Tuyere Operation Patents (Class 266/47)
  • Patent number: 11946108
    Abstract: Foundry coke products, and associated methods and systems for melting iron in a cupola furnace with the coke products are disclosed herein. A representative method can include receiving a population of coke products and iron in a cupola furnace, and melting the iron in the cupola furnace to form molten iron having a carbon content higher than a carbon content of the received iron. The coke products can comprise (i) an elongate shape including a length:width dimension of at least 1.5:1, (ii) an ash fusion temperature of no more than 2400° F., and/or (iii) a coke reactivity index (CRI) of at least 30%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: SUNCOKE TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT LLC
    Inventors: John Francis Quanci, John Michael Richardson, Jonathan Hale Perkins
  • Patent number: 10781499
    Abstract: A method of operating a BOF bottom stir tuyere having an inner nozzle surrounded by an annular nozzle, including during a hot metal pour phase and a blow phase, flowing an inert gas through both nozzles; during a tap phase, initiating a flow of a first reactant through the inner nozzle and a flow of a second reactant through the annular nozzle, and ceasing the flow of inert gas through the nozzles, wherein the first and second reactants includes fuel and oxidant, respectively, or vice-versa, such that a flame forms as the fuel and oxidant exit the tuyere; during a slag splash phase, continuing the flows of fuel and oxidant to maintain the flame; and after ending the slag splash phase and commencement of another hot metal pour phase, initiating a flow of inert gas through both nozzles and ceasing the flows of the first and second reactants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory J. Buragino, Shailesh Pradeep Gangoli, Anshu Gupta, Anup Vasant Sane, Avishek Guha, Xiaoyi He, Michael David Buzinski, Kyle J. Niemkiewicz, Russell James Hewertson
  • Patent number: 10487370
    Abstract: To provide a method for operating a blast furnace with which the combustion efficiency of a solid fuel, such as pulverized coal, is improved, thereby making it possible to improve productivity and reduce CO2 emissions. Pulverized coal and LNG are blown from an upstream lance configured by a double tube, and oxygen is blown from a downstream lance on the downstream side in a hot air blast direction, so that oxygen used for preceding combustion of the LNG is supplied from the downstream lance, and the pulverized coal whose temperature has been increased by the combustion of the LNG is combusted along with the supplied oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Yamamoto, Akinori Murao, Tomoyuki Kawashima, Nobuyuki Ooyama
  • Patent number: 9873923
    Abstract: A method of operating a blast furnace by blowing a pulverized coal at an amount of not less than 150 kg/t?p from tuyeres through a lance into a blast furnace, wherein when the operation is performed under a condition that lump coke charged from a furnace top has a strength defined in JIS K2151 (DI15015) of not more than 87%, the pulverized coal blown through the tuyere contains not more than 60 mass % as a weight ratio of coal having a particle size of not more than 74 ?m and has an average volatile matter of not more than 25 mass %, and a blast temperature blown through the tuyere is not higher than 1100° C., oxygen is simultaneously blown into the furnace with the blowing of the pulverized coals through the lance and a gas having an oxygen concentration of 60 vol %-97 vol % is used as a carrier gas for the blowing of the pulverized coal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Daiki Fujiwara, Shiro Watakabe, Michitaka Sato, Takashi Watanabe, Akio Shimomura
  • Patent number: 9797023
    Abstract: A method of operating a shaft furnace includes inserting a mixture including anthracite coal and coke into a cavity defined by the furnace, and disposing a metal feedstock within the cavity. The method includes injecting natural gas at a natural gas flow rate and a first quantity of oxygen gas at a first oxygen gas flow rate into the cavity simultaneously through at least one burner. The method also includes driving a second quantity of oxygen gas at a supersonic oxygen gas flow rate into the cavity through at least one lance, wherein the supersonic oxygen gas flow rate is greater than the first oxygen gas flow rate. The method also includes combusting the mixture within the cavity to produce a stack gas, melting the metal feedstock to produce a melted metal material, and monitoring the stack gas to thereby operate the shaft furnace. A shaft furnace is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: GREDE LLC
    Inventors: Bill Connors, Kipp Witters
  • Publication number: 20150091224
    Abstract: A raw material supply apparatus that supplies a raw material into a flash smelting furnace and supplies a first gas contributing to a reaction of the raw material into the flash smelting furnace, includes: a raw material passage that is provided out of a lance through which the first gas passes, the raw material passing through the raw material passage; and an adjuster that adjusts a distribution of the raw material by blowing a second gas to the raw material passing through the raw material passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: PAN PACIFIC COPPER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya MOTOMURA, Eiji TOJIMA, Tomoya KAWASAKI, Yutaka YASUDA
  • Patent number: 8992823
    Abstract: In a blast furnace plant, at least three regenerative heaters are cyclically operated on blast and on gas: while a regenerative heater is operated on gas, hot flue gas is produced and caused to flow through the regenerative heater so as to heat the heat storage elements; and while a regenerative heater is operated on blast, process gas, i.e. a CO-rich fraction of the top gas, is blown through the regenerative heater so that the process gas takes up heat from the heat storage elements, such that during a changeover of a regenerative heater from on-blast to on-gas operation, the regenerative heater is purged from process gas using flue gas collected after having flown through at least one of the regenerative heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignees: Paul Wurth Refractory & Engineering GmbH
    Inventors: Friedrich Eschmann, Ralf Allmannsdörfer, Johannes Münzer, Sylvia Heilhecker, Jean-Paul Simoes
  • Patent number: 8945463
    Abstract: Tuyere stock arrangement (10) of a blast furnace comprising a tuyere (14) having a tuyere body (20) configured for installation in a blast furnace wall (12); the tuyere body (20) having an outer wall (22), a front face (24) and a rear face (26), the tuyere body (20) further having a tuyere channel (28) extending from the rear face (26) to the front face (24), the tuyere channel (28) forming an inner wall (30) in the tuyere body (20). The tuyere stock arrangement (10) further comprises a blowpipe (34) connected between the rear face (26) of the tuyere body (20) and a gas feeding device (38), the blowpipe (34) being configured and arranged so as to feed hot gas, generally hot blast air, from the gas feeding device (38) to the tuyere channel (28) for injection into the blast furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Paul Wurth S.A.
    Inventors: Paul Goedert, Lionel Hausemer, Jean-Paul Simoes
  • Patent number: 8906290
    Abstract: A container for molten metal has at least one opening in which a refractory nozzle brick is mounted. A refractory purge plug or a refractory sleeve defining an outlet opening is inserted in the nozzle brick opening. A defined gap is formed between the nozzle brick opening and the purge plug or the sleeve and is filled with a refractory mass, this mass consisting of a material which can be easily bored or milled out of the mass for the purpose of replacing the purge plug or the sleeve. In this manner, laborious cleaning steps can be avoided and the nozzle brick no longer risks being damaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Stopinc Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Klikovich, Leopold Kneis
  • Patent number: 8889061
    Abstract: A concentrate burner of a suspension smelting or suspension converting furnace includes a reaction gas feed, a powdery solid matter feed and a concentrate distributor. An arrangement for feeding powdery solid matter to the concentrate burner includes a first powdery solid matter discharge pipe for feeding powdery solid matter into the powdery solid matter feed of the concentrate burner. The first powdery solid matter discharge pipe is provided with a first partition, which divides solid matter, for dividing the first powdery solid matter discharge pipe into two essentially similar discharge pipe parts. The powdery solid matter feed of the concentrate burner comprise an annular concentrate discharge channel that surrounds the concentrate distributor of the concentrate burner. Each discharge pipe part of the first powdery solid matter discharge pipe is at least partly divided into two discharge pipe portions by a second partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Jussi Sipilä, Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Lauri P. Pesonen
  • Publication number: 20140159287
    Abstract: A method of operating a blast furnace includes two or more lances that inject reducing agents from a tuyere; injecting a solid reducing agent and a flammable reducing agent from different lances; and disposing the lances so that an axial line that extends from an end of the lance that injects the solid reducing agent and is the axial line of the lance that injects the solid reducing agent and an axial line that extends from an end of the lance that injects the flammable reducing agent and is the axial line of the lance that injects the flammable reducing agent cross each other, and so that a main flow of the solid reducing agent injected and a main flow of the flammable reducing agent injected overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki Fujiwara, Akinori Murao, Shiro Watakabe
  • Patent number: 8652395
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for feeding pulverised coal into a blast furnace, wherein the method comprises the following steps: providing a tuyere stock (14) for blowing hot blast air from a bustle pipe (12) into a furnace hearth of a blast furnace through a tuyere (15) in an opening in the furnace wall (16); providing a pulverised coal injection lance (18) for feeding pulverised coal into the tuyere (15), the pulverised coal injection lance (18) comprising an inner pipe (20) for conveying pulverised coal and an outer pipe (22), coaxially arranged around the inner pipe (20), for conveying combustive gas, the inner pipe (20) forming a separation wall for separating the pulverised coal from the combustive gas, the pulverised coal injection lance (18) having a lance tip (24) arranged in the tuyere (15); allowing the pulverised coal and the combustive gas to form a mixture of pulverised coal and combustive gas at the lance tip (24); burning the mixture of pulverised coal and combustive gas in the tuye
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Paul Wurth S.A.
    Inventors: Paul Goedert, Christian Lunkes, Pol Lemmer
  • Patent number: 8480951
    Abstract: A tuyere structure of a melting furnace includes: a tuyere main body which is covered on an outer periphery thereof with a ring member baked in advance, and is disposed in a hole portion provided in a tuyere brick; and a ramming material which fills a periphery of the ring member so as to fix the ring member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation
    Inventors: Yasunari Matsumura, Kohji Taoka
  • Patent number: 8323558
    Abstract: A jet of gas injected from a lance is fluidically deviated with a gas flowing in either the same or opposite direction as the jet of gas. The gas used to fluidically deviate the jet is the same as or different from the gas in the jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Vivek Gautam, Nicolas Docquier, Michael G. K. Grant, Farrukh Alvi, Taekyu Kang
  • Patent number: 8317897
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for supersonically injecting oxygen into a furnace, in particular a cupola furnace, in which the total oxygen required for the furnace operation is injected with the aid of two distinct circuits, i.e., the first circuit comprising at least one supersonic oxygen injecting nozzle and a second circuit which comprises additionally oxygen injecting means and is connected to the first circuit by pressure-sensitive means, such as a discharging device (or upstream pressure adjuster), in such a way that a stable pressure is obtained in the first circuit upon the attainment of the maximum flowrate thereof, wherein the first circuit can consists of several supersonic nozzle groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventor: Philippe Beaudoin
  • Patent number: 8309016
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a shaft furnace as well as a method for operating a shaft furnace. For example, the present invention relates to methods for operating a shaft furnace which include charging an upper region of the shaft furnace with raw materials; the raw materials sink in the shaft furnace under the influence of gravity and a part of the raw materials is smelted an/or at least partially reduced under the effect of the atmosphere prevailing within the shaft furnace. The methods further comprise admitting an addition gas via at least one addition opening spaced from a lower admission opening and/or discharging a shaft furnace gas via a shaft furnace gas line to provide discharge of gaseous reaction products from the interior of the shaft furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Thyssenkrupp AT.PRO Tec GmbH
    Inventors: Gerd König, Wolfram König, Alexander Babich, Dieter Georg Senk, Heinrich-Wilhelm Gudenau, Hans-Heinrich Heldt
  • Patent number: 8277721
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for accessing a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient access to the melt. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel-making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace aperture burner/lance provides a flame for heating the melt, a lance device for injecting oxygen into the furnace, or both. To access the melt, the furnace aperture burner/lance is disengaged, access is provided to the melt through the furnace aperture, and the furnace aperture burner/lance is reengaged when the access is concluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Process Technology International, Inc.
    Inventor: Valery Shver
  • Patent number: 8268233
    Abstract: A cooling system comprises serpentine cooling fluid passages cast into a work piece with carefully controlled turning radii and profiles. Individual interdigitated baffles are contoured in the plane of coolant flow to have walls that thicken and then round off at their distal ends. The outside radii at these turns is similarly rounded and controlled such that the coolant flow will not be swirled into eddies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Inventor: Allan J. MacRae
  • Patent number: 8211357
    Abstract: A metallurgical vessel (11) has circumferentially spaced tubular mountings (25) through which to extend solids injection lances (31) into the vessel. Lance extraction apparatus (33) comprises an elongate track support structure (41) supporting a twin rail track (40) inclined upwardly and outwardly from the vessel above the direction of inclination of a respective lance (31). Interconnected upper and lower carriages (42, 44) are moveable along track (40) by operation of a hoist (47). Extraction apparatus (33) is operable sequentially to remove solids delivery line sections (36) and (37) and the lance (31) by connection to the carriages (42, 44) and upward movement of those carriages along track (40). Upper carriage (42) carries a pivot arm (51) for connection to upper parts of components to be removed such that those components can be pivoted downwardly to positions in which they can be hung from an overhead crane for removal to a remote location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Technological Resources Pty. Limited
    Inventor: Mark Hayton
  • Patent number: 8197746
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of arranging and setting spray nozzles in a cooling apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of constraining rolls for constraining and conveying a hot steel plate and one or more lines of spray nozzles between the pair of constraining rolls, each line having a plurality of spray nozzles and is disposed in a direction perpendicular to processing, and to the cooling apparatus and the method of cooling. The invention is characterized in that the spray nozzles are arranged such that a distribution of values ?Pn between two edges of the steel plate in the direction perpendicular to processing is not less than 80% of its highest value, with P being cooling water impact pressure on the cooling surface, ?Pn being the value of n power of P integrated in the processing direction between the pairs of constraining rolls, and 0.05?n?0.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Serizawa, Shigeru Ogawa, Hironori Ueno, Masahiro Doki, Yasuhiro Nishiyama
  • Publication number: 20120007291
    Abstract: Tuyere stock arrangement (10) of a blast furnace comprising a tuyere (14) having a tuyere body (20) configured for installation in a blast furnace wall (12); the tuyere body (20) having an outer wall (22), a front face (24) and a rear face (26), the tuyere body (20) further having a tuyere channel (28) extending from the rear face (26) to the front face (24), the tuyere channel (28) forming an inner wall (30) in the tuyere body (20). The tuyere stock arrangement (10) further comprises a blowpipe (34) connected between the rear face (26) of the tuyere body (20) and a gas feeding device (38), the blowpipe (34) being configured and arranged so as to feed hot gas, generally hot blast air, from the gas feeding device (38) to the tuyere channel (28) for injection into the blast furnace.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: PAUL WURTH S.A.
    Inventors: Paul Goedert, Lionel Hausemer, Jean-Paul Simoes
  • Patent number: 8038930
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling element to be used in the structure of a pyromettalurgical reactor used in the manufacturing of metals, which cooling element comprises a housing element mainly made of copper, provided with a channel system for the cooling medium circulation, made of pipe that is mainly made of copper; on the outer surface of the pipes forming the channel system, there is arranged a coating that has a lower melting point than the material of the housing element and the pipe. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the cooling element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Kai Seppälä, Jyrki Koitto, Risto Saarinen
  • Patent number: 8003043
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for accessing a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient access to the molten metal melt in a furnace. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace aperture plug is reciprocated through a furnace aperture, the furnace aperture plug is retracted from the furnace aperture, access is provided to the molten metal melt in the furnace, and the furnace aperture plug is reinserted into the furnace aperture when the access is concluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Process Technology International, Inc.
    Inventor: Valery Shver
  • Publication number: 20110180978
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for feeding pulverised coal into a blast furnace, wherein the method comprises the following steps: providing a tuyere stock (14) for blowing hot blast air from a bustle pipe (12) into a furnace hearth of a blast furnace through a tuyere (15) in an opening in the furnace wall (16); providing a pulverised coal injection lance (18) for feeding pulverised coal into the tuyere (15), the pulverised coal injection lance (18) comprising an inner pipe (20) for conveying pulverised coal and an outer pipe (22), coaxially arranged around the inner pipe (20), for conveying combustive gas, the inner pipe (20) forming a separation wall for separating the pulverised coal from the combustive gas, the pulverised coal injection lance (18) having a lance tip (24) arranged in the tuyere (15); allowing the pulverised coal and the combustive gas to form a mixture of pulverised coal and combustive gas at the lance tip (24); burning the mixture of pulverised coal and combustive gas in the tuye
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: PAUL WURTH S.A.
    Inventors: Paul Goedert, Christian Lunkes, Pol Lemmer
  • Patent number: 7981358
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlled cooling of hot steel plate while constraining and conveying the plate by constraining rolls horizontally which is inexpensive and enabling continuous control of the cooling ability over a broad range, that is, a cooling apparatus for spraying hot steel plate hot rolled and transferred between pairs of constraining rolls with cooling water from pluralities of lines of spray nozzles so as to cool the same, which apparatus has lines of gentle cooling spray nozzles and lines of strong cooling spray nozzles with different orifice shapes and enables continuous control of the cooling ability over a broad range due to the fact that a maximum cooling water impact pressure integrated value of the lines of gentle cooling spray nozzles and a minimum cooling water impact pressure integrated value of the lines of strong cooling spray nozzles are continuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuji Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Serizawa, Shigeru Ogawa, Hironori Ueno, Masahiro Doki, Yasuhiro Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 7959708
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming internally shrouded supersonic coherent jets comprising an inert gas, such as pure argon and argon/oxygen mixtures. This method and apparatus can be employed to produce low-carbon steels with a top lance in basic oxygen steelmaking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William John Mahoney, Gary Thomas Vardian
  • Publication number: 20110127702
    Abstract: A jet of gas injected from a lance is fluidically deviated with a gas flowing in either the same or opposite direction as the jet of gas. The gas used to fluidically deviate the jet is the same as or different from the gas in the jet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Inventors: Vivek GAUTAM, Nicolas DOCQUIER, Michael G.K. GRANT, Farrukh ALVI, Taekyu KANG
  • Publication number: 20110101576
    Abstract: A tuyere for manufacturing molten iron is provided. The tuyere includes i) an oxygen injection opening that is configured to inject oxygen therethrough, and ii) a sealing gas injection opening that is located to be spaced apart from the oxygen injection opening and is configured to inject a sealing gas surrounding the oxygen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: POSCO
    Inventors: Il-Hyun Cho, Do-Seung Kim, Jin-Chan Bae
  • Patent number: 7858018
    Abstract: An enclosure for mounting burners and particle injection equipment in an electric arc furnace (EAF) is described. The enclosures are mounted on the sidewalls of an EAF and include passages in which burners or injectors are mounted so that the discharge ends of the burners and injectors are located closer the melt than sidewall mounted burners and injectors. Burners and injectors mounted in the enclosures heat material in the furnace and deliver particulates to the melt more efficiently than conventionally mounted burners and injectors. The enclosures are liquid-cooled, typically by water, and constructed of high conductivity materials such as copper and/or cast iron and can be constructed in one or more pieces. Therefore, the enclosures protect the burners and injectors from the excessive heat and mechanical impact to which they would normally be subjected when mounted so close to the melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Process Technology International, Inc.
    Inventor: Valery Shver
  • Patent number: 7704444
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing characteristics of a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient testing of metal temperature and composition of molten metal during the melt cycle of the metal. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace probe is reciprocated through a furnace probe plug aperture, the furnace probe is retracted from the furnace probe plug aperture, a furnace probe is inserted through the furnace probe plug aperture, the furnace probe is retracted from the aperture, and the furnace probe aperture plug is inserted into the furnace probe plug aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Process Technology International, Inc.
    Inventor: Valery G. Shver
  • Patent number: 7704445
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for accessing a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient access to the molten metal melt in a furnace. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace aperture plug is reciprocated through a furnace aperture, the furnace aperture plug is retracted from the furnace aperture, access is provided to the molten metal melt in the furnace, and the furnace aperture plug is reinserted into the furnace aperture when the access is concluded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Process Technology International, Inc.
    Inventor: Valery G. Shver
  • Patent number: 7691320
    Abstract: The aim of the invention is to damp or suppress oscillations (?back-attack? effect) in sidewall or base blowing converters, used in particular to produce carbon steel or stainless steel. To achieve this, the gas supply system (3) for the converter comprises an inflow restrictor device (7), which is positioned upstream of or associated with the jets (5) and which periodically reduces or interrupts the gas supply to the interior of the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Peter Heinrich, Manfred Schubert, Rolf Best
  • Publication number: 20100044930
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming internally shrouded supersonic coherent jets comprising an inert gas, such as pure argon and argon/oxygen mixtures. This method and apparatus can be employed to produce low-carbon steels with a top lance in basic oxygen steelmaking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: PRAXAIR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: William John Mahoney, Gary Thomas Vardian
  • Patent number: 7611563
    Abstract: A multifunction injector (10, 11, 12) comprising a De Laval nozzle (20) adapted to act as a burner at subsonic or supersonic speed, combined with a plurality of nozzles (31, 32) for fuel and comburant respectively, arranged in two rings, concentric and co-axial to said De Laval nozzle (20) and externally protected by a specifically shaped protection cavity (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Techint Compagnia Tenica Internazionale S.p.A.
    Inventors: Francesco Memoli, Mauro Bianchi Ferri, Marcello Pozzi, Enrico Malfa
  • Patent number: 7566413
    Abstract: A method for protecting a tuyere assembly and a refractory lining of a furnace, and in particular a blast furnace, against damage caused by expansion of the refractory lining. This method includes providing a clearance between the tuyere assembly and a refractory lining portion below the tuyere assembly and monitoring this clearance by means of a displacement sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Paul Wurth S.A.
    Inventors: Jacques Piret, Nicolas Mousel, Roland Dhondt, Emile Breden
  • Patent number: 7452401
    Abstract: A method of injecting oxygen into a melt located within a metallurgical furnace having a heated furnace atmosphere in which oxygen and fuel is injected into 1 or more nozzles having passageways of converging-diverging configuration under choked flow conditions to produce supersonic jet or jets discharged from the passageways. Fuel is injected into internal circumferential locations of the passageways so as to impart a structure to the jets being discharged that have an outer circumferential region containing a mixture of fuel and oxygen and a central region containing essentially oxygen. Such a structured jet upon discharge interacts with the furnace atmosphere to create an outer shear-mixing zone in which the outer circumferential layer mixes with the heated furnace atmosphere and auto-ignites to produce a flame envelope surrounding a supersonic jet of oxygen. The jet of oxygen and flame envelope can be directed against a melt contained within the metallurgical furnace for injection of oxygen into the melt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William John Mahoney, Michael Francis Riley, Adrian Christian Deneys, Gary Thomas Vardian, Stephen A. Manley
  • Patent number: 6890479
    Abstract: A metallurgical furnace, which includes a furnace shell, an exhaust system, and a gas cleaning system, further includes a plurality of improved pipes and fume ducts throughout to increase operational life and productivity. The pipes and fumes ducts are comprised of an aluminum-bronze alloy which provides enhanced properties over prior art materials including thermal conductivity, modulous of elasticity and hardness. The use of the alloy also minimizes maintenance requirements of the pipes and fume ducts, thereby extending their operational life. In operation, gases formed from smelting or refining are evacuated from the furnace shell through the exhaust system into the gas cleaning system. The gases, as well as the system, are water cooled by way of the plurality of pipes displaced throughout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Amerifab, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Manasek, David P. Kincheloe
  • Patent number: 6805831
    Abstract: A system for generating mechanical waves for use in smelting and conversion processes that occur in furnaces and converters for a higher production of refined metals, consisting in a electrical signal generator, transducers that convert said electrical signals in mechanical waves placed on the outer end of air blowing tuyeres, a coupling means between said system and the shell of the converter, at least one resonant chamber that envelopes the air blowing tuyere and at least one transducer placed inside said resonant chamber, for applying mechanical waves that contain a great number of components of different amplitudes that travel with the airflow into the converter or pyrometallurgical furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Inventors: Luis Paredes Rojas, Alfredo Zolezzi Garreton
  • Patent number: 6790406
    Abstract: A system for generating mechanical waves for use in smelting and conversion processes that occur in furnaces and converters for a higher production of refined metals, consisting in an electrical signal generator, transducers that convert said electrical signals in mechanical waves placed on the outer end of air blowing tuyeres and a coupling means between said system and the shell of the converter. The air blowing tuyeres are placed forming an angle less than or equal to 90° with the transducer and the airflow entrance to the interior of the converter, forming a figure with an &agr; angle shape; and the transducer is placed in the direction of the cross axis of the converter pointing towards the &agr; angle of the air blowing tuyere, for applying mechanical waves that travel in a longitudinal direction with the airflow into the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Inventors: Luis Paredes Rojas, Alfredo Zolezzi Garreton
  • Patent number: 6787099
    Abstract: A system for generating mechanical waves for use in smelting and conversion processes that occur in furnaces and converters for a higher production of refined metals, consisting in an electrical signal generator, transducers that convert said electrical signals in mechanical waves placed on the outer end of air blowing tuyeres and a coupling means between said system and the shell of the converter. The air blowing tuyeres are placed forming an 180° angle in the direction of the airflow entrance, while the transducers are placed transversally to the air blowing tuyeres so as to apply mechanical waves that travel in a transversal direction with the air flow into the converter or pyrometallurgical furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Inventors: Luis Paredes Rojas, Alfredo Zolezzi Garreton
  • Patent number: 6638337
    Abstract: The additives, in particulate solid form, are conveyed pneumatically in a divergent stream from a pneumatic gun to impinge upon the molten iron and mix therewith. The gun is spaced above a surface of molten iron such that the pneumatically conveyed stream including the additive has a central axis which is either horizontal (or at an acute angle to the horizontal). The gun is prefereably adjustable for adjustment of the stream angle, and the stream may be either added to pouring metal or to cover a surface of the molten iron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Qual-Chem Limited
    Inventors: Stephen David Bray, Keith Harris
  • Patent number: 6594596
    Abstract: A non-invasive online system for discrete measurements of phase levels in a converter or pyrometallurgical furnace in smelting and conversion processes, consisting in a electrical signal generator, transducers that convert said electrical signals in mechanical waves placed on the outer end of air blowing tuyeres, a coupling between said system and the shell of the converter, for air blowing tuyeres placed forming an angle less than or equal to 90° with the transducer and entrance of the airflow to the converter, while the transducer is placed in the direction of the cross axis or longitudinal axis of the phases plane for applying mechanical waves that travel in a longitudinal direction, a sensor for mechanical waves placed around the external wall of the shell of the converter that receives the reflected signal, then preamplification of the signal, an analogous/digital interface, for data acquisition, for processing the signals so as to determine the amplitude of the reflected signal which has a character
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2003
    Inventors: Luis Paredes Rojas, Alfredo Zolezzi Garreton
  • Patent number: 6478846
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for injecting reducing agents into a shaft furnace in which the reducing agent is transported within a pneumatic delivery stream to the shaft furnace according to the flowing steps; a) dividing the delivery stream into a number of partial streams, b) transferring the individual partial streams through a heating unit, and c) heating the reducing agent within the individual partial streams inside of the heating device. A device for carrying out the inventive method comprises, for example, a delivery line in order to pneumatically deliver the reducing agent to the shaft furnace, and a number of heat exchange pipes which are integrated in the delivery line using a parallel connection, said connection relating to flow techniques, such that the pneumatic delivery stream is divided into a number of partial streams. The inventive device also comprises a heating unit for transmitting heat energy to the individual partial streams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignees: Thyssen Krupp Stahl AG, Kuettner GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Louis Schmit, Raymond Mack, Karl Langner, Klaus Schott
  • Patent number: 6383445
    Abstract: A system for establishing and maintaining a supersonic coherent gas jet, effective with either an oxidizing or an inert gas, employing a converging/diverging nozzle for establishment of a non-disruptive initial supersonic velocity, and a slower moving defined triple layered flame envelope coaxial with the jet for effective maintenance of the supersonic velocity. The invention is particularly useful for providing gas into a pool of liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Erling Anderson, Pravin Chandra Mathur
  • Patent number: 6299830
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling the flow of molten material from a melt container. The apparatus includes a tubular insert sized for insertion into a tap hole formed in a sidewall of the melt container and a rod receivable within the insert. A cooling device is provided to cool the rod to a temperature below the temperature of the molten material. The rod is axially movable within the insert between a first position wherein the rod is positioned within the tubular insert for cooling a portion of the molten material located at the first end of the insert to form a plug and stop the flow of molten material through the passageway, and a second position wherein the rod is spaced from the first end of the insert to allow the plug to melt and start the flow of molten material through the passageway. A method for trapping gases emitted during the melt and tapping processes is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: MelTran, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian D. Raivo, Gary V. Buss, Mitchell R. Greenhalgh
  • Patent number: 6264716
    Abstract: A process for stirring molten steel in a container. In this process, argon gas is introduced into the container at a flow rate of from about 0.005 to about 0.2 cubic feet of argon per ton of molten steel per minute, the extent to which said container is caused to vibrate is measured, analog signals are produced corresponding to the rate of flow of argon gas into said container, the analog signals are sampled at a rate of at least 800 times per second, the analog signals are converted to digital signals, the digital signals are transformed by subjecting them to fast Fourier transformation, and the transformed digital signals are evaluated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Nupro Corporation
    Inventors: Francis L. Kemeny, David I. Walker, Jeremy A. T. Jones
  • Patent number: 6229838
    Abstract: An electric arc furnace is provided for the production of steel by melting metal between electrodes. The electric arc furnace comprises gas injectors provided with respective cooling chambers placed in a wall of the furnace, wherein at least one single chamber is associated with at least two injectors in order to cool each injector. Each injector is angled in a manner appropriate with respect to a corresponding gas injected thereby and to a corresponding function thereof, wherein the orientation axes of the injectors are not parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Sébastien Flichy, Jacky Laurent, Frédéric Viraize, Marc Bremont, Jean-Claude Vuillermoz
  • Patent number: 6212218
    Abstract: An improved apparatus for EAF steelmaking providing a lance for the injection of oxidizing gas, preferably oxygen, or other metallurgical gases and particulate materials into a steelmaking process. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a lance body configuration which has a central conduit for the supply of a pressurized flow of oxygen. A consumable lance tip made of refractory material is connected to the lance body such that it is in fluid communication with the central conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Process Technology International, Inc.
    Inventor: Valery G. Shver
  • Patent number: 6187258
    Abstract: A method for operating a blast furnace includes feeding metallic charge materials, alloy elements and energy carriers in the upper part of the furnace shaft. An oxidizing agent is fed in the lower part of the shaft. Filler material, namely, alloy elements, metal chips, carbon, sands, dust are fed individually or in combination into the melting zone in at least one burst jet. Fuels may be introduced additionally into the first jet. The oxygen is fed at a high speed into the melting zone in at least one separate jet and the conditions of introducing the materials in the first jet and the oxygen in the second jet are controlled so that no flame can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Messer Griesheim GmbH
    Inventors: Ralf Hamberger, Juergen Schmidt, Gerhard Von Hoesslin
  • Patent number: 6171544
    Abstract: A system for establishing a plurality of coherent gas jets proximate one another using a single lance wherein plurality of gas jets are ejected from a corresponding plurality of nozzles in a lance and a flame envelope is established around the plurality of gas jets, and the jets remain distinct and do not coalesce for their length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Erling Anderson, Dennis Robert Farrenkopf, Richard Thomas Semenza, Pravin Chandra Mathur, William John Mahoney