Patents Assigned to Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
  • Patent number: 6415849
    Abstract: Method of preventing contact of oxygen with a metal melt during continuous casting, the metal melt flows into a casting chamber bounded by rolls and a hood and leaves this chamber as a stream. To completely prevent contact of oxygen with the metal melt and thus reoxidation, oxygen attempting to enter via any gaps between the walls and/or adhering to the walls is removed by suction applied at a succession of suction stages at the periphery of each roll before a gap between the hood and the roll at the top of the casting chamber. Inert gas may then flow to the rolls near the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Stefano Pellissetti, Romeo Capotosti, Guiseppe Guasto
  • Patent number: 6416566
    Abstract: In the process for the production of liquid pig iron 943) or liquid steel pre-products from charging substances comprising iron ore (5) and fluxes and at least partially containing a portion of fines, the iron ore is directly reduced to sponge iron in at least two reduction stages (1, 2) by the fluidized bed method, the sponge iron is melted in a melt-down gasifying zone (39) under the supply of carbon carriers and an oxygen-containing gas, and a CO- and H2-containing reducing gas is produced which is injected into reduction zones of the reduction stages (1, 2), is reacted there, is withdrawn as a top gas and optionally is supplied to a consumer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Incorporated Foundation
    Inventors: Werner Leopold Kepplinger, Felix Wallner, Johannes Schenk, Il-Ock Lee, Yong-Ha Kim, Moon Duk Park
  • Patent number: 6395052
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for producing directly reduced iron, liquid pig iron and steel, in which charge materials, which are formed from iron ore, preferably in lump and/or pellet form, and, if appropriate, additions, are reduced directly, in a first reduction zone, to form iron sponge, the iron sponge is smelted in a melter gasifier zone supplied with carbon carriers and oxygen-containing gas, to form liquid pig iron, and a reduction gas is generated, which gas, after off-gas cleaning, is introduced into the first reduction zone, where it is converted and drawn off as top gas, and in which process the top gas is subjected to off-gas cleaning, if appropriate is fed to a further reduction zone for direct reduction of iron ore to form iron sponge and, following reaction with the iron ore, is drawn off as export gas and is subjected to off-gas cleaning, and in which process the liquid pig iron and, if appropriate, the iron sponge from the further reduction zone are fed to a steelmaking process, in par
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Deutsche Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Guenter Schrey, Herbert Gruenbacher
  • Patent number: 6391249
    Abstract: A device for producing sponge iron from iron oxide lumps consists of a reduction shaft in which a hot dust laden reducing gas is delivered. The gas is produced in a gas generator by means of partial oxidation of solid carbon carriers and passes into the lower end of the reduction zone via lateral reduction gas inlets. The iron oxide lumps are fed to the upper area of the reduction shaft and are radially fed as sponge iron to the lower end of said reduction shaft via delivery organs. The delivery organs are arranged in such a manner that the sponge iron is conveyed only radially outwardly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Deutsche Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Hado Heckmann, Georg Schleich, Wolfgang Guenther, Kurt Wieder, Wilhelm Stastny
  • Patent number: 6383444
    Abstract: A process to optimize the reduction process with a given quality of ore. The reduction gas 7 is analyzed by means of gas sensor 1 and is separated into two partial flows. The throughput of the partial flow which is oxidized is regulated by a regulation valve 3 and is then sent to the burner 4 where it is oxidized. The other partial flow of the reduction gas [7] is regulated by a regulation valve 2 according to the required amount of gas in the shaft and is thereafter brought to the required temperature in the heat exchanger 11 and mixed with the oxidized partial flow of the reduction gas. The gas components are determined by a gas sensor 13 and, when necessary, a gas delivery 14 is adjusted according to mathematical formulations. This makes it possible it possible to run the reduction process in the direction of its stoichiomeric optimum using a given quality of ore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Patent number: 6378798
    Abstract: A device for endless coiling of strip material has a support and two coil drums which are spaced from one another and move synchronously along the support in opposite directions. The first and second coil drums are displaced alternately to an initial position, wherein each of these drums rotates to receive a leading edge of a respective coil of strip material. Thereafter, each of the coil drums is displaced to a respective finish position where the coil drums each receive the remainder of a respective coil. The finish positions are spaced from the initial positions in opposite directions. The first and second coil drums are displaced alternately to a coil removal position, at which a respective wound coil of strip material is removed from each of the coil drums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Voest Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Kiriazis Kiriazaros
  • Patent number: 6379423
    Abstract: In a device for producing sponge iron from lumps of iron oxide in a reduction shaft (1), a hot, dust-containing and carbon monoxide-rich reduction gas is used. The reduction gas is generated in a gas generator by partial oxidation of solid carbon-containing materials and is in part supplied to the reduction shaft through several lateral reduction inlets (3) arranged at the same height around the circumference of the reduction shaft at the lower end of the reduction zone. The lumps of iron oxide are introduced into the reduction shaft through its top area and discharged as sponge iron at its bottom end. Additional reduction gas inlets (15) shaped as downwardly open channels (11) which extend from the outside to the inside of the reduction shaft and/or shaped as ducts which extend obliquely downwards from the outside to the inside of the reduction shaft and have open inner ends are arranged below the plane of the lateral reduction gas inlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Deutsche Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Bogdan Vuletic
  • Patent number: 6378598
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement to the plates for the side containing in apparatuses for the continuous casting of thin flat products, said plates comprising: at least one insert (8) of a ceramic material; a plurality of joints (11) for the thermal expansion, the joints being constituted of a ceramic fibers material; a first casting (9) of a silica-alumina material containing ceramic fibers; a second casting (10) of a silica-alumina material having a high content of ZrO2; and a third casting (12) of a SiC-based thixotropic material; the arrangement being such that said at least a ceramic insert is arranged on said third casting (12) of a thixotropic material so that it assumes a substantially triangular shape, said first silica-alumina casting (9) based on a ceramic fibers material is arranged on said third casting (12) at the exterior area with respect to said at least a ceramic insert, said second casting (10) of silica-alumina material having a high contents of ZrO2 is arranged on said third
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignees: Aociai Speciali Terni S.p.A., Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Riccardo Tonelli, Giuseppe Guasto
  • Patent number: 6379420
    Abstract: In a method for producing a hot CO- and H2-containing reducing gas serving for the reduction of fine-grained metal ore, in particular iron ore, the reducing gas is formed in a gasification zone by a gasification of carbon carriers, in particular coal, taking place under the supply of oxygen and subsequently is cooled down to a reducing-gas temperature favorable to the reduction process. In order to produce a thermodynamically more stable reducing gas, the reducing gas by the addition of H2O and/or CO2—in order to prevent the Boudouard and heterogeneous water-gas reaction and a resultant heating of the reducing gas—is converted to a reducing gas that is thermodynamically more stable at the reducing-gas temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Incorporated Foundation
    Inventors: Leopold Werner Kepplinger, Johann Wurm, Herbert Mizelli, Walter Rainer Kastner, Günther Brunnbauer
  • Patent number: 6372011
    Abstract: For effectively reprocessing iron-containing residual smelting plant materials (1 to 3), in which iron may be present both in metallic form and in oxidic form, with lowest possible energy expenditure, the residual smelting plant materials (1 to 3) are processed into agglomerates (8,11), the agglomerates (8,11) are charged into an electric arc furnace (10), melted there and reduced, and the resultant melt is refined (FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Assignee: Voest Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Lehner, Alexander Fleischanderl, Wilfried Pirklbauer, Stefan Dimitrov
  • Publication number: 20020033074
    Abstract: They purpose of the invention is to create a process which optimizes the reduction process with a given quality of ore.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Patent number: 6341722
    Abstract: The present invention provides a feeder of molten metal for moulds of continuous casting machines comprising a cylindrical body (1) within which a main outflow duct (5) of the molten metal coming from the tundish is formed to which the cylindrical body (1) is connected by means of a frustoconical joint (2), formed integrally with the cylindrical body (1) at the upper end thereof, characterized in that the free end (3) of the cylindrical body (1) is of substantially frustopyramid shape and has a plurality of outlets (7, 8, 9, 10, 11) communicating with the main outflow duct (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignees: Acciai Speciali Terni S.p.A., Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Pietro Tolve, Franco Macci, Romeo Capotosti
  • Publication number: 20020008337
    Abstract: In a method of producing molten metal (8) from at least partially fine-particulate metal carriers in a melter gasifier (2) in which under supply of carbon-containing material and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas under simultaneous formation of a reducing gas in a bed (11) formed of solid carbon carriers (4) the metal carriers are melted, the supplied fine-particulate metal carriers in order to avoid discharging thereof are charged to a high-temperature combustion zone (13) maintained by a combustion process and there are melted at least for the most part or completely, wherein the high-temperature combustion zone (13) is spatially isolated from the freeboard (12) of the melter gasifier (2) located above the bed (11) and extends into the bed (11), wherein the offgases formed in the high-temperature combustion zone (13) exit the same passing through at least a portion of the bed (11) and wherein furthermore the offgases are cooled in the bed (11) and are withdrawn from the melter gasifier (2) along with the r
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Applicant: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Nagl
  • Publication number: 20020005083
    Abstract: To be able to produce metal melts using any metal carriers incurring in metallurgical practice as the charging materials, namely in the most diverse quantitative compositions, a plant for producing metal melts is provided with the following characteristic features:
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Applicant: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Dimitrov, Norbert Ramaseder, Wilfried Pirklbauer, Yoyou Zhai, Johannes Steins, Ernst Fritz, Johannes Muller
  • Patent number: 6336954
    Abstract: A process for the direct reduction of particulate iron-oxide-containing material by fluidization. A synthesis gas is introduced as a reducing gas into several fluidized bed zones consecutively arranged in series for the reducing gas. The reducing gas is conducted from one fluidized bed zone to another fluidized bed zone in counterflow to the particulate iron-oxide containing material. In order to reduce operating costs and, in particular, the energy demand, the temperature of the iron-oxide-containing material is adjusted in the first fluidized bed zone to be either below 400° C. (and, preferably, below 350° C.), or above 580° C. (and preferably about 650° C.), or to a temperature ranging from 400° C. to 580° C. If the temperature of the iron-oxide-containing material in the first fluidized bed zone is adjusted to be below 400° C., the temperature range in the following fluidized bed zone between 400° C. and 580° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Siegfried Zeller, Konstantin Milionis, Johann Reidetschläger, Leopold Werner Kepplinger, Johann Zirngast, Johannes Schenk, Roy Hubert Whipp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6332911
    Abstract: In a method for the production of liquid metal, in particular liquid pig iron (9) or liquid steel pre-products, from metal carriers, in particular partially reduced or reduced sponge iron (3), in a melter gasifier (1) in which with supply of a carbon-containing material at least partially formed of fine coal (16) and coal dust (13) and with supply of oxygen or oxygen-containing gas the metal carriers are melted in a bed (4) of the carbon-containing material at the simultaneous formation of a reducing gas, optionally upon previous final reduction, fine coal (16) and coal dust (13) which are being charged, are mixed with bitumen (20) in the hot state, after undergoing a drying operation, and subsequently are cold-briquetted, and the briquettes (25) thus formed are charged to the melter gasifier (1) in the cold state and in the melter gasifier (1) are subjected to shock-heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Deutsche Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Günter Schrey, Parviz Zahedi
  • Patent number: 6332255
    Abstract: In a process for producing a hot-rolled product by continuously casting a strand, separating a strand piece from the strand, thermally influencing the strand piece by temperature equalization and/or strand piece heating and hot-rolling the strand piece, continuous casting takes place at two or several continuous casters. The strand pieces are rolled in a rolling mill associated with these continuous casters, to which the strand pieces are conducted by diverting the strand pieces into the line of the rolling mill from at least one of the continuous casters whose line does not register with the line of the rolling mill. In order to reach a higher plant availability, thermal influence of the strand pieces to be diverted is effected during the diversion of the strand pieces after their emergence from the continuous caster line and prior to their introduction into the rolling mill line while completely clearing the continuous caster lines and the rolling mill line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Buchsbaum, Karl Christian Gruber
  • Patent number: 6327885
    Abstract: In a rolling-mill installation for the continuous production of fine steel includes a roughing block, a finishing block arranged on the rolling line of and after the roughing block, a water cooling section arranged after the finishing block and on the rolling line and a laying unit arranged downstream. In order optionally to be able to carry out rolling processes in accordance with conventional rolling or thermomechanical rolling, the finishing block arranged on the rolling line of the roughing block can be moved into a rolling position at a distance from the rolling line of the roughing block and back again. A rolled-material diverter is arranged downstream of the water cooling section by which the rolled material can optionally be routed on the one hand to a laying unit and on the other hand, via a soaking section, to the finishing block which has been moved at a distance from the rolling line of the roughing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Marsoun, Wolfgang Horst Hölbling
  • Publication number: 20010048707
    Abstract: In a process for melting down sponge metal (11) in an electric-arc furnace (1) having at least one electrode (6), the sponge metal (11) is introduced into the electric-arc furnace (1) under formation of at least one sponge metal jet (15) which in the immediate vicinity of an electrode (6) hits the bath level (16) present in the electric-arc furnace (1), and for decarburization and/or intermixing the bath and/or charging energy oxygen is blown into the melt (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Publication date: December 6, 2001
    Applicant: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Peter Mittag, Harald Berger
  • Patent number: 6315943
    Abstract: In a method of producing molten metal (8) from at least partially fine-particulate metal carriers in a melter gasifier (2) in which under supply of carbon-containing material and oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas under simultaneous formation of a reducing gas in a bed (11) formed of solid carbon carriers (4) the metal carriers are melted, the supplied fine-particulate metal carriers in order to avoid discharging thereof are charged to a high-temperature combustion zone (13) maintained by a combustion process and there are melted at least for the most part or completely, wherein the high-temperature combustion zone (13) is spatially isolated from the freeboard (12) of the melter gasifier (2) located above the bed (11) and extends into the bed (11), wherein the offgases formed in the high-temperature combustion zone (13) exit the same passing through at least a portion of the bed (11) and wherein furthermore the offgases are cooled in the bed (11) and are withdrawn from the melter gasifier (2) along with the r
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Incorporated Foundation
    Inventor: Michael Nagl