Apparatus for and method of reducing ore

Claim 1

IN THE PRODUCTION OF IRON IN A BLAST FURANCE HAVING WALLS DEFINING A HEARTH, A BOSH AND A STACK WHEREIN A CHARGE INCLUDING A MIXTURE OF IRON ORE, CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS AND FLUXING AGENT IS SUPPLIED TO THE TOP OF SAID STACK AND BLAST AIR IS SUPPLIED TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BOSH, THE METHOD OF OPERATION WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING INTO A COMBUSTION CHAMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE INCLUDING A SLAG-FORMING FUEL IN A QUANTITY SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A MAJOR PORTION OF THE HEAT AND REDUCING AGENTS REQUIRED FOR THE SMELTING OF THE IRON ORE AND A FREE OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS IN A FUEL-OXYGEN RATIO INSUFFICIENT FOR THE COMPLETE COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL, PARTIALLY BURNING THE COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE FUEL ASH FUSION TEMPERATURE TO PRODUCE GASEOUS PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION RICH IN CARBON MONOXIDE, CAUSING THE BURNING FUEL AND OXYGEN-CONTAINING GAS SO INTRODUCED TO MOVE AXIALLY THROUGH THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN A HELICAL PATH ALONG THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF SUFFICIENT LENGHT TO CAUSE THE RELEASE OF THE ASH CONTENT OF THE FUEL AND THE DEPOSITION OF SLAG ON THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL TO FORM A STICKY SURFACE THEREON SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE FUEL PARTICLES TO ADHERE THERETO, PASSING THE CARBON MONOXIDE-RICH GASES THUS GENERATED INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BLAST FURNANCE, SUPPLYING THE REMAINING HEAT AND IRON ORE REDUCING REQUIREMENTS OF THE CHARGE BY REACTING THE CARBONACEOUS SOLIDS IN THE CHARGE WITH THE BLAST AIR AND MIXING THE GASES SO GENERATED WITH THE CARBON MONOXIDE-RICH GASES FROM THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, PASSING THE GASES SO MIXED UPWARDLY THROUGH THE DESCENDING BLAST-FURNACE CHARGE, AND WITHDRAWING SLAG SEPARATED IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER IN A MOLTEN CONDITION.