Patents by Inventor Robert Millner

Robert Millner 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).

  • Publication number: 20160348199
    Abstract: A method for reducing metal oxide containing charge materials (1): reducing the metal oxide containing charge materials (1) in at least two fluidized bed units (RA,RE) by means of a reduction gas (2), wherein at least some of the resulting off-gas (3) is recycled and wherein the metal oxide containing charge materials (1) are conveyed into the fluidized bed unit RE by a propellant gas. Also, apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: Robert MILLNER, Jan-Friedemann PLAUL, Norbert REIN
  • Patent number: 9470456
    Abstract: A melter gasifier of a smelting reduction installation is charged by bringing together coal -containing material in lump form and iron carrier material (which may be hot) before and/or while they enter the melter gasifier. The ratio of the combined amounts of iron carrier material and coal-containing material in lump form is variable. The combined amounts of iron carrier material and coal-containing material in lump form are distributed over the cross section of the melter gasifier by a dynamic distributing device, and the ratio of the combined amounts of the iron carrier material and coal-containing material in lump form is set depending on the position of the dynamic distributing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GmbH
    Inventors: Georg Aichinger, Franz Berner, Thomas Eder, Robert Millner, Jan-Friedemann Plaul, Norbert Rein, Andreas Scherney, Kurt Wieder, Johann Wurm
  • Patent number: 9428818
    Abstract: A method for reducing material containing iron oxide in a solid bed in a reduction shaft and converting the material to pre-reduced material in the reduction shaft by introducing pre-reduction gas into the solid bed at a pressure p1. Pre-reduced material is introduced from the reduction shaft into a melter gasifier and there finally reduced by reduction gas under a pressure p2. A top gas at pressure p3 is diverted from above the solid bed out of the reduction shaft. A dust exhaust gas having a pressure p4 is diverted from the solid bed out of the reduction shaft. The relationships p1>p4 and p1>p3, and preferably also p4>p3, apply. A device carries out such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Hado Heckmann, Robert Millner, Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Patent number: 9400139
    Abstract: A device for closed-loop control of process gases (11) in a plant (8) for producing directly reduced metal ores includes at least one reduction unit (10), an appliance upstream of the reduction unit (10) for separating gas mixtures (18), a gas purification appliance (13) connected downstream of the reduction unit (10) for rate control of process gases (11). Process gases (11) are obtained by recycling from the production process itself and from a plant for pig iron generation (1) via a supply conduit (16). An open-loop pressure control appliance (15) upstream of a junction of the supply conduit (16) into a return conduit (14) for the process gases (11) such that a pressure level for the appliance for separating gas mixtures (18) is kept constant and the process gases (9,11) are controlled in a closed-loop manner in a plant for producing directly reduced metal ores (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Jan-Friedemann Plaul, Norbert Rein, Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Patent number: 9382594
    Abstract: A method is provided for producing pressed articles which contain direct-reduced, fine particulate iron (direct reduced iron, DRI) from a fluidized bed reduction system for direct reduction of fine particulate iron ore, wherein direct-reduced, fine particulate iron produced in the fluidized bed reduction system during direct reduction is compacted into pressed articles. Dry, fine particulate material containing at least fine particulate iron ore and optionally fine particulate iron and carbon is admixed to the direct-reduced fine particulate iron and the mixture thus obtained is subsequently compacted into pressed articles. An apparatus for carrying out such method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Eder, Robert Millner, Jan-Friedemann Plaul, Norbert Rein
  • Patent number: 9377242
    Abstract: A method and a system for treating waste gases (4) from plants (32, 33) for pig iron production, wherein a first sub-stream (51) of the waste gas is subjected to an at least partial conversion of CO into CO2 after the addition of water and/or water vapor (10) and the waste gas (4) is then subjected to CO2 capture. To be able to set a variable H2/CO ratio in the waste gas, a further sub-stream (52) of the waste gas is not subjected to a conversion of CO into CO2, but is subjected to CO2 capture separately from the first sub-stream (51).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Publication number: 20160168652
    Abstract: A process for producing liquid pig iron (1), in which charge materials (2) containing iron oxide are reduced by a reducing gas (5) in a first reduction plant (4) to form a partially reduced first iron product (3) and are melted in a fusion gasifier (11) to form the liquid pig iron (1). The spent reducing gas (5) is introduced as export gas (6) into a second reduction plant (7), wherein a sulfur-containing gas (13) is introduced together with an oxygen-containing gas (9) and/or together with dust (16) into the fusion gasifier (11) and/or into the reducing gas line (12). Also, a device for carrying out the process. It is therefore possible for sulfur-containing gas (13) to be used for production of liquid pig iron (1), or DRI, with a simultaneous increase in productivity, without damaging the environment or adversely affecting the quality of the liquid pig iron (1) or of the DRI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Robert MILLNER
  • Patent number: 9365906
    Abstract: A process and a device for charging a primary product for pig iron into a smelting unit are provided. According to the process and device, some of the primary product that has been formed by reducing oxidic iron carriers is stored in the hot state in a reservoir tank before being supplied into the storage device or charging device that is directly connected to the smelting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Eder, Robert Millner, Jan Friedemann Plaul, Norbert Rein, Andreas Scherney, Karl Zehetbauer
  • Publication number: 20160076113
    Abstract: A method for reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks by introducing a reducing gas into a high-pressure reducing unit (1) where the reducing gas is consumed by reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks and then the reducing gas is withdrawn as top gas from the high-pressure reducing unit (1). At least one subportion of the top gas is admixed to a feed gas as recycle gas (15). The reducing gas is generated by CO2 being separated off from the gas mixture obtained from the addition of the recycle gas (15) to the feed gas after one or more compression steps. The recycle gas (15) is added to the feed gas in at least two recycle gas substreams that are separated from one another with recycle gas substream pressures at various distances from the high-pressure reducing unit (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Robert MILLNER, Gerald ROSENFELLNER
  • Patent number: 9255302
    Abstract: A method for reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks by introducing a reducing gas into a high-pressure reducing unit (1) where the reducing gas is consumed by reducing iron-oxide-containing feedstocks and then the reducing gas is withdrawn as top gas from the high-pressure reducing unit (1). At least one subportion of the top gas is admixed to a feed gas as recycle gas (15). The reducing gas is generated by CO2 being separated off from the gas mixture obtained from the addition of the recycle gas (15) to the feed gas after one or more compression steps. The recycle gas (15) is added to the feed gas in at least two recycle gas substreams that are separated from one another with recycle gas substream pressures at various distances from the high-pressure reducing unit (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS VAI METALS TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Gerald Rosenfellner
  • Patent number: 9222042
    Abstract: In a plant having integrated CO2 removal, for pig iron production or synthesizing gas, at least part of the offgas or synthesis gas is discharged as export gas from the plant, optionally collected in an export gas container and subsequently thermally utilized in a gas turbine. The offgas from the gas turbine is fed to a waste heat boiler for generation of steam. To reduce the addition of high-grade fuel gases, at least part of the tailgas from the CO2 removal plant is mixed into the export gas upstream of the gas turbine as a function of the joule value of the export gas after addition of the tailgas. The proportion of tailgas is increased when the joule value of the export gas goes above a predefined maximum joule value and the proportion of tailgas is reduced when the joule value of the export gas drops below a predefined minimum joule value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GmBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Jan-Friedemann Plaul
  • Publication number: 20150345869
    Abstract: In a process and apparatus for the reduction of metal oxides (3) to form metalized material by contact with hot reducing gas, which is produced at least partially by catalytic reformation of a mixture of a gas containing carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or steam (H2O) with gaseous hydrocarbons, the heat for the endothermal reformation processes which take place during the reformation is provided at least partially by the combustion of a fuel gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Inventors: Robert MILLNER, Guenter PEER
  • Publication number: 20150330707
    Abstract: A method and a device for balancing out amount fluctuations while simultaneously increasing the temperature of an export gas (2) used in a reduction process (1). A first partial amount (3) of a recycling gas (4) is cooled in at least one recycling-gas cooler (5) to form a cold recycling gas (6) and the cold recycling gas (6) is fed to the export gas (2) in a pressure-controlled and/or amount-controlled manner in order to balance out amount fluctuations of the export gas (2). A second partial amount of the recycling gas (4) is fed to the export gas (2) as hot recycling gas (7) having a higher temperature than the cold recycling gas (6). Then an export gas mixture (8) of the cold recycling gas (6) and the hot recycling gas (7) is introduced into the reduction process (1), wherein the temperature of the export gas mixture (8) is higher than the temperature of the export gas (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Robert MILLNER, Gerald ROSENFELLNER
  • Publication number: 20150329930
    Abstract: In a process and apparatus for the reduction of metal oxides to form metalized material by contact with hot reducing gas, which is produced at least partially by catalytic reformation of a mixture of a gas containing carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or steam (H2O) with gaseous hydrocarbons, the fuel gas for burners which provide the heat for the endothermal reformation processes which take place during the reformation is obtained at least partially from a partial quantity of the top gas produced during the reduction of metal oxides to form metalized material, wherein this partial quantity of the top gas, before it is used as a component of the fuel gas, is firstly subjected to dedusting and then to a CO conversion reaction, and the conversion gas obtained during the CO conversion reaction is subjected to CO2 removal after cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Robert MILLNER, Guenter PEER
  • Patent number: 9181595
    Abstract: In a process and apparatus for the reduction of metal oxides (3) to form metalized material by contact with hot reducing gas, which is produced at least partially by catalytic reformation of a mixture of a gas containing carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or steam (H2O) with gaseous hydrocarbons, the heat for the endothermal reformation processes which take place during the reformation is provided at least partially by the combustion of a fuel gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: SIEMENS VAI METALS TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Guenter Peer
  • Patent number: 9169535
    Abstract: In a process and apparatus for the reduction of metal oxides to form metalized material by contact with hot reducing gas, which is produced at least partially by catalytic reformation of a mixture of—a gas containing carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or steam (H2O) with—gaseous hydrocarbons, the fuel gas for burners which provide the heat for the endothermal reformation processes which take place during the reformation is obtained at least partially from a partial quantity of the top gas produced during the reduction of metal oxides to form metalized material, wherein this partial quantity of the top gas, before it is used as a component of the fuel gas, is firstly subjected to dedusting and then to a CO conversion reaction, and the conversion gas obtained during the CO conversion reaction is subjected to CO2 removal after cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: SIEMENS VAI METALS TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Guenter Peer
  • Patent number: 9139884
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for producing liquid pig iron or liquid primary steel products from charge materials formed by iron ores and additions. The charge materials are subjected to a further reduction in a reducing zone (1) and are then fed to a smelting zone or a smelting unit (2), in particular a fusion gasifier, for smelting with the addition of carbon carriers and oxygen-containing gas to form a fixed bed. A CO- and H2-containing reduction gas is formed, which gas is introduced into the reducing zone converted there and drawn off as top gas. The hot top gas, laden with solid matter, after separation of the solids, is subjected at least to a dry coarse separation and at least parts of the hot solids segregated by the separation are returned into the smelting zone or the smelting unit (2) or the reducing unit (1). In addition, the top gas is treated in a further fine separation stage (13A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: PRIMETALS TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRIA GMBH
    Inventors: Georg Aichinger, Thomas Eder, Hado Heckmann, Robert Millner, Johannes Leopold Schenk, Martin Schmidt, Kurt Wieder, Johann Wurm
  • Publication number: 20150176905
    Abstract: A method and a plant for the production of pig iron or liquid steel semi-finished products are shown, metal oxide-containing batch materials and, if appropriate, aggregates being at least partially reduced in a reduction zone by a reduction gas, subsequently being introduced into a smelting zone and being smelted along with the supply of carbon carriers and oxygen-containing gas and along with the formation of the reduction gas. The reduction gas formed in the smelting zone is supplied to the reduction zone, reacted there and drawn off as export gas, CO2 is separated from the export gas, and a product gas is formed which is utilized for the introduction of pulverulent carbon carriers into the smelting zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventor: Robert Millner
  • Publication number: 20150135899
    Abstract: A method for introducing fine particulate material (4) of ferruginous particles into a fluidized bed reduction unit (1) having a fluidized bed (24), wherein the temperature in the fluidized bed (24) is more than 300° C., and wherein the fine particulate material (4) is introduced directly into the fluidized bed (24) and/or into a free space (25) above the fluidized bed (24) by means of a burner (2). The method may be used for producing liquid pig iron (17) or liquid steel precursor products (18) by a smelting reduction process in a smelting reduction unit (22).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Franz Hauzenberger, Robert Millner, Jan-Friedemann Plaul, Norbert Rein
  • Publication number: 20150136046
    Abstract: A method and a system for generating steam using the waste gases from plants for pig iron manufacture: waste gas removed as export gas (12) from the plant for pig iron manufacture is thermally utilized by combustion, and the waste gas from the combustion is fed to a heat-recovery steam generator (29). To utilize more energy from the export gas (12) for power generation, the export gas (12) is fed into a combustion chamber (23) located upstream of the heat-recovery steam generator (29), and after the combustion in the heat-recovery steam generator (29), heat is extracted from the export gas (12) without the export gas (12) passing through a gas turbine between combustion and heat-recovery steam generator. The pressure in the combustion chamber (23) and heat-recovery steam generator (29) are set above atmospheric pressure by means of a gas flow regulator (31) that is located downstream of the heat-recovery steam generator (29).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: SIEMENS VAI METALS TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Millner, Kurt Wieder, Johann Wurm