Разработка и физическое моделирование реактора плавления базальта

Abstract

A rather low-efficient use of energy resources in the power engineering of heat technology, including such process objects as reactors, installations and complexes, is presently observed in the world economy. The greatest potential for energy saving is available in high-temperature installations. Very rapid development is seen in a relatively new composite industry, one promising sector of which involves production of basalt fiber and products based on it: heat-insulating, sound-insulating, and refractory materials. A new design of the unit for obtaining continuous basalt fibers is presented; the results of experiments on the assembled physical model are given, and the degree of decreasing the net cost of producing continuous basalt fiber is evaluated. The developed continuous basalt melting furnace differs from the existing furnaces in that it uses bubbling and a vacuuming zone, which significantly improves the basalt fiber quality, while preventing the raw materials from becoming overheated, and a perforated fencing in the furnace hearth, which makes it possible to decrease the heat losses in the unit. By using the countercurrent design of the unit, it becomes possible to arrange preheating of the basalt mixture with the flue gases before feeding it to the melting unit. Specialists of the NRU MPEI Chair for the Energy of High-Temperature Technology have designed and assembled a physical model of the basalt melting unit. The experiments carried out on the model have demonstrated its serviceability. The results from a number of experiments are presented; the possibility of obtaining a clarified melt has been proven, and the indications of the modeling fluid (glycerol) flow rate have been obtained. Conclusions about the efficiency of the developed unit, the possibility of saving energy resources and reducing the cost of the obtained fiber are given.