CA1048787A - Mineral fiber production method and apparatus - Google Patents
Mineral fiber production method and apparatusInfo
- Publication number
- CA1048787A CA1048787A CA75217780A CA217780A CA1048787A CA 1048787 A CA1048787 A CA 1048787A CA 75217780 A CA75217780 A CA 75217780A CA 217780 A CA217780 A CA 217780A CA 1048787 A CA1048787 A CA 1048787A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tube
- slag
- separator
- collecting tube
- cyclone
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 10
- 239000002557 mineral fiber Substances 0.000 title claims description 8
- 238000007380 fibre production Methods 0.000 title 1
- 239000002893 slag Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 31
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 28
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 abstract description 10
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 229910052500 inorganic mineral Inorganic materials 0.000 abstract 1
- 239000011707 mineral Substances 0.000 abstract 1
- 241000237858 Gastropoda Species 0.000 description 2
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 241000237074 Centris Species 0.000 description 1
- 240000004543 Vicia ervilia Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000001174 ascending effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002238 attenuated effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000012141 concentrate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012423 maintenance Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007670 refining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000630 rising effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
- C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
- C03B37/04—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by using centrifugal force, e.g. spinning through radial orifices; Construction of the spinner cups therefor
- C03B37/048—Means for attenuating the spun fibres, e.g. blowers for spinner cups
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
- C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
- C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
- C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
- C03B37/04—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by using centrifugal force, e.g. spinning through radial orifices; Construction of the spinner cups therefor
- C03B37/05—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by using centrifugal force, e.g. spinning through radial orifices; Construction of the spinner cups therefor by projecting molten glass on a rotating body having no radial orifices
- C03B37/055—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments by using centrifugal force, e.g. spinning through radial orifices; Construction of the spinner cups therefor by projecting molten glass on a rotating body having no radial orifices by projecting onto and spinning off the outer surface of the rotating body
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Materials Engineering (AREA)
- Organic Chemistry (AREA)
- Cyclones (AREA)
- Manufacture Of Iron (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Disclosed is a conventional apparatus for directing molten, mineral slag onto a spinner rotating on a horizontal axis with annularly arranged steam jets directed parallel to the rotational axis stripping the slag from the spinner and fiberizing it. This conventional fiber forming system is utilized with a collecting tube having a conical entry portion which is concentric with and faces the stream of fiberized material projected by the steam jets. The spacing of the mouth of the entry portion from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jets is such as to minimize entry of shot or unfiberized slag into the collecting tube. The fiberized material is further refined or stripped of unwanted particles by passing it through an inclined portion of the collecting tube and, sequentially, through two, cyclone-type centrifugal separators before collecting it in a conventional bagging apparatus.
Disclosed is a conventional apparatus for directing molten, mineral slag onto a spinner rotating on a horizontal axis with annularly arranged steam jets directed parallel to the rotational axis stripping the slag from the spinner and fiberizing it. This conventional fiber forming system is utilized with a collecting tube having a conical entry portion which is concentric with and faces the stream of fiberized material projected by the steam jets. The spacing of the mouth of the entry portion from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jets is such as to minimize entry of shot or unfiberized slag into the collecting tube. The fiberized material is further refined or stripped of unwanted particles by passing it through an inclined portion of the collecting tube and, sequentially, through two, cyclone-type centrifugal separators before collecting it in a conventional bagging apparatus.
Description
1~)48787 Apparatus and a process for the production of mineral fiber are disclosed in a U.S. patent to Downey 2,646,593. In the process disclosed a gravity-type collecting chamber is utilized to collect the fiber subsequent to its formation. With the advent of the energy crisis application of mineral fibers as thermal insulation to domestic, commercial and industrial structures has become increasingly important and widespread. In applying thermal insulation to existing structures, the primary and most effective form of application is by blowing-in the fiber using specialized equipment.
Such specialized equipment is sensitive to the presence of unfiberized particles or "shot" in the material moving through it. The maintenance cost is decreased and the service life appreciably lengthened for such equipment by a refining of the fiberized material so that the presence of shot is minimized or eliminated.
The method and apparatus of the present invention provide improved separation of shot from the fiberized material prior to its final accumulat-ing. The conventional, large collecting chamber is eliminated as are other moving components customarily utilized such as conveyor screen, rotary screen cleaning system and the granulator or hammermill often necessary to reduce the product to the desired consistency. The product resulting from the method and apparatus of the present invention is characterized by the absence of unfiberized material and is particularly adapted for application by blow-in apparatus.
According to a first broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: rectilinearly projecting and fiberizing the slag by entraining it in an annularly arranged array of steam jets;
providing a collecting tube concentric with the annular array of steam jets for receiving the fiberized material with the open receiving end of the tube spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam flow and having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder of the tube to provide a conical entry section; connecting the end of said collecting tube remote from the entry section to an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
- ~ ~ -2-1~4~787 dropping the product issuing from the lower end of the cyclone separator through an unloading valve; drawing off the fiberized material of lesser mass through a horizontal tube communicating with the discharge from the unloading valve; providing a conveying tube communicating with the horizon-tal tube and with the intake of a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
providing air moving fans for establishing suction in said collecting tube, horizontal tube, conveying tube and said centrifugal separators; and provid-ing a means for accumulating the homogeneous product issuing through an un-loading valve from the lower end of the second centrifugal separator.
According to another broad aspect of the invention, there is pro-vided an apparatus for producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: means for fiberizing the slag by entrain-ing the slag stream in an annularly configurated horizontal steam jet, a collecting tube having its open end spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jet and concentrically aligned therewith for receiving the fiberized material, said receiving end of the collecting tube having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder thereof to provide a horizontal conical entry section, said collecting tube having an upwardly -inclined portion and a terminal horizontal portion, an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake connected to the end of said horizontal portion of said collecting tube remote from said entry section, means for reducing the pressure in said collecting tube and separator to sub-atmospheric, an unloading valve receiving the discharge of the separator, a conveying tube having a horizontal portion communicating with the vertical-ly falling discharge from said unloading valve and having an upwardly inclined portion terminating in a horizontal portion, a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake communicating with the horizontal portion ofsaid conveying tube, means for reducing the pressure in said conveying tube and said second separator below atmospheric an unloading valve receiving the discharge of said second separator and means for accumulating the material discharged through the unloading valve from said second separator.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with refer-~ -2a-,~ .
ence to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the interconnected apparatus utilized to practice the method of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the positional relation of the components shown;
Fig. 3 is a schematic side sectional view of the dry centrifugal, or cyclone, type of separator shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a schematic, side sectional view of the rotary valve component shown in Fig. 1.
-2b-Referring initially to Fig. 1, a conventional means for producing a stream of molten slag material is indicated generally at 10 and, as is shown particularly in Fig. 2, this apparatus may include a spout or chute 11 down which a stream of molten slag 12 progresses.
The molten slag may be tapped from a cupola (not shown) as is con-ventional. The molten slag falls from the end of the chute onto the inner marginal area of a generally cup-shaped spinner 13 which is rotated by a shaft 14, the shaft being rotated by a power means indicated generally at 16 in Fig. 1. It will be understood that, as is conventional in forming mineral fiber, rotation of the spinner 4;~cl~
~-~ 13 will cause finn~ly divided streams of molten slag to move tangentially outwardly from the periphery of the spinner.
The tangentially moving streams of slag are projected horizontally and fiberized by means of an annular array of steam jets 16, the high - velocity steam issuing from the jets, indicated at 16a in Fig. 2, intersects the outwardly moving streams of slag and projects them horizontally rightwardly as viewed in Fig. 2. The annular array of steam jets 16 are disposed in an annular steam header 17 which is supplied by the pipe 18.
The horizontally projected, fiberized material is received in a collecting tube indicated generally at 21 in Fig. 1 and composed of an inclined portion 21a, a horizontal portion 21b and an open receiving end 21c. The open receiving end 21c of the collecting tube 21 is spaced ~rom the point of entry of the slag ~treams into the steam flow and the magnitude of this spacing is indicated at A in Fig. 2. The diameter of the open end 21c of the collecting tube is indicated at B in Fig. 2. The diameter of the end 21c of the tube is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the tube at a point spaced rightwardly from the end 21c so that the horizontal portion 21b of the tube has a slight conical configuration. In a preferred form of the . .
~4~3787 apparatus the dimension A is approximately 2~ inches and the diameter B is 22 inches, the remaining portion of the tube 21 being of a uni~orm 24 inches in diameter. Small variation ~rom these dimensions are possible without losing the advantage o~ the system, however, the dimensions set out appear to produce optimum results. The inclined portion of the tube 21 is preferably arranged at an angle o~
approximately 40 from the horizontal.
The upper portion o~ the tube 21 is provided with a horizontal portion 21d which communicates with the interior o~ an initial cyclone-type centri~ugal separator indicated generally at 31 and shown in detailin Fig. 3. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the entry portion 21d o~ the tube 21 is flattened in con~iguration somewhat so that air and entrained material moving through the tube are fed in a radially thin sheet tangentially into the separator.
The separator 31 is of conventional construction and this type o~ separator is commonly re~erred to as a "cyclone". Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the separator has a lower, cone shaped body 31a communicating with a lower discharge tube 31b. Extending from the upper end of the cyclone 31 is a tubular discharge duct 31c which extends a distance into the body o~ the cyclone. Various forms of air moving means may be utilized for drawing air through the cyclone and, as here shown, takes the form o~ the vane axial fan 32 driven by the motor 33.
Re~erring to Fig. 3, as air with entrained ~iberized material is drawn into the cyclone through the tube 21d by the ~an 32, two distinct vortices are established in the cyclone. One is a large-diameter vortex descending helically down the cone shaped body portion o~ the cyclone and identified at 34. The other, identified at 34a, is an ascending helix of smaller diameter which extends upward ~rom the region o~ the outlet tube 31b, through the inner cylinder provided by the inwardly extending end o~ the tube 31c and through 104~3787 tube 31c to atmosphere. The air and entrained material, moving in the outer vortex path 34, separates at the base o~ the cyclone and the air from the outer vortical stream joins the rising inner vortex ~low of air. In its passage from the lnlet 21d to the apex of the cone, the entrained, fiberized material remains close to the outer wall, because of centrifugal ~orce, and passes out the outlet tube 31b with a minimum of re-entrainment o~ the flberized material into the upper vortex. The operation of the cyclone 31, as described above, is conventional and the cyclone functions to concentrate the fiberized material and drop it through the lower discharge duct 31b.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, a rotary unloadlng valve is disposed in the tube or discharge duct 31b, the valve being shown in schematic detail in Fig. 4 and identi~ied generally at 41. The use of the valve is necessary because the discharge duct 31b operates at negative pressure and must be sealed so that air cannot enter through the tube 31b. If air in any quantity were permitted to enter tube 31b~ the suction at the inlet tube 21d would be destroyed, and the admission of air through the discharge duct 31b would further seriously interfere with the vortical separation necessary for the operation of the cyclone.
An independently rotated shaft 41a rotates a series of radial vanes 41b in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, these vanes serving to accumulate the ~iberized material, indicated at 51 and drop it through the discharge 41c of the rotary valve.
As indicated in Fig. 1, just below the rotary valve 41, a horizontal tube 52 communicates with the interior of the discharge tube from the rotary valve. The horizontal tube 52 communicates with the upwardly inclined portion o~ a conveying tube 53. The conveying tube 53 communicates with a horizontal portion 54 which enters a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator indicated generally at 56. The cyclone separator 56 is substantially identical to the cyclone 31 previously described with rei'erence to Fig. 3 and the tube 54 enters the cyclone at its periphery in the same fashion as the tube 21d enters the cyclone 31. The cyclone 56 includes a power driven fan (not shown) at its upper discharge 56a and this fan ~erves to lower the pressure within the tube 52, tube 53 and tube 54 ~o that material moving past the open end of the tube 52 is drawn into the collector tube 53. The cyclone 56 is characterized, as was the case with cyclone 31, by the formation in its interior o~ two concentric, helical flow paths for air, with entrained material moving out o~
the cyclone through its lower discharge passage 56b. The unloading o~
the cyclone 56 must, o~ course, be accomplished through an unloading valve~which prevents entry of air back up into the cyclone through the passage 56b. The fiberized material moving downwardly through the passage 56b is directed into the throw-out cone 57 which communicates through the tube 58 with a conventional bagger apparatus 59.
In operation, molten slag is directed onto the rotating spinner 13 and is centrifuged tangentially outwardly from the periphery o$
the spinner. The steam blast from the jets 16 strips the attenuated slag from the spinner and fiberizes it, projecting the fibers into the open end 21c of the slightly conical horizontal tube 21b which is aligned concentrically with the rotational axis of the spinner.
~he heavier shot, or unfiberized slag, tends to fall outwardly of the perimeter oi' the tube end 21c and the fibers and only a minimum of shot enters the tube 21.
The sub-atmospheric pressure maintained in tube 21 by the fan 32 ~ig. 3) causes the fiber to travel up the inclined tube 21. This cools the fiberized material and prevents matting together of the fibers. In passing through the primary cyclone 31 the fiber is collected and concentrated. The material is dropped from the rotary ~V~78~7 valve 41 and across the mouth o~ the horizontal, air pick-up tube 52.
This permits the tube 52 (the interior of which is under sub-atmospheric pressure because of the operation of the ~an incorporated in the secondary cyclone 56) to draw in the lighter fibers while the heavy, unfiberized shot and slugs fall past the tube 52 and out of the system.
The method results in an unmatted, consistent, fiberized product characterized by minimum presence in it of shot or unfiberized slugs.
No large collecting or settling chamber is necessary. ConveYor screens, rotary screen cleaning apparatus and granulator apparatus, conventionally utilized, are unnecessary. Because a suction type conveying system is used, leaks are inward and little or no dust or fiber can migrate to the exterior surrounding area. The spaclng of the open end of the conical, horizontal tube 21b from the point of entry of the molten slag into the steam flow is such as to cause the heavier shot to move to the outside of tube 21b, without entering the tube, and these heavier particles, inherently formed in the fiberizing process, are thus excluded from the system early in its progress.
Such specialized equipment is sensitive to the presence of unfiberized particles or "shot" in the material moving through it. The maintenance cost is decreased and the service life appreciably lengthened for such equipment by a refining of the fiberized material so that the presence of shot is minimized or eliminated.
The method and apparatus of the present invention provide improved separation of shot from the fiberized material prior to its final accumulat-ing. The conventional, large collecting chamber is eliminated as are other moving components customarily utilized such as conveyor screen, rotary screen cleaning system and the granulator or hammermill often necessary to reduce the product to the desired consistency. The product resulting from the method and apparatus of the present invention is characterized by the absence of unfiberized material and is particularly adapted for application by blow-in apparatus.
According to a first broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: rectilinearly projecting and fiberizing the slag by entraining it in an annularly arranged array of steam jets;
providing a collecting tube concentric with the annular array of steam jets for receiving the fiberized material with the open receiving end of the tube spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam flow and having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder of the tube to provide a conical entry section; connecting the end of said collecting tube remote from the entry section to an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
- ~ ~ -2-1~4~787 dropping the product issuing from the lower end of the cyclone separator through an unloading valve; drawing off the fiberized material of lesser mass through a horizontal tube communicating with the discharge from the unloading valve; providing a conveying tube communicating with the horizon-tal tube and with the intake of a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
providing air moving fans for establishing suction in said collecting tube, horizontal tube, conveying tube and said centrifugal separators; and provid-ing a means for accumulating the homogeneous product issuing through an un-loading valve from the lower end of the second centrifugal separator.
According to another broad aspect of the invention, there is pro-vided an apparatus for producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: means for fiberizing the slag by entrain-ing the slag stream in an annularly configurated horizontal steam jet, a collecting tube having its open end spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jet and concentrically aligned therewith for receiving the fiberized material, said receiving end of the collecting tube having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder thereof to provide a horizontal conical entry section, said collecting tube having an upwardly -inclined portion and a terminal horizontal portion, an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake connected to the end of said horizontal portion of said collecting tube remote from said entry section, means for reducing the pressure in said collecting tube and separator to sub-atmospheric, an unloading valve receiving the discharge of the separator, a conveying tube having a horizontal portion communicating with the vertical-ly falling discharge from said unloading valve and having an upwardly inclined portion terminating in a horizontal portion, a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake communicating with the horizontal portion ofsaid conveying tube, means for reducing the pressure in said conveying tube and said second separator below atmospheric an unloading valve receiving the discharge of said second separator and means for accumulating the material discharged through the unloading valve from said second separator.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with refer-~ -2a-,~ .
ence to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the interconnected apparatus utilized to practice the method of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the positional relation of the components shown;
Fig. 3 is a schematic side sectional view of the dry centrifugal, or cyclone, type of separator shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a schematic, side sectional view of the rotary valve component shown in Fig. 1.
-2b-Referring initially to Fig. 1, a conventional means for producing a stream of molten slag material is indicated generally at 10 and, as is shown particularly in Fig. 2, this apparatus may include a spout or chute 11 down which a stream of molten slag 12 progresses.
The molten slag may be tapped from a cupola (not shown) as is con-ventional. The molten slag falls from the end of the chute onto the inner marginal area of a generally cup-shaped spinner 13 which is rotated by a shaft 14, the shaft being rotated by a power means indicated generally at 16 in Fig. 1. It will be understood that, as is conventional in forming mineral fiber, rotation of the spinner 4;~cl~
~-~ 13 will cause finn~ly divided streams of molten slag to move tangentially outwardly from the periphery of the spinner.
The tangentially moving streams of slag are projected horizontally and fiberized by means of an annular array of steam jets 16, the high - velocity steam issuing from the jets, indicated at 16a in Fig. 2, intersects the outwardly moving streams of slag and projects them horizontally rightwardly as viewed in Fig. 2. The annular array of steam jets 16 are disposed in an annular steam header 17 which is supplied by the pipe 18.
The horizontally projected, fiberized material is received in a collecting tube indicated generally at 21 in Fig. 1 and composed of an inclined portion 21a, a horizontal portion 21b and an open receiving end 21c. The open receiving end 21c of the collecting tube 21 is spaced ~rom the point of entry of the slag ~treams into the steam flow and the magnitude of this spacing is indicated at A in Fig. 2. The diameter of the open end 21c of the collecting tube is indicated at B in Fig. 2. The diameter of the end 21c of the tube is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the tube at a point spaced rightwardly from the end 21c so that the horizontal portion 21b of the tube has a slight conical configuration. In a preferred form of the . .
~4~3787 apparatus the dimension A is approximately 2~ inches and the diameter B is 22 inches, the remaining portion of the tube 21 being of a uni~orm 24 inches in diameter. Small variation ~rom these dimensions are possible without losing the advantage o~ the system, however, the dimensions set out appear to produce optimum results. The inclined portion of the tube 21 is preferably arranged at an angle o~
approximately 40 from the horizontal.
The upper portion o~ the tube 21 is provided with a horizontal portion 21d which communicates with the interior o~ an initial cyclone-type centri~ugal separator indicated generally at 31 and shown in detailin Fig. 3. As may be seen in Fig. 3, the entry portion 21d o~ the tube 21 is flattened in con~iguration somewhat so that air and entrained material moving through the tube are fed in a radially thin sheet tangentially into the separator.
The separator 31 is of conventional construction and this type o~ separator is commonly re~erred to as a "cyclone". Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the separator has a lower, cone shaped body 31a communicating with a lower discharge tube 31b. Extending from the upper end of the cyclone 31 is a tubular discharge duct 31c which extends a distance into the body o~ the cyclone. Various forms of air moving means may be utilized for drawing air through the cyclone and, as here shown, takes the form o~ the vane axial fan 32 driven by the motor 33.
Re~erring to Fig. 3, as air with entrained ~iberized material is drawn into the cyclone through the tube 21d by the ~an 32, two distinct vortices are established in the cyclone. One is a large-diameter vortex descending helically down the cone shaped body portion o~ the cyclone and identified at 34. The other, identified at 34a, is an ascending helix of smaller diameter which extends upward ~rom the region o~ the outlet tube 31b, through the inner cylinder provided by the inwardly extending end o~ the tube 31c and through 104~3787 tube 31c to atmosphere. The air and entrained material, moving in the outer vortex path 34, separates at the base o~ the cyclone and the air from the outer vortical stream joins the rising inner vortex ~low of air. In its passage from the lnlet 21d to the apex of the cone, the entrained, fiberized material remains close to the outer wall, because of centrifugal ~orce, and passes out the outlet tube 31b with a minimum of re-entrainment o~ the flberized material into the upper vortex. The operation of the cyclone 31, as described above, is conventional and the cyclone functions to concentrate the fiberized material and drop it through the lower discharge duct 31b.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, a rotary unloadlng valve is disposed in the tube or discharge duct 31b, the valve being shown in schematic detail in Fig. 4 and identi~ied generally at 41. The use of the valve is necessary because the discharge duct 31b operates at negative pressure and must be sealed so that air cannot enter through the tube 31b. If air in any quantity were permitted to enter tube 31b~ the suction at the inlet tube 21d would be destroyed, and the admission of air through the discharge duct 31b would further seriously interfere with the vortical separation necessary for the operation of the cyclone.
An independently rotated shaft 41a rotates a series of radial vanes 41b in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, these vanes serving to accumulate the ~iberized material, indicated at 51 and drop it through the discharge 41c of the rotary valve.
As indicated in Fig. 1, just below the rotary valve 41, a horizontal tube 52 communicates with the interior of the discharge tube from the rotary valve. The horizontal tube 52 communicates with the upwardly inclined portion o~ a conveying tube 53. The conveying tube 53 communicates with a horizontal portion 54 which enters a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator indicated generally at 56. The cyclone separator 56 is substantially identical to the cyclone 31 previously described with rei'erence to Fig. 3 and the tube 54 enters the cyclone at its periphery in the same fashion as the tube 21d enters the cyclone 31. The cyclone 56 includes a power driven fan (not shown) at its upper discharge 56a and this fan ~erves to lower the pressure within the tube 52, tube 53 and tube 54 ~o that material moving past the open end of the tube 52 is drawn into the collector tube 53. The cyclone 56 is characterized, as was the case with cyclone 31, by the formation in its interior o~ two concentric, helical flow paths for air, with entrained material moving out o~
the cyclone through its lower discharge passage 56b. The unloading o~
the cyclone 56 must, o~ course, be accomplished through an unloading valve~which prevents entry of air back up into the cyclone through the passage 56b. The fiberized material moving downwardly through the passage 56b is directed into the throw-out cone 57 which communicates through the tube 58 with a conventional bagger apparatus 59.
In operation, molten slag is directed onto the rotating spinner 13 and is centrifuged tangentially outwardly from the periphery o$
the spinner. The steam blast from the jets 16 strips the attenuated slag from the spinner and fiberizes it, projecting the fibers into the open end 21c of the slightly conical horizontal tube 21b which is aligned concentrically with the rotational axis of the spinner.
~he heavier shot, or unfiberized slag, tends to fall outwardly of the perimeter oi' the tube end 21c and the fibers and only a minimum of shot enters the tube 21.
The sub-atmospheric pressure maintained in tube 21 by the fan 32 ~ig. 3) causes the fiber to travel up the inclined tube 21. This cools the fiberized material and prevents matting together of the fibers. In passing through the primary cyclone 31 the fiber is collected and concentrated. The material is dropped from the rotary ~V~78~7 valve 41 and across the mouth o~ the horizontal, air pick-up tube 52.
This permits the tube 52 (the interior of which is under sub-atmospheric pressure because of the operation of the ~an incorporated in the secondary cyclone 56) to draw in the lighter fibers while the heavy, unfiberized shot and slugs fall past the tube 52 and out of the system.
The method results in an unmatted, consistent, fiberized product characterized by minimum presence in it of shot or unfiberized slugs.
No large collecting or settling chamber is necessary. ConveYor screens, rotary screen cleaning apparatus and granulator apparatus, conventionally utilized, are unnecessary. Because a suction type conveying system is used, leaks are inward and little or no dust or fiber can migrate to the exterior surrounding area. The spaclng of the open end of the conical, horizontal tube 21b from the point of entry of the molten slag into the steam flow is such as to cause the heavier shot to move to the outside of tube 21b, without entering the tube, and these heavier particles, inherently formed in the fiberizing process, are thus excluded from the system early in its progress.
Claims (3)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: rectilinearly projecting and fiberizing the slag by entraining it in an annularly arranged array of steam jets;
providing a collecting tube concentric with the annular array of steam jets for receiving the fiberized material with the open receiving end of the tube spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam flow and having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder of the tube to provide a conical entry section; connecting the end of said collecting tube remote from the entry section to an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
dropping the product issuing from the lower end of the cyclone separator through an unloading valve; drawing off the fiberized material of lesser mass through a horizontal tube communicating with the discharge from the unloading valve; providing a conveying tube communicating with the horizontal tube and with the intake of a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
providing air moving fans for establishing suction in said collecting tube, horizontal tube, conveying tube and said centrifugal separators; and provid-ing a means for accumulating the homogeneous product issuing through an un-loading valve from the lower end of the second centrifugal separator.
providing a collecting tube concentric with the annular array of steam jets for receiving the fiberized material with the open receiving end of the tube spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam flow and having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder of the tube to provide a conical entry section; connecting the end of said collecting tube remote from the entry section to an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
dropping the product issuing from the lower end of the cyclone separator through an unloading valve; drawing off the fiberized material of lesser mass through a horizontal tube communicating with the discharge from the unloading valve; providing a conveying tube communicating with the horizontal tube and with the intake of a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator;
providing air moving fans for establishing suction in said collecting tube, horizontal tube, conveying tube and said centrifugal separators; and provid-ing a means for accumulating the homogeneous product issuing through an un-loading valve from the lower end of the second centrifugal separator.
2. An apparatus for producing a homogeneous mineral fiber product from a stream of molten slag comprising: means for fiberizing the slag by entraining the slag stream in an annularly configurated horizontal steam jet, a collecting tube having its open end spaced from the point of entry of the slag into the steam jet and concentrically aligned therewith for receiving the fiberized material, said receiving end of the collecting tube having a diameter somewhat less than that of the remainder thereof to pro-vide a horizontal conical entry section, said collecting tube having an upwardly inclined portion and a terminal horizontal portion, an initial cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake connected to the end of said horizontal portion of said collecting tube remote from said entry section, means for reducing the pressure in said collecting tube and separator to sub-atmospheric, an unloading valve receiving the discharge of the separator, a conveying tube having a horizontal portion communicating with the vertically falling discharge from said unloading valve and having an upwardly inclined portion terminating in a horizontal portion, a second cyclone-type centrifugal separator having its intake communicating with the horizontal portion of said conveying tube, means for reducing the pressure in said conveying tube and said second separator below atmospheric, an un-loading valve receiving the discharge of said second separator and means for accumulating the material discharged through the unloading valve from said second separator.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the space between said open end of the collecting tube and said point of entry of the slag into the steam jet is approximately 24 inches and the diameter of said open end of the collecting tube is approximately 22 inches.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US472817A US3883334A (en) | 1974-05-23 | 1974-05-23 | Mineral fiber production method and apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1048787A true CA1048787A (en) | 1979-02-20 |
Family
ID=23877055
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA75217780A Expired CA1048787A (en) | 1974-05-23 | 1975-01-13 | Mineral fiber production method and apparatus |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US3883334A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1048787A (en) |
Families Citing this family (17)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4105424A (en) * | 1973-03-30 | 1978-08-08 | Saint-Gobain Industries | Method and apparatus for suppression of pollution in mineral fiber manufacture |
| FR2368445A1 (en) * | 1976-10-22 | 1978-05-19 | Saint Gobain | REGULATION OF FIBRING SYSTEMS WITH EFFLUENT TREATMENT |
| US4111672A (en) * | 1973-10-10 | 1978-09-05 | Saint-Gobain Industries | Method and apparatus for suppression of pollution in mineral fiber manufacture |
| US4029495A (en) * | 1976-02-05 | 1977-06-14 | Yoshiro Hirayama | Process for recovering a heavy metal catalyst component from a spent catalyst |
| GB2049655A (en) * | 1978-11-02 | 1980-12-31 | Walter Jim Resources Inc | Process for making uniform short inorganic fibres |
| US4268294A (en) * | 1979-11-15 | 1981-05-19 | Laughlin Sidney J | Method and apparatus for producing fiber product |
| SE441523C (en) * | 1980-02-22 | 1987-01-19 | Laxa Bruks Ab | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTION OF MINERAL FIBERS CREATED BY FIBERATION OF A MINERAL MELT |
| US4486211A (en) * | 1980-06-27 | 1984-12-04 | Energy Fibers Int'l Corp. | Apparatus and methods of operation for converting fly ash into high quality mineral wool |
| US4504544A (en) * | 1980-06-27 | 1985-03-12 | Energy Fibers Int'l. Corp. | High quality mineral wool |
| US4507197A (en) * | 1982-08-09 | 1985-03-26 | Jim Walter Corporation | Apparatus and method for producing shot-free mineral wool |
| US4576620A (en) * | 1984-12-04 | 1986-03-18 | United States Gypsum Company | Apparatus for the production of mineral fibers having supplemental collection chamber exhaust |
| GB8709608D0 (en) * | 1987-04-23 | 1987-05-28 | Corrocoat Ltd | Forming glass flakes |
| US4909817A (en) * | 1989-02-06 | 1990-03-20 | Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation | Apparatus and method for the manufacture of loose fibrous mineral material |
| DE4029758A1 (en) * | 1990-09-20 | 1992-03-26 | Hollingsworth Gmbh | SEPARATOR |
| DE4100925C2 (en) * | 1991-01-15 | 1996-08-01 | Poly Id Ag | Process for treating pieces of fiber |
| US5866486A (en) * | 1991-01-16 | 1999-02-02 | Rockwool International A/S | Stone wool |
| US7562540B2 (en) * | 2006-06-16 | 2009-07-21 | Green Material Corporation | Fiberizing device for producing fibers from molten waste |
Family Cites Families (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3013299A (en) * | 1957-04-10 | 1961-12-19 | United States Gypsum Co | Method of and means for fiberization |
| US3022538A (en) * | 1957-09-03 | 1962-02-27 | United States Gypsum Co | Means for manufacturing mineral wool |
| US3308945A (en) * | 1964-01-13 | 1967-03-14 | Wood Conversion Co | Method and apparatus for de-shotting and separating mineral fiber |
| US3441131A (en) * | 1965-10-18 | 1969-04-29 | Scient Separators Inc | Particle separation apparatus and method |
| US3447678A (en) * | 1967-04-20 | 1969-06-03 | Donald L Henry | Method for separating expanded perlite with minimum particle breakage |
| US3709670A (en) * | 1970-09-10 | 1973-01-09 | H Eriksen | Method, apparatus and system for fiberizing molten mineral material |
-
1974
- 1974-05-23 US US472817A patent/US3883334A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1975
- 1975-01-13 CA CA75217780A patent/CA1048787A/en not_active Expired
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US3883334A (en) | 1975-05-13 |
| US3883334B1 (en) | 1985-07-09 |
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