Project TE120, Existing Example No. C-2
Level/Categories
CL 2a2, 2b1, 2f, 3a, 3c
AL 2a2, 2b1, 2f, 3a, 3c
Documents
This is an artificial example.
Brief Description of the Artificial Example
The example relates to treatment of materials, particularly wet combustible materials, in a
fluidised bed reactor. Hot particles are separated from the exhaust gases of the fluidised bed.
At least some of the particles are mixed with the incoming material stream, which is thus
heated and at least partially dried before introduction into the fluidised bed, where the
material is combusted. The example of the treatment is incineration of sewage sludge.
The invention is:
1. A method of treating a material, which contains inorganic chemicals and organic
chemicals, which comprises the steps of
a) subjecting said material to combustion in a fluidized bed reactor and recovering flue gases
which have entrained hot solid particles;
b) introducing said flue gases from step a) into a dust separator to remove the hot solid
particles entrained in the flue gases;
c) introducing said hot solid particles from step b) into a prereactor and mixing therewith said
material to preheat and at least partially dry said material whereby a preheated material is
obtained;
d) introducing said preheated material from step c) together with said hot solid particles into
said fluidized bed reactor, subjecting the preheated and dried material in the presence of said
hot particles to combustion therein to obtain flue gases;
e) introducing the flue gases from step d) into said dust separator to separate hot solid
particles which are recycled in step c).
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which gases are formed in step c), said gases are
subjected to a dust separation step to remove solid particles and at least a portion of the gases
are introduced into said fluidized bed reactor in step d)
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the material being treated is sewage sludge.
4. Apparatus for performing the treatment according to claims 1 or 3, including a fluidized
bed combustion chamber, a dust separator for removing hot solid particles entrained in the
flue gases from the fluidized bed combustion chamber, a prereactor for drying the wet
material and means for feeding the dried material from the prereactor to the fluidized bed
combustion chamber, characterized by means for feeding the hot solid particles to the
prereactor and means for mixing the particles therein with the wet material.
Representative Prior Art
The description of the invention describes incineration of sludge in a fluidised bed using
mechanical dewatering, chemical additives, contact with hot flue gases or contact with hot
bed material for drying the sludge.
Invention Information
I1
A general process for treatment of material, particularly wet combustible material, in a
fluidised bed reactor, in which process hot particles are separated from the exhaust
gases of the fluidised bed and at least some of the particles are mixed with the incoming
material stream, which is thus heated and at least partially dried before introduction into
the fluidised bed, where the material is combusted (see claim 1).
I2
Apparatus for performing the process of I1 (see claim 4)
I3
The application of the process according to I1 to incineration of sewage sludge, in
which the sludge is dried before combustion (see the preferred embodiment and claim
3).
I4
Apparatus for performing the process of I3 (see the preferred embodiment and claims 3
and 4).
Identification of Potential Subclasses
Subject Matter
Tool
Query
IPC Places
I1, I2
Catchword Index
Fluidised bed processes in general
B01J 8/24
I1, I2
TACSY
Treatment of material in a fluidised bed
reactor
B01J
I3, I4
Catchword Index
Fluidised bed combustion apparatus
F23C 10/00
I3, I4
Catchword Index
Incineration of refuse
F23G
I3, I4
TACSY
Incineration of sludge in a fluidised bed
F23G 5/30
I3, I4
TACSY
Incineration of sludge in a fluidized bed
C02F 11/00
Analysis and Selection of Classification Symbols
Core Level
I1 and I2
The title of subclass B01J is "Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis, colloid
chemistry; their relevant apparatus". This clearly covers I1 and I2. The reference after the
subclass title is not relevant, since I1 and I2 do not relate to any specific application.
B01J 8/00 and B01J 19/00 are the only relevant main groups of B01J. Of these, B01J 8/00
"Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid
particles; Apparatus for such processes" is the most relevant, since it is more specific. B01J
8/08 and B01J 8/18 are the only relevant one-dot groups, but the reference in B01J 8/08
clearly points the invention to B01J 8/18. B01J 8/24 "According to "fluidised-bed" technique"
is the only possible two-dot group.
I3 and I4
Three different subclasses are proposed for I3 and I4: C02F, F23C and F23G. C02F covers
"Treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge". This could be seen as covering
incineration, and the group C02F 11/06 covers "treatment of sludge by oxidation", but the
purpose of the process is not to treat the waste-water sludge, but to enable extraction of the
heat value of it. Therefore classification in C02F is not correct.
F23C covers "Methods or apparatus for combustion using fluent fuel" and F23G covers
"Cremation furnaces; Consuming waste by combustion". Both these subclass titles cover I3
and I4. However, the definitions of the two subclasses (see especially the section
"Relationship between large subject matter areas" in F23C and the section "Definition
statement" in F23G) clearly indicates that classification should be made in F23G and not in
F23C, since the invention information relates to a special adaptation for a low-grade fuel that
presents special particular combustion problems by having a high water content.
F23G 5/00 and F23G 7/00 are the only relevant main groups in F23G. F23G 5/00 covers
"Incineration of waste (of specific waste F23G 7/00); Incinerator constructions; Details,
accessories or control therefore" and is mainly subdivided according to functional features of
the apparatus used. F23G 7/00 covers "Incinerators or other apparatus specially adapted for
consuming specific waste or low grade fuels, e.g. chemicals" and is mainly subdivided
according to application. Since the invention relates to both function and application aspects
classification should be made in both main groups.
F23G 5/00 contains two relevant one-dot groups, F23G 5/02 "with pretreatment" and F23G
5/30 "having a fluidized bed". Both are highly relevant, but F23G 5/30 should be the primary
choice, since it better reflects the invention as a whole. However, since the pretreatment of the
wet sludge is the actual inventive feature, classification should also be made in F23G 5/02,
which represents a novel and non-obvious process step. The subgroup F23G 5/027 is not
relevant, since the relevant parts of the description do not mention pyrolysis, but only drying.
F23G 7/00 does not contain any subgroup for sewage sludge, so the application aspect can
only be classified in the main group itself.
Since I1 and I2 identify the disclosure in its broadest and most general form their
classification is the one that should be listed first.
Advanced Level
I1 and I2
The title of subclass B01J is "Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis, colloid
chemistry; their relevant apparatus". This clearly covers I1 and I2. The reference after the
subclass title is not relevant, since I1 and I2 do not relate to any specific application.
B01J 8/00 and B01J 19/00 are the only relevant main groups of B01J. Of these, B01J 8/00
"Chemical or physical processes in general, conducted in the presence of fluids and solid
particles; Apparatus for such processes" is the most relevant, since it is more specific. B01J
8/08 and B01J 8/18 are the only relevant one-dot groups, but the reference in B01J 8/08
clearly points the invention to B01J 8/18. B01J 8/24 "According to "fluidised-bed" technique"
is the only possible two-dot group, and since none of its subgroups covers the invention it is
the correct place.
I3 and I4
Three different subclasses are proposed for I3 and I4: C02F, F23C and F23G. C02F covers
"Treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge". This could be seen as covering
incineration, and the group C02F 11/06 covers "treatment of sludge by oxidation", but the
purpose of the process is not to treat the waste-water sludge, but to enable extraction of the
heat value of it. Therefore classification in C02F is not correct.
F23C covers "Methods or apparatus for combustion using fluent fuel" and F23G covers
"Cremation furnaces; Consuming waste by combustion". Both these subclass titles cover I3
and I4. However, the definitions of the two subclasses (see especially the section
"Relationship between large subject matter areas" in F23C and the section "Definition
statement" in F23G) clearly indicates that classification should be made in F23G and not in
F23C, since the invention information relates to a special adaptation for a low-grade fuel that
presents special particular combustion problems by having a high water content.
F23G 5/00 and F23G 7/00 are the only relevant main groups in F23G. 5/00 covers
"Incineration of waste (of specific waste F23G 7/00); Incinerator constructions; Details,
accessories or control therefore" and is mainly subdivided according to functional features of
the apparatus used. F23G 7/00 covers "Incinerators or other apparatus specially adapted for
consuming specific waste or low grade fuels, e.g. chemicals" and is mainly subdivided
according to application. Since the invention relates to both function and application aspects
classification should be made in both main groups.
F23G 5/00 contains two relevant one-dot groups, F23G 5/02 "with pretreatment" and F23G
5/30 "having a fluidized bed". Both are highly relevant, but F23G 5/30 should be the primary
choice, since it better reflects the invention as a whole. However, since the pretreatment of the
wet sludge is the actual inventive feature, classification should also be made in F23G 5/02,
which represents a novel and non-obvious process step. The subgroup F23G 5/027 is not
relevant, since the relevant parts of the description do not mention pyrolysis, but only drying.
Drying is covered by F23G 5/04, which does not have any relevant subgroup.
F23G 7/00 does not contain any subgroup for sewage sludge, so the application aspect can
only be classified in the main group itself.
Since I1 and I2 identify the disclosure in its broadest and most general form their
classification is the one that should be listed first.
Subject
Matter
Analysis of Subclass
Selection
Subclass
Analysis of Group Selection
IPC CL
IPC (2006)
IPC AL
I1, I2
Only relevant subclass
B01J
Common rule, most specific main
group, only correct subgroup.
B01J 8/24
B01J 8/24
(2006.01)
I3, I4
F23C and F23G subclass
definitions
F23G
F23G 5/30
F23G 5/30
(2006.01)
I3, I4
F23C and F23G subclass
definitions
F23G
F23G 5/02
F23G 5/04
(2006.01)
I3, I4
F23C and F23G subclass
definitions
F23G
F23G 7/00
F23G 7/00
(2006.01)
Complete Classification
Common rule, functional aspect,
invention as a whole, only relevant
group.
Common rule, inventive process
step, only relevant group.
Common rule, application aspect,
no relevant subgroup
The complete core and advanced level classification for this document based on the above
analysis is as follows:
Core Level
Int. Cl. (2006)
B01J 8/24
F23G 5/02
F23G 5/30
F23G 7/00
Advanced Level
Int.Cl.
B01J 8/24 (2006.01)
F23G 5/04 (2006.01)
F23G 5/30 (2006.01)
F23G 7/00 (2006.01)