Apparatus and method for producing sponge iron

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING SPONGE IRON FROM IRON OXIDE CONTAINING MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES INTERMIXING SAID MATERIAL IN COMMINUTED FORM WITH COMMINUTED BURNT LIME IN THE FORM OF CAO TO FORM A CHARGE, PREHEATING THE CHARGE, PASSING A REDUCING GAS UPWARDLY INTO SAID CHARGE TO FLUIDIZE SAID CHARGE, PASSING THE CHARGE AS A MOVING FLUIDIZED BED HORIZONTALLY THROUGH AN ELONGATE HORIZONTAL CHANNEL WITHIN A REDUCING CHAMBER HAVING MUFFLES THEREIN ADJACENT SAID CHANNEL, MAINTAINING SAID BED OF CHARGE AS IT PASSES THROUGH SAID CHANNEL IN FLUIDIZED STATE BY PASSING UPWARDLY INTO SAID CHARGE A HYDROCARBON REDUCING GAS CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF METHANE WHICH REDUCING GAS REACTS ENDOTHERMICALLY WITH THE IRON OXIDE IN SAID CHARGE TO REDUCE IT TO IRON AND WHICH HYDROCARBON GAS IS REFORMED TO PRODUCED BED GASES CONTAINING CO, CO2 AND H2O, THE OXYGEN FOR WHICH IS DERIVED FROM THE OXIDES IN SAID BED OF CHARGE, PASSING SAID REFORMED GASES FROM SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND CLEANING THEM, RECYCLING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID CLEANED REFORMED BED GASES THROUGH SAID HORIZONTALLY MOVING FLUIDIZED BED TOGETHER WITH NEW HYDROCARBON REDUCING GAS WITHOUT ADDING OXYGEN THERETO FROM AN EXTERNAL ATMOSPHERIC SOURCE, AND BURNING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID REFORMED BED GASES IN SAID MUFFLES IN SAID REDUCING CHAMBER AND CAUSING THE HEAT OF COMBUSTION TO PASS THROUGH THE WALLS OF SAID MUFFLES INTO SAID BED TO SUPPLY HEAT NECESSARY TO CARRY ON SAID ENDOTHERMIC REACTION WITHOUT THE GASES OF COMBUSTION COMING IN CONTACT WITH SAID FLUIDIZED BED, PASSING THE CHARGE FROM SAID REDUCING CHAMBER, SEPARATING THE COMMINUTED CAO FROM THE IRON PRODUCT AND RECYLING SAID CAO TOGETHER WITH NEW IRON OXIDE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID REDUCING CHAMBER.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING SPONGE IRON FROM IRON OXIDE CONTAINING MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES INTERMIXING SAID MATERIAL IN COMMINUTED FORM WITH COMMINUTED BURNT LIME IN THE FORM OF CAO TO FORM A CHARGE, PREHEATING THE CHARGE, PASSING A REDUCING GAS UPWARDLY INTO SAID CHARGE TO FLUIDIZE SAID CHARGE, PASSING THE CHARGE AS A MOVING FLUIDIZED BED HORIZONTALLY THROUGH AN ELONGATE HORIZONTAL CHANNEL WITHIN A REDUCING CHAMBER HAVING MUFFLES THEREIN ADJACENT SAID CHANNEL, MAINTAINING SAID BED OF CHARGE AS IT PASSES THROUGH SAID CHANNEL IN FLUIDIZED STATE BY PASSING UPWARDLY INTO SAID CHARGE A HYDROCARBON REDUCING GAS CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF METHANE WHICH REDUCING GAS REACTS ENDOTHERMICALLY WITH THE IRON OXIDE IN SAID CHARGE TO REDUCE IT TO IRON AND WHICH HYDROCARBON GAS IS REFORMED TO PRODUCED BED GASES CONTAINING CO, CO2 AND H2O, THE OXYGEN FOR WHICH IS DERIVED FROM THE OXIDES IN SAID BED OF CHARGE, PASSING SAID REFORMED GASES FROM SAID FLUIDIZED BED AND CLEANING THEM, RECYCLING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID CLEANED REFORMED BED GASES THROUGH SAID HORIZONTALLY MOVING FLUIDIZED BED TOGETHER WITH NEW HYDROCARBON REDUCING GAS WITHOUT ADDING OXYGEN THERETO FROM AN EXTERNAL ATMOSPHERIC SOURCE, AND BURNING AT LEAST A PART OF SAID REFORMED BED GASES IN SAID MUFFLES IN SAID REDUCING CHAMBER AND CAUSING THE HEAT OF COMBUSTION TO PASS THROUGH THE WALLS OF SAID MUFFLES INTO SAID BED TO SUPPLY HEAT NECESSARY TO CARRY ON SAID ENDOTHERMIC REACTION WITHOUT THE GASES OF COMBUSTION COMING IN CONTACT WITH SAID FLUIDIZED BED, PASSING THE CHARGE FROM SAID REDUCING CHAMBER, SEPARATING THE COMMINUTED CAO FROM THE IRON PRODUCT AND RECYLING SAID CAO TOGETHER WITH NEW IRON OXIDE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID REDUCING CHAMBER.