Abstract: The invention proposes an arrangement for burning blast furnace off-gas from a bleeder valve. It comprises a bleeder valve (20) having a fixed hollow valve body (22) defining an outlet (26) and a valve seat and a movable obturator (24) that cooperates with the valve seat for closing the bleeder valve and releasing blast furnace off-gas through the outlet. The arrangement includes an apparatus for combustion of blast furnace off-gas released by the bleeder valve (20). This apparatus is characterized by an ignition device (32, 38, 40, 42, 44) that is arranged on or adjacent the valve body or the moveable obturator of the bleeder valve (20) itself. The ignition device (32, 38, 40, 42, 44) has its spatial ignition range located downstream the outlet in a region where blast furnace off-gas released through the outlet mixes with ambient air when the obturator is in an open position so as to allow open-air combustion of blast furnace off-gas released into ambient air at the location of the bleeder valve.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace (32), wherein the method comprises providing a charging device (38) having at least one material hopper (40), the material hopper (40) comprising a hopper chamber (42), a material inlet aperture for feeding a burden into the hopper chamber (40), and a material discharge aperture for feeding a burden from the hopper chamber (40) to the blast furnace (32); the material inlet aperture having an associated inlet seal valve 44) for opening and closing the material inlet aperture and the material discharge aperture having an associated material discharge valve (46) for opening and closing the material discharge aperture.

Abstract: A lower sealing valve unit for a charging system of a shaft furnace includes a housing having a pair of inlets and at least one outlet; a valve seat associated with each inlet; and a flap associated with each valve seat and adapted for, in a closed position, engaging the valve seat to sealingly close the inlet, each flap being supported by a pivotable shaft allowing displacement between the closed position and an open position off the associated valve seat, where a common structure, mounted to one side of the housing, includes a pair of drive mechanisms, each connected to one of the pivotable shafts for independent actuation thereof, the shafts passing coaxially though the housing side and being supported by the common structure.

Abstract: A sealing valve arrangement for a shaft furnace charging installation includes a shutter-actuating device for moving a shutter between a closed position in sealing contact with a valve seat and an open position remote from the valve seat. The shutter-actuating device is of the dual-motion type and includes a primary tilting arm on a first tilting shaft defining the first axis and is equipped with bearings supporting the primary tilting arm. A secondary tilting arm carries the shutter is connected to a second tilting shaft that defines a second substantially parallel axis and has bearings that support the secondary tilting arm on the primary tilting arm. The shutter-actuating device has a mechanism configured to tilt the secondary tilting arm when the primary tilting arm is tilted. The first tilting shaft is configured as hollow sleeve shaft and the shutter-actuating device includes a reference rod extending through the first tilting shaft.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace (32), wherein the method comprises providing a charging device (38) having at least one material hopper (40), the material hopper (40) comprising a hopper chamber (42), a material inlet aperture for feeding a burden into the hopper chamber (40), and a material discharge aperture for feeding a burden from the hopper chamber (40) to the blast furnace (32); the material inlet aperture having an associated inlet seal valve 44) for opening and closing the material inlet aperture and the material discharge aperture having an associated material discharge valve (46) for opening and closing the material discharge aperture.

Abstract: A charging device for charging a shaft furnace, including a rotary distributor and a variable drive for rotating the rotary distributor about an essentially vertical axis of rotation, where the rotary distributor includes a plurality of guiding members which form sliding channels for charge material, and where the rotary distributor comprises a junction slide from which each guiding member issues and which is arranged such that a flow of charge material slides via one specific guiding member in function of the velocity and/or the sense of rotation of the rotary distributor.

Abstract: The invention relates to an upper or lower sealing valve arrangement for a shaft furnace charging installation. The arrangement comprises a shutter-actuating device (20; 120; 220; 320; 420) for moving a shutter (10) between a closed position in sealing contact with a valve seat (12) and an open position remote from the valve seat. The shutter-actuating device is of the dual-motion type, more specifically of the type configured to confer to the shutter a superposition of two rotations about substantially parallel axes (29; 39). It has a primary tilting arm (22) on a first tilting shaft (24) that defines the first axis (29) and is equipped with bearings (26) that support the primary tilting arm (22). A secondary tilting arm (32) carries the shutter (10) is connected to a second tilting shaft (34) that defines the second substantially parallel axis (39) and has bearings that support the secondary tilting arm (32) on the primary tilting arm (32).

Abstract: The invention proposes an arrangement for burning blast furnace off-gas from a bleeder valve. It comprises a bleeder valve (20) having a fixed hollow valve body (22) defining an outlet (26) and a valve seat and a movable obturator (24) that cooperates with the valve seat for closing the bleeder valve and releasing blast furnace off-gas through the outlet. The arrangement includes an apparatus for combustion of blast furnace off-gas released by the bleeder valve (20). This apparatus is characterized by an ignition device (32, 38, 40, 42, 44) that is arranged on or adjacent the valve body or the moveable obturator of the bleeder valve (20) itself. The ignition device (32, 38, 40, 42, 44) has its spatial ignition range located downstream the outlet in a region where blast furnace off-gas released through the outlet mixes with ambient air when the obturator is in an open position so as to allow open-air combustion of blast furnace off-gas released into ambient air at the location of the bleeder valve.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace (32), wherein the method comprises providing a charging device (38) having at least one material hopper (40), the material hopper (40) comprising a hopper chamber (42), a material inlet aperture for feeding a burden into the hopper chamber (40), and a material discharge aperture for feeding a burden from the hopper chamber (40) to the blast furnace (32); the material inlet aperture having an associated inlet seal valve 44) for opening and closing the material inlet aperture and the material discharge aperture having an associated material discharge valve (46) for opening and closing the material discharge aperture.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace (32), wherein the method comprises providing a charging device (38) having at least one material hopper (40), the material hopper (40) comprising a hopper chamber (42), a material inlet aperture for feeding a burden into the hopper chamber (40), and a material discharge aperture for feeding a burden from the hopper chamber (40) to the blast furnace (32); the material inlet aperture having an associated inlet seal valve 44) for opening and closing the material inlet aperture and the material discharge aperture having an associated material discharge valve (46) for opening and closing the material discharge aperture.

Abstract: A multiple hopper charging installation for a shaft furnace includes a rotary distribution device for distributing bulk material in the shaft furnace by rotating a distribution member about a central axis of the shaft furnace and at least two hoppers arranged in parallel and offset from the central axis above the rotary distribution device. Each hopper has a lower funnel part ending in an outlet portion and each hopper has a material gate valve with a shutter member associated to its outlet portion.

Abstract: A blast furnace charging system for feeding charge material into the hearth of a blast furnace includes at least two hoppers for temporarily storing charge material, each hopper having a discharge assembly for feeding the charge material from the respective hopper into the hearth of a blast furnace, the discharge assembly including an inclined discharge channel having, at its lower end, a material gate providing charge material flow control at the lower end of the discharge channel; and a protection ring arranged in the vicinity of the material gate for leading charge material from the discharge channel to a seal seat of the discharge assembly, where the discharge assembly further includes a heated panel arranged on the protection ring, the heated panel being formed by a panel-like copper body having fluid channels arranged therein so as to form a channel leading from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet.

Abstract: A lower sealing valve unit for a charging system of a shaft furnace includes a housing having a pair of inlets and at least one outlet; a valve seat associated with each inlet; and a flap associated with each valve seat and adapted for, in a closed position, engaging the valve seat to sealingly close the inlet, each flap being supported by a pivotable shaft allowing displacement between the closed position and an open position off the associated valve seat, where a common structure, mounted to one side of the housing, includes a pair of drive mechanisms, each connected to one of the pivotable shafts for independent actuation thereof, the shafts passing coaxially though the housing side and being supported by the common structure.

Abstract: A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace, in particular a blast furnace, is disclosed. The charging device is equipped with a cooling system. The rotary charging device includes a rotatable support for rotary distribution means as well as a stationary housing for the rotatable support. The cooling system includes a rotary cooling circuit fixed in rotation with the rotatable support as well as a stationary cooling circuit on the stationary housing. A heat transfer device is provided which includes a stationary heat transfer element configured to be cooled by a cooling fluid flowing through the stationary cooling circuit and which includes a rotary heat transfer element configured to be heated by a separate cooling fluid circulated in the rotary cooling circuit.

Abstract: A lower sealing valve assembly for a shaft furnace charging installation including a lower sealing valve housing with a lower outlet through which charge material can freely drop onto a distribution device, the housing has at least one upper inlet for communicating with an outlet of a hopper arranged above the housing, where each inlet has an associated valve seat that is arranged inside the lower sealing valve housing and turned towards the interior of the housing, a shutter is further operatively connected to an actuation mechanism for moving the shutter into and out of sealing contact with the valve seat, the valve actuation mechanism includes a turn-slide cylindric joint having a typically vertical joint axis for swiveling the shutter in a plane perpendicular to the joint axis inside the lower sealing valve housing and for translating the shutter up and down along the joint axis such that the cylindric joint includes a shaft that is axially fixed and rotatably in a hollow sleeve, which in turn is axially

Abstract: The invention concerns a charging installation for a shaft furnace, in particular for a blast furnace, and especially the lower sealing valve assembly thereof, the installation including at least two hoppers acting as lock hoppers for intermediate storage of charge material to be charged into the furnace, the lower sealing valve includes a lower sealing valve housing arranged below the hoppers, the lower sealing valve housing has at least two inlets respectively communicating with one of the hoppers and an outlet for passing charge material into the furnace, each inlet has a respective associated valve seat providing gas-tight sealing of the hoppers downstream, the lower sealing valve assembly further includes a sealing valve mechanism for sealing the inlets, more specifically for closing the seats in technically gas-tight manner, where the sealing valve mechanism includes a one-sided shutter having a single sealing face that cooperates with both of the at least two valve seats, by virtue of the sealing valve

Abstract: A charging device for a shaft furnace comprises a distribution chute for bulk material and a drive mechanism for the distribution chute. The distribution chute has a trough-shaped main part with an open impact section and an outlet section. The main part provides a sliding channel between the impact section and the outlet section. The drive mechanism for the distribution chute is capable of rotating the distribution chute about an essentially vertical axis and pivoting the distribution chute about an essentially horizontal axis so as to allow distribution of bulk material on a charging surface of the shaft furnace. According to the present invention, the distribution chute comprises a circumferentially closed funnel portion which tapers in the direction of flow and is arranged downstream of the impact section and with its outlet at the downstream end of said trough-shaped main part.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a weighing system of a blast furnace top hopper and a corresponding weighing system are disclosed. The method comprises the step of using at least one actuator for exerting a vertical net force with a certain magnitude onto the hopper, so as to simulate a certain weight of charge material in the hopper; and the step of determining the magnitude of the vertical net force. According to the invention, the method further comprises the step of determining the magnitude of a pressure exerting a lifting force onto said hopper and the step of using the determined magnitude of the vertical net force and the determined magnitude of the pressure to establish calibration data for the weighing system.

Abstract: A charging device for a shaft furnace comprises a distribution chute for bulk material and a drive mechanism for the distribution chute. The distribution chute has a trough-shaped main part with an open impact section and an outlet section. The main part provides a sliding channel between the impact section and the outlet section. The drive mechanism for the distribution chute is capable of rotating the distribution chute about an essentially vertical axis and pivoting the distribution chute about an essentially horizontal axis so as to allow distribution of bulk material on a charging surface of the shaft furnace. According to the present invention, the distribution chute comprises a circumferentially closed funnel portion which tapers in the direction of flow and is arranged downstream of the impact section and with its outlet at the downstream end of said trough-shaped main part.

Abstract: A multiple hopper charging installation for a shaft furnace includes a rotary distribution device for distributing bulk material in the shaft furnace by rotating a distribution member about a central axis of the shaft furnace and at least two hoppers arranged in parallel and offset from the central axis above the rotary distribution device. Each hopper has a lower funnel part ending in an outlet portion and each hopper has a material gate valve with a shutter member associated to its outlet portion.