Abstract: A device enabling limitation of the risk of formation of an explosive atmosphere in the furnace of a continuous heat treatment line of metal strips the sections of which are under an atmosphere consisting of a mixture of inert gas and hydrogen the hydrogen volume content of which is between 5 and 100%, provided with a rapid induction heating section and a rapid cooling section comprising: a chamber (9) maintained under inert gas at the inlet of the rapid heating section of the furnace and at the outlet of the rapid cooling section, the pressure in the chamber (9) being equal to or greater than the atmospheric pressure when the heating of the furnace operates normally; a device (10) for entering the strip into the chamber (9), from the atmospheric air; a device (11) for atmosphere separation and for entering the strip in the heating section of the furnace from the chamber (9) under inert gas, said device (11) being provided with a gas take-off (4); a device (13) for atmosphere separation and for removing the s

Abstract: Rapid-cooling oven, forming part of a plant comprising various treatment stations, especially stations for the heat treatment of products in strip form, through which a metal strip runs continuously, the rapid cooling being obtained by spraying onto the strip a jet of an atmosphere gas consisting of a nitrogen/hydrogen mixture having a hydrogen content which is greater than 15%, and preferably close to 50%, the atmosphere gas being recirculated using a circuit of recirculation ducts comprising compensators made in the form of a series of corrugations allowing all the ducts to expand, at least one fan and at least one gas/water exchanger, wherein a safety device is provided to prevent this ingress of air into the circuit for recirculating the cooling gas or any leak of the latter into the environment, in the event of a break in a corrugation of a compensator or in the case of a leak form the latter, said safety device being made in the form of a flexible membrane impermeable to the cooling gas, the said membra

Abstract: In an apparatus that rapidly cools heat treated metal strips with a recirculating nitrogen-hydrogen cooling gas mixture having a hydrogen content which ranges between 15%-50%, and a recirculation circuit for the gas mixture having a fan for creating a flow though recirculation ducts connected, through expandable compensator corrugations, upstream to at least one gas/water exchanger, a safety system operates with the exchanger. The safety system includes a housing having a main flow area upstream of the exchanger and into which recirculating cooling gas flows. A first register is interposed across the main flow area for selectively switching between open and closed states thereby passing or blocking flow through a major portion of the main flow area. At least one bypass flow area is defined within the housing and located adjacent the main flow area.

Abstract: A radiating tubes system of the double-pin type that is in the shape of a "W" used in heating ovens, notably in continuous heating ovens for metallic bands, for providing the heat transfer between combustion bases released by a burner and the products to be heated. In the invention system, the burner is positioned in the lower branch of the tubes; the support device of the cold bend, in the upper portion of the tubes, is made in the form of a simple bearing base; the cold bend and the hot bend are connected to one another without a connecting-rod type intermediate part, and the intermediate bend and the lower tube are connected to one another with a settable play between these two elements.