Method of preventing explosions in waste gas recovery systems for oxygen top-blowing converters

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PREVENTING THE DANGER OF EXPLOSION OF WASTE GAS IN AN EMERGENCY OR ELECTRIC CURRENT STOPPAGE DURING THE OPERATION OF RECOVERING UNBURNED WASTE GAS FROM AN OXYGEN TOP BLOWING CONVERTER IN A WASTE GAS RECOVERY SYSTEM HAVING A HOOD, A SUCTION BLOWER, A WASTE GAS CONDUCTING PIPE BETWEEN SAID HOOD AND SAID BLOWER, A MAIN INERT GAS INJECTION PIPE AROUND THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOOD HAVING A VLAVE THEREIN CONTROLLING THE INLET OF GAS INTO SAID PIPE, AND SEVERAL AUXILIARY INERT GAS INJECTION PIPES INSTALLED AT THE BENDS IN SAID WASTE GAS INJECTION PIPE AND HAVING VALVES THEREIN CONTROLLING THE INLET OF GAS INTO SAID PIPES, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF STOPPING THE BLOWING OF OXYGEN INTO THE CONVERTER, MAINTAINING THE SUCTION BLOWER FREE TO CONTINUE ROTATING DUE TO ITS INERTIA FOR EXHAUSTING THE WASTE GAS REMAINING THE ABUNDANCE WITHIN THE RECOVERY SYSTEM WHEN THE EMERGENCY OCCURRED, SIMULTANEOUSLY BLOWING AN INET GAS INTO THE RECOVERY SYSTEM THROUGH THE MAIN INERT GAS PIPE AND THE AUXILIARY INERT GAS INJECTION PIPES TO PURGE SAID REMAINING WASTE GAS INTO THE OPEN AIR BY FULLY OPENING THE VALVES OF SAID PIPES, SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING AN ANNULAR CURTAIN OF INERT GAS AT THE GAP BETWEEN THE MOUTH OF THE CONVERTER AND THE LOWER EDGE PART OF THE HOOD TO PREVENT THE ENTRY OF OUTSIDE AIR INTO THE RECOVERY SYSTEM, AND THEN STOPPING THE FLOW OF SAID INERT GAS, THEREBY PERMITTING THE ENTRY OF THE OUTSIDE AIR THROUGH SAID GAP, INTO THE RECOVERY SYSTEM AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, SO AS TO FORM THREE SEQUENTIAL PHASES OF GASES WITHIN THE RECOVERY SYSTEM, THE REMAINING WASTE GAS, INJECTED INERT AND OUTSIDE AIR, THE INERT GAS PREVENTING CONTACT OF THE REMAINING WASTE GAS WITH THE ENTERING OUTSIDE AIR IN THE RECOVERY SYSTEM.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PREVENTING THE DANGER OF EXPLOSION OF WASTE GAS IN AN EMERGENCY OR ELECTRIC CURRENT STOPPAGE DURING THE OPERATION OF RECOVERING UNBURNED WASTE GAS FROM AN OXYGEN TOP BLOWING CONVERTER IN A WASTE GAS RECOVERY SYSTEM HAVING A HOOD, A SUCTION BLOWER, A WASTE GAS CONDUCTING PIPE BETWEEN SAID HOOD AND SAID BLOWER, A MAIN INERT GAS INJECTION PIPE AROUND THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOOD HAVING A VLAVE THEREIN CONTROLLING THE INLET OF GAS INTO SAID PIPE, AND SEVERAL AUXILIARY INERT GAS INJECTION PIPES INSTALLED AT THE BENDS IN SAID WASTE GAS INJECTION PIPE AND HAVING VALVES THEREIN CONTROLLING THE INLET OF GAS INTO SAID PIPES, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF STOPPING THE BLOWING OF OXYGEN INTO THE CONVERTER, MAINTAINING THE SUCTION BLOWER FREE TO CONTINUE ROTATING DUE TO ITS INERTIA FOR EXHAUSTING THE WASTE GAS REMAINING THE ABUNDANCE WITHIN THE RECOVERY SYSTEM WHEN THE EMERGENCY OCCURRED, SIMULTANEOUSLY BLOWING AN INET GAS INTO THE RECOVERY SYSTEM THROUGH THE MAIN INERT GAS PIPE AND THE AUXILIARY INERT GAS INJECTION PIPES TO PURGE SAID REMAINING WASTE GAS INTO THE OPEN AIR BY FULLY OPENING THE VALVES OF SAID PIPES, SIMULTANEOUSLY FORMING AN ANNULAR CURTAIN OF INERT GAS AT THE GAP BETWEEN THE MOUTH OF THE CONVERTER AND THE LOWER EDGE PART OF THE HOOD TO PREVENT THE ENTRY OF OUTSIDE AIR INTO THE RECOVERY SYSTEM, AND THEN STOPPING THE FLOW OF SAID INERT GAS, THEREBY PERMITTING THE ENTRY OF THE OUTSIDE AIR THROUGH SAID GAP, INTO THE RECOVERY SYSTEM AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, SO AS TO FORM THREE SEQUENTIAL PHASES OF GASES WITHIN THE RECOVERY SYSTEM, THE REMAINING WASTE GAS, INJECTED INERT AND OUTSIDE AIR, THE INERT GAS PREVENTING CONTACT OF THE REMAINING WASTE GAS WITH THE ENTERING OUTSIDE AIR IN THE RECOVERY SYSTEM.