Abstract: An electric furnace includes a furnace vessel covered by a furnace lid liftable and lowerable by a lid lifting mechanism and pivotable from a position above the furnace vessel into a position lateral of the furnace vessel and back by a lid pivoting mechanism. A lid supporting framework is pivotably mounted lateral of the furnace vessel and includes at least one lid bracket extending over the furnace vessel for lifting, lowering and pivoting the furnace lid. In order to be able to pivot the lid bracket without furnace lid and without necessitating manipulations to be carried out at the furnace lid for the purpose of exchanging the lid or the lid core, the lid bracket is detachably connected to the furnace lid by at least one coupling means, with a coupling piece of the coupling means being arranged on the lid bracket and a coupling counter piece of the coupling means being arranged on the furnace lid.

Abstract: An electric furnace includes a furnace vessel arranged on a furnace platform and covered by a furnace lid liftable and lowerable by a lid lifting mechanism and pivotable from a position above the furnace vessel into a position lateral of the furnace vessel, and back, by a lid pivoting mechanism. A lid supporting framework pivotably mounted lateral of the furnace vessel and including at least one lid bracket is provided for lifting, lowering and pivoting the furnace lid. In order that the high-current cables are only slightly twisted when pivoting the furnace lid, despite the pivot axis for the furnace lid being arranged as close to the furnace vessel as possible, the lid supporting framework is pivotably connected with the furnace platform by an oscillating crank hinged to it.

Abstract: A ladle stand for treating molten metal includes a vertically liftable and lowerable lance carrying car arranged above a ladle placed in the treatment position. On the car, a reservoir for a treating agent is arranged and adapted to communicate with a cavity of the lance. The lance carrying car is movable to a lance exchange station laterally of the deposited ladle. In order to move the lance carrying car between the deposited ladle and the lance exchange station in a simple manner and with rather low structural expenditures, by ensuring a troublefree lance exchange without manual operations, a stationary vertical rail guide for the lance carrying car is each provided above the ladle placed in the treatment position and above the lance exchange station. A carriage accommodating the lance carrying car is displaceable between the upper ends of the two rail guides. The lance carrying car is equipped with a lance manipulator to hold and release a lance.

Abstract: A tiltable metallurgical vessel has a convexly curved bottom, and is supported on a cradle frame tiltably mounted on the base. In order to provide a metallurgical vessel of high operational safety in which the melt covers as short a path as possible during tapping, scumming is feasible in a simple way, the retention of a residual sump in the vessel is possible, at least one eccentrically arranged, closeable tap opening is provided in the bottom above a receptacle placeable into the tapping position. The tap opening is closeable by a closure flap pivotable by a lever. The lever is connected with a shaft for rotation therewith, a pressure medium cylinder is mounted on the cradle frame, and an actuation rod of sufficient length to reach beyond the radiation region of the receptacle enables the shaft to be rotatable by the cylinder through the actuation rod.

Abstract: In a process for the production of calcium carbide in a shaft furnace, a plasma arc (plasma torch) is generated by the introduction of electric energy with the help of a plasma burner device penetrating the upper cover of the shaft furnace. A counter electrode is provided in the bottom part of the shaft furnace. About the plasma arc or torch, a burden mixture of calcium-oxide and carbon-containing substances is concentrically introduced so as to form a protective mound of solid burden components on the inner wall of the furnace. In order to provide an operationally safe process by using plasma burners, with which both coarse and fine-grain burden components may be employed and with which calcium carbide is obtained in higher yields with an improved utilization of the energy consumed, the burden mixture is used separately as a coarse-grain fraction and as a fine-grain fraction.

Abstract: A burden of either or both CaO or CaCO.sub.3 and coal is melted and reduced by a plasma torch established between a plasma burner penetrating the upper structure of a furnace and an electrode in the bottom of the furnace to produce CaC.sub.2. The burden is supplied to the furnace from above and the CO produced by the reaction flows upwardly through the unreacted burden to pre-heat and pre-reduce it.

Abstract: There is disclosed a plasma melting furnace through the side wall of whose cylindrical furnace body a plurality of downwardly directed plasma burners are guided, whose mouths project into the furnace interior. In order to avoid several rechargings, which has been common so far, in particular with scrap of low apparent density, and to be able to charge continuously, without endangering the plasma burners by electric flashovers between parts of the charge material and the burner mouths or falling-down materials and by maintaining the inert gas atmosphere within the furnace, the cover of the furnace interior comprises a shoulder-likely re-entering part projecting upwardly. This part is closeable by a lid and delimits a central charging opening whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of the circle on which the mouths of the plasma burners are arranged.

Abstract: In a method of carrying out metallurgical or chemical processes in a shaft furnace having an upper cover, electric energy is supplied by a plasma burner penetrating the upper cover. A plasma torch is formed between the plasma burner and a counter-electrode penetrating the bottom of the shaft furnace. Charging stock is introduced concentrically about the plasma torch and forms a protective wall at the inner wall of the furnace. There is also provided an arrangement for carrying out this method.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method for carrying out melting, melt-metallurgical and/or reduction-metallurgical processes in a plasma melting furnace. In its interior, freely burning plasma torches are produced between plasma burners guided through the lid or through the side walls of the furnace body and a bottom electrode. Fluxes and reactive substances to be melted and reacted, respectively, are charged into the region of the plasma torches. In order to increase the energy supply to the charges to be melted or reacted and thus improving the thermal efficiency or kinetics of the process, additional gas flows, which differ from the original plasma gas, are injected into the plasma torches. An arrangement for carrying out the method includes a furnace through whose lid or side walls plasma burners are guided and in whose bottom a counter electrode is arranged. Supply means for introducing additional gas flows into the region of the plasma torches are additionally provided.

Abstract: A plasma melting furnace includes one or more plasma burners penetrating the furnace lining, in particular a plasma burner projecting vertically into the interior of the furnace. In order to ensure a most uniform stress on the lining by the heat radiation, the inner surface of the lining is designed to be inclined, converging upwardly.

Abstract: An electric furnace includes a lifting structure actuating a furnace cover and comprising a stationary supporting post. A lifting means is axially displaceably guided on the stationary supporting post by an upper and a lower bearing. The lifting column is liftable and lowerable by the lifting means and engageable with, and disengageable from, the furnace cover. In order to provide a lifting structure that enables either a lower construction height or substantially slighter forces in the bearings of the lifting column, the hollowly designed lifting column peripherally surrounds the stationary supporting post. The lifting means is articulately connected with a head plate closing the lifting column on its upper end and with a stationary part of the plant.

Abstract: A plasma melting furnace includes a cover and a melt container. Through its side wall plasma burners arranged so as to be inclined towards the furnace axis are guided. A main flue gas conduit equipped with a draft regulating damper is connected to the cover and a separate discharge means for flue gases from other furnace openings is additionally provided. In order to provide an efficient discharge of flue gases and reaction gases forming as well as dusts and fumes without straining the furnace hall and the environment, and to maintain a protective gas atmosphere in the furnace interior safely during all the necessary working cycles, the separate discharge means is designed as a downwardly open channel. The channel is peripherally attached to the outer side of the container in the region of the upper rim of the melt container.

Abstract: A plasma melting furnace includes a water-cooled bottom electrode of copper and a temperature probe connected with the bottom electrode. A wearing part of steel is provided in the bottom of the furnace, covering the bottom electrode. At least one counter electrode is arranged at a distance above the wearing part for the formation of the plasma jet. In order to prevent the risk of a melting through of the bottom electrode as far as to its water-cooled section on account of a secondary arc, a metal layer is provided between the bottom electrode and the wearing part. The metal layer is formed by a metal having a low thermal conductivty and a low melting point, as compared to copper, as well as a high melting enthalpy. Preferably, a metal layer of lead or its alloys with tin and/or zinc is provided.

Abstract: In an electric furnace a lifting means actuating the furnace cover includes a king post supported on the base. The king post is surrounded by a sleeve, which is liftable and lowerable relative to the same and has a cap on its upper end. The sleeve is hydraulically liftable and engageable with a cover carrying framework carrying the furnace cover. In order to provide for a lifting means with a low weight without constraining forces and with a structurally simple lubrication, a cylinder space to which a hydraulic medium is admitted is provided between a front face of the king post and the cap of the sleeve acting in the lifting direction. If desired, an annular space is provided between a collar of the king post and the inner wall of the sleeve, to which a hydraulic medium is provided, acting in the lowering direction.

Abstract: In a blowing lance media-supply arrangement for a metallurgical vessel, a carrying car is displaceable into and out of a blowing position along a moving path and includes at least one blowing lance. Media supply conduits lead to the blowing position of the carrying car and are connected to a stationary joining piece arranged there. A joining counter piece corresponding to the joining piece is mounted to the carrying car, and the joining piece and the joining counter piece are connectable in a conduit-like manner.