Metallurgical melting and refining process

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF OPERATING A METALLURGICAL FURNACE OF THE OPEN HEARTH TYPE HAVING A BOTTOM, A ROOF AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING A ZONE AND HAVING END WALL BURNERS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF OPERATING THE END WALL BURNERS AND INTRODUCING FLUID INCLUDING FUEL AND OXYGEN ALONG AT LEAST ONE CONFINED PATH DOWNWARDLY TO WITHIN THE ZONE, BURNING THE FUEL AND OXYGEN IN ADMIXTURE TO FORM A SHORT FLAME BEYOND THE END OF THE CONFINED PATH, CHARGING SOLID MATERIAL INCLUDING METAL INTO THE ZONE, OPERATING THE END WALL BURNERS AND SEPARATELY BURNING THE ADMIXTURE TO FORM A SHORT FLAME WHILE CHARGING THE SOLID MATERIAL WHILE MOVING THE END OF THE CONFINED PATH TO DIRECT THE SHORT FLAME ONTO SOLID MATERIAL BENEATH THE CONFINED PATH, ADDING HOT MOLTEN METAL TO THE ZONE UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE CHARGING OF SOLID MATERIAL, AND THEREAFTER CONTINUING THE INTRODUCTION OF AT LEAST OXYGEN THROUGH THE CONFINED PATH AND DIRECTING THE RESULTING STREAM ONTO THE MOLTEN METAL TO REFINE THE METAL OF THE CHARGE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF OPERATING A METALLURGICAL FURNACE OF THE OPEN HEARTH TYPE HAVING A BOTTOM, A ROOF AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING A ZONE AND HAVING END WALL BURNERS, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF OPERATING THE END WALL BURNERS AND INTRODUCING FLUID INCLUDING FUEL AND OXYGEN ALONG AT LEAST ONE CONFINED PATH DOWNWARDLY TO WITHIN THE ZONE, BURNING THE FUEL AND OXYGEN IN ADMIXTURE TO FORM A SHORT FLAME BEYOND THE END OF THE CONFINED PATH, CHARGING SOLID MATERIAL INCLUDING METAL INTO THE ZONE, OPERATING THE END WALL BURNERS AND SEPARATELY BURNING THE ADMIXTURE TO FORM A SHORT FLAME WHILE CHARGING THE SOLID MATERIAL WHILE MOVING THE END OF THE CONFINED PATH TO DIRECT THE SHORT FLAME ONTO SOLID MATERIAL BENEATH THE CONFINED PATH, ADDING HOT MOLTEN METAL TO THE ZONE UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE CHARGING OF SOLID MATERIAL, AND THEREAFTER CONTINUING THE INTRODUCTION OF AT LEAST OXYGEN THROUGH THE CONFINED PATH AND DIRECTING THE RESULTING STREAM ONTO THE MOLTEN METAL TO REFINE THE METAL OF THE CHARGE.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF OPERATING A METALLURGICAL FURNACE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ESTABLISHING IN THE FURNACE A METALLIC CHARGE, ESTABLISHING IN THE FURNACE A FIRST FLAME, INTRODUCING FUEL AND OXYGEN ALONG AT LEAST ONE CONFINED PATH WITHIN THE FURNACE TO A POINT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE CHARGE AND SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF THE FURNACE AND SPACE ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE CHARGE, BURNING THE FUEL AND OXYGEN IN ADMIXTURE TO FORM A SECOND FLAME BEYOND THE CONFINED PATH, THE SECOND FLAME BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER AND HOTTER THAN THE FIRST FLAME, AND DIRECTING THE SECOND FLAME DOWNWARD ONTO THE CHARGE WITH THE SECOND FLAME DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE CHARGE AND DISPOSED BENEATH THE FIRST FLAME.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF OPERATING A METALLURGICAL FURNACE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ESTABLISHING IN THE FURNACE A METALLIC CHARGE, ESTABLISHING IN THE FURNACE A FIRST FLAME, INTRODUCING FUEL AND OXYGEN ALONG AT LEAST ONE CONFINED PATH WITHIN THE FURNACE TO A POINT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE CHARGE AND SPACED FROM THE WALLS OF THE FURNACE AND SPACE ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE CHARGE, BURNING THE FUEL AND OXYGEN IN ADMIXTURE TO FORM A SECOND FLAME BEYOND THE CONFINED PATH, THE SECOND FLAME BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SHORTER AND HOTTER THAN THE FIRST FLAME, AND DIRECTING THE SECOND FLAME DOWNWARD ONTO THE CHARGE WITH THE SECOND FLAME DIRECTLY CONTACTING THE CHARGE AND DISPOSED BENEATH THE FIRST FLAME.