output of the at least one humidity control device . The industrial calcinerator comprises an airflow control system for controlling the airflow through the industrial calcinerator, and the airflow control system comprises at least one airflow sensor .
2. The industrial furnace according to claim 1, wherein at least one electric heater is located within the gas supply system.
3. The industrial calcinerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calcination container is equipped with a pulverizer for reducing the size of the granular material.
4. The industrial calcinerator according to any one of the claims, wherein the gas supply system comprises a heat exchanger and/or a heat pump configured to extract thermal energy from the calcination gas remaining in the calcination vessel.
5. The industrial calcination furnace according to claim 4, wherein the heat exchanger and/or heat pump are configured to heat at least a portion of the calcination gas before it enters the calcination vessel.
6. The industrial calcinerator according to any one of the claims, comprising a heating control system for controlling the output of the at least one electric heater, preferably comprising at least one temperature sensor.
7. The industrial furnace or incinerator according to any one of the claims, wherein the humidity control system comprises at least one humidity sensor.
8. The industrial calcinerator according to any one of the claims, wherein the industrial calcinerator comprises a pressure control system for controlling the pressure inside the industrial calcinerator, preferably the pressure control system comprises at least one pressure sensor.
9. The industrial calcinerator according to any one of the claims, further comprising a filter unit configured to remove calcined particulate matter from the calcination gas.
10. The industrial calcination furnace according to any one of the claims, wherein the industrial calcination furnace is configured to recirculate at least a portion of the calcination gas.
11. The industrial furnace according to any one of the above claims, comprising a plurality of electric heaters.
12. Use of the industrial calcination furnace according to any one of the above claims for calcining particulate materials.
13. A step of providing an industrial furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , The process of providing gypsum, The steps include placing the gypsum in the firing container, A step of exposing the particle material to heat from at least one electric heater, A method for calcining a particulate material, comprising the step of calcining the particulate material.

Description

This invention relates to an industrial calcination furnace for particulate materials. More specifically, this invention relates to an industrial calcination furnace equipped with an electric heater. This invention also relates to the use of an industrial calcination furnace and a method for calcining particulate materials using an industrial calcination furnace. Gypsum building panels, often called gypsum boards, are commonly used to construct interior walls and ceilings in buildings. The main component of these building panels is gypsum, also known as calcium sulfate dihydrate CaSO₄₂ ( H₂O ), but it is common to include additives such as fibers, starch, and synthetic polymers to modify the chemical and mechanical properties of gypsum boards. Typically, gypsum board is formed from a stucco slurry. Here, stucco (calcium sulfate hemihydrate, CaSO₄₀₅ ( H₂O )) and other additives are combined with water to form a stucco slurry. The water in the slurry hydrates the stucco to form gypsum, and the gypsum slurry is dried at high temperature to form gypsum board. Gypsum board may have one or more decorative materials, such as paper sheets, but decorative materials are not always used or desired. Generally, gypsum board products are formed by hydrating calcium sulfate hemihydrate and then drying the mixture, or by air-drying the mixture to obtain a gypsum product, skim, or layer. Therefore, it is necessary to provide calcium sulfate hemihydrate for use in the manufacture of gypsum board, powder, and other products. Currently, the industrial production of calcium sulfate hemihydrate relies on a combustion process that uses burners, most commonly gas burners, and thermal energy for calcining gypsum to produce calcium sulfate hemihydrate. Here, the combustion process within the burner supplies hot air to the particulate matter for calcination. Because variations in calcination conditions can lead to significant changes in the properties of the calcined particles and, consequently, the properties of the manufactured gypsum board, it is desirable to strictly control the calcination process, particularly the humidity and temperature of the calcination environment. Furthermore, the calcination process consumes a relatively large amount of energy, and it is desirable to reduce the energy required to produce calcium sulfate hemihydrate from raw gypsum. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the controllability of the calcination process and further reduce the energy required to calcine raw gypsum. The object and aspects of the present invention aim to address at least one of these problems. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an industrial calcination furnace for particulate materials is provided, comprising a calcination container and a gas supply system in fluid communication with the calcination container, wherein the gas supply system is configured to supply a calcination gas flow to the calcination container, the industrial calcination furnace further comprises at least one electric heater configured to heat the calcination gas, and further comprises at least one humidity control device and a humidity control system for controlling the output of the at least one humidity control device. In this way, industrial calcination furnaces are provided that allow for more precise control of calcination conditions. Optimized conditions such as temperature, humidity, airflow, and pressure are critical to ensuring the calcination process is efficient and achieving the desired properties of the calcined particulate matter. When the thermal energy required for calcination is provided by conventional combustion methods using liquid and gaseous fuels, controlling the calcination conditions supplied to the particulate material in the calcination vessel is particularly difficult during the transient operating phases of start and stop. The combustion temperature in these burners may vary depending on the precise combustion mixture within the burner, and this temperature may potentially change from the desired value over time due to the accumulation of combustion products within the burner. Furthermore, maintaining combustion within the burner requires a continuous supply of fresh air and fuel. Consequently, these burner systems waste a considerable amount of energy, as the fresh air and combustion fuel are heated rather than the particulate material being calcined. Systems using electric heaters significantly reduce the requirement for fresh air, thereby increasing efficiency. Moreover, the net reduction in fresh ambient air supplied to the calcination process allows for increased recirculation of moist air within industrial calcination furnaces and a reduction in undesirable exhaust substances. The absence of a combustion process can also be advantageous, as it eliminates the need to heat any combustion products to maintain the calcination gas at the desired temperature. Furthermore, the use of electric heaters allows fo