Regnerative burner

Abstract

A regenerative burner or heat exchanger has a housing with a removable media bed, which can be removed from the housing for regeneration, replacement or other treatment of the media. A spare media bed can be prepared with new, renovated or otherwise treated media and ready to replace the bed in the heat exchanger with minimal delay. Another heat exchanger housing has a detachable lower section, containing heat exchange media, which can be moved for regeneration, replacement or other treatment of the media.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A regenerative heat exchanger system comprising a housing, a removable media bed within said housing, and heat exchange media carried by said bed, said bed being designed and adapted for removal of said bed from said housing with said media for regeneration, replacement or other treatment of said media.  
     
     
         2 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 1  wherein said media bed comprises a front wall, a rear wall that is larger than said front wall, side walls that are tapered from said front wall to said rear wall, and a perforated grate supported by said front, rear and side walls, said grate being designed and adapted to hold said heat exchange media and to allow exhaust gas or intake air to contact said media.  
     
     
         3 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 1  wherein said bed further comprises one or more tubes adapted to receive a fork of a forklift.  
     
     
         4 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a spare media bed that can be prepared with new, renovated or otherwise treated media and ready to replace the bed in said heat exchanger with minimal delay when the heat exchange media within said heat exchanger needs replacement, renovation or other treatment.  
     
     
         5 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 1 , wherein said housing having an upper section and a detachable lower section, said lower section containing heat exchange media and being adapted to be moved from said upper section for regeneration, replacement or other treatment of said media.  
     
     
         6 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 5  wherein said bed further comprises one or more tubes adapted to receive a fork of a forklift.  
     
     
         7 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 1  wherein said media comprises ceramic particles.  
     
     
         8 . A regenerative heat exchanger system according to  claim 7  wherein said particles comprise balls having an average diameter of about 1 inch.  
     
     
         9 . In a furnace comprising: 
 a first burner and a second burner;    a first regenerator and a second regenerator;    exhaust ducting from said first burner to said first regenerator;    exhaust ducting from said second regenerator to said second regenerator;    intake ducting from said first regenerator to said second burner;    intake ducting from said second regenerator to said first burner; and    means for alternately: 
 passing intake air through said first regenerator to said second burner and passing exhaust gas from said second burner through said second regenerator; and  
 passing intake air through said second regenerator to said first burner and passing exhaust gas from said first burner through said second regenerator; the improvement wherein: 
 said first regenerator and said second regenerator each comprise a carrier for heat exchange media that is designed and adapted to be removed from said regenerators for renovation of said media.  
 
   
     
     
         10 . A furnace according to  claim 9 , further comprising a spare carrier of heat exchange media that can be renovated and prepared for service while said furnace is in operation.  
     
     
         11  In a heat recovery method wherein exhaust gas from one or more burners is passed through one or more beds of regenerative material that is heated by said exhaust gas, and intake air for said burners is passed through and heated by beds of said material, the improvement wherein said beds are placed on supports that can be removed for regeneration of said material.