Patents Assigned to Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
  • Patent number: 5871560
    Abstract: A direct reduction process is disclosed for iron oxide-containing materials. Synthesis gas is mixed with top gas produced during direct reduction of the iron oxide-containing materials and is used as reduction gas for directly reducing and heating the iron oxide-containing materials up to reduction temperature. In order to set the H.sub.2 S content at a predetermined value by a relatively simple technique and with a relatively simple equipment, at least part of the sulphur contained in the iron oxide-containing materials as H.sub.2 S produced during heating or direct reduction is added to the reduction gas together with the top gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1999
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Brifer International Ltd.
    Inventors: Roland Fluch, Karl Czermak, Gunter Peer, Roy Hubert Whipp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5858058
    Abstract: A direct reduction process is disclosed for iron-oxide-containing materials. Synthesis gas is mixed with top gas produced during direct reduction of the iron-oxide-containing materials and is used as reduction gas for directly reducing iron-oxide-containing materials. In order to avoid or reduce metal dusting caused by an increased CO content of the reduction gas with a simple technique and equipment, the CO/CO.sub.2 ratio of the reduction gas is set at a predetermined value from 1 to 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Brifer International Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerald Kern, Werner Leopold Kepplinger, Johannes Schenk, Roy Hubert Whipp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5855643
    Abstract: In a process for the direct reduction of iron-oxide containing material, synthesis gas is mixed with top gas formed in the direct reduction of the iron-oxide containing material and is used as a reducing gas for direct reduction. In order to avoid metal dusting despite an elevated CO-content of the reducing gas, or to reduce metal dusting, in a procedurally simple and cost-saving manner while minimizing the energy demand, an H.sub.2 O content of between 1 and 2%, preferably amounting to about 1.5%, is achieved in the reducing gas by subjecting a partial volume of the top gas to CO.sub.2 scrubbing prior to being used as a reducing gas, wherein the top gas subjected to CO.sub.2 scrubbing is mixed with the synthesis gas, is brought to a predetermined temperature by direct water irrigation while being saturated with H.sub.2 O, after direct water irrigation is heated to a temperature above the saturation temperature by admixing CO.sub.2 -unscrubbed top gas, and subsequently is used as a reducing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Cip, Konstantin Milionis, Sadat Morteza Guscheh, Roy Hubert Whipp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5853453
    Abstract: In a method of processing iron-containing metallurgical residual substances, offgases containing iron-containing particles are washed out in a wet process and separated in the form of sludge. The sludge is then dehydrated and agglomerated; subsequently, the agglomerates are recycled into an iron melt production process. To recover the iron contained in the sludge, the agglomerates are passed exclusively into a refining stage of the steel production process. The present method may be used in a steel production process which produces steel from pig iron, as well as optionally from scrap and/or iron ore and/or sponge iron. The refining stage is performed using an oxygen blowing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Lehner, Gunter Schrey
  • Patent number: 5836375
    Abstract: A continuous casting mold for casting a strand has side walls defining an open-ended mold cavity. In order to increase the casting speed while maintaining a simple mode of construction of the continuous casting mold, the latter has the following characteristic features: at least two oppositely arranged side walls are rigidly fixed relative to each other about a pour-in section of the mold cavity and have a conicity decreasing in the running direction of the strand and, in a run-out section of the mold cavity arranged to follow the pour-in section in the running direction of the strand, include side wall sections movable relative to the strand and pressable at the strand by pressing devices, which side wall sections are arranged at a slighter conicity than the slightest conicity of the side walls of the pour-in section of the mold cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Heinrich Thone, Franz Wimmer
  • Patent number: 5833734
    Abstract: With a process for the direct reduction of particulate iron-containing material by fluidization, reformed gas, at least partially freed from CO.sub.2, is supplied to a fluidized-bed reduction zone as a reducing gas and is carried off from the same as a top gas and at least a portion of the top gas together with reformed gas is utilized for direction reduction. To economize on parts of the plant that are impinged on by reducing gas and in order to achieve savings in terms of heating costs, CH.sub.4 and N.sub.2 are, in addition to CO.sub.2, at least partially removed by adsorption, from 50 to 100% of the reformed as and 0 to 100% of the top gas, and the tail gas removed from the reformed gas and/or the top gas by adsorption is utilized as a heating gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Brifer International Ltd.
    Inventors: Gerhard Cip, Gottfried Rossmann, Konstantin Milionis, Roy Hubert Whipp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5816144
    Abstract: A precision roll stand includes a roll housing absorbing the rolling forces. In the roll housing rolls constituting a roll pair with their roll chocks are mounted so as to be rotatable and mutually adjustable by an adjustment device which changes the axial distance between the pair of rolls. A drive housing including a roll drive is connectable with the roll housing while establishing a drive connection of the roll drive with the rolls and being removable from the same while undoing the drive connection. In order to produce rolled products exhibiting extremely high measuring accuracies and to be able to exchange the rolls quickly and without difficulty, the roll housing has a frame which is open in the direction of adjustment of the rolls and contains and guides the chocks of the rolls. A crosshead for closing the frame carries the adjustment device designed as a pressure medium cylinder and is rigidly connectable with the frame. The drive housing is supported on the crosshead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 6, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Ernst Schandl, Ernst Pokorny
  • Patent number: 5811023
    Abstract: An apparatus and method related to a start-up phase for continuous casting of a molten metal. The molten metal flows into a continuous casting mold through at least one lateral opening of a submerged nozzle and through at least one bottom opening of the submerged nozzle. The at least one lateral opening may be directed toward a respective at least one wall of the continuous casting mold and the at least one bottom opening may be directed in a casting direction. During a start-up phase of the continuous casting process, a higher ratio of flow rates of molten metal through the at least one lateral opening to the molten metal flowing through the at least one bottom opening may be maintained than the ratio of the flow rates during a subsequent normal operation phase of the submerged nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Gerald Hohenbichler
  • Patent number: 5799719
    Abstract: A continuous casting mold for casting a billet with a polygonal cross section has side walls delimiting a mold space with a polygonal cross section and the side walls have a center region extending from an open top end to an open bottom or exit end of the mold with a first degree of taper and, at the sides of the center regions, abutting side regions with a lesser degree of taper than the first degree. In order to obtain even growth of the casting shell with low frictional forces, the center region has a degree of taper which is greater than the amount from the billet contraction and the width of the side regions increases as the distance from the exit end of the continuous casting mold decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Franz Wimmer, Heinrich Thone
  • Patent number: 5785733
    Abstract: A reduction apparatus and a method for efficient reduction of fine iron ores of wide grain range comprising serially arranged a drying/preheating furnace, a first reducing furnace for prereduction and a second reduction furnace for final reduction, each working with bubbling fluidized bed and being connected each to a cyclone for capturing iron ore dust contained in the exhaust gases, having each a tapered shape smoothly expanded outwards and thus considerably decreasing elutriation of fine particles, increasing the reduction efficiency and enhancing the utilization of the reducing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignees: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Il Ock Lee, Yong Ha Kim, Bong Jin Jung, Hang Goo Kim, Franz Hauzenberger
  • Patent number: 5778716
    Abstract: A coiler furnace for a hot strip includes a strip inlet opening, at least one coiler formed by a coiler mandrel, a strip outlet opening different from the strip inlet opening and a heat-insulating furnace wall surrounding the coiler on all sides. A coiler mandrel is movable by an adjustment device into a coiling start position at the strip inlet opening for the purpose of seizing the beginning of the hot strip as well as into an uncoiling position in which a coil wound on the coiler mandrel is pressed against a pressing roller arranged, or to be arranged, stationarily at the coiler furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventor: Friedrich Moser
  • Patent number: 5762681
    Abstract: A three-stage, fluidized-bed-type reduction apparatus and a method for using it for reducing fine iron ores of wide size ranges, improving the gas utilization and reduction degree, reducing the residence time of iron ores, and increasing the prereduction rate of reduced iron. The apparatus includes serially arranged a drying/preheating furnace with a first cyclone connected to it, a primary prereduction furnace with a second cyclone connected to it, a secondary high-gas-velocity reduction furnace for finally reducing only a coarse ore portion of the prereduced iron ores at a bubbling fluidized state while carrying over the medium/fine ore portion of the iron ores, a secondary low-gas-velocity reduction furnace for finally reducing the medium/fine ores forming a bubbling fluidized bed thereof, an inner cyclone installed in the secondary low-gas-velocity reduction furnace, and a third cyclone for capturing dusty ores not captured by the inner cyclone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignees: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Il Ock Lee, Yong Ha Kim, Hang Goo Kim, Bong Jin Jung, Uoo Chang Chung, Werner L. Kepplinger, Felix Wallner, Johannes L. Schenk
  • Patent number: 5746804
    Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of melting fine particles containing carbon, capable of uniformly burning and melting the fine particles throughout the entire zone of the combustion flame. The apparatus includes a triple tube structure including an inner oxygen feeding section having an oxygen inlet tube provided with an oxygen feeding passage, a particle feeding section arranged surrounding the inner oxygen feeding section, comprising a particle inlet tube, a feeding tube and a feeding passage, and an outer oxygen feeding section arranged surrounding the particle feeding section, comprising an outer oxygen inlet tube, a feeding tube and a feeding passage. The front ends of the inner oxygen feeding tube, particle feeding tube and outer oxygen feeding tube constitute a nozzle which serves to inject the fine particles fed through the particle feeding tube together with air and/or oxygen flows respectively fed through the inner and outer oxygen feeding tubes to be burned and melted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignees: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Sang Hoon Joo, Dong Joon Min, Myoung Kyun Shin
  • Patent number: 5698009
    Abstract: A method for agglomerating iron ore particles pre-reduced to produce hot pig iron, wherein hot iron ore particles pre-reduced in the pre-reduction furnace are simply mixed with aluminum powder or aluminum-containing metal powder before being loaded in the smelting reduction furnace so that they will be agglomerated, thereby being capable of not only simplifying the agglomeration, but also eliminating the adverse effect on the quality of ingot iron caused by impurities such as S or P. Aluminum dross, which is a waste, may be used as the aluminum-containing metal powder for agglomerating the iron ore particles. In this case, a reduced energy consumption and disposal of wastes can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignees: Pohang Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology, Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Dong Joon Min, Yoon Chul Park
  • Patent number: 5697241
    Abstract: There is disclosed a rolling arrangement including a rolling stand and a preceding descaling means. In order to obtain a perfect surface quality while maintaining a high energy content of the rolling stock the descaling means is arranged immediately in front of the rolls of the rolling stand and is formed by a rotor descaling means. The liquid jets emerging from the rotor descaling means and impinging on the rolling stock are directed opposite to the rolling direction. The liquid impinging on the point of impact of the liquid jet on the surface of the rolling stock, after impingement has a flow resultant which--projected on the rolling direction--has a component opposite to the rolling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Gerlinde Djumlija, Friedrich Moser, Johann Oberhumer, Heinrich Puhringer, Klaus Zeman
  • Patent number: 5676734
    Abstract: In a process for treating fine ore, the fine ore is dried by aid of a hot drying gas flowing around the ore particles of the fine ore, the drying gas, after having flown around the ore particles, is purified while releasing entrained dust ore particles and the dust ore particles are collected and admixed to the dried fine ore. In order to avoid process disturbances in the further processing of fine ore due to excessive portions of dust ore particles present within the fine ore,drying is effected in the whirl-bed, i.e., fluidized-bed method under simultaneous wind-screening of the fine ore, whereinthe drying gas is passed through the fine ore under formation of a whirl bed andthe speed of the drying gas is fixed at a rate at which entraining of dust ore particles having dimensions below a predetermined dimension is effected, andthat the dust ore particles entrained by the drying gas are separated, collected and admixed to the dried fine ore in dosed amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Brifer International Ltd.
    Inventors: Ernst Oberndorfer, Gero Tessmer, Rudolf Weidinger, Roy Hubert Whipp, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5676795
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing viscose pulp from lignocelluloses, such as hardwood, softwood or annual plants, in which process the lignocellulose is treated in a digester at first with saturated steam to prehydrolyze hemicelluloses and subsequently, without flashing, with hot black liquor (HSL) of a preceding sulfate pulp digestion as well as, if desired, under addition of fresh white liquor (WL) to neutralize the acidic reaction products formed, neutralization liquor (NL) thus being formed in the digester. Upon addition of the amount of alkali required for delignification in the form of fresh white liquor (WL), if desired, in combination with a displacement of neutralization liquor (NL) and temperature adjustment, digestion then will take place with or without temperature gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignees: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH, Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Wolfgang Wizani, Andreas Krotscheck, Johann Schuster, Karl Lackner
  • Patent number: 5653936
    Abstract: In a method of cooling a hot surface, a liquid cooling medium is atomized by a plurality of nozzles in a hollow space surrounding the surface and open towards the atmosphere. In order to ensure uniform continuous, yet just sufficient, cooling of the hot surface, with the cooling effecting with a constant temperature as possible over an extended period of time while avoiding changing thermal expansions of the hot surface, the liquid cooling medium is continuously atomized by means of unary nozzles to a fine mist having a droplet size ranging between 4 and 60 .mu.m. The mist leaves the unary nozzles at a low speed and is moved along the hot surface within the hollow space surrounding the hot surface under utilization of the natural thermal current in the hollow space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Enkner, Ernst Fritz, Manfred Eysn, Rudolf Gruber, Peter Kickinger
  • Patent number: 5642769
    Abstract: A continuous casting mold includes an oscillation mechanism and a guiding mechanism supporting the continuous casting mold relative to a stationary supporting structure, the guiding mechanism being formed as a disc-shaped spring. In order to ensure perfect guidance by employing a simply structured oscillation mechanism and to markedly reduce the masses to be moved, at least one disc-shaped spring formed as an annular disc peripherally surrounds the continuous casting mold, which annular disc by the inner edge region is connected with the continuous casting mold and by the outer edge region is connected with the stationary supporting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Heinrich Thone, Franz Wimmer
  • Patent number: 5623983
    Abstract: A continuous casting mold having side walls through which a coolant flows includes a hydraulically operated oscillation device and a guiding device supporting the continuous casting mold relative to a stationary supporting structure. In order to do with a structurally very simple oscillation device having slight masses to be moved and to markedly reduce the space required by the oscillation device in the vicinity of the continuous casting mold, the oscillation device includes a pulsator setting the coolant into a pulsating pressure course and a supporting device is provided between the continuous casting mold and the stationary supporting structure, resiliently acting in accordance with the pulsating pressure course of the coolant and absorbing oscillation forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Heinrich Thone, Franz Wimmer