METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY ENRICHING KRYPTON-XENON CONCENTRATE, INSTALLATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION THEREOF, SORBENT FOR THIS INSTALLATION, AND ALSO METHOD OF SORBENT TRANSPORTATION IN INDICATED METHOD OF CONTINUOUS ENRICHMENT, AND INSTALLATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TRANSPORTATION METHOD Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: mining industry. SUBSTANCE: method designed for cryogenic production of inert gases involves descending sorbent bed displaced through cooling and heating chambers by bringing the sorbent into contact with concentrate whose temperature is preliminarily lowered by feeding cooling agent into cooling chamber. Sorbent moves by gravity through heating chamber, from which, krypton-enriched concentrate is first taken off and then concentrate enriched with xenon. Cooling agent utilized is liquid nitrogen fed at gauge pressure 0.25 to 1.5 Mpa, while nitrogen vapors are blown in into top section of heating chamber. Continuous-mode installation comprises column with tiered cooling and heating chambers connected to initial mixture source in the zone where the two chambers are joined and is provided with loading hopper and sorbent discharge dispenser. Heating chambers also has two spaced discharge lines for enriched concentrate. Cooling chamber receives bath connected to liquid nitrogen source and provided with gaseous nitrogen discharge line. This line, through liquid nitrogen control unit, is connected to primary line feeding nitrogen into column. This line with two above-mentioned ones form in common three canals of recuperative heat exchanger, whose intertubular space is confined sidewise by column walls and loading hopper and is filled with sorbent and removable admixtures of concentrate. Sorbent contains equally sized granules disposed for free motion and made of material with adsorption-desorption capacity. Granules are associated into groups included into gas-permeable protective spherical shells made from wear- resistant material and partially filled with coal fibers, diameter of shells is at least fivefold superior to conditional diameter of granules. Product transportation is accomplished by directing the latter into worm canal with specified pitch and subsequent intermittent displacement of product through canal with alternate addition of associated medium. Worm canal walls are made from elastic material and are kinematically linked with vertical generatrices which are disposed in intersection points of helical line and system of vertical planes fan-wise divergent from axis of worm canal, mentioned generatrices are given harmonic oscillations in longitudinal direction. Product transportation installation contains casing, actuator in the form of worm canal and its drive. Installation additionally has vertical generatrices, of which at least two are installed by means of guides to prevent rotation relative to casing with admission of their concerted axial and radial displacement. EFFECT: simplified technology. 26 cl, 20 dwg