Patents by Inventor Markku Lahtinen
Markku Lahtinen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10852065Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling suspension in a suspension smelting furnace. The method comprises feeding additionally to pulverous solid matter and additionally to reaction gas reducing agent into the suspension smelting furnace, wherein reducing agent is fed in the form of a concentrated stream of reducing agent through the suspension in the reaction shaft onto the surface of the melt to form a reducing zone containing reducing agent within the collection zone of the melt.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2017Date of Patent: December 1, 2020Assignee: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Bjorklund
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Patent number: 10451350Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement comprising a fluidization arrangement (3) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter into a dosing bin (4), and a conveyor means (6) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter from the dosing bin (4) to the concentrate or matte burner (1) of the suspension smelting furnace (2), and a loss-in-weight controller (5) between the dosing bin (4) and the conveyor means (6). The arrangement comprises an impact cone (8) arranged below a filling valve (7) between the fluidization arrangement (3) and the dosing bin (4) for distributing fluidized fine-grained matter flowing from the fluidization arrangement (3) within the dosing bin (4).Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2018Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund
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Patent number: 10428404Abstract: The present invention provides a method of converting copper containing material to blister copper comprising: (a) providing copper containing material comprising copper sulfides and iron sulfides, whereby the copper containing material comprises at least 35 wt % copper of the total weight of the copper containing material; (b) reacting the copper containing material in a furnace with an oxygen containing gas, in the absence of flux, to effect oxidation of iron sulfide and copper sulfide, and controlling injection of the oxygen containing gas and the temperature so that the resulting converter slag is in a molten phase to obtain blister copper and converter slag.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2015Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OYInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Jouni Pihlasalo, Mikael Jåfs
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Publication number: 20180209741Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement comprising a fluidization arrangement (3) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter into a dosing bin (4), and a conveyor means (6) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter from the dosing bin (4) to the concentrate or matte burner (1) of the suspension smelting furnace (2), and a loss-in-weight controller (5) between the dosing bin (4) and the conveyor means (6). The arrangement comprises an impact cone (8) arranged below a filling valve (7) between the fluidization arrangement (3) and the dosing bin (4) for distributing fluidized fine-grained matter flowing from the fluidization arrangement (3) within the dosing bin (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2018Publication date: July 26, 2018Applicant: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund
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Patent number: 10006718Abstract: An arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement comprising a fluidization arrangement (3) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter into a dosing bin (4), and a conveyor means (6) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter from the dosing bin (4) to the concentrate or matte burner (1) of the suspension smelting furnace (2), and a loss-in-weight controller (5) between the dosing bin (4) and the conveyor means (6). The arrangement comprises an impact cone (8) arranged below a filling valve (7) between the fluidization arrangement (3) and the dosing bin (4) for distributing fluidized fine-grained matter flowing from the fluidization arrangement (3) within the dosing bin (4).Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2013Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund
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Publication number: 20180156541Abstract: Provided is a burner such as a concentrate burner or a matte burner for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into a reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace. The burner comprises an annular fine solids discharge channel that is radially limited at the outside by a first annular wall and that is radially limited at the inside by a second annular wall. The annular fine solids discharge channel is configured to receive fine solids from a fine solids feeding arrangement and to create an annular flow of fine solids in the annular fine solids discharge channel. The annular fine solids discharge channel being provided with spreading means configured to be hit by the annular flow of fine solids and configured to even out particle distribution in the annular flow of fine solids.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2016Publication date: June 7, 2018Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OYInventors: Elli MIETTINEN, Sarianna SUOMINEN, Lauri P. PESONEN, Aki LAANINEN, Tapio AHOKAINEN, Kaj EKLUND, Markku LAHTINEN, Peter BJÖRKLUND
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Patent number: 9957586Abstract: The invention relates to a method of using a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace and to a concentrate burner (4). The concentrate burner (4) comprises a first gas supply device (12) for feeding a first gas (5) into the reaction shaft (2) and a second gas supply device (18) for feeding a second gas (16) into the reaction shaft (2). The first gas supply device (12) comprises a first annular discharge opening (14), which which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of a feeder pipe (7), so that the first annular discharge opening (14) surrounds the feeder pipe (7). The second gas supply device (18) comprises a second annular discharge opening (17), which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of the feeder pipe (7), so that the second annular discharge opening (17) surrounds the feeder pipe (7) opening (14).Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2015Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Outotec OyjInventors: Jussi Sipilä, Markku Lahtinen, Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Tapio Ahokainen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Kaj Eklund
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Patent number: 9926617Abstract: A method is provided for producing matte such as copper or nickel matte or crude metal such as blister copper in a suspension smelting furnace such as a flash smelting furnace or a flash converting furnace. Also provided is a suspension smelting furnace such as a flash smelting furnace or a flash converting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace comprises a reaction shaft, a settler in communication with a lower end of the reaction shaft, and an uptake shaft. The settler extending in two opposite directions from a landing zone for a jet of oxidized suspension below the reaction shaft in the settler so that the settler comprises a first settler part on a first side of the landing zone and a second settler part on an opposite second side of the landing zone.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2013Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OYInventor: Markku Lahtinen
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Publication number: 20170248368Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling suspension in a suspension smelting furnace, to a suspension smelting furnace, and to a concentrate burner. The method comprises feeding additionally to pulverous solid matter and additionally to reaction gas reducing agent into the suspension smelting furnace, wherein reducing agent is fed in the form of a concentrated stream of reducing agent through the suspension in the reaction shaft onto the surface of the melt to form a reducing zone containing reducing agent within the collection zone of the melt.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2017Publication date: August 31, 2017Applicant: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Bjorklund
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Patent number: 9677815Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling suspension (8) in a suspension smelting furnace (1), to a suspension smelting furnace, and to a concentrate burner (2). The method comprises feeding additionally to pulverous solid matter (6) and additionally to reaction gas (7) reducing agent (13) into the suspension smelting furnace (1), wherein reducing agent (13) is fed in the form of a concentrated stream of reducing agent (13) through the suspension (8) in the reaction shaft (2) onto the surface (9) of the melt (10) to form a reducing zone (15) containing reducing agent (13) within the collection zone (14) of the melt (10).Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2011Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: Outotec OyjInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Bjorklund
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Publication number: 20170058380Abstract: The present invention provides a method of converting copper containing material to blister copper comprising: (a) providing copper containing material comprising copper sulfides and iron sulfides, whereby the copper containing material comprises at least 35 wt % copper of the total weight of the copper containing material; (b) reacting the copper containing material in a furnace with an oxygen containing gas, in the absence of flux, to effect oxidation of iron sulfide and copper sulfide, and controlling injection of the oxygen containing gas and the temperature so that the resulting converter slag is in a molten phase to obtain blister copper and converter slag.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2015Publication date: March 2, 2017Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OYInventors: Markku LAHTINEN, Jouni PIHLASALO, Mikael JÅFS
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Patent number: 9580771Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for refining copper concentrate. The arrangement includes a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft, and a settler. The reaction shaft is provided with a concentrate burner for feeding copper concentrate such as copper sulfide concentrate and/or copper matte and additionally at least reaction gas into the reaction shaft to obtain a blister layer containing blister and a first slag layer containing slag on top of the blister layer in the settler, and a slag cleaning furnace. The arrangement includes a feeder configured for feeding blister from the blister layer in the settler and for feeding slag from the first slag layer in the settler into the slag cleaning furnace.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2013Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund, Tuomo Jokinen, Harri Rannikko, Maija Metsärinta, Markku Lahtinen
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Publication number: 20150315673Abstract: A method is provided for producing matte such as copper or nickel matte or crude metal such as blister copper in a suspension smelting furnace such as a flash smelting furnace or a flash converting furnace. Also provided is a suspension smelting furnace such as a flash smelting furnace or a flash converting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace comprises a reaction shaft, a settler in communication with a lower end of the reaction shaft, and an uptake shaft. The settler extending in two opposite directions from a landing zone for a jet of oxidized suspension below the reaction shaft in the settler so that the settler comprises a first settler part on a first side of the landing zone and a second settler part on an opposite second side of the landing zone.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2013Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OYInventor: Markku LAHTINEN
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Publication number: 20150233643Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement comprising a fluidization arrangement (3) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter into a dosing bin (4), and a conveyor means (6) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter from the dosing bin (4) to the concentrate or matte burner (1) of the suspension smelting furnace (2), and a loss-in-weight controller (5) between the dosing bin (4) and the conveyor means (6). The arrangement comprises an impact cone (8) arranged below a filling valve (7) between the fluidization arrangement (3) and the dosing bin (4) for distributing fluidized fine-grained matter flowing from the fluidization arrangement (3) within the dosing bin (4).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2013Publication date: August 20, 2015Applicant: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund
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Publication number: 20150197828Abstract: The invention relates to a method of using a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace and to a concentrate burner (4). The concentrate burner (4) comprises a first gas supply device (12) for feeding a first gas (5) into the reaction shaft (2) and a second gas supply device (18) for feeding a second gas (16) into the reaction shaft (2). The first gas supply device (12) comprises a first annular discharge opening (14), which which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of a feeder pipe (7), so that the first annular discharge opening (14) surrounds the feeder pipe (7). The second gas supply device (18) comprises a second annular discharge opening (17), which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of the feeder pipe (7), so that the second annular discharge opening (17) surrounds the feeder pipe (7) opening (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2015Publication date: July 16, 2015Applicant: OUTOTEC OYJInventors: Jussi SIPILÄ, Markku LAHTINEN, Peter BJÖRKLUND, Kaarle PELTONIEMI, Tapio AHOKAINEN, Lauri P. PESONEN, Kaj EKLUND
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Publication number: 20150143951Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for refining copper concentrate (1). The arrangement comprises a suspension smelting furnace (2) comprising a reaction shaft (5), and a settler (6). The reaction shaft (5) is provided with a concentrate burner (8) for feeding copper concentrate (1) such as copper sulfide concentrate and/or copper matte and additionally at least reaction gas (9) into the reaction shaft (5) to obtain a blister layer (11) containing blister and a first slag layer (12) containing slag on top of the blister layer (11) in the settler (6), and a slag cleaning furnace (3). The arrangement comprises feeding means (16, 18, 23) for feeding blister from the blister layer (11) in the settler (6) and for feeding slag from the first slag layer (12) in the settler (6) into the slag cleaning furnace (3).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 12, 2013Publication date: May 28, 2015Applicant: Outotec (Finland) OyInventors: Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund, Tuomo Jokinen, Harri Rannikko, Maija Metsärinta, Markku Lahtinen
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Patent number: 9034243Abstract: The invention relates to a method of using a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace and to a concentrate burner (4). The concentrate burner (4) comprises a first gas supply device (12) for feeding a first gas (5) into the reaction shaft (2) and a second gas supply device (18) for feeding a second gas (16) into the reaction shaft (2). The first gas supply device (12) comprises a first annular discharge opening (14), which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of a feeder pipe (7), so that the first annular discharge opening (14) surrounds the feeder pipe (7). The second gas supply device (18) comprises a second annular discharge opening (17), which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of the feeder pipe (7), so that the second annular discharge opening (17) surrounds the feeder pipe (7) opening (14).Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2010Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Outotec OyjInventors: Jussi Sipilä, Markku Lahtinen, Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Tapio Ahokainen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Kaj Eklund
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Patent number: 8986421Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling the thermal balance of the reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace and to a concentrate burner for feeding reaction gas and pulverous solid mater into the reaction shaft of the suspension smelting furnace. In the method, endothermic material (16) is fed by the concentrate burner (4) to constitute part of the mixture formed from the powdery solid matter (6) and reaction gas (5), so that a mixture containing the powdery solid matter (6), reaction gas (5) and endothermic material (6) is formed in the reaction shaft (2). The concentrate burner (4) comprises cooling agent feeding equipment (15) for adding the endothermic material (16) to constitute part of the mixture, which is formed from the pulverous solid matter (6) that discharges from the orifice (8) of the feeder pipe and the reaction gas (5) that discharges through the annular discharge orifice (14).Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2010Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: Outotec OyjInventors: Jussi Sipilä, Markku Lahtinen, Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Tapio Ahokainen, Lauri P. Pesonen
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Publication number: 20140239560Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling suspension (8) in a suspension smelting furnace (1), to a suspension smelting furnace, and to a concentrate burner (2). The method comprises feeding additionally to pulverous solid matter (6) and additionally to reaction gas (7) reducing agent (13) into the suspension smelting furnace (1), wherein reducing agent (13) is fed in the form of a concentrated stream of reducing agent (13) through the suspension (8) in the reaction shaft (2) onto the surface (9) of the melt (10) to form a reducing zone (15) containing reducing agent (13) within the collection zone (14) of the melt (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2011Publication date: August 28, 2014Applicant: OUTOTEC OYJInventors: Markku Lahtinen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Bjorklund
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Publication number: 20120204679Abstract: The invention relates to a method of controlling the thermal balance of the reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace and to a concentrate burner for feeding reaction gas and pulverous solid mater into the reaction shaft of the suspension smelting furnace. In the method, endothermic material (16) is fed by the concentrate burner (4) to constitute part of the mixture formed from the powdery solid matter (6) and reaction gas (5), so that a mixture containing the powdery solid matter (6), reaction gas (5) and endothermic material (6) is formed in the reaction shaft (2). The concentrate burner (4) comprises cooling agent feeding equipment (15) for adding the endothermic material (16) to constitute part of the mixture, which is formed from the pulverous solid matter (6) that discharges from the orifice (8) of the feeder pipe and the reaction gas (5) that discharges through the annular discharge orifice (14).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2010Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: OUTOTEC OYJInventors: Jussi Sipilä, Markku Lahtinen, Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Tapio Ahokainen, Lauri P. Pesonen