POWER PLANT BOILER SAND, USE OF POWER PLANT BOILER SAND, METHOD FOR PRODUCING POWER PLANT BOILER SAND AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POWER PLANT BOILER SAND

Background of the invention

The invention relates to power plant boiler sand which forms a com bustion grate at power plants.

The invention further relates to a method and apparatus for producing power plant boiler sand and to using power plant boiler sand.

Power plant boiler sand is used at power plants to form a combustion grate. The purposes of the sand is to form a sand layer, in other words, a bed where the burning of the fuel which is fed in the boiler takes place. Typical power plant boilers of this kind include circulating fluidised bed and fluidised bed boil ers.

The power plant boiler sand used in power plant boilers is typically bed sand made of natural sand, whereby the fraction which is suitable as bed sand in its particle size, is collected from natural sand as bed sand. When burning biofuels having a high alkali content, in particular, a problem that emerges is the reaction between the silica in natural sand and the compounds of alkalis in the ash of biofuel, which causes sintering of the sand even at low temperatures. The reaction between silica and alkalis then forms a mixture, which causes the grains of sand to stick together, as a result of which the floating of the bed material be comes weaker or even stops entirely, resulting in the need to replace the bed ma terial with new.

A solution set forth to the above problem is the use of bed material made of furnace slag. Bed material made of furnace slag is characterised by a very low silica content, typically less than 10%. As a result, the alkali reactions taking place on the surfaces of the grains of sand are lesser than when natural sand is used, whereby the sintering of bed material made of furnace slag is lesser than when natural sand is used. Consequently, bed material made of furnace slag need not be replaced with new material as often as bed material of natural sand.

However, the use of furnace slag as bed material causes a problem in that furnace slag that is quickly pre-cooled with water is in amorphous form and includes inciystallized energy which is released at approximately 860 °C. The crystallization heat temporarily raises the bed temperature intensely, exceeding one thousand degrees which may present a risk if the bed temperature stays be low the aforementioned 860 °C for long. In such a case, new incrystallized energy may enter the bed in connection with charging new furnace slag, which is not re leased immediately at the time it is added in the bed, but accumulates and when it is released increases the bed temperatures to such a high level that the entire bed may be sintered in one go.

Brief description of the invention

It is object of the invention to establish new type of power plant boiler sand as well as a method and apparatus for its manufacture.

The solution according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the independent claims.

The invention is based on there being a clay-based binder film on the surface of a grain of sand, preventing the reaction between the silica in the grain of sand and the compounds of alkalis present in particular in the ash of biofuels, or at least weakening it.

A benefit of the invention is that as the reaction between the silica in the grain of sand and the compounds of alkalis in particular in the ash of biofuels is prevented of at least weakened, sand sintering does not take place, or at least it is lesser than previously, thus extending the working life of power plant boiler sand.

According to an embodiment, power plant boiler sand is discarded foundry sand comprising clay-based binder.

According to a second embodiment, power plant boiler sand is dis- carded foundry sand comprising clay-based binder and from which the fine frac tion has been separated.

Some other embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the de pendent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention is now described in closer detail in connection with pre ferred embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is schematic presentation of a method and apparatus for pro ducing power plant boiler sand, and

Figure 2 shows schematically a grain of sand and a clay-based binder film on it in cross section.

For reasons of clarity, some embodiments of the invention are illus trated in the figures in a simplified form. In the figures, like reference numerals identify like elements. Detailed description of the invention

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a production process formed by an ap paratus 1 for producing power plant boiler sand. In this specification, power plant boiler sand may below also be simply referred to as boiler sand. In the embodi- ment according to Figure 1, power plant boiler sand is made from discarded foundry sand comprising clay-based binder, whereby there is, as schematically shown in Figure 2, on the surface of the grain of sand 2 of foundry sand, a clay- based binder film 3 by means of which a mould made of sand may be hardened. Said binder film 3 is typically of bentonite, but instead of bentonite said binder film 3 may also be of another clay-based binder, such as kaolinite. It has been es tablished that the clay-based binder film 3 on the surface of the grain of sand 2 prevents the reaction between the silica in the grain of sand and the compounds of alkalis present in particular in the ash of biofuels, or at least reduces it, and therefore prevents the sintering of sand, or at least decreases it, discarded found- ry sand containing clay-based binder is well suited for use as boiler sand.

The apparatus 1 of Figure 1 comprises a feeder hopper 4 or another feeder member, by means of which foundry sand may either continuously or pe riodically be fed to a conveyor 5 as schematically shown by the arrow F4. The conveyor 5 may be a belt conveyor, for example. The conveyor 5 is used to feed foundry sand forward in the production process of boiler sand. The operation of the conveyor 5, that is, stopping, starting, and speed, may be controlled with a motor driving the conveyor 5, but not shown in Figure 1 for reasons of clarity. The operation of said motor may in turn be controlled by means of at least one control unit 6 included in the apparatus 1, by means of a control signal C05.

The apparatus 1 may additionally comprise a shaker 7 which is ar ranged in connection with the conveyor 5 and by means of which the belt of the conveyor 5 may be shaken to break gobs or lumps of sand that are potentially present in the foundry sand supplied to the conveyor 5. The operation of the shaker 7 may be controlled with the control unit 6, for example, by means of a control signal C07.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 further includes a screen section 8 to break and/or remove the fine fraction such as dust in the foundry sand, and the gobs and lumps of sand possibly still in the foundry sand. The screen section 8 such as the one shown in Figure 1 comprises a first mesh 8a and a second mesh 8b which are provided with shakers 9a, 9b by means of which the meshes 8a, 8b may be shaken. In the direction of travel of the foundry sand, so from left to right in Figure 1, the meshes 8a, 8b are adapted in the substantially horizontal direc tion successively and staggered downwards in relation to each other so that in the vertical direction the second mesh 8b may be located below the first mesh 8a at least to some extent. The meshes 8a, 8b may be tilted down to an angle of 0 to 15 degrees, for example, in the direction of travel of the foundry sand so that the be ginning of the meshes 8a, 8b, that is, the end directed towards the feed of the foundry sand, is higher than the end of the meshes 8a, 8b, so the end directed to wards the direction of travel of the foundry sand. In such a case, when the mesh es 8a, 8b are shaken, the sand not filtered through the mesh 8a, 8b travels for- ward from left to right under gravity. Said angle may advantageously be 5 de grees. The tilting of the meshes 8a, 8b and the operation of the shakers 9a, 9b may be controlled with the control unit 6 by means of control signals C08a, C08b. The screen section 8 may be partitioned separate from other apparatus of the produc tion process by wall and/or roof structures, or each mesh 8a, 8b may be separate- ly encased. Said wall and roof structures or enclosures are not shown in the drawing for reasons of clarity.

As schematically shown by the arrow F, the foundry sand is fed from the conveyor 5 onto the first mesh 8a. When the shaker 9a is shaking the first mesh 8a, the foundry sand moves forwards on the first mesh 8a. At the same time, as defined by the mesh size of the first mesh 8a, at least a portion of the foundry sand is separated from the foundry sand and is filtered through the first mesh 8a as schematically shown by the arrow P8a. The mesh size of the first mesh 8a is so selected that grains of sand smaller than a determined grain size are separated from the foundry sand by the first mesh 8a. The separating portion in question comprises at least dust and may also comprise other fine fraction mixed in the foundry sand. Below the first mesh 8a, at least one first suction machine 10 is ar ranged to suck out of the process such material that passed through the first mesh 8a. In addition, at least part of the dust or other fine fraction coming off the found ry sand during shaking may be also sucked out of the process as schematically shown by the arrow S8a by means of at least one second suction machine 11 also arranged over the meshes 8a, 8b. The operation of said at least one first suction machine 10 and at least one second suction machine 11, such as switching on and off or suction force, may be controlled for example with the control unit 6 by means of the corresponding control signals COIO, COll.

The portion of the foundry sand which was fed to the first mesh 8a and did not pass through the first mesh 8a and did not end up in said at least second suction machine 11, either, moves from the first mesh 8a to the second mesh 8b as schematically shown by the arrow F8b. The mesh size of the second mesh 8b is so selected that it passes, or separates, all the grains of sand smaller than the mesh size in question from the foundry sand into its own fraction as schematical- ly shown by the arrow P8b. The portion of the foundry sand, which ended up in a first collecting tray 12 as indicated by the arrow P8b, forms a so-called fraction suitable for end use, that is, accepted as boiler sand. The dust or other fine frac tion still coming off the foundry sand on the second mesh 8b during shaking may be sucked out of the process as schematically shown by the arrow S8b by means of at least one second suction machine 11 arranged over the meshes 8a, 8b.

The portion of the foundry sand, which was fed on the second mesh 8b and did not pass through the second mesh 8b, either, ends up in a second collect ing tray 13 as schematically shown by the arrow F13. This portion of the foundry sand comprises such gobs or lumps of sand that have not broken on the conveyor 5 or meshes 8a, 8b, as well as the grains larger than the mesh size of the second mesh 8b. The portion of the foundry sand, which ended up in the second collect ing tray 13, is sent on for further processing.

The mesh size of the meshes 8a, 8b is selected according to the use of the accepted fraction that is separated into the first collecting tray 12, in other words, meant as power plant boiler sand. Typical uses of power plant boiler sand include circulating fluidised bed boilers and fluidised bed boilers which differ from each other in the grain size of the boiler sand.

The grain size of the boiler sand used in circulating fluidised bed boil ers is typically approximately 0.05 to 1 mm, advantageously approximately 0.1 to 0.5 mm. When producing boiler sand suitable for use in a circulating fluidised bed boiler from foundry sand as described in the above, the mesh size of the first mesh 8a may be selected to be, for example, approximately 0.05 mm, advanta geously approximately 0.1 mm. In this case, all the material of the grain size of no more than approximately 0.05 mm or no more than approximately 0.1 mm, such as dust, is separated by the first mesh 8a off the foundry sand ended up on the mesh 8a and sucked with at least one suction machine 10, 11 out of the produc tion process. The mesh size of the second mesh 8b may for its part selected to be approximately 1 mm, advantageously approximately 0.5 mm. In this case, all the fraction of the grain size of no more than approximately 1.0 mm or advantageous- ly no more than approximately 0.5 mm ended up on the second mesh 8b is sepa rated by the second mesh 8b off the foundry sand ended up on the second mesh 8b. The fraction separated by the second mesh 8b ends up in the first collecting tray 12 and establishes accepted fraction that is suitable for use as boiler sand in circulating fluidised bed boilers. The portion of the foundry sand, which has not passed through the meshes 8a, 8b or did not end up in at least one second suction machine 11 arranged over the meshes 8a, 8b, ends up in the second collecting tray 13 and is sent on for further processing.

The grain size of the boiler sand used in fluidised bed boilers is typical ly approximately 0.5 to 2 mm. When producing boiler sand suitable for use in a fluidised bed boiler from foundry sand as described in the above, the mesh size of the first mesh 8a may be selected to be, for example, approximately 0.5 mm. In this case, all the material of the grain size of no more than approximately 0.5 mm is separated by the first mesh 8a off the foundry sand ended up on the mesh 8a and sucked with at least one suction machine 10, 11 out of the production pro cess. The mesh size of the second mesh 8b may for its part be selected to be no more than approximately 2 mm. In this case, all the fraction of the grain size of no more than approximately 2 mm is separated by the second mesh 8b off the found ry sand ended up on the second mesh 8b. The fraction separated by the second mesh 8b ends up in the first collecting tray 12 and establishes an accepted frac tion that is suitable for use as boiler sand in fluidised bed boilers. The portion of the foundry sand, which has not passed through the meshes 8a, 8b or did not end up in at least one second suction machine 11 arranged over the meshes 8a, 8b, ends up in the second collecting tray 13 and is sent on for further processing.

By using foundry sand having clay-based binder on the surface of its grains and removed from service in a foundry for the manufacture of boiler sand, boiler sand may be manufactured from material that would otherwise be classi fied as waste. Because the clay-based binder film 3 on the surface of the grain of sand 2 prevents the reaction between the silica in the grain of sand and the com pounds of alkalis present in particular in the ash of biofuels, or at least reduces it, and therefore prevents the sintering of sand, or at least decreases it, with the so- lution disclosed in the above boiler sand is achieved that is suitable for use in power plant boilers, and which need not be replaced with new sand as often as bed material of natural sand. Consequently, with the disclosed solution, at least a fraction of foundry sand may still be recycled as boiler sand before the sand frac tion in question need to be delivered for cleaning. In addition, discarded foundry sand is air-cooled and therefore in crystallized form to begin with, whereby crys- tallization heat is no longer released, which further reduces the risk of the bed material of a power plant boiler sintering.

In addition to the sand that was part of a mould, discarded foundry sand also refers to sand comprising clay-based binder and meant for foundry sand use, from which the fine fraction will be or has been removed, but which sand portion has not at any stage ended up as part of the mould, but is, for exam ple, excess sand from the manufacture of the mould.

According to an embodiment, the screen section 8 may comprise three meshes in the direction of travel of the foundry sand, in the substantially horizon- tal direction successively and staggered downwards in relation to each other so that in the direction of travel of the foundry sand the last two meshes may be lo cated below the preceding mesh at least to some extent. In such a case, the first mesh in the direction of travel of the foundry sand may be used to separate the fi ne fraction from the flow of foundry sand, the second mesh may be used to sepa- rate the fraction suitable for use in a circulating fluidised bed boiler from the flow of foundry sand, and the third mesh may be used to separate the fraction suitable for use in a fluidised bed boiler from the flow of foundry sand.

According to a second embodiment, the power plant boiler sand ac cording to the invention may be manufactured by screening from natural sand the fraction appropriate for a particular boiler type, as concerns the grain size, and by coating the grains of sand of the fraction in question by clay-based binder, such as bentonite. Said coating of grains of sand may be implemented by mixing sand and clay-based binder with each other, or by forcing clay-based binder on the surface of the grain of sand by rolling, for example.

Those skilled in the art will find it obvious that, as technology advanc es, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not restricted to the above-described examples but may vary within the scope of the claims.