Abstract: In a charging process of a shaft furnace, in particular of a blast furnace, batches of charge material are typically discharged in cyclical sequence into the furnace from a top hopper using a flow control valve. A method and system is proposed for adjusting the flow rate of charge material in such a process. According to the invention, a respective set of plural valve settings is stored for each batch, each valve setting of a set being associated to a different stage in the discharge of the batch. The method and system are configured to discharge a given batch so that, at each stage in the discharge of the given batch, the flow control valve operates at a constant valve opening according to the valve setting associated to that stage and so that an actual average flow rate at which charge material is discharged is determined for that stage.

Abstract: A stave cooler for a metallurgical furnace, in particular for a blast furnace, including a panel-like body having a front face for facing the interior of the metallurgical furnace and an opposite rear face; and at least one internal coolant passage arranged within the panel-like body, where the at least one shaft, protrudes from the front face of the panel-like body.

Abstract: A cooling plate (10) for a metallurgical furnace in accordance with the present invention has a panel-like body (12) with a front face (14) and an opposite rear face (16), an upper edge (22) and an opposite lower edge (24), and a first side edge (18) and an opposite second side edge (20). The front face (14) is provided with grooves (32) extending between the first and second edges (18, 20), the grooves (32) forming lamellar ribs (34) on the front face (14), each rib (34) having a crest (37) and adjoining sidewalls (39, 39?), a base (38) being arranged in the groove (32) between two neighboring ribs (34). In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, at least one of the grooves (32) is provided with a metal insert (40) arranged against at least one of the sidewalls (39, 39?).

Abstract: Tuyere stock arrangement of a blast furnace including a tuyere body configured for installation in a shaft furnace wall, the tuyere body including a front face facing an interior of the shaft furnace and an opposite rear face, a tuyere channel extending from the rear face to the front face the tuyere stock arrangement further including a blowpipe connected between the rear face of the tuyere body and a hot blast air supply system, the blowpipe having a front portion connecting to the tuyere body and an opposite rear portion connecting to the hot blast air supply system where a fuel injection lance is provided for feeding fuel into the shaft furnace and a gas injection lance is provided for feeding an oxidizing gas to the shaft furnace, the fuel injection lance being arranged through the tuyere body and according to an important aspect of the invention, the gas injection lance is arranged in the rear portion of the blowpipe, the gas injection lance being arranged in such a way as to feed the oxidizing gas into

Abstract: A multiple hearth furnace including a rabble arm with a tubular structure and a solid plug body. The latter is received in a socket arranged in an arm fixing node. It has an axial through boring and cooling fluid supply and return channels arranged around this through boring. A clamping bolt is rotatably fitted in the through boring. It has a bolt head, which can be brought by rotation into and out of hooking engagement with an abutment surface on the arm fixing node. A threaded end of the clamping bolt sticks out of the through boring at the rear end of the plug body. A threaded sleeve, which is screwed onto this threaded end, bears on an abutment surface at the rear end of the plug body for exerting a clamping force onto the clamping bolt.

Abstract: In a charging process of a shaft furnace, in particular of a blast furnace, batches of charge material are typically discharged in cyclical sequence into the furnace from a top hopper using a flow control valve. A method and system is proposed for adjusting the flow rate of charge material in such a process. According to the invention, a respective set of plural valve settings is stored for each batch, each valve setting of a set being associated to a different stage in the discharge of the batch. The method and system are configured to discharge a given batch so that, at each stage in the discharge of the given batch, the flow control valve operates at a constant valve opening according to the valve setting associated to that stage and so that an actual average flow rate at which charge material is discharged is determined for that stage.

Abstract: In a charging process of a shaft furnace, in particular of a blast furnace, batches of charge material are typically discharged in cyclical sequence into the furnace from a top hopper using a flow control valve. A method and system is proposed for adjusting the flow rate of charge material in such a process. Pre-determined valve characteristics for certain types of material are provided, each indicating the relation between flow rate and valve setting for one type of material. According to the invention, a specific valve characteristic is stored for each batch of charge material, each specific valve characteristic being bijectively associated to one batch and indicating the relation between flow rate and valve setting of the flow control valve specifically for the associated batch.

Abstract: A device (10), for moving a runner (12) of a shaft furnace between an upper tapping floor level (42), where the runner is in an operational position in front of a taphole of the furnace, and a lower service level (40), where the runner is accessible for replacement. The device (10) comprises a first support (28) and a second support (34) forming a base member (38), a carrier member (20) for bearing the runner, the carrier member having a first and a second longitudinal portion, a first lifting member (22) connected via a first articulation (26) to the first longitudinal portion and via a second articulation (30) to the first support, and a second lifting member (24) connected via a third articulation (32) to the second longitudinal portion and via a fourth articulation (36) to the second support. The base member (38), the carrier member (20) and the first and second lifting members (22, 24) together with the four articulations (26, 30, 32, 36) form a four-bar equivalent mechanism.

Abstract: The invention relates to computer-implemented charging of a blast furnace equipped with an automated to charging installation and stockhouse for batchwise charging. It proposes: obtaining a nominal charge dataset reflecting a nominal blast furnace charge and comprising plural charge material records, each charge material record comprising a material type and an associated nominal charge quantity; generating a graphical user interface comprising batch data fields for entering and displaying plural batch datasets for pre-configuring batches, each batch dataset comprising at least one batching record, each batching record comprising a material type and an associated batching proportion. According to the invention, the batching proportion associated to a material type in a batching record is used for predefining a ratio between the material quantity that is to be contained in a batch and the nominal charge quantity.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a bustle pipe arrangement (10) of a shaft furnace, in particular for feeding hot gas into the shaft furnace such as e.g. a blast furnace, wherein the bustle pipe arrangement (10) comprises a circumferential bustle pipe (12) arranged along the outer casing (14) of the shaft furnace, at a certain distance therefrom. The arrangement (10) further comprises a plurality of first support arms (22) connecting the bustle pipe (12) to the outer casing (14) of the shaft furnace on a first level; and a plurality of second support arms (24) connecting the bustle pipe (12) to the outer casing (14) of the shaft furnace on a second level, the first level being separate from the second level. The first and second support arms (22, 24) are configured to support the circumferential bustle pipe (12). First blow channels (26) are arranged through the first support arms (22) for fluidly connecting the bustle pipe (12) to the interior of the shaft furnace.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a bustle pipe arrangement (10) of a shaft furnace, in particular for feeding hot gas into the shaft furnace such as e.g. a blast furnace, wherein the bustle pipe arrangement (10) comprises a circumferential bustle pipe (12) arranged along the outer casing (14) of the shaft furnace, the bustle pipe (12) being arranged at a certain distance form the outer casing (14). The arrangement (10) further comprises a plurality of first arms (22) connecting the bustle pipe (12) to the outer casing (14) of the shaft furnace on a first level; and a plurality of second arms (24) connecting the bustle pipe (12) to the outer casing (14) of the shaft furnace on a second level, the first level being different from the second level. First and second blow channels (26, 30) are respectively arranged through the first and second arms (22, 24) for fluidly connecting the bustle pipe (12) to the interior of the shaft furnace.

Abstract: A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace, in particular a blast furnace, is disclosed. The charging device is equipped with a cooling system. The rotary charging device includes a rotatable support for rotary distribution means as well as a stationary housing for the rotatable support. The cooling system includes a rotary cooling circuit fixed in rotation with the rotatable support as well as a stationary cooling circuit on the stationary housing. A heat transfer device is provided which includes a stationary heat transfer element configured to be cooled by a cooling fluid flowing through the stationary cooling circuit and which includes a rotary heat transfer element configured to be heated by a separate cooling fluid circulated in the rotary cooling circuit.

Abstract: A cooling plate (10) for a metallurgical furnace in accordance with the present invention has a panel-like body (12) with a front face (14) and an opposite rear face (16), an upper edge (22) and an opposite lower edge (24), and a first side edge (18) and an opposite second side edge (20). The front face (14) is provided with grooves (32) extending between the first and second edges (18, 20), the grooves (32) forming lamellar ribs (34) on the front face (14), each rib (34) having a crest (37) and adjoining sidewalls (39, 39?), a base (38) being arranged in the groove (32) between two neighboring ribs (34). In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, at least one of the grooves (32) is provided with a metal insert (40) arranged against at least one of the sidewalls (39, 39?).

Abstract: The present invention proposes a gap-filler insert (20) for use with cooling plates (12, 12?) for a metallurgical furnace, the cooling plates (12, 12?) having a front face (14, 14?) directed towards the interior of the furnace, an opposite rear face (16, 16?) directed towards a furnace wall (10) of the furnace and four edge faces (18, 18?). In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the gap-filler insert (20) comprises a metal front plate (24) with a front side (24) facing the interior of the furnace and anchoring means (28, 28?, 30, 30?, 32, 34) for mounting the front plate (24) between two neighboring cooling plates (12, 12?) in such a way that the front plate (24) extends between the edge faces (18, 18?) of both cooling plates (12, 12?), and that the front side (26) of the front plate (24) is flush with the front faces (14, 14?) of both cooling plates (12, 12?).

Abstract: A multiple hearth furnace including a rabble arm with a tubular structure and a solid plug body. The latter is received in a socket arranged in an arm fixing node. It has an axial through boring and cooling fluid supply and return channels arranged around this through boring. A clamping bolt is rotatably fitted in the through boring. It has a bolt head, which can be brought by rotation into and out of hooking engagement with an abutment surface on the arm fixing node. A threaded end of the clamping bolt sticks out of the through boring at the rear end of the plug body. A threaded sleeve, which is screwed onto this threaded end, bears on an abutment surface at the rear end of the plug body for exerting a clamping force onto the clamping bolt.

Abstract: A multiple hearth furnace includes a gas cooling system for its central shaft and its rabble arms. This gas cooling system includes within the shaft an annular main distribution channel for supplying a cooling gas to the rabble arms and a central exhaust channel for evacuating the cooling gas leaving the rabble arms. The gas cooling system further includes an annular main supply channel surrounding the annular main distribution channel and being outwardly delimited by an outer shell of the shaft. A cooling gas inlet is connected to the annular main supply channel. A cooling gas passage between the annular main supply channel and the annular main distribution channel is spaced from the cooling gas inlet, so that cooling gas supplied to the cooling gas inlet has to flow through the annular main supply channel through several hearth chambers before it flows through the cooling gas passage into the annular main distribution channel.

Abstract: A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace, in particular a blast furnace, is disclosed. The charging device is equipped with a cooling system. The rotary charging device includes a rotatable support for rotary distribution means as well as a stationary housing for the rotatable support. The cooling system includes a rotary cooling circuit fixed in rotation with the rotatable support as well as a stationary cooling circuit on the stationary housing. A heat transfer device is provided which includes a stationary heat transfer element configured to be cooled by a cooling fluid flowing through the stationary cooling circuit and which includes a rotary heat transfer element configured to be heated by a separate cooling fluid circulated in the rotary cooling circuit.

Abstract: An electric arc furnace (10) has an outer shell (12) and an inner refractory lining (24). During its operation the electric arc furnace (10) contains a bath (28) of molten metal which has a minimum and a maximum operational level (32). An inner cooling ring (23) of copper slabs (20), which are in thermo-conductive contact with the inner refractory lining (24) and equipped with spray cooling means (22), is mounted to the outer shell (12) in the region (34) between the minimum and the maximum operational level (32).

Abstract: A device (10), for moving a runner (12) of a shaft furnace between an upper tapping floor level (42), where the runner is in an operational position in front of a taphole of the furnace, and a lower service level (40), where the runner is accessible for replacement. The device (10) comprises a first support (28) and a second support (34) forming a base member (38), a carrier member (20) for bearing the runner, the carrier member having a first and a second longitudinal portion, a first lifting member (22) connected via a first articulation (26) to the first longitudinal portion and via a second articulation (30) to the first support, and a second lifting member (24) connected via a third articulation (32) to the second longitudinal portion and via a fourth articulation (36) to the second support. The base member (38), the carrier member (20) and the first and second lifting members (22, 24) together with the four articulations (26, 30, 32, 36) form a four-bar equivalent mechanism.