Patents by Inventor Peter Björklund

Peter Björklund 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: 10151535
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement includes a screw conveyor (3) comprising a tube means (4) having an inlet opening (6), an downward-facing outlet opening (7), and a helical screw (8) for moving fine-grained matter from the inlet opening (6) to the downward-facing outlet opening (7). The downward-facing outlet opening (7) is provided with a distribution means (10). The distribution means (10) has a free end (11) configured for feeding fine-grained matter into the downward-facing outlet opening (7). The helical screw (8) of the screw conveyor (3) extends from the direction of the inlet opening (6) at least partly over the downward-facing outlet opening (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Tapio Ahokainen
  • Publication number: 20180245850
    Abstract: Provided are a method and an arrangement for adjusting characteristics of a furnace process in a furnace space limited by a furnace shell of a metallurgical furnace. The arrangement comprises an injection unit having a frame mounted by means of a mounting means on the metallurgical furnace outside the furnace space of the furnace shell. Also provided is an injection unit for use in the method and in the arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Peter BJÖRKLUND, Oskari KARHUVAARA, Valtteri SONNINEN, Pekka SAARI, Matti LUOMALA
  • Publication number: 20180245851
    Abstract: Provided are a method and to an arrangement for monitoring characteristics of a furnace process in a furnace space limited by a furnace shell of a metallurgical furnace. The arrangement comprises a process monitoring unit having a frame mounted by means of a mounting means on the metallurgical furnace outside the furnace space of the furnace shell. Also provided is a process monitoring unit for use in the method and/or in the arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Peter BJÖRKLUND, Oskari KARHUVAARA, Valtteri SONNINEN, Pekka SAARI, Matti LUOMALA
  • Publication number: 20180224119
    Abstract: Provided are a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into a reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace, and a fine solids feeding apparatus for a burner such as a concentrate burner, a calcine burner, or a matte burner, or a burner using a mixture of these. The fine solids feeding apparatus comprises gas outlets in a fine solids discharge channel upstream of a downstream outlet end of the fine solids discharge channel. The gas outlets comprise spiral path guiding members configured to facilitate gas to flow from the gas outlets in a spiral flow path around a center axis A of the fine solids discharge channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Peter BJÖRKLUND, Elli MIETTiNEN, Aki LAANINEN, Sarianna SUOMINEN, Kaj EKLUND
  • Publication number: 20180209741
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement comprising a fluidization arrangement (3) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter into a dosing bin (4), and a conveyor means (6) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter from the dosing bin (4) to the concentrate or matte burner (1) of the suspension smelting furnace (2), and a loss-in-weight controller (5) between the dosing bin (4) and the conveyor means (6). The arrangement comprises an impact cone (8) arranged below a filling valve (7) between the fluidization arrangement (3) and the dosing bin (4) for distributing fluidized fine-grained matter flowing from the fluidization arrangement (3) within the dosing bin (4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Markku Lahtinen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund
  • Patent number: 10006718
    Abstract: An arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate or matte burner (1) of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The arrangement comprising a fluidization arrangement (3) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter into a dosing bin (4), and a conveyor means (6) for feeding fluidized fine-grained matter from the dosing bin (4) to the concentrate or matte burner (1) of the suspension smelting furnace (2), and a loss-in-weight controller (5) between the dosing bin (4) and the conveyor means (6). The arrangement comprises an impact cone (8) arranged below a filling valve (7) between the fluidization arrangement (3) and the dosing bin (4) for distributing fluidized fine-grained matter flowing from the fluidization arrangement (3) within the dosing bin (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Markku Lahtinen, Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund
  • Publication number: 20180156541
    Abstract: Provided is a burner such as a concentrate burner or a matte burner for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into a reaction shaft of a suspension smelting furnace. The burner comprises an annular fine solids discharge channel that is radially limited at the outside by a first annular wall and that is radially limited at the inside by a second annular wall. The annular fine solids discharge channel is configured to receive fine solids from a fine solids feeding arrangement and to create an annular flow of fine solids in the annular fine solids discharge channel. The annular fine solids discharge channel being provided with spreading means configured to be hit by the annular flow of fine solids and configured to even out particle distribution in the annular flow of fine solids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Elli MIETTINEN, Sarianna SUOMINEN, Lauri P. PESONEN, Aki LAANINEN, Tapio AHOKAINEN, Kaj EKLUND, Markku LAHTINEN, Peter BJÖRKLUND
  • Patent number: 9957586
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of using a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace and to a concentrate burner (4). The concentrate burner (4) comprises a first gas supply device (12) for feeding a first gas (5) into the reaction shaft (2) and a second gas supply device (18) for feeding a second gas (16) into the reaction shaft (2). The first gas supply device (12) comprises a first annular discharge opening (14), which which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of a feeder pipe (7), so that the first annular discharge opening (14) surrounds the feeder pipe (7). The second gas supply device (18) comprises a second annular discharge opening (17), which is arranged concentrically with the mouth (8) of the feeder pipe (7), so that the second annular discharge opening (17) surrounds the feeder pipe (7) opening (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Jussi Sipilä, Markku Lahtinen, Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Tapio Ahokainen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Kaj Eklund
  • Publication number: 20180073102
    Abstract: Provided are a method and an arrangement for operating a metallurgical furnace. The method comprises a feeding step, and a temperature controlling step for controlling the temperature of a molten metal layer and a slag layer in a furnace space of the metallurgical furnace. The temperature controlling step comprises a first measuring step for measuring the slag temperature (Tslag), a second measuring step for measuring the slag liquidus temperature (Tslag, liquidus), and a calculating step for calculating a superheat temperature (Tsuperheat) by calculating the temperature difference between the slag temperature (Tslag) and the slag liquidus temperature (Tslag, liquidus). In case the calculated superheat temperature (Tsuperheat) is outside a predefined superheat temperature range (Tsuperheat set), the method comprises an adjusting step for adjusting to adjust the actual superheat temperature. Also provided are computer program products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Peter BJÖRKLUND, Oskari KARHUVAARA, Mikael P. JÅFS, Lauri P. PESONEN
  • Patent number: 9869515
    Abstract: The invention relates to a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft (1), an uptake shaft (2), and a lower furnace (3), as well as a concentrate burner (4) for feeding reaction gas and fine solids into the reaction shaft (1) of the suspension smelting furnace. The concentrate burner (4) comprises a fine solids discharge channel (5) that is radially limited by the wall (6) of the solids discharge channel, a fine solids dispersion device (7) in the fine solids discharge channel (5), an annular reaction gas channel (8) that surrounds the fine solids discharge channel (5) and is radially limited by the wall (9) of the annular reaction gas channel (8), and a cooling block (10) that surrounds the annular reaction gas channel (8). The cooling block (10) is a component that is manufactured by a continuous casting method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Mikael Jåfs, Tapio Ahokainen, Kari Pienimäki, Lauri P. Pesonen
  • Patent number: 9851150
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate burner (1) or a matte burner of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The invention relates also to a controlling means for controlling feeding of fine-grained matter to a concentrate burner (1) or a matte burner of a suspension smelting furnace (2) in an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate burner (1) or a matte burner of a suspension smelting furnace (2). The invention relates also to controlling means for controlling feeding of fine-grained matter to a concentrate burner (1) or a matte burner of a suspension smelting furnace (2) in an arrangement for feeding fine-grained matter to a concentrate burner (1) or a matte burner of a suspension smelting furnace (2) and to a computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Tapio Ahokainen, Markku Ylönen
  • Patent number: 9845993
    Abstract: The invention relates to method and to an arrangement for removing outgrowth in a suspension smelting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft having a reaction shaft structure. The reaction shaft comprises at least one opening for an outgrowth removal means. The movable piston is arranged such that the movable piston can move in the opening in the reaction shaft and into the reaction shaft to push possible outgrowth in the reaction shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Aki Laaninen, Kaarle Peltoniemi, Lauri Pesonen
  • Patent number: 9739535
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides (13) in a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace comprises at least one injection means (18) for injecting at least one of fluid (19) and pulverous matter (20) into a settler (2) of the suspension smelting furnace from at least one of a first side wall structure (8) and a second side wall structure (9) of the settler (2) so that fluid (19) and/or pulverous matter (20) is injected into the settler (2) above a top surface (16) of a layer of melt (15) in the settler (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Lauri Pesonen, Peter Björklund
  • Publication number: 20170191760
    Abstract: Provided are a method and an arrangement for monitoring performance of a burner of a suspension smelting furnace. The burner is arranged at the top structure of a reaction shaft of the suspension smelting furnace. The burner has a solids feeding channel that has a solids outlet opening up into the reaction shaft, and a reaction gas channel comprising a reaction gas channel a that has a reaction gas outlet opening up into the reaction shaft. The arrangement comprises at least one imaging means for producing images representing the cross-section of the reaction gas channel, and a processing means for receiving images of the cross-section of the reaction gas channel from the imaging means.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: Aki LAANINEN, Elli MIETTINEN, Peter BJÖRKLUND, Lauri P. PESONEN
  • Patent number: 9580771
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for refining copper concentrate. The arrangement includes a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft, and a settler. The reaction shaft is provided with a concentrate burner for feeding copper concentrate such as copper sulfide concentrate and/or copper matte and additionally at least reaction gas into the reaction shaft to obtain a blister layer containing blister and a first slag layer containing slag on top of the blister layer in the settler, and a slag cleaning furnace. The arrangement includes a feeder configured for feeding blister from the blister layer in the settler and for feeding slag from the first slag layer in the settler into the slag cleaning furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Outotec (Finland) Oy
    Inventors: Tapio Ahokainen, Peter Björklund, Tuomo Jokinen, Harri Rannikko, Maija Metsärinta, Markku Lahtinen
  • Patent number: 9557105
    Abstract: The improved method and arrangement are for cooling torrefied lignocellulosic material. By adding water in controlled amounts to the torrefied material in a grinder at exit from a roaster the entire volume of torrefied material could be cooled down to a temperature well below the critical temperature without increasing the water content of the final product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: VALMET AB
    Inventor: Peter Björklund
  • Patent number: 9347710
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the thermal balance of a suspension smelting and to a suspension smelting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace, comprising a reaction shaft (1), a lower furnace (2), and an uptake (3), wherein the reaction shaft (1) having a shaft structure (4) that is provided with a surrounding wall structure (5) and a roof structure (6) and that limits a reaction chamber (7), and wherein the reaction shaft (1) is provided with a concentrate burner (14) for feeding pulverous solid matter and reaction gas into the reaction chamber (7). The shaft structure (4) of the reaction shaft (1) is provided with cooling means (8) for feeding endothermic material into the reaction chamber (7) of the reaction shaft (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Outotec Oyj
    Inventors: Jorma Myyri, Tapio Ahokainen, Lauri P. Pesonen, Peter Björklund
  • Patent number: 9266917
    Abstract: The method is for separation of lignin from original black liquor (BLIN) having the following phases in sequence; a first precipitation phase (PR1) for precipitation of lignin by a first acidification of the original black liquor by adding a first acid or mixture of acids (G1a); followed by a second precipitation phase (PR2) for precipitation of lignin by a further acidification of the original black liquor by adding a second acid or mixture of acids (G1b). The first phase is implemented to lower the pH while avoiding any larger amount of precipitation, i.e. less than 2-5%, while the second phase is implemented in order to obtain the larger part of the precipitation. In total is 40-70% of the total lignin content of the original black liquor precipitated while the residual black liquor after precipitation is still strongly alkaline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Valmet AB
    Inventors: Peter Björklund, Martin Wimby, Henrik Wallmo
  • Publication number: 20160040935
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding feed material from a bin (10) for feed material into a furnace space of a smelting furnace. The method comprises a first providing step for providing a feed material feeding arrangement (9) for feeding feed material from the bin (10) for feed material into the furnace space of the smelting furnace (1), and a feeding step for feeding feed material from the bin (10) for feed material into the furnace space of the smelting furnace. The method comprises additionally a second providing step for providing at least one sensor (11) for measuring flow of feed material at a position between the bin (10) for feed material and the furnace space of the smelting furnace (1), and a measuring step for measuring flow of feed material by means of said at least one sensor (11) at said position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: OUTOTEC (FINLAND) OY
    Inventors: AKI LAANINEN, Elli MIETTINEN, Peter BJÖRKLUND
  • Publication number: 20150300740
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides (13) in a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace comprises at least one injection means (18) for injecting at least one of fluid (19) and pulverous matter (20) into a settler (2) of the suspension smelting furnace from at least one of a first side wall structure (8) and a second side wall structure (9) of the settler (2) so that fluid (19) and/or pulverous matter (20) is injected into the settler (2) above a top surface (16) of a layer of melt (15) in the settler (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2013
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicant: Outotec (Finland) OY
    Inventors: Lauri PESONEN, Peter BJÖRKLUND