Manifold inputs and outputs for furnace regenerators

Abstract

Separate intake air and exhaust gas manifolds along each long checker-brick regenerator, each of which manifolds have separate adjustable sideports, valves, or gates in each branch duct that do not have to be readjusted each regeneration cycle, and which gates may be preadjusted and/or at-will adjusted from a common and even remote location.

We claim: 
     
       1. A regenerator system for .[.a.]. .Iadd.an open hearth type .Iaddend.furnace .Iadd.(F) .Iaddend.having a pair of elongated .Iadd.unpartitioned .Iaddend.regenerators .Iadd.(10, 11) .Iaddend.through which intake air and exhaust gases alternately pass, and each said .[.generator.]. .Iadd.regenerator .Iaddend.having .Iadd.in order from the bottom to the top, a tunnel (14, 15), brickwork (12, 13) and .Iaddend.a longitudinal .Iadd.open .Iaddend.duct .Iadd.(16, 17) .Iaddend.along its top connected to a plurality of side ports .Iadd.(18, 19), .Iaddend.said system .Iadd.further .Iaddend.comprising: (A) an input manifold .Iadd.(20, 21) .Iaddend.for .[.said.]. .Iadd.each regenerator for feeding .Iaddend.intake air .[.to each regenerator,.]. .Iadd.thereto, each .Iaddend.said .Iadd.input .Iaddend.manifold having branch ducts .Iadd.(22, 23) .Iaddend.spaced along and connected to its said .[.regenerators.]. .Iadd.regenerator tunnel (14, 15).Iaddend.,   (B) an output manifold .Iadd.(30, 31) .Iaddend.for .Iadd.each regenerator, separate from said input manifold, for removing .Iaddend.exhaust gases .[.from each regenerator,.]. .Iadd.therefrom, each .Iaddend.asid .Iadd.output .Iaddend.manifold having branch ducts .Iadd.(32, 33) .Iaddend.spaced along and connected to its said regenerator .Iadd.tunnel (14, 15).Iaddend.,   (C) .Iadd.a .Iaddend.separately operative .[.gates.]. .Iadd.gate (27, 28, 37, 38) .Iaddend.in each of said branch ducts, and   (D) separate reversing valve means .Iadd.(24, 25, 34, 35) .Iaddend.between said input manifolds and between said output manifolds.Iadd.,   whereby, said gates in said input and output manifold branch ducts may be separately adjusted and maintained without change when said reversing valve means are operated to effect different flows of air and exhaust gases in opposite directions through said regenerators to insure even distribution of heat and cooling of said brickwork throughout the unpartitioned regenerators and to compensate for asymmetry between said regenerators while insuring that the whole of their available regenerator brickwork is used, irrespective of whether one or more of the ports from the regenerator into the furnace is blocked, thus avoiding dead spaces in the regenerator.Iaddend.. .[.   
     
     
       2.  A regenerator system according to claim 1 wherein said manifold ducts are tapered from one end to the other along the connections to their branch ducts..]. .[.3. A regenerator system according to claim 1 wherein said regenerators are of the checker brick type having tunnels under each of their brickworks, and said manifolds are connected along the sides of said tunnels..]. .[.4. A regenerator system according to claim 1 wherein each of said gates is separately adjusted without change when said 
     
     
        reversing valve means are operated..]. 5. A regenerator system according to claim 1.Iadd., further .Iaddend.including means .Iadd.(39, 40, 45, 46) .Iaddend.for operating all of said gates from a remote location .Iadd.(43, 
     
     
        44, 47, 48).Iaddend.. 6. A regenerator system according to claim 1 wherein some of said branch ducts of said intake manifold are connected to branch 
     
     
        ducts of said .[.exhaust.]. .Iadd.output .Iaddend.manifold. 7. A regenerator system according to claim .[.3.]. .Iadd.1.Iaddend., wherein each said tunnel is provided with multiple sideports .[.for connection.]. .Iadd.connected .Iaddend.to .[.said.]. .Iadd.respective .Iaddend.branch 
     
     
        ducts of said manifolds. 8. A regenerator system for .[.a.]. .Iadd.an open hearth type .Iaddend.furnace .Iadd.(F) .Iaddend.having a pair of elongated .Iadd.unpartitioned .Iaddend.regenerators .Iadd.(10, 11) .Iaddend.through which intake air and exhaust gases .[.pass as these gases are.]. alternately .[.passed.]. .Iadd.pass.Iaddend., each regenerator having: (a) an elongated .Iadd.open .Iaddend.duct .Iadd.(16, 17) .Iaddend.along its top connected to a plurality of sideports .Iadd.(18, 19) .Iaddend.connected to said furnace, .[.and.]. (b) .Iadd.brickwork (12, 13) underlying said elongated open duct, and (c) .Iaddend.a tunnel .Iadd.(14, 15) underlying said brickwork .Iaddend.along .[.its.]. .Iadd.the .Iaddend.bottom .Iadd.of said regenerator .Iaddend.having multiple sideports, said system .Iadd.further .Iaddend.comprising: (A) an input manifold .Iadd.(20, 21) for .[.said.]. .Iadd.each regenerator for feeding .Iaddend.intake air .[.to each regenerator,.]. .Iadd.thereto, each .Iaddend.said input manifold having branch ducts .Iadd.(22, 23) .Iaddend.spaced along and connected to said tunnel via said .Iadd.tunnel .Iaddend.sideports.Iadd., respectively.Iaddend.,   (B) an output manifold .Iadd.(30, 31) .Iaddend.for .Iadd.each regenerator, separate from said input manifold, for removing .Iaddend.exhaust gases .[.from each regenerator.]. .Iadd.therefrom.Iaddend., said output manifold having branch ducts .Iadd.(32, 33) .Iaddend.spaced along and connected to said tunnel via said .Iadd.tunnel .Iaddend.sideports, .Iadd.respectively, .Iaddend.   (C) .Iadd.a .Iaddend.separately operative .[.gates.]. .Iadd.gate (27, 28, 37, 38) .Iaddend.in each of said branch ducts of both said manifolds, and   (D) separate reversing valve means .Iadd.(24, 25, 34, 35) .Iaddend.between said input manifolds and between said output manifolds.Iadd.,   whereby, said gates in said input and exhaust manifold branch ducts may be separately adjusted and maintained without change when said reversing valve means are operated to effect different flows of air and exhaust gases in opposite directions through said regenerators to insure even distribution of heat and cooling throughout the unpartitioned regenerators and to compensate for asymmetry between said regenerators while insuring that the whole of the available regenerator brick work is used, irrespective of whether one or more of the ports from the regenerator into the furnace is blocked, thus avoiding dead spaces in the regenerator.Iaddend.. .[.9. A system according to claim 8 wherein said gates are separately adjusted without change when said reversing valve   
     
     
        means are operated..]. 10. A regenerator system according to claim 8 
     
     
        including means for operating all said gates from a remote location. 11. A regenerator according to claim 8 wherein some of said branch ducts of said intake manifold are connected to the branch ducts of said .[.exhaust.]. 
     
     
        .Iadd.output .Iaddend.manifold. .Iadd.12.  A method for producing a more uniform and efficient operation of two unpartitioned regenerators (10, 11) for an open hearth type furnace (F) by separately controlling the passage of gases through said two regenerators and furnace in each direction, comprising: a) distributing the intake gases to a plurality of inlets (22, 23) along a side of each regenerator,   b) removing the outlet gases from a plurality of outlets (32, 33) along a side of each regenerator, and   c) separately adjusting the flow (27, 28, 37, 38) of the intake and outlet gases in each inlet and outlet along the sides of said regenerators,   whereby the flow distribution and selection of gases through said two regenerators and furnace in one direction is different from the flow distribution and selection of gases through said two regenerators in the   
     
     
        opposite direction. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13.  A regenerator system for an open hearth type furnace (F) having a pair of elongated unpartitioned regenerators (10, 11) through which intake air and exhaust gases alternately pass, and each said regenerator having a longitudinal open duct (16, 17) along its top connected to at least one port (18, 19) in said furnace, brickwork (12, 13) underlying said longitudinal open duct and a tunnel (14, 15) underlying said brickwork, said system further comprising: A) an input manifold (20, 21) for each regenerator for feeding intake air thereto, each said input manifold having branch ducts (22, 23) spaced along and connected to its said regenerator tunnel (14, 15),   B) an output manifold (30, 31) for each regenerator, separate from said input manifold, for removing exhaust gases therefrom, each said output manifold having branch ducts (32, 33) spaced along and connected to its said regenerator tunnel (14, 15),   C) a separately operative gate (27, 28, 37, 38) in each of said branch ducts,   D) separate reversing valve means (24, 25, 34, 35) between said input manifolds and between said output manifolds, and   E) said manifolds extending along the sides of said tunnels and being connected to said tunnels via said branch ducts;   whereby, said gates in said input and exhaust manifold branch ducts may be separately adjusted and maintained without change when said reversing valve means are operated to effect different flows of air and exhaust gases in opposite directions through said regenerators to insure even distribution of heat and cooling throughout the unpartitioned regenerator and to compensate for asymmetry between said regenerators while insuring that the whole of their available regenerator brick work is used.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  A regenerator system according to claim 13 including means for operating all of said gates from a remote location. .Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A regenerator system according to claim 13 wherein some of said branch ducts of said intake manifold are connected to branch ducts of said output manifold. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. A regenerator system according to claim 13 wherein each said tunnel is provided with multiple sideports for 
     
     
        connection to said branch ducts of said manifolds. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17.  A regenerator system for an open hearth type furnace (F) having a pair of elongated unpartitioned regenerators (10, 11) through which intake air and exhaust gases alternately pass, each regenerator having: (a) an elongated open duct (16, 17) along its top connected via at least one port (18, 19) to said furnace, (b) a tunnel (14, 15) along its bottom having multiple sideports, and (c) brickwork (12, 13) above said tunnel (14, 15) and below said elongated open duct (16, 17), said system further comprising: A) an input manifold (20, 21) for each regenerator for feeding intake air thereto, said input manifold having branch ducts (22, 23) spaced along and connected to said tunnel via said sideports,   B) an output manifold (30, 31) for each regenerator, separate from said input manifold, for removing exhaust gases therefrom, said output manifold having branch ducts (32, 33) spaced along and connected to said tunnel via said sideports,   C) a separately operative gate (27, 28, 37, 38) in each of said branch ducts of both said manifolds, and   D) separate reversing valve means (24, 25, 34, 35) between said input manifolds and between said output manifolds,   whereby, said gates in said input and exhaust manifold branch ducts may be separately adjusted and maintained without change when said reversing valve means are operated to effect different flows of air and exhaust gases in opposite directions through said regenerators to insure even distribution of heat and cooling throughout the unpartitioned regenerator and to compensate for asymmetry between said regenerators while insuring that the whole of their available regenerator brick work is used, irrespective of whether one or more of the ports from the regenerator into the furnace is blocked, thus avoiding dead spaces in the regenerator.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.18.  A regenerator system according to claim 17 including means for operating all of said gates from a remote location. .Iaddend. 
     
     
        .Iadd.19.  A regenerator according to claim 17 wherein some of said branch ducts of said intake manifold are connected to the branch ducts of said 
     
     
        output manifold. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20.  A regenerator system for an open hearth-type furnace (F) having a pair of elongated unpartitioned regenerators (10, 11) through which intake air and exhaust gases alternately pass, each said regenerator having a longitudinal open duct (16, 17) along its top connected to at least one port (18, 19) in said furnace, brickwork (12, 13) underlying said longitudinal open duct and a tunnel (14, 15) underlying said brickwork, said system further comprising: (A) a first manifold (20, 21) for each regenerator extending along the side of said regenerator, each said first manifold having an open end and branch ducts (22, 23) spaced along said first manifold and being connected at opposite ends respectively to said first manifold and to said regenerator tunnel (14, 15),   (B) a second manifold (30, 31) for each regenerator extending along the side of said regenerator, separate from said first manifold, each said second manifold having an open end and branch ducts (32, 33) spaced along said second manifold and being connected at opposite ends of said branch ducts respectively to said second manifold and to its said regenerator tunnel (14, 15),   (C) a separately operative gate (27, 28, 37, 38) in each of said branch ducts, and   (D) valve means (24, 25, 34, 35) for alternately passing intake air to one regenerator and exhaust gas from the other regenerator, and vice versa, said valve means comprising a valve at said open end of each said manifold, whereby, said gates in said first and second manifold branch ducts may be separately adjusted and maintained without change when said valve means are operated to effect different flows of air and exhaust gases through said regenerators to effect more even distribution of heat and cooling throughout the unpartitioned regenerators. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. A regenerator system according to claim 20 wherein each said regenerator has a plurality of ports along its top connected to said furnace. .Iaddend.