1. An apparatus which may be used as a gas burner for a Claus furnace, said apparatus comprising at least five concentric tubes and the corresponding concentric spaces between said tubes, wherein:
a) the diameters of said tubes increase in a radially outward direction from the central longitudinal axis of said apparatus, such that the first tube has a smaller diameter than the fifth tube;
b) the tube ends, nearest said Claus furnace, of the third, fourth, and fifth tubes lie in substantially the same plane;
c) the first and second tubes are fastened together and are capable of movement, with respect to said third, fourth and fifth tubes, along said central longitudinal axis;
d) the tube ends, nearest said Claus furnace, of said first and second tubes are unable to pass beyond said plane formed by said ends of said third, fourth and fifth tubes; and
e) the first space, formed by said first and second tubes, terminates on the side nearest said Claus furnace, in a first injector, wherein said first injector is oriented, in the direction of gas injection into said apparatus, towards the periphery of said apparatus.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate tube located between said third tube and said fourth tube.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the intermediate space, formed by said intermediate and third tubes, terminates on the side nearest said Claus furnace in an intermediate injector, wherein said intermediate injector is oriented, in the direction of gas injection into said apparatus towards the center of said apparatus.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said intermediate injector comprises a metal ring with at least one ring of orifices.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said intermediate orifices are oriented toward the center of said apparatus at an angle, relative to said central axis, of about 5\xb0 to about 45\xb0.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the intermediate space, located between said intermediate and third tubes, and the third space, located between said third and fourth tubes, are both connected to the same supply of oxygen-containing gas.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a valve located between said supply and said intermediate space.
8. A method which may be used for partially oxidizing an acid gas with at least one oxygen-rich gas, wherein:
a) the burner according to claim 7 used;
b) said acid gas contains hydrogen sulfide and is substantially free of ammonia;
c) said acid gas is injected into said first space and the fourth space formed between said fourth and fifth tubes; and
d) said oxygen-containing gas is injected into the second space, formed between said second and third tubes, and into the third space, formed between said third and fourth tubes.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first injector comprises a metal ring drilled with at least one ring of orifices.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first injector comprises a metal ring with a first and a second concentric ring of orifices, wherein said orifices are oriented, in the direction of gas injection into said apparatus, towards the periphery of said apparatus.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein on said first and second concentric ring of orifices, all orifices on the same ring are oriented at the same angle relative to said central axis.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said orifice angle of said first ring differs from said orifice angle of said second ring by at least about 5\xb0.
13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the orifices of said first ring are oriented towards said periphery at an angle, relative to said central axis, of about 5\xb0 to about 45\xb0.
14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the orifices of said second ring are oriented towards said periphery at an angle, relative to said central axis, of about 10\xb0 to about 50\xb0.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fourth space, formed by said fourth and fifth tubes, terminates on the side nearest said Claus furnace, in a fourth injector, wherein said fourth injector is oriented, in the direction of gas injection into said apparatus, towards the center of said apparatus.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said fourth injector comprises at least one metal ring drilled with at least one ring of orifices.
17. The apparatus of 16, wherein said fourth injector orifices are oriented toward the center of said apparatus at an angle, relative to said central axis, of about 5\xb0 to about 45\xb0.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second tubes are moved with a mechanical bellows means.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pilot burner located in said first tube.
20. A method which may be used for partially oxidizing an acid gas with at least one oxygen-rich gas, wherein:
a) the burner according to claim is used;
b) said acid gas contains hydrogen sulfide and is substantially free of ammonia;
c) said acid gas is injected into said first space and the fourth space formed between said fourth and fifth tubes; and
d) said oxygen-containing gas is injected into the second space, formed between said second and third tubes, and into the third space, formed between said third and fourth tubes.
21. A method which maybe used for a partially oxidizing an ammonia containing gas and an acid gas, in a Claus furnace, with at least one oxygen-rich gas comprising:
a) introducing said ammonia gas, said acid gas and said oxygen-containing gases to said furnace with a burner, wherein said burner comprises at least five concentric tubes and the corresponding concentric spaces between said tubes, wherein:
1) the diameters of said tubes increase in a radially outward direction from the central longitudinal axis of said apparatus such that the first tube has a smaller diameter than the fifth tube;
2) the tube ends, nearest said Claus furnace, of the third, fourth, and fifth tubes lie in substantially the same plane;
3) the first and second tubes are fastened together and are capable of movement, with respect to said third, fourth and fifth tubes, along said central longitudinal axis;
4) the tube ends, nearest said Claus furnace, of said first and second tubes are unable to pass beyond said plane formed by said ends of said third, fourth and fifth tubes; and
5) the first space, formed between said first and second tubes, terminates on the side nearest said Claus furnace, in a first injector, wherein said first injector is oriented, in the direction of gas injection into said apparatus, towards the periphery of said apparatus;
b) positioning said first and second tubes, when the ammonia content of said ammonia-containing gas is greater than the average ammonia content for which said burner is designed, such that said first and second tube ends lie in a plane different from that of said third, fourth and fifth tube ends;
c) positioning said first and second tubes, when said ammonia content of said ammonia-containing gas is less than said average ammonia content for which said burner is designed, such that said first and second tube ends lie in a plane substantially the same as that of said third, fourth and fifth tube ends:
d) injecting said ammonia-containing gas into said first space;
e) injecting said acid gas into the fourth space formed between said fourth and fifth tubes;
f) injecting a first oxygen-rich gas into the second space formed between said second and third tubes; and
g) injecting a second oxygen-rich gas into the third space formed between said third and fourth tubes.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the oxygen concentration of said first oxygen-rich gas is greater than the oxygen concentration of said second oxygen-rich gas.
23. The method of claims 22, wherein said first and second oxygen-rich gases comprise oxygen-enriched air with an oxygen content greater than about 25 mol %.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein said oxygen content is between about 40 mol% and about 100 mol %.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein said first oxygen-rich gas comprises pure oxygen.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein said burner further comprises:
a) an intermediate tube, formed between said third and said fourth tubes;
b) an intermediate space, formed between said intermediate tube and said third tube, wherein said intermediate tube is connected a supply of said second oxygen-rich gas; and
c) a valve located between said intermediate space and said supply of said second oxygen-rich gas.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising controlling the opening of said valve based upon the flow rate of said acid gas.
28. The method of claim 21, wherein said ammonia-containing gas comprises hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.
29. The method of claim 21, wherein said acid gas comprises hydrogen sulfide and is substantially free of ammonia.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
I claim:
1. A post structure, comprising:
a base having a socket with an opening disposed in a wall of the socket;
a column having an end configured for insertion into the socket and an aperture configured to align with the opening in the socket;
a latch disposed in the end of the column; and
a biasing element configured to displace the latch through the aperture and into engagement with the column in the socket to secure the column in the socket.
2. The post structure of claim 1, wherein the socket comprises a first opening and a second opening, and the column comprises a first aperture and a second aperture, said first and second openings in the socket being configured to align with the first and second apertures in the column when the end of the column is inserted into the socket.
3. The post structure of claim 2, wherein the biasing element comprises an outwardly biased torsion spring in said column, said torsion spring having a first end and a second end, and the latch comprises a first pin extending from the first end of the torsion spring, and a second pin extending from the second end of the torsion spring, said first pin being configured to engage with the first opening and first aperture, and said second pin being configured to engage with the second opening and second aperture, said pins being urged into engagement with said openings and apertures under the bias of the torsion spring to secure the column in the socket.
4. The post structure of claim 1, wherein the biasing element comprises an outwardly-biased compression spring having a first end and a second end, and wherein the latch comprises at least one piston circumferentially disposed around one of the ends of the compression spring, said piston being configured to engage with the opening in the socket and the aperture in the column, said piston being urged into engagement with said opening and said aperture under the outward bias of the compression spring to secure the column in the socket.
5. The post structure of claim 4 comprising a cylindrical housing disposed in the interior of the column, said housing forming a bore adapted to receive said piston and permit slidable displacement of said piston in said housing, wherein said housing is slidably adjustable within the interior of the column to permit alignment of the bore with the opening and aperture in the socket and column, respectively.
6. The post structure of claim 5, comprising a guide peg on the piston, said guide peg extending transversely from the longitudinal axis of the compression spring, said housing comprising a guide slot adapted to receive the guide peg on the piston, wherein the guide slot comprises a recess adapted to releasably retain the piston inwardly and out of engagement with the opening and aperture.
7. The post structure of claim 6, wherein the guide slot comprises an inner recess, an outer recess and an intermediate recess disposed between said inner and outer recesses, said inner recess, intermediate recess, and outer recess being adapted to releasably retain the guide peg in a first position, second position, and third position, respectively, in which said piston is disengaged from the column aperture and socket opening in the first position, engaged with the column aperture and disengaged from the socket opening in the second position, and engaged with the column aperture and socket opening in the third position.
8. A post and trim assembly, comprising:
a base having a socket with an opening disposed in a wall of the socket;
a column having an end configured for insertion into the socket and an aperture configured to align with the opening in the socket;
a latch disposed in the lower end of the column;
a biasing element configured to displace the latch through the aperture and into engagement with the opening in the socket to secure the column in the socket; and
a frame apparatus comprising a plurality of interlocking pieces configured for connection around the base.
9. The post and trim assembly of claim 8, wherein the frame apparatus comprises a plurality of interlocking identically configured pieces, each piece having a first extension and a second extension extending perpendicularly from the first extension, the first extension of each piece having an internal channel adapted to receive the second extension of another piece in a telescoping connection, said internal channel in the first extension having a plurality of ratchet teeth configured to mate with a plurality of ratchet teeth on the second extension, wherein said ratchet teeth in the first and second extensions are configured to slidably engage to allow the second extension to slide relative to the first extension into the channel, and further configured to lockingly engage to substantially prevent reverse sliding of the second extension relative to the first extension, such that the second extension is locked in engagement with the first extension.
10. A frame apparatus comprising a plurality of interlocking identically configured pieces, each piece having a first extension and a second extension extending perpendicularly from the first extension, the first extension of each piece having an internal channel adapted to receive the second extension of another piece in a telescoping connection, said internal channel in the first extension having a plurality of ratchet teeth configured to mate with a plurality of ratchet teeth on the second extension, wherein said ratchet teeth in the first and second extensions are configured to slidably engage to allow the second extension to slide relative to the first extension into the channel, and further configured to lockingly engage to substantially prevent reverse sliding of the second extension relative to the first extension, such that the second extension is locked in engagement with the first extension.
11. A frame apparatus comprising a plurality of interlocking identically configured pieces, each piece having a first extension and a second extension extending perpendicularly from the first extension, the first extension of each piece having an internal channel adapted to receive the second extension of another piece in a telescoping connection, said first extension of each piece further comprising one or more breakable joints that are configured to be broken apart to change the length of the first section to a desired length.
12. The frame apparatus of claim 11, comprising an indicia adjacent to each breakable joint, said indicia being indicative of a finished dimension when the adjacent breakable joint is broken.
13. A post structure for supporting a hollow tubular shell, comprising:
a base forming a socket;
a frame configured for insertion into the hollow shell, said frame comprising a cylindrical hub and a plurality of fins extending radially outwardly from the hub, said fins forming an outer frame perimeter that conforms with the interior of the hollow shell; and
a cylindrical column configured for insertion through the bore in the cylindrical hub, said column having an end configured for insertion into the socket to connect the column and the frame with the base.
14. The post structure of claim 13, comprising a plurality of inner ribs extending longitudinally along the inner wall of the bore, said inner ribs being configured to frictionally engage the exterior of the cylindrical column when the column is inserted through the bore.
15. The post structure of claim 13, comprising a plurality of exterior ribs extending outwardly from the fins, said exterior ribs configured to frictionally engage the interior of the hollow shell when the frame is inserted into the shell.