Abstract: A stave cooler for a metallurgical furnace includes a panel-like body having a front face for facing the interior of the metallurgical furnace, an opposite rear face, an upper face, an opposite lower face, and two side faces. At least one internal coolant passage is arranged within the panel-like body. The panel-like body is provided with a ledge on its front face extending between the side faces for being arranged in a horizontal plane. At least one protection element is provided for covering at least part of an upper face of the ledge. The protection element includes a first lateral portion, a second lateral portion, and a central portion. The said first and second lateral portions each include a widened front section and a narrow connection section. The panel-like body is provided with at least one through hole arranged for passing each of the lateral portions and the central portion of therethrough in turn.

Abstract: A spreading device (10) for the spreading of bulk material on a circular surface comprises a distribution plate (12) mounted about a central shaft (14); at least one radially extending slit (16) arranged in the distribution plate (12); and a scraper device (24) for spreading the bulk material over the length of the slit (16). The bulk material is preferably granular or powdered covering material to be deposited as an insulation layer on the top layer of a casting mold containing molten steel or metal. According to the present invention, a rectangular distribution trough (22) mounted on the distribution plate (12), the slit (16) being arranged within the distribution trough (22). Furthermore, a feed pipe (30) is arranged so as to feed bulk material into the distribution trough (22) onto an area corresponding to the rotational center (18) of the distribution plate. The slit (16) extends from the rotational center (18) of the distribution plate (12) to the edge (20) thereof.

Abstract: A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace comprising: a stationary housing (16) and a suspension rotor (22) that is supported so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis (A), a charge distributor (28) being pivotally suspended to the suspension rotor (22). Rotary drive means are provided for rotating the suspension rotor about its axis (A) and tilting drive means for pivoting the charge distributor (28) about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis (B), independently from said rotary drive means. The tilting drive means are mounted onto the suspension rotor (22) and rotate therewith; they comprise: an electric tilting motor (MB) is installed inside the main casing (36) and having a substantially horizontal output shaft (52); a tilting input gear (54) driven by the tilting motor output shaft; and a tilting output gear (56) rotationally integral with a suspension arm (34) of said chute distributor (28), said tilting input gear meshing with said tilting output gear.

Abstract: A process for granulation of hot liquid slag wherein the hot liquid slag is mixed with solid metallic particles so as to form a solidified, vitrified slag cake mixed with said metallic particles and said slag cake is discharged in a water bath.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a granulation installation (10) for granulating molten material produced in a metallurgical plant. The installation comprises a.o. a steam condensation tower (30) with a steam condensing system and an evacuation device (60) for selectively evacuating gas and steam from said tower, condensing excessive steam and evacuating gas to the atmosphere, said evacuation device (60) having an inlet (62) arranged to communicate with said upper zone (44) of said condensation tower (30) above the water-spraying device (40) and an outlet arranged to evacuate and condensate steam and evacuate gas from said condensation tower (30).

Abstract: A hatch and valve arrangement for a charging installation for a shaft furnace, such as a blast furnace, said arrangement comprising a housing (1), inside which is located at least one hatch (21) and/or a valve (31), caused to pivot by an actuator (25, 35) located outside the housing and connected to the hatch or valve by a linking shaft guided in a bearing that is fixed with respect to the housing. The bearing (24, 34) and the actuator (25, 35) are mounted on a detachable door (26, 36) that seals an opening (13, 15) made in the wall of the housing (1) and whose dimensions are determined such that the hatch or the valve can be withdrawn transversely to the axis of the housing through said opening.

Abstract: A process for dry granulation of hot liquid slag wherein the hot liquid slag is mixed with solid metallic particles so as to form a solidified, vitrified slag cake mixed with the metallic particles, the slag cake is crushed so as to form hot slag particles and heated solid particles, said particles are cooled and said solid metallic particles are recycled.

Abstract: The sealed connection system between a tuyere of a shaft furnace, such as a steelmaking blast furnace, and an air blast pipe, in which a tip of the blast pipe is pressed towards a rear end of the tuyere, being centered thereon while still retaining freedom of pivoting movement relative thereto, including an added annular blast pipe seat, placed between the tip of the blast pipe and tuyere and immobile relative to the tuyere, the blast pipe tip resting against a rear face of the seat and an immobile gasket being placed between the seat and the tuyere such that the seat rests in sealed manner against a rear face of the tuyere, and a sleeve arranged around the contact zone between the blast pipe tip and the seat, is connected in sealed manner to the seat and to the blast pipe.

Abstract: Dust emissions can be reduced in a metal or slag casting apparatus by providing an endless conveyor having a plurality of casting molds with upper open tops wherein the conveyor is arranged to move the casting molds in a first section from a casting station to a discharge station and in a second section back to the casting station. The method for reducing dust emissions includes (a) providing a casing forming a bottomless box over at least part of the first section of the conveyor, (b) injecting within the casing a gas on the surface of the mold with an angle configured to blow off loose, solid particles, formed at the surface of the metal, during early stages of the cooling down and to start the solidification of a superficial layer of metal or slag, and (c) extracting the gas and the solid particles by suction from within the casing.

Abstract: Annular swivel joint including an annular fixed part and an annular rotary part and having an annular trough that defines an annular volume, via which the circuits portions communicate, a stationary forward connection for receiving cooling fluid from the stationary circuit portion; a rotary forward connection for supplying cooling fluid to the rotary circuit portion; a rotary return connection for receiving cooling fluid from the rotary circuit portion; and a stationary return connection for returning cooling fluid to the stationary circuit portion; a partition dividing the annular volume into an annular external cavity and an annular internal cavity so that the forward connections are coupled via one of the external and internal cavities and the return connections are coupled via the other cavity, so that the internal cavity is at least partially surrounded by the external cavity.

Abstract: A distribution device for distributing bulk material with a distribution spout on a cardan suspension that has a first and a second gimbal member pivotable about two perpendicular suspension axes where a drive arrangement has a first and a second transmission mechanism for controlling pivotal motion of the distribution spout about the suspension axes, and the drive arrangement has a further cardan joint, with a first part pivotable about a third axis and a second part pivotable about a fourth axis, and a rotary motor for driving a rotary drive shaft that is connected to the cardan joint by means of an articulated connecting arm such that the rotational position and the axial position of the drive shaft determine the pivotal position of the second part about the third and fourth axes respectively, where the transmission mechanisms transmit torque about the third and fourth axes from the cardan joint to the cardan suspension for pivoting the distribution spout about the first and second axes respectively.

Abstract: A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace comprises a stationary housing (16) for mounting on the throat (12) of the shaft furnace and a suspension rotor (22) supported therein so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis (A), said suspension rotor (22) and stationary housing (16) cooperating to delimit an annular chamber forming the main casing (36) of said rotary charging device. A charge distributor (28) is pivotally suspended to the suspension rotor (22).

Abstract: A granulation installation for a melt produced in a metallurgical plant having a water injection device for quenching and granulating the melt and a granulation tank for collecting water and granulates. The installation includes a steam condensation tower located above the granulation tank for collecting steam generated therein, where the tower has a steam condensing system. The system includes a water-spraying device disposed above a water-collecting device. The tower further includes a stack extending into the tower and configured for selectively evacuating excessive steam to the atmosphere. The stack has an inlet communicating with the lower zone of the tower and an outlet arranged to evacuate steam to the atmosphere above the tower. The stack is equipped with an obturator device for selective evacuation of steam through the stack. The installation may process an increase of 60% of slag without any risk of steam backflow in the granulation area.

Abstract: A distribution chute for a charging device, a charging device having the same, and a methods for mounting and dismounting such chute, the chute including an upstream mounting head and a chute body, at least two lateral suspensions on the mounting head for mounting the chute to two corresponding support flanges pivotable about a pivoting axis for raising an outlet to a charging position and for lowering the outlet to a charging position, where the suspensions define a first and a second tilt point about which a weight of the chute exerts torque onto the support flanges of the charging device when the chute is mounted to the charging device, where the ratio of the distance between each of the tilt points and the pivoting axis to the distance between the first and second tilt points amounts to 0.25 at most, the suspensions being arranged so that an oriented acute angle from the longitudinal axis to a plane through the tilt points and the center of gravity has an angular measure in the range from ?5° to 15°.

Abstract: The invention relates to computer-implemented charging of a blast furnace equipped with an automated top-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 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: There is provided a bustle pipe arrangement 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 comprises a circumferential bustle pipe arranged along the outer casing of the shaft furnace, at a certain distance therefrom. The arrangement further comprises a plurality of first support arms connecting the bustle pipe to the outer casing of the shaft furnace on a first level; and a plurality of second support arms connecting the bustle pipe to the outer casing of the shaft furnace on a second level, the first level being separate from the second level. The first and second support arms are configured to support the circumferential bustle pipe. First blow channels are arranged through the first support arms for fluidly connecting the bustle pipe to the interior of the shaft furnace.

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: Tuyere stock arrangement of a blast furnace includes a tuyere body configured for installation in a shaft furnace wall. The tuyere body includes a front face facing an interior of the shaft furnace and an opposite rear face and a tuyere channel extending between the rear and front faces (24). The stock arrangement includes a blowpipe between the rear face 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. A fuel injection lance is arranged through the tuyere body and feeds fuel into the shaft furnace. A gas injection lance feeds an oxidizing gas to the shaft furnace and is arranged in the rear portion of the blowpipe to feed oxidizing gas into a central portion of a stream of hot blast air fed through the blowpipe.

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.