Patents by Inventor Akinori Murao

Akinori Murao has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11041220
    Abstract: Provided is a blast furnace operation method that enables lowering of the reducing agent ratio of a blast furnace. The blast furnace operation method includes injecting pulverized coal through tuyeres of a blast furnace. The method includes adjusting coal containing moisture and volatile matter to form adjusted pulverized coal having a specific surface area within a range of 2 m2/g or more and 1000 m2/g or less, a lower heating value of 27170 kJ/kg or more, and a volatile matter content within a range of 3 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less. The method further includes injecting, through the tuyeres of the blast furnace, pulverized coal in which the adjusted pulverized coal, in a mixing ratio of 10 mass % or more, is mixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Yamamoto, Akinori Murao, Kota Moriya, Nobuyuki Oyama
  • Publication number: 20200299792
    Abstract: Provided is a blast furnace operation method that enables lowering of the reducing agent ratio of a blast furnace. The blast furnace operation method includes injecting pulverized coal through tuyeres of a blast furnace. The method includes adjusting coal containing moisture and volatile matter to form adjusted pulverized coal having a specific surface area within a range of 2 m2/g or more and 1000 m2/g or less, a lower heating value of 27170 kJ/kg or more, and a volatile matter content within a range of 3 mass % or more and 25 mass % or less. The method further includes injecting, through the tuyeres of the blast furnace, pulverized coal in which the adjusted pulverized coal, in a mixing ratio of 10 mass % or more, is mixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Yamamoto, Akinori Murao, Kota Moriya, Nobuyuki Oyama
  • 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: 10400292
    Abstract: A method for operating a blast furnace includes blowing pulverized coal and oxygen from an upstream lance configured by a double tube. LNG is blown from a downstream lance on the downstream side in a hot air blast direction, oxygen is supplied from the upstream lance, and the pulverized coal whose temperature has been increased by the combustion of the LNG is combusted along with the supplied oxygen or oxygen in an air blast. With respect to a direction perpendicular to the hot air blast and a downstream direction of the hot air blast, a blowing direction of the LNG from the downstream lance with respect to the blast direction ranges from ?30° to +45°. A blast pipe circumferential direction angle at a blowing position of the LNG from the downstream lance with respect to where the upstream lance is inserted into a blast pipe ranges from 160° to 200°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Naoki Yamamoto, Tomoyuki Kawashima, Nobuyuki Ooyama
  • Patent number: 9945001
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a blast furnace by blowing a solid reducing material, a flammable gaseous reducing material and a combustible gas into a blast furnace from tuyeres through a lance into a blast furnace, wherein a parallel type lance prepared by bundling three independent blowing tubes in parallel and integrally housing them into an outer tube is used, and either one or both of the gaseous reducing material and the combustible gas and the solid reducing material are simultaneously blown through the respective blowing tubes, while the blowing tube for the solid reducing material and the blowing tube for the gaseous reducing material are positioned above the blowing tube for the combustible gas in the blowing through the parallel type lance as well as a lance structure thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki Fujiwara, Akinori Murao, Takeshi Kajisa, Mitsushi Tokudome
  • Patent number: 9938593
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a blast furnace by blowing at least a solid reducing material and a combustible gas into the furnace through tuyeres with a lance inserted into a blowpipe, wherein a tube-bundle type lance obtained by bundling a plurality of blowing tubes is used and when only a solid reducing material or two kinds of a solid reducing material and a combustible gas or three kinds of a solid reducing material, a combustible gas and a gaseous reducing material is simultaneously blown into an inside of the blast furnace through a tube for blowing the solid reducing material, a tube for blowing the combustible gas and a tube for blowing the gaseous reducing material in the tube-bundle type lance, two or more tube-bundle type lances are inserted into the blowpipe to approximate their front ends to each other and blowing is performed so that the respective blowout streams interfere with each other in the blowpipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Daiki Fujiwara, Akinori Murao
  • Publication number: 20180044745
    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: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Yamamoto, Akinori Murao, Tomoyuki Kawashima, Nobuyuki Ooyama
  • Publication number: 20180023152
    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 oxygen are blown from an upstream lance 4 configured by a double tube, and LNG is blown from a downstream lance 6 on the downstream side in a hot air blast direction, so that oxygen to be used for combustion of the LNG is supplied from the upstream lance 4, and the pulverized coal whose temperature has been increased by the combustion of the LNG is combusted along with the supplied oxygen or oxygen in an air blast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: January 25, 2018
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori MURAO, Naoki YAMAMOTO, 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: 9650689
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Daiki Fujiwara, Akinori Murao, Shiro Watakabe
  • Patent number: 9410218
    Abstract: A method of operating a blast furnace comprising two or more lances that inject reducing agents from a tuyere including injecting a solid reducing agent and a flammable reducing agent from different lances; and arranging a position of an end of the lance that injects the flammable reducing agent closer to a near side in a injecting direction by more than 0 to 50 mm than a position of an end of the lance that injects the solid reducing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Daiki Fujiwara, Shiro Watakabe
  • Publication number: 20160208349
    Abstract: A method for operating a blast furnace that increases combustion temperature and reduces fuel consumption rate is provided. The method includes injecting hot air into the blast furnace from a tuyere. A solid reduction agent and at least one of a flammable reduction agent and a combustion-supporting gas are injected into the blast furnace, with the hot air, from the tuyere and through a lance. The solid reduction agent contains 65 mass % or less of particles whose particle diameter is greater than or equal to 75 ?m. The method facilitates efficient mixing, accelerates the reaction between the pulverized coal and the combustion-supporting gas, and increases the temperature of the pulverized coal. Therefore, the combustion speed of the pulverized coal is increased, which increases the combustion temperature and reduces the reduction agent ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki FUJIWARA, Akinori MURAO
  • Publication number: 20160138120
    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: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 19, 2016
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Daiki Fujikara, Shiro Watakabe, Michitaka Sato, Takashi Watanabe, Akio Shimomura
  • Patent number: 9309578
    Abstract: A blast furnace operating method by blowing at least a solid reducing material into an inside of the furnace from a tuyere thereof with a lance, wherein a tube bundle-type lance formed by bundling a plurality of blowing tubes side-by-side and housing them in a main tube of the lance is used when only a solid reducing material or two kinds of a solid reducing material and a combustible gas or three kinds of a solid reducing material, a combustible gas and a gaseous reducing material are blown in the inside of the blast furnace, whereby the solid reducing material, combustible gas and gaseous reducing material are blown through the respective blowing tubes, and a tube bundle-type lance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Daiki Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20160053338
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a blast furnace by blowing at least a solid reducing material and a combustible gas into the furnace through tuyeres with a lance inserted into a blowpipe, wherein a tube-bundle type lance obtained by bundling a plurality of blowing tubes is used and when only a solid reducing material or two kinds of a solid reducing material and a combustible gas or three kinds of a solid reducing material, a combustible gas and a gaseous reducing material is simultaneously blown into an inside of the blast furnace through a tube for blowing the solid reducing material, a tube for blowing the combustible gas and a tube for blowing the gaseous reducing material in the tube-bundle type lance, two or more tube-bundle type lances are inserted into the blowpipe to approximate their front ends to each other and blowing is performed so that the respective blowout streams interfere with each other in the blowpipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki Fujiwara, Akinori Murao
  • Publication number: 20160040261
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a blast furnace by blowing a solid reducing material, a flammable gaseous reducing material and a combustible gas into a blast furnace from tuyeres through a lance into a blast furnace, wherein a parallel type lance prepared by bundling three independent blowing tubes in parallel and integrally housing them into an outer tube is used, and either one or both of the gaseous reducing material and the combustible gas and the solid reducing material are simultaneously blown through the respective blowing tubes, while the blowing tube for the solid reducing material and the blowing tube for the gaseous reducing material are positioned above the blowing tube for the combustible gas in the blowing through the parallel type lance as well as a lance structure thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daiki Fujiwara, Akinori Murao, Takeshi Kajisa, Mitsushi Tokudome
  • Publication number: 20150184263
    Abstract: A blast furnace operating method by blowing at least a solid reducing material into an inside of the furnace from a tuyere thereof with a lance, wherein a tube bundle-type lance formed by bundling a plurality of blowing tubes side-by-side and housing them in a main tube of the lance is used when only a solid reducing material or two kinds of a solid reducing material and a combustible gas or three kinds of a solid reducing material, a combustible gas and a gaseous reducing material are blown in the inside of the blast furnace, whereby the solid reducing material, combustible gas and gaseous reducing material are blown through the respective blowing tubes, and a tube bundle-type lance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Daiki Fujiwara
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20140131929
    Abstract: A method of operating a blast furnace comprising two or more lances that inject reducing agents from a tuyere including injecting a solid reducing agent and a flammable reducing agent from different lances; and arranging a position of an end of the lance that injects the flammable reducing agent closer to a near side in a injecting direction by more than 0 to 50 mm than a position of an end of the lance that injects the solid reducing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: JFE STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akinori Murao, Daiki Fujiwara, Shiro Watakabe