Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates an inexpensive and
very effective combustion reactor for catalytic oxidation
of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon compounds in hot combustion
gases which come from, for example, a furnace or a combustion
engine.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention
there is provided combustion reactor for catalytic oxidation
of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon compounds in hot combustion
gases, comprising a box with side walls and end walls and a
partition dividing the space between said end walls in two cham-
bers, said walls being fabricated at least in part of a material
capable of catalysing oxidation of carbon monoxide and hydro-
carbon compounds characterised in that said partition contains
; an annular channel to which is connected an inlet for the hot
combustion gases and has a central opening which connects said
two chambers with each other and which by means of at least one
slot in said partition is in communcation with said annular
channel along at least part of the length of said channel,
said chambers being provided at a distance from said central
opening of said partition, with outlets for said combustion
gases.
The present invention and its aspects will be
more readily understood from the following brief description
of the accompanying drawings, which show one embodiment
of the invention, and discussion relating thereto.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the apparatus
according to the invention, partly in projection and part-
ly in section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3;
Fig. 2 shows a section along the broken line V-V
in Fig. l; and
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Fig. 3 is a section along the broken line VI-VI in
Fig. 1.
The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1-3 has a box
with two end walls 16 and 17 and a partition which divides
the space between the end walls into two chambers 18 and 19
and which consists of two parts 20 and 21. The end walls
16 and 17 are substantially planar and elongate with rounded-
off ends, as is apparent from Fig. 1. The end walls 16
and 17 each have a circumferential edge flange 22 and 23,
respectively, which, together with the circumferential
portions of the partition parts 20 and 21, form the side
walls of the box.
One or more, and preferably all, of the walls of
the box are in their entirety, or at least one their surfaces
facing the interior of the box, manufactured, throughout
all or part of the extent of the surfaces, from a material
which contains a substance catalysing the oxidation of
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon compounds. An example of
such material of which the walls may be manufactured is an
alloy at 20-30% by weight chromium, 4-6% by weight aluminium,
0-3~ by weight cobalt and the balance iron. Under operation
of the reactor, such an alloy receive~s an aluminium
oxide layer on its surface which has the aforementioned
catalyst action. Another example of suitable material for the
walls of the box is ceramics that is capable of withstanding
substantial temperature changes. It is advantageous to use
ceramics which contain a dominant content, e.g. at least -
60% by weight of A12O3 fibres.
The partition formed of the parts 20 and 21 con-
tains an annular channel 24 which extends slightly insidethe side walls of the box. An inlet 25 for hot combustion
gases, for example from an internal combustion engine or
a furnace, is connected to this channel 24. The partition
formed of the parts 20 and 21 has a central opening 26
which communicates the two chambers 18 and 19 with each
other and which, by means of slots (one or more slots) 27
in the partition, is in communication with the annular
channel 24. The slot 27 may extend all~the way round the
opening 26 and the channel 24, but is shown in the embodiment
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according to Figs. 1-3 as extending throughout but
half (the upper half in Fig. 1) of the outer circumference
of the opening 26 and the inner circumference of the
channel 24, as intimated by means of the end limit 28 of
the slot in Figs. 1 and 2. The end walls 16 and 17 are
provided, opposite the central opening 26 of the partition,
each with a conical projection 29 directed towards the
central opening. A distance from the central opening 26 of
the partition, the chambers 18 and 19 are provided with
outlets for the combustion gases in the form of four holes
30 in each end wall 16, 17.
The box formed by the parts 16, 17, 20 and 21 is
surrounded, with play, by a casing in the form of a shell
31 and a lid 33 provided with thermal insulation 32. The
box is kept spaced from the walls of the casing 31, 33 by
means of a number of spacers 34. The outlets 30 of the
chambers 18, 19 discharge into the casing 31, 33, which is
provided with an outlet 35 for the combustion gases. The
casing shell 31 is surrounded, with play, by a jacket 37
provided with thermal insulated 36, in which jacket the
outlet 35 of the casing discharges, and which has an out-
let 38 for the combustion gases. f
When the apparatus according to Figs. 1-3 is
utilized, hot combustion gases containing carbon monoxide
and hydrocarbon compounds are supplied through the inlet
25 to the annular channel 24-where the gases will flow
at high velocity in a circuitous path and will gradually
flow further through the slot 27 to the central opening
in the partition 20, 21. In the opening 26, the gases
deviate in both directions to the chambers 18 and 19 there
they impinge upon the conical projections distributing
the gases in the chambers 18, 19. Finally, the gases depart
from the chambers 18, 19 through the outlets 30 to the
space between the box 16, 17, 20, 21 and the casing 31, 33,
where the gases flow round the box to the outlet 35 of
the casing in order thereafter to flow into the space
between the shell 31 and the jacket 37 in order finally
to depart through the outlet 38. During this flow within
the box 16, 17, 20, 21 and therearound, the gases will
come into intimate and lengthy contact with the box
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material heated by the gases to high temperature, the
material in this instance acting catalytically for the
oxidation of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon compounds
in the gases, so that the combustion products departing
through the outlet 38 are practically completely free
of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon compounds.
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