Compact footprint CFB with mechanical dust collector

1. A circulating fluidized bed (CFB) apparatus, comprising:

a reaction chamber;

a non-vertical flue having a floor, said flue connected to an outlet of the reaction chamber, and a vertical flue connected to an outlet of the non-vertical flue, for conveying a flow of flue gas and entrained solids particles from the reaction chamber across at least one heat exchange surface contained within the vertical flue; and

a mechanical dust collector (MDC) having a hopper, said MDC including a plurality of individual collection elements for collecting the entrained solids particles from the flow of flue gas, each collection element having a downward bottom outlet opening for discharging a flow of cleaned flue gas, and wherein said MDC is located in the vertical flue above the at least one heat exchange surface and at least partially underneath the floor of the non-vertical flue.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the floor of the non-vertical flue is utilized as a part of an enclosure of the vertical flue.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a floor located within the MDC below the plurality of individual collection elements onto which the separated solids are discharged upon exiting from the individual collection elements.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the floor located within the MDC is sloped to permit solids particles discharged thereon to slide towards the hopper.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the individual collection elements are mounted on the floor located within the MDC.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the individual collection elements are sloped such that they form a slope similar to that of the floor located within the MDC upon which they are mounted.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each individual collection element comprises a plurality of angled spin vane means arranged within an annular upper portion of each of the elements, for separating the entrained solids particles from the flow of flue gas.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each individual collection element comprises at least one tangential side gas inlet means for receiving the flow of flue gas and entrained solids particles to impart a swirling effect thereon for separating the entrained solids particles from the flow of flue gas.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each individual collection element comprises louver type element means provided above each of the plurality of individual collection elements for separating the entrained solids particles from the flow of flue gas.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the louver type elements consist of an elongated design, a pyramidal design, and a conical design.

11. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each individual collection element comprises at least one side exit opening provided at the bottom of each collection element for discharging the separated solids particles onto the floor located within the MDC separately from the flow of the flue gas.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein each individual collection element comprises an opening provided on each collection element for discharging the separated solids particles from around an entire periphery of the collection element onto the floor located within the MDC separately from the flow of flue gas.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each individual collection element comprises a coaxial exit pipe connected to the bottom outlet opening for discharging flow of the cleaned gas.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a floor located within the MDC below the plurality of individual collection elements onto which the separated solids particles are discharged upon exiting from the individual collection elements, and a plurality of apertures provided in the MDC floor below each collection element for separately conveying the flow of flue gas from the collection elements through the MDC floor.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a floor located within the MDC below the plurality of individual collection elements onto which the separated solids are discharged upon exiting from the individual collection elements, and a plurality of apertures provided in the MDC floor between collection elements, said apertures communicating with the hopper via conduits, for conveying the separated solids particles to the hopper.

16. A mechanical dust collector (MDC), comprising a plurality of individual collection elements for separating entrained solids particles from a flow of flue gas, each individual collection element having swirling means located at the top of the element, a shell with a non-horizontal bottom defining the element, an essentially coaxial exit pipe extending from the bottom and a floor of the MDC through part of the element's height for downwardly discharging cleaned flue gas, and an opening at a lowermost part of the bottom for discharging collected solids.

17. The MDC according to claim 16 , wherein the the bottom is slanted and the opening for discharging collected solids is through the shell at a lowermost part of the bottom and adjacent to the floor.

18. The MDC according to claim 16 , wherein the bottom of the shell of the element has a conical shape and the opening for discharging collected solids is of an annular shape around the exit pipe.

19. A mechanical dust collector (MDC), comprising a plurality of individual collection elements for separating entrained solids particles from a flow of flue gas the MDC located in a single, straight, vertical flue above and upstream of at least one heat exchange surface, each individual collection element having louver type element means for separating the solids particles from the flow of flue gas and means for conveying the flow of flue gas from an upper portion of the collection element downwardly therethrough to a bottom outlet opening for discharging cleaned flue gas.