Frame seal for a solid fuel distributor

1. An apparatus for projecting solid fuel into a combustion chamber of a furnace, the apparatus comprising:

a rotor having blades extending outwardly therefrom, the rotor being rotatable to project the solid fuel into the combustion chamber; and

a housing having:

a maintenance access aperture allowing access to the rotor for maintenance;

a fuel aperture through which the solid fuel is projected from the rotor into the combustion chamber, the housing including

a movable portion between the rotor and the combustion chamber adapted to move between:

a first position wherein the fuel aperture is fully open to allow the solid fuel to be projected into the combustion chamber and the maintenance access aperture is closed, and

a second position wherein the movable portion completely closes the fuel aperture to shield the rotor from heat emitted from the combustion chamber and opens the maintenance access aperture.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the movable portion pivots about an axis of rotation of the rotor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the movable portion has an air duct disposed therein, the air duct being configured to direct a stream of air towards the combustion chamber for assisting the rotor in projecting the solid fuel into the combustion chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blades of the rotor and an arcuate surface of the movable portion define a space in which the solid fuel is disposed during a portion of a revolution of the rotor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the movable portion pivots about an axis of rotation of the rotor, and wherein pivoting the movable portion about the axis adjusts a trajectory of the solid fuel projected from the rotor into the combustion chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the maintenance access aperture is adapted to open wide enough to service the rotor when the movable portion is in the second position, and the maintenance access aperture being closed by the movable portion when the movable portion is in the first position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blades of the rotor and an arcuate surface of the movable portion define a space in which the solid fuel is disposed during a portion of a revolution of the rotor, the movable portion pivots about an axis of rotation of the rotor, and the movable portion has an air duct disposed therein, the air duct being configured to direct a stream of air towards the combustion chamber for assisting the rotor in projecting the solid fuel into the combustion chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein pivoting the movable portion about the axis adjusts a trajectory of the solid fuel projected from the rotor into the combustion chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the housing further includes a maintenance access aperture disposed therein, the maintenance access aperture being open when the movable portion is in the second position, and the maintenance access aperture being closed by the movable portion when the movable portion is in the first position.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the movable portion has an air duct disposed therein, and when the moveable portion is in the second position, the air duct acts to thermally insulate the combustion chamber from the rotor, reducing a temperature of the rotor, thereby allowing maintenance of the rotor at the reduced temperature.

11. A feeder assembly for projecting solid fuel into a combustion chamber of a furnace, the feeder assembly comprising:

a housing having an aperture disposed therein through which the solid fuel is projected into the combustion chamber;

a distributor disposed in the housing, the distributor including a rotor having blades extending outwardly therefrom, the rotor being rotatable to project the solid fuel into the combustion chamber;

a feeder disposed in the housing, the feeder including a conveyor assembly for providing the solid fuel to the rotor; and

wherein the housing includes a movable portion movable between:

a first position wherein the aperture is open to allow the solid fuel to be projected into the combustion chamber, and

a second position wherein the movable portion completely closes the aperture to shield the rotor from heat emitted from the combustion chamber.

12. The feeder assembly of claim 11 , wherein the movable portion pivots about an axis of rotation of the rotor.

13. The feeder assembly of claim 11 , wherein the movable portion has an air duct disposed therein, the air duct being configured to direct a stream of air towards the combustion chamber for assisting the rotor in projecting the solid fuel into the combustion chamber.

14. The feeder assembly of claim 11 , wherein the blades of the rotor and an arcuate surface of the movable portion define a space in which the solid fuel is disposed during a portion of a revolution of the rotor.

15. The feeder assembly of claim 14 , wherein the movable portion pivots about an axis of rotation of the rotor, and wherein pivoting the movable portion about the axis adjusts a trajectory of the solid fuel projected from the rotor into the combustion chamber.

16. The feeder assembly of claim 14 , wherein the housing further includes a maintenance access aperture disposed therein, the maintenance access aperture being open wide enough to service the rotor when the movable portion is in the second position, and the maintenance access aperture being closed by the movable portion when the movable portion is in the first position.

17. The feeder assembly of claim 11 , wherein the blades of the rotor and an arcuate surface of the movable portion define a space in which the solid fuel is disposed during a portion of a revolution of the rotor, the movable portion pivots about an axis of rotation of the rotor, and the movable portion has an air duct disposed therein, the air duct being configured to direct a stream of air towards the combustion chamber for assisting the rotor in projecting the solid fuel into the combustion chamber.

18. The feeder assembly of claim 17 , wherein pivoting the movable portion about the axis adjusts a trajectory of the solid fuel projected from the rotor into the combustion chamber.

19. The feeder assembly of claim 18 , wherein the housing further includes a maintenance access aperture disposed therein, the maintenance access aperture being open when the movable portion is in the second position, and the maintenance access aperture being closed by the movable portion when the movable portion is in the first position.

20. A method of shielding a distributor rotor from heat emitted from a combustion chamber in a furnace, the method comprising:

pivoting a movable portion of a rotor housing about a rotational axis of the rotor from a first position to a second position, wherein, in the first position, an aperture in the rotor housing is open to allow the rotor to project solid fuel into the combustion chamber, and in the second position, the movable portion completely closes the aperture to shield the rotor from the heat emitted from the combustion chamber and opens a maintenance access aperture wide enough to service the rotor.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the movable portion has an air duct disposed therein, the air duct being configured to direct a stream of air towards the combustion chamber for assisting the rotor in projecting the solid fuel into the combustion chamber.