With Charge Pre-heating Patents (Class 373/80)
  • Patent number: 12050060
    Abstract: A device (1) for drying and/or preheating metallic and/or non-metallic materials, preferably scrap, comprises a receiving container (3) and a scrap basket (7) which is arranged in the receiving container (3) and has a gas-permeable bottom area (9). The receiving container (3) has at least one process gas inlet line (6) in its wall (4), via which a process gas with a temperature in the range from 200 to 1600° C. can be introduced into the receiving container (3), and at least an injector nozzle (19) arranged coaxially within the at least one process gas inlet line (6) via which a cooling gas can be introduced into the process gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: SMS group GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Krausa, William Todd Zeisler, Paul Debski, Hans-Jürgen Odenthal, Peter Starke, Richard Cook, Michael J. Kaltenbach
  • Patent number: 11668526
    Abstract: The present invention belongs to the technical field of metallurgy, and discloses a horizontal continuous feeding preheating device and an enhanced preheating method therefor. The scheme comprises that two dust removal ports are arranged at the front and rear parts of a horizontal continuous feeding preheating duct, and the horizontal continuous feeding preheating duct is divided into an enhanced preheating area and a flue gas preheating area by the two dust removal ports arranged at the front and rear parts of the horizontal continuous feeding preheating duct; burners are installed in the enhanced preheating area, and the two dust removal ports are connected with a flue gas adjusting distributor respectively by a flue gas pipeline the steel scrap preheating efficiency of the burners and electric arc furnace flue gas is increased by controlling the flow rate and temperature of mixed flue gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignees: CISDI ENGINEERING CO., LTD, CISDI RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qiming Huang, Cunzhen Tan, Weizhi Shi, Yuchuan Zhang, Zhan Gao, Lei Al, Chunting Liu, Wei Lin, Chao Liu
  • Patent number: 11473841
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electric furnace including: a cylindrical furnace wall; a furnace cover that is provided at an upper end of the furnace wall; and a furnace bottom that is provided at a lower end of the furnace wall and includes a deep bottom portion and a shallow bottom portion as a region having a height of 150 mm to 500 mm from a deepest point of the deep bottom portion, in which a slag pouring port into which molten slag or a solidified slag lump is capable of being poured from a slag transport container directly or through a tilting trough is provided, the slag pouring port overlaps the shallow bottom portion in a plan view, and the area ratio of the shallow bottom portion to the furnace bottom in a plan view is 5% to 40%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toshiya Harada
  • Patent number: 9677814
    Abstract: A process for heating a metal feedstock (31) fed in continuous to a smelting furnace (30) through a second horizontal heating section (34) through which hot discharge fumes collected from said furnace (30) pass, said fumes exerting a heating phase of said feedstock (31), characterized in that, immediately before entering said second heating section (34), the feedstock (31) is subjected to a preheating phase by heating means other than the discharge fumes collected from the smelting furnace (30). In a plant for the embodiment of said process, said different heating means are envisaged inside a first preheating section (33), which is operatively connected with said second heating section (34) by means of an intermediate fume evacuation section (35), the fumes coming from said sections (33) and (34) being conveyed to said section. Said sections (33, 34) preferably have a tunnel configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Tenova S.p.A.
    Inventors: Cesare Giavani, Nicola Ambrogio Maria Monti
  • Publication number: 20140010255
    Abstract: Apparatus for continuously conveying and pre-heating a metal charge inside a container of a melting plant, comprising at least a channel for conveying the metal charge, at least a hood disposed above the conveyor channel defining a tunnel and/or an expansion chamber, inside which at least part of the fumes exiting from said container advance, and apertures made in cooperation with lateral walls of said conveyor channel to discharge the fumes. The conveyor channel comprises activator means that divert the fumes and/or delimit the zone occupied by the metal charge of the conveyor channel, and that cooperate longitudinally with at least part of the conveyor channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: DANIELI & C. OFFICINE MECCANICHE SPA
    Inventors: Thomas Narholz, Bernard Villemin
  • Publication number: 20130259082
    Abstract: A metallurgical melting vessel has a vertical shaft, surrounded by a housing wall, which receives steel scrap. At least one closure element, having laterally spaced-apart fingers extending parallel to one another, is mounted such that it can move between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the fingers protrude at least partially into the shaft for the purpose of holding back steel scrap. In the open position, the fingers free the shaft at least to such an extent that the steel scrap can fall from the shaft into the melting vessel. The at least one closure element is mounted so as to be movable from the side of the shaft into the shaft and laterally thereoutof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Hannes Beile, Markus Dorndorf, Hansjörg Huber, Christiane Kiessner, Petra Kreuder, Matthias Krieg, Alexander Müller, Robert Schalast, Michael Schmid
  • Publication number: 20130195138
    Abstract: A heat exchanger rapid cooling flue gas of ironwork plants, including: a support structure of at least one module including an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold of the flue gas, mutually opposed and aligned; plural panels that extend between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold mutually superimposed at a defined distance, pairs of adjacent panels defining flow channels of the flue gas closed laterally by shoulders and including at opposite ends respectively an inlet aperture communicating with the inlet manifold and an outlet aperture communicating with the outlet manifold; circulation ducts of a cooling fluid associated with the panels; and a first selective closing mechanism of the inlet apertures and a second selective closing mechanism of the outlet apertures of one or more of the channels; each of the channels laterally closed by a respective pair of shoulders of which at least one is of removable type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: TENOVA S.P.A.
    Inventor: Nicola Ambrogio Maria Monti
  • Patent number: 7767136
    Abstract: Apparatus for the combustion of gas exiting from an electric arc furnace where the heat of combustion is used for the preheating of scraps entering the furnace wherein the apparatus has an insertion device for introducing comburent substance into a preheating chamber or loading tunnel for scrap metal where the loding tunnel has an inlet section for scrap metal, a seal section to prevent an uncontrolled entrance of air in the tunnel, a heating section and an unloading section for delivering scrap metal to the furnace. The insertion device for the comburent substance has one or more adjustable openings placed in the loading tunnel, and said apparatus comprises a device or a series of devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Techint Compagnia Tecnica Internazionale S.p.A
    Inventors: Paolo Argenta, Silvio Reali, Claudio Lodati, Mauro Bianchi Ferri
  • Publication number: 20080267250
    Abstract: An equipment for the measurement and control of load material and scrap metal feeding into an electrical arc furnace, including an automatic control device for feeding control of load material or scrap according to the energy supplied to the bath, and a measuring device for the added load material, in correlation with the automatic control device, comprising a weighing device for the furnace shell, its contents and any other components it may support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Inventors: Paolo Argenta, Silvio Reali, Claudio Lodati
  • Patent number: 7329878
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a lens assembly of a microcolumn having a plurality of microlenses and a plurality of insulating layers alternately interposed between the microlenses. The method includes forming at least one first microlens assembly set (set—1) by anodic-bonding an insulating layer (101) and a microlens (102) together; layering a second microlens assembly set (set—2) on the first microlens assembly set (set—1); and scanning a laser beam, thus welding the first microlens assembly set (set—1) to the microlens of the second microlens assembly set (set—2). The method of the present invention further includes anodic-bonding the microlens assembly sets together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: CEBT Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ho Seob Kim
  • Patent number: 6693948
    Abstract: The present invention provides an arc-melting apparatus which attains extremely high efficiency by preheating scraps using exhaust gas from the melting chamber. The arc-melting apparatus needs for no device to carry and supply an iron source to a melting chamber, which makes it possible to preheat the next charge. The arc-melting apparatus has a melting furnace which melts scraps, a preheating shaft connected directly to an upper part of one side of the melting furnace, an arc electrode for melting scraps in the melting furnace, a bucket for supplying scraps to the preheat shaft so as to continuously maintain scraps in the melting furnace and in the preheating shaft, a tapping portion having a tapping hole, being projected outward from the melting furnace and a tilting device for tilting the melting furnace on a side of the tapping portion. The tapping portion is arranged at an orthogonal direction to the direction of the supplied cold iron source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: JP Steel Plantech Co.
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizukami, Ryuji Yamaguchi, Takashi Nakayama, Teruo Tatefuku, Norio Ao, Toshimichi Maki, Yasuhiro Sato, Hirotsugu Kubo
  • Publication number: 20030193986
    Abstract: The present invention provides an arc-melting apparatus which attains extremely high efficiency by preheating scraps using exhaust gas from the melting chamber. The arc-melting apparatus needs for no device to carry and supply an iron source to a melting chamber, which makes it possible to preheat the next charge. The arc-melting apparatus has a melting furnace which melts scraps, a preheating shaft connected directly to an upper part of one side of the melting furnace, an arc electrode for melting scraps in the melting furnace, a bucket for supplying scraps to the preheat shaft so as to continuously maintain scraps in the melting furnace and in the preheating shaft, a tapping portion having a tapping hole, being projected outward from the melting furnace and a tilting device for tilting the melting furnace on a side of the tapping portion. The tapping portion is arranged at an orthogonal direction to the direction of the supplied cold iron source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: JP STEEL PLANTECH CO.
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizukami, Ryuji Yamaguchi, Takashi Nakayama, Teruo Tatefuku, Norio Ao, Toshimichi Maki, Yasuhiro Sato, Hirotsugu Kubo
  • Patent number: 6597722
    Abstract: The present invention provides an arc-melting apparatus, which attains extremely high efficiency by preheating scraps using exhaust gas from the melting chamber. The arc-melting apparatus needs for no device to carry and supply an iron source to a melting chamber, which makes it possible to preheat the next charge. The arc-melting apparatus has a melting furnace which melts scraps, a preheating shaft connected directly to an upper part of one side of the melting furnace, an arc electrode for melting scraps in the melting furnace, a bucket for supplying scraps to the preheat shaft so as to continuously maintain scraps in the melting furnace and in the preheating shaft, a tapping portion having a tapping hole, being projected outward from the melting furnace and a tilting device for tilting the melting furnace on a side of the tapping portion. The tapping portion is arranged at an orthogonal direction to the direction of the supplied cold iron source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: JP Steel Plantech Co.
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizukami, Ryuji Yamaguchi, Norio Ao, Toshimichi Maki
  • Patent number: 6557619
    Abstract: For improvement in production efficiency by elimination of a centering of an ingot supplier to an ingot supply opening upon reconnection of a melting and holding furnace to a die cast machine, there are provided an intermediate handler having a receiving case configured substantially in a channel shape open at both ends thereof, and pivoted on the furnace cover to be movable between a substantially horizontal lying position with one end thereof coincident with an ingot exit of the preheater to allow for a preheated ingot to be forward therein in a lying position with a longitudinal axis thereof set substantially horizontal and a substantially vertical standing position with the other end thereof coincident with the ingot supply opening to bring a distal end of the preheated ingot forwarded therein into abutment with the shutter to make the preheated ingot stand thereon, and an ingot supplier having a pawl chuck configured to enter inside the receiving case from an open side of the receiving case in the substa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignee: Toshiba, Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinichi Katoh
  • Patent number: 6553055
    Abstract: In a charging material preheater for preheating charging material (60) which is to be charged into a furnace vessel (3), having a shaft (9) which is fixed in a frame structure (20) and which in its upper region has a closeable feed opening (61) for the charging material (60) and a gas outlet and in its lower region a discharge opening for the charging material (60) and a gas inlet, and whose shaft walls (33, 35) delimit a receiving space (62) for the charging material (60) to be heated, the shaft walls (34,35) are subdivided into shaft wall portions which are individually replaceably fixed in the frame structure (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Arcmet Technologie GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Fuchs
  • Patent number: 6549558
    Abstract: A furnace for melting and holding aluminum materials, the furnace being characterized in that the furnace comprises: a pre-heating tower for pre-heating aluminum blocks, a melting crucible furnace which receives a supply of aluminum blocks from the pre-heating tower at a position immediately under the pre-heating tower, and a holding crucible furnace which receives a continuous supply of molten aluminum from the melting crucible furnace at a position side-by-side with the melting crucible furnace, and that an exhaust gas resulting from combustion in the melting crucible furnace can be supplied to the inside of the pre-heating tower as an ascending current for heat exchange with aluminum blocks, the furnace being capable of continuous melting and energy savings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Crucible Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamio Okada, Hideo Yoshikawa, Michio Matsuura, Toshiaki Sano, Tomohiro Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 6450804
    Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for charging, preheating and refining steel. The charging apparatus has a skirted charging section for introducing charge materials, a dynamic gas seal adjacent the charging section and a preheater, the preheater for preheating the charged materials, a connector adjacent the preheater and removably insertable into an electric arc furnace for feeding charged materials into a furnace bath for melting and refining metallic charge therein, and a vibrating conveyor which extends throughout the charging apparatus. The charging apparatus is positioned on rails to be movable by a hydraulic cylinder between a charging position wherein the connector is fully inserted into the furnace, a retracted position where the connector is partially inserted into the furnace and a disconnected position where the connector is fully removed from the furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Techint Compagnia Tecnica Internazionale
    Inventor: John A. Vallomy
  • Publication number: 20020094009
    Abstract: In a charging material preheater for preheating charging material (60) which is to be charged into a furnace vessel (3), having a shaft (9) which is fixed in a frame structure (20) and which in its upper region has a closeable feed opening (61) for the charging material (60) and a gas outlet and in its lower region a discharge opening for the charging material (60) and a gas inlet, and whose shaft walls (33, 35) delimit a receiving space (62) for the charging material (60) to be heated, the shaft walls (34,35) are subdivided into shaft wall portions which are individually replaceably fixed in the frame structure (20).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2002
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Applicant: Arcmet Technologie GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Fuchs
  • Patent number: 6404800
    Abstract: In a charging material preheater for preheating charging material (60) which is to be charged into a furnace vessel (3), having a shaft (9) which is fixed in a frame structure (20) and which in its upper region has a closeable feed opening (61) for the charging material (60) and a gas outlet and in its lower region a discharge opening for the charging material (60) and a gas inlet, and whose shaft walls (33, 35) delimit a receiving space (62) for the charging material (60) to be heated, the shaft walls (34, 35) are subdivided into shaft wall portions which are individually replaceably fixed in the frame structure (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Arcmet Technologie GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Fuchs
  • Publication number: 20020009118
    Abstract: The present invention provides an arc-melting apparatus, which attains extremely high efficiency by preheating scraps using exhaust gas from the melting chamber. The arc-melting apparatus needs for no device to carry and supply an iron source to a melting chamber, which makes it possible to preheat the next charge. The arc-melting apparatus has a melting furnace which melts scraps, a preheating shaft connected directly to an upper part of one side of the melting furnace, an arc electrode for melting scraps in the melting furnace, a bucket for supplying scraps to the preheat shaft so as to continuously maintain scraps in the melting furnace and in the preheating shaft, a tapping portion having a tapping hole, being projected outward from the melting furnace and a tilting device for tilting the melting furnace on a side of the tapping portion. The tapping portion is arranged at an orthogonal direction to the direction of the supplied cold iron source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Applicant: NKK CORPORATION, 1-2, Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
    Inventors: Hideaki Mizukami, Ryuji Yamaguchi, Takashi Nakayama, Teruo Tatefuku, Norio Ao, Toshimichi Maki, Yasuhiro Sato, Hirotsugu Kubo
  • Patent number: 6314123
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for continuous smelting of solid metal products in a reactor comprising a smelting zone and a metallurgical processing zone, which consists in continuously heating the solid metal products in the smelting zone, gradually transferring said smelted products into the metallurgical process zone, refining the smelted products in the metallurgical process zone in an oxidising slag medium, separating the metallurgical process zone slag from the smelting zone slag, transforming the oxidising slag in the metallurgical process zone into a reducing slag, desulphurizing the smelted products in the metallurgical processing zone in a reducing slag medium and casting the smelted metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Paul Wurth S.A.
    Inventors: Wilhelm Burgmann, Jean Monai, Jean-Luc Roth, Henri Radoux
  • Patent number: 6241798
    Abstract: In order to be able to process in an economical manner different iron carriers in varying quantitative compositions, a plant for the production of iron melts (4), in particular steel melts, such as crude steel melts, is equipped with an electric are furnace vessel (1), a refining vessel (3) following upon the furnace vessel (1) via a weir (34) and including a bottom departing from the weir (34) in an at least partially downwardly inclined manner and an oxygen supply means (35, 36) as well as an iron melt tap (41) provided in its end region farther remote from the furnace vessel (1), a decanting vessel (2) following upon the furnace vessel (1) and having a common bottom (18) with the furnace vessel (1), said decanting vessel being provided with a slag tap (43) in its end region farther remote from the furnace vessel (1), a supply means (21) supplying liquid pig iron (20) and opening into the furnace vessel (1), a preheating shaft (5) supplying solid iron carries (7), said preheating shaft being arranged a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Dimitrov, Norbert Ramaseder, Wilfried Pirklbauer, Ernst Fritz, Heinz Müller
  • Patent number: 6178192
    Abstract: A raw-material heating apparatus in which raw-material supplying pipes and exhaust pipes are disposed in a peripheral portion of a furnace cover, a heating space is formed by the furnace cover, a peripheral wall, and a hearth, a raw material which is supplied from the raw-material supplying pipes and deposited on the hearth is heated by a heating gas which flows into the heating space, and pushers are supported by the peripheral wall for pushing out the raw material on the hearth toward a drop port formed in a central portion of the hearth, the deposited raw material on the hearth being caused to drop consecutively through the drop port by the reciprocating motion of the pushers, characterized in that lower-end openings of each raw-material supplying pipe and each exhaust pipe, when viewed in an axial direction of the apparatus, are disposed at a same position or at positions close to each other in an effective region for pushing out the raw material by the pusher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Chisaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsu Chisaki
  • Patent number: 6163561
    Abstract: Basket to manipulate scrap in cooperation with an arc furnace (11) and with means to pre-heat the scrap by means of the fumes from the fourth hole (14), the basket being able to be associated with a movable covering system (16) and including a containing body, a bottom equipped with toothed lower closing means which may be momentarily opened, and lateral extensions for moving and positioning the basket, the containing body comprising a first upper part (10a) which acts as a buffer store to temporally increase the capacity of the basket (10) and a second lower part (10b) to contain the scrap, with a capacity substantially mating with the volume of the load of the melting furnace (110) which it has to feed, wherein the second lower part (10b) is associated with cooling means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Giampietro Benedetti, Milorad Pavlicevic, Alfredo Poloni, Gianni Gensini, Angelico Della Negra
  • Patent number: 6163560
    Abstract: Method to process fumes performed on fumes discharged directly from furnaces (10) through an aperture (11) in their roof or from loading baskets (13) used to pre-heat scrap which is to be loaded into a furnace, the fumes (17) afterwards being sent to a purification plant (24) and to a chimney, the fumes (17) leaving the furnace (10) and/or the loading baskets (13) through a cooled conduit (14) being made to pass through at least a first transit chamber where they are subjected to a post-combustion process before being sent to the purification plant (24) and the chimney, the first transit chamber being a first expansion chamber and the fumes entering the first expansion chamber (15a) expanding in correspondence with a wider section (215a) therein at the entrance thereto and being deflected by a deflector element (18) arranged substantially at the center of the wider section (215a), the expansion and deflection causing the fumes to decelerate from a speed at the inlet of around 20 to 50 meters per second to a s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Danieli & C Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Alfredo Poloni, Matteo Vittorio Losciale, Milorad Pavlicevic
  • Patent number: 6157664
    Abstract: System to load pre-heated scrap by means of baskets for electric arc furnace, the furnace including a movable roof (28), at least one basket (15) loaded with scrap being arranged in a lateral position near the furnace, the basket (15) being associated with a movable covering system (18), there being included at least a pipe (20) connecting the fourth hole of the furnace with the inside of the basket (15) to convey the fumes leaving the furnace (12) with the function of pre-heating the scrap, the pipe (20) being associated with the covering system (18) and able to be moved therewith, the basket (15) being associated with moving means (16a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Giampietro Benedetti, Milorad Pavlicevic, Alfredo Poloni, Gianni Gensini, Angelico Della Negra
  • Patent number: 6157665
    Abstract: Method to load scrap for electric arc furnace including at least a roof (13) associated with movable moving means (17) cooperating with second movable moving means (24), the roof (13) including at least a hole (15) to discharge the fumes (16), the scrap (22) being contained in baskets (21), there being included at least a system to process the fumes (32) connected with the chimney, the full basket (21) including at least a first position (21a) to pre-heat the scrap arranged at the side of and in proximity to the furnace (10) and a second position (21b) to unload the scrap arranged in cooperation with the mouth of the furnace (10), the movable moving means (24) of the basket (21) and the movable moving means (17) of the roof (13) being functionally associated at least momentarily, the basket (21) containing the scrap being installed in a removable manner on the second movable moving means (24) and being associated at least temporally with a covering system (29), which can be translated from a closed position t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Giampietro Benedetti, Milorad Pavlicevic, Alfredo Poloni, Gianni Gensini, Angelico Della Negra
  • Patent number: 6121009
    Abstract: A small diameter flexible electrode designed for subcutaneous in vivo amperometric monitoring of glucose is described. The electrode is designed to allow "one-point" in vivo calibration, i.e., to have zero output current at zero glucose concentration, even in the presence of other electroreactive species of serum or blood. The electrode is preferably three or four-layered, with the layers serially deposited within a recess upon the tip of a polyamide insulated gold wire. A first glucose concentration-to-current transducing layer is overcoated with an electrically insulating and glucose flux limiting layer (second layer) on which, optionally, an immobilized interference-eliminating horseradish peroxidase based film is deposited (third layer). An outer (fourth) layer is biocompatible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: E. Heller & Company
    Inventors: Adam Heller, Michael V. Pishko
  • Patent number: 6083710
    Abstract: A small diameter flexible electrode designed for subcutaneous in vivo amperometric monitoring of glucose is described. The electrode is designed to allow "one-point" in vivo calibration, i.e., to have zero output current at zero glucose concentration, even in the presence of other electroreactive species of serum or blood. The electrode is preferably three or four-layered, with the layers serially deposited within a recess upon the tip of a polyamide insulated gold wire. A first glucose concentration-to-current transducing layer is overcoated with an electrically insulating and glucose flux limiting layer (second layer) on which, optionally, an immobilized interference-eliminating horseradish peroxidase based film is deposited (third layer). An outer (fourth) layer is biocompatible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2000
    Assignee: E. Heller & Company
    Inventors: Adam Heller, Michael V. Pishko
  • Patent number: 6024912
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel preheating apparatus and method for preheating a ferrous scrap mixture prior to feeding the scrap into a metallurgical furnace, primarily using heat recovered from hot waste gases emitted from the furnace exhaust port, and simultaneously reducing contaminants from the scrap and from the waste gases, with concurrent downward flow of hot waste gases and downwardly descending scrap. The apparatus has a chamber, including a top compartment with a cold scrap input for depositing cold scrap into the top compartment and a hot waste gas inlet in flow communication with the furnace exhaust port. The chamber also has a bottom compartment with a heated scrap discharging mechanism for force delivering the heated scrap into the furnace and a waste gas outlet in flow communication with a vacuum exhaust for evacuating spent waste gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Empco (CANADA) Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert R. Wunsche
  • Patent number: 5999556
    Abstract: An electric arc furnace comprises a closed melting vessel and includes means for charging metal to be molten into the melting vessel. At least one electrode extends into the melting vessel and generates an electric arc and forms a molten metal bath. At least one oxygen lance can be extended into the melting vessel for injecting oxygen into the molten metal bath and create a reaction where the carbon monoxide is generated. Gas is exhausted from the melting vessel and the carbon monoxide gas concentration of the exhaust gas is measured. A post combustion chamber receives the exhaust gas and provides post combustion of the exhaust gas. Post combustion oxygen is injected into the melting vessel in an amount sufficient to provide post combustion based on the amount of oxygen necessary for post combustion of the exhaust gas and the post combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Fuchs Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Manfred Haissig
  • Patent number: 5956365
    Abstract: An electric arc furnace comprises a closed melting vessel and includes a roof through which metal to be molten is charged into the melting vessel. At least one electrode extends into the melting vessel and generates an electric arc and forms a molten metal bath. At least one oxygen lance can be extended into the melting vessel for injecting oxygen into the molten metal bath and create a reaction where the carbon monoxide is generated. Gas is exhausted from the melting vessel and the carbon monoxide gas concentration of the exhaust gas is measured. A post combustion chamber receives the exhaust gas and provides post combustion of the exhaust gas. Post combustion oxygen is injected into the melting vessel in an amount sufficient to provide post combustion based on the amount of oxygen necessary for post combustion of the exhaust gas and the post combustion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Fuchs Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Manfred Haissig
  • Patent number: 5946340
    Abstract: A process for smelting metallic raw materials in a shaft furnace having beds of metallic raw material and coke comprises injecting concurrently into the shaft furnace (1) a mixture of flue gases and oxygen at a subsonic velocity and (2) preheated oxygen at supersonic velocity wherein the supersonic velocity oxygen is injected into the coke bed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Georg Fischer Disa Engineering AG
    Inventors: Josef Ramthun, Albert Koperek
  • Patent number: 5898726
    Abstract: To provide a pre-heating apparatus capable of improving the installation reliability of a raw material holding gate of a pre-heating apparatus, reducing an installation cost and reducing melting electric power energy without deteriorating an operation environment while improving the pre-heating effect on raw materials by an exhaust gas, a shaft equipped with a raw material charging portion and an exhaust gas outlet at the top thereof and with a raw material holding gate at the bottom thereof is disposed in the proximity of an arc furnace, a gap is defined between the lower end portion of the shaft and the holding gate, and an outer cylinder connecting with an exhaust gas duct of the arc furnace is disposed around the outer periphery of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshige Matsumoto, Shinjiro Uchida, Keiichi Tanabe, Toshitaka Nakayama, Makoto Takahashi
  • Patent number: 5889810
    Abstract: A preheating and melting apparatus for scrap, for preheating and melting the scrap highly efficiently, includes a scrap melting furnace having a top blowing lance and an electric arc heater and a preheater for introducing an exhaust gas generated from the melting furnace and preheating the scrap. The scrap preheater is a shaft furnace and a rotary furnace is disposed at the bottom portion of the shaft furnace to continue the shaft furnace. The scrap discharged from the shaft furnace is transferred into the rotary furnace and it is then charged into the scrap melting furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Katayama, Kenro Sato, Akio Kasama, Yasushi Okumura, Yoji Demoto, Shinya Kitamura, Toshiya Harada
  • Patent number: 5835524
    Abstract: A scrap-melting electric arc furnace operating at an elevated melting power having a simple construction that also avoids thermal loads of the side wall caused by the electrodes. The electrodes are protected from damage during scrap-charging. The electric arc furnace includes a bottom for receiving a melt. An upper part rises from the bottom part and has side walls. A lid covers the upper part. A charging shaft is disposed approximately centrically relative to the upper part, and has a diameter that is substantially smaller than the diameter of the upper part. The charging shaft interior communicates with the furnace interior via an opening in the lid. Electrodes arranged approximately radially symmetrically are directed obliquely into the furnace interior and project toward the center of the electric arc furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1998
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrienlagenbau GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Berger, Peter Mittag, Heinrich Auberger, Peter Wimmer, Johann Auer, Alfred Weber, Johannes Steins
  • Patent number: 5800591
    Abstract: A heat processing furnace is provided with a bifurcated feeder which allows scrap steel to be introduced to the furnace from an associated preheater, and direct reduced iron, slag formers, carburizers, and other alloys to be introduced through a lower channel in the connecting car pan directly into the furnace. The feeder is arcuate which prevents collection of molten metal and slag splash and spatter in the corners. The feeder is mounted on a connecting car, which is preferably removable and interchangeable. Apparatus for accomplishing connecting car interchangeability is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Techint Compagnia Tecnica Internazionale
    Inventor: John A. Vallomy
  • Patent number: 5680413
    Abstract: An electric arc melting furnace includes a furnace shell (1) with an electrode (3) for melting scrap by heat of arc, an air blasting port (20) for blasting air, oxygen or oxygen-enriched air into the furnace shell (1) through an air control valve (19), a carbon blasted quantity indicator (CI) for measuring quantity of carbon to be charged into the furnace shell (1), a scrap charged quantity indicator (SI) for measuring quantity of the scrap charged into the furnace shell (1), an oxygen blasted quantity indicator (OI) for measuring quantity of oxygen blasted into the furnace shell (1) and an arithmetic processor (7) for computing quantity of air required for complete combustion of carbon monoxide (23) in the furnace shell (1) in response to measured value from the indicators (CI)(SI)(OI) to control a degree of opening of the air control valve (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Ogushi, Osamu Takeuchi, Ikuo Yamamura, Toru Iura, Hironobu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5654976
    Abstract: The process feeds a mixture of scrap metal, chromite, flux materials, carbonaceous material and wood chips to a submerged arc furnace to make a base iron suitable for iron and steel purposes. The mixture contains about 1-60% chromite, about 1 to 20% flux materials, about 5 to 35% carbonaceous material, about 0-10% wood chips, all based on the weight of scrap in the mixture. By maintaining the charge in the furnace, good energy efficiencies are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 5, 1997
    Assignee: Elkem Technology a/s
    Inventors: Peter Cowx, Hjalte Rognsaa
  • Patent number: 5590150
    Abstract: An electric arc melting furnace comprises a furnace shell (1) with an electrode (3) for melting scrap by heat of arc, an air blasting port (20) for blasting air, oxygen or oxygen-enriched air into the furnace shell (1) through an air control valve (19), a carbon blasted quantity indicator (CI) for measuring quantity of carbon to be charged into the furnace shell (1), a scrap charged quantity indicator (SI) for measuring quantity of the scrap charged into the furnace shell (1), an oxygen blasted quantity indicator (OI) for measuring quantity of oxygen blasted into the furnace shell (1) and an arithmetic processor (7) for computing quantity of air required for complete combustion of carbon monoxide (23) in the furnace shell (1) in response to measured value from the indicators (CI)(SI)(OI) to control a degree of opening of the air control valve (19).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaki Ogushi, Osamu Takeuchi, Ikuo Yamamura, Toru Iura, Hironobu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5590151
    Abstract: A direct current electric furnace for melting ferrous raw material, such a scrap iron, comprising a vessel (1) closed by a detachable cover (13), at least one consumable electrode (5) which passes through at least one opening (16) in the cover (13), at least one stationary electrode (5) positioned in the bottom (2) of the vessel (1), and comprising at least one source of direct current, the vessel being defined by a bottom (2) in the shape of a basin (21) and by a lateral wall (12). The height (H1) and the cross-section (S1) of the basin (21) are determined by the conditions of use, such that the basin (1) (21) can contain a prescribed quantity of molten metal, the height (H2) of the lateral wall (12) of the vessel (1) being such that the vessel (1) can accommodate a sufficient charge of scrap iron (7) to produce, in a single melting operation, the prescribed quantity of a molten metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1996
    Assignee: Clecim
    Inventor: Guy Forestier
  • Patent number: 5581574
    Abstract: A preheat system for a furnace comprising a preheat vessel on a rotating turret and a receiving chamber for conditioning furnace off-gases prior to use in preheating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Technology Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: David E. Vice
  • Patent number: 5563903
    Abstract: An aluminum melting method wherein an atmosphere above the aluminum charge is comprised of two strata, a lower strata covering the aluminum charge comprised of a non-oxidizing gas and an upper strata comprised of combustion gases from one or more burners. Heat from the burner or burners radiatively heats and melts the aluminum while the lower strata protects the aluminum from oxidative effects which would result if the aluminum surface were contacted with the combustion gases, thus serving to reduce dross formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Praxair Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Fatemeh F. Jebrail, Arthur W. Francis, Jr., Hisashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 5555259
    Abstract: A process and device for melting scrap in a direct current-driven closed shaft furnace. The scrap is fed with an annular cross-section into one end of the furnace and hot gases which flow against the falling scrap are sucked below the scrap feeding area via an outer cylindrical wall of the scrap column. The inner free surface of the ring-shaped flat cross-section of the scrap is reduced before the scrap reaches the melting zone. In the melting zone, the scrap is exposed to an electric arc at the center of the flat cross-section. The arc furnace has a cathode that is held by an electrode bearing device which is formed as a concentric pipe with respect to the central axis of the furnace vessel. At one end the pipe is conically tapered and at the other end it is supported on the shaft of the furnace by bearing arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Ewald Feuerstacke
  • Patent number: 5541952
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods of abating the objectionable emissions of volatile hydrocarbons generated during the preheating cycle of a twin vessel electric arc furnace steelmaking operation wherein the vessels cycle between a powered or melting state and an unpowered state. During the unpowered state, scrap charged to the non-powered vessel is preheated. The spent off-gases from the non-powered vessel may contain toxic and/or noxious hydrocarbons therein by virtue of certain plastics and/or grease/oils mixed with the scrap being preheated. The spent off-gas from the preheat vessel is delivered to a combustion chamber to be mixed with a hot off-gas diverted from the powered vessel. The temperature of the mixed off-gases in the combustion chamber is raised to a critical temperature to burn/crack the objectionable hydrocarbons, which may include dioxins and furans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: Mannesmann Demag Corporation
    Inventors: Ulrich F. H. Genge, Raymond J. Burda, John W. Brandon
  • Patent number: 5535235
    Abstract: A melting furnace including preheating vessels for preheating raw material, and a melting furnace body having a tilting device and a heating device for heating the preheated raw material. A furnace roof covers an upper part of the melting furnace body and a combustion chamber for burning a gas generated in the melting furnace body is arranged on the furnace roof. Feed openings are arranged at side faces of the combustion chamber to feed the preheated raw material into the melting furnace body, and the side faces of the combustion chamber are positioned at a right angle to a tilting direction of the melting furnace body. Supply openings are arranged at lower ends of the preheating vessels to supply the preheated raw material through the feed openings to the melting furnace body. A connecting mechanism is provided for movably connecting the supply openings with the feed openings when the melting furnace body is tilted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Norio Ao, Hirotsugu Kubo
  • Patent number: 5513206
    Abstract: An apparatus for preheating and charging scrap material includes a throat section (38) having at one end thereof a material charging inlet (37) connected to a furnace shell (2), the throat section extending laterally and upwardly obliquely, a heat exchanger section (39) connected to the other end of the throat section (38) and extending upwardly, a sealing section (42) above the heat exchanger section (39), a material supply (43) for supplying the scrap material into the sealing section (42), an exhaust duct (53) formed at the heat exchanger section (39) just below the sealing section (42) and connected to an exhaust system (58) and a material delivery device (46) disposed at the other end of the throat section (38) for delivering the scrap material (13) from the heat exchanger section (39) to the material charging inlet (37). The scrap material (13) is substantially continuously charged into the furnace shell (2) while preheated by the high-temperature exhaust gases from the furnace shell (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Ishikawajima-Harima Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motoharu Mori, Hironobu Yoshida, Ikuo Yamamura, Toru Iura, Osamu Takeuchi, Masaki Ogushi
  • Patent number: 5499264
    Abstract: A process for operating a double furnace installation having two arc furnaces connected via a line, a power supply, a device for charging material, and an arrangement for extraction and purification of gas. The process including the step of connecting a first one of the two furnaces with the power supply for melting a charge located therein, completely cutting off a second one of the furnaces from the power supply. The second furnace is then charged with charging material and is closed with a cover. Flue gas located in the closed second furnace is sucked out above the burden column and flue gas is sucked out of the first furnace above the surface of the melted charge through the second furnace via the connection line provided between the two furnaces. A flue gas connection of the first furnace to the gas purification arrangement is interrupted while the flue gas is being sucked out of the second furnace while feed air is simultaneously taken on in the region of a cover of the first furnace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1996
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hans-Ludwig Schaller, Horst Mellinghoff, Michael Schmengler, Uwe Mager
  • Patent number: 5493580
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process of recycling filter dust obtained during the production of steel in an electric arc furnace. Filter dust is injected and mixed with the smalls of carbon containing material in the slag or at the interface between the slag and the molten metal bath in the melting tank. The process of the invention also improves the degree of efficiency of the foaming of the slag while increasing the profitability of steel production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Intracon S.A.R.L.
    Inventor: Brigitte Fudala
  • Patent number: 5487081
    Abstract: A process is provided for the treatment of waste gases, dust and vapor from a closed arc furnace disposed in a furnace vessel. The furnace vessel contains a charge column, a metal melt and slag arranged in the lower portion of that vessel. The charge column, the metal melt and the slag are smelted in the furnace vessel. The gases, dust and vapors are guided in a direction opposite to the natural flow through the charge column in the furnace during the smelting. The gases, dust and vapor are then brought into contact with the melt and the slag after leaving the charge column. The gases, dust and vapors are then removed from the arc furnace in a region between the upper and lower portions of the vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Mannesmann Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Heinrich Becker