Metallurgical furnace installation and operating method

Claim 2

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler through which waste gas flows along a given path, the steps of directing selected materials through the waste gas cooler, to be treated by the gas therein, to a discharge location beyond said given path, and then transferring the thus treated material from said discharge location to the furnace as part of the charge for the furnace.

Claim 3

In a method as recited in claim 1, the step of controlling the waste gas in the cooler for controlling the treatment of the material subsequently used as part of the charge.

Claim 4

In a method as recited in claim 2 and wherein the step of controlling the waste gas includes the control of the temperature thereof for preheating the material to a controlled extent.

Claim 5

In a method as recited in claim 2 and including the step of controlling the composition of the waste gas in the cooler for controlling the treatment of the material directed therethrough.

Claim 6

In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the treated material is continUously fed through the cooler.

Claim 7

In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the treated material is intermittently fed through the cooler.

Claim 8

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler, the steps of directing selected material through the waste gas cooler, to be treated by the gas therein, and then utilizing the thus treated material as part of the charge for the furnace, the treated material being directed through a predetermined portion of the cooler, and including the step of supplying to the interior of the cooler upstream of said predetermined portion thereof a carbonaceous particulate material which reacts with the oxygen in the hot waste gas to increase the carbon monoxide content of the waste gas atmosphere at said predetermined portion of the cooler.

Claim 9

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler, the steps of directing selected material through the waste gas cooler, to be treated by the gas therein, and then utilizing the thus treated material as part of the charge for the furnace, the treated material being directed through a predetermined portion of the cooler, and including the step of supplying to the interior of the cooler upstream of said predetermined portion thereof a carbonaceous particulate material which reacts with the oxygen in the hot waste gas to increase the carbon monoxide content of the waste gas atmosphere at said predetermined portion of the cooler.

Claim 10

In a method as recited in claim 7, the step of electrically heating the carbonaceous particulate material.

Claim 11

In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the waste gas contains carbon monoxide, the step of feeding combustion air to the interior of the cooler for controlling the temperature of the waste gas atmosphere through which the treated material is directed.

Claim 12

In a method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the furnace is intermittently operated, the step of continuously directing the treated material through the cooler and adding to the interior thereof combustible materials which are burned within the cooler for maintaining therein while the furnace operates as well as while it is not operating a temperature suitable for continuous treatment of the treated materials.

Claim 13

In method as recited in claim 1 and wherein the treated material is at least preheated by the waste gas, the step of feeding hot air to the interior of the cooler at the region thereof through which the treated material is directed for intensifying the development of heat at the latter region.

Claim 14

In a method as recited in claim 11, the step of heating the air in a heat exchanger utilizing heat of the waste gas itself.

Claim 15

In a method as recited in claim 11 and wherein the heated air delivered to the cooler is heated from a source outside of the cooler.

Claim 16

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler, the steps of directing selected material through the waste gas cooler, to be treated by the gas therein, and then utilizing the thus treated material as part of the charge for the furnace, and including the step of recirculating part of the waste gas through the cooler for maintaining therein an atmosphere suitable for treatment of the material directed therethrough.

Claim 17

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler, the steps of directing selected material through the waste gas cooler, to be treated by the gas therein, and then utilizing the thus treated material as part of the charge for the furnace, and including the step of recirculating part of the waste gas through the cooler for maintaining therein an atmosphere suitable for treatment of the material directed therethrough.

Claim 18

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler, the steps of directing selected material through the waste gas cooler to be treated by the gas therein, and then utilizing the thus treated material as part of the charge for the furnace, and including the step of cooling the waste gas within the cooler for providing for the waste gas a temperature suitable for cleaning thereof.

Claim 19

In a method for operating a metallurgical furnace which has a waste gas cooler, the steps of directing selected material through the waste gas cooler to be treated by the gas therein, and then utilizing the thus treated material as part of the charge for the furnace, and including the step of cooling the waste gas within the cooler for providing for the waste gas a temperature suitable for cleaning thereof.

Claim 20

In a method as recited in claim 15, the step of spraying water into the interior of the cooler for cooling the waste gas therein.

Claim 21

In a method as recited in claim 1, the step of alternately operating a pair of furnaces with which a single waste gas cooler communicates for maintaining first from one furnace and then from the other a given waste gas atmosphere in the cooler.

Claim 22

In a method as recited in claim 1, the step of feeding the treated material directly from the discharge location into the furnace.

Claim 23

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving therefrom the waste gas which flows along a given path in said cooling means and for cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means along said driven path, supply means communicating with said coolinG means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said discharge means being situated at a location beyond said given path of waste gas flow.

Claim 24

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving therefrom the waste gas which flows along a given path in said cooling means and for cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means along said driven path, supply means communicating with said coolinG means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said discharge means being situated at a location beyond said given path of waste gas flow.

Claim 25

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said supply means communicates with an upper part of said cooling means for delivering to the interior thereof materials which fall downwardly in the cooling means, said discharge means communicating with said cooling means at a part thereof situated beneath the part with which said supply means communicates, so that the materials fall downwardly to the discharge means to be received thereby for discharge out of the cooling means after treatment by the waste gas therein.

Claim 26

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said supply means communicating with an upper part of said cooling means for delivering to the interior thereof materials which fall downwardly in the cooling means, said discharge means communicating with said cooling means at a part thereof situated beneath the part with which said supply means communicates, so that the materials fall downwardly to the discharge means to be received thereby for discharge out of the cooling means after treatment by the waste gas therein, a second supply means communicating with the interior of said cooling means at a location upstream of the part with which said first-named supply means communicates for supplying a carbonaceous particulate material to the interior of the cooling means for increasing the carbon monoxide content of the waste gas which treats the material supplied by said first-named supply means.

Claim 27

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said supply means communicating with an upper part of said cooling means for delivering to the interior thereof materials which fall downwardly in the cooling means, said discharge means communicating with said cooling means at a part thereof situated beneath the part with which said supply means communicates, so that the materials fall downwardly to the discharge means to be received thereby for discharge out of the cooling means after treatment by the waste gas therein, a second supply means communicating with the interior of said cooling means at a location upstream of the part with which said first-named supply means communicates for supplying a carbonaceous particulate material to the interior of the cooling means for increasing the carbon monoxide content of the waste gas which treats the material supplied by said first-named supply means.

Claim 28

The combination of claim 21 and wherein an electrode means communicates with the interior of said cooling means at the location which receives the carbonaceous material from said second supply means for heating the carbonaceous material in the cooling means.

Claim 29

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, and a water supply means communicating with the interior of said cooling means for spraying cooling water into the latter.

Claim 30

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, and a water supply means communicating with the interior of said cooling means for spraying cooling water into the latter.

Claim 31

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said cooling means has a waste gas receiving end located directly next to said vessel for receiving waste gas directly therefrom with minimum heat loss.

Claim 32

The combination of claim 19 and wherein a burner means communicates with the interior of said cooling means for maintaining the waste gas at a predetermined temperature.

Claim 33

The combination of claim 19 and wherein a pair of said vessels both communicate with said waste gas cooling means for alternately supplying the latter with waste gas.

Claim 34

The combination of claim 19 and wherein an air supply means communicates with said cooling means for supplying air thereto.

Claim 35

The combination of claim 27 and wherein a heat exchanger means communicates with said cooling means and with said air supply means for deriVing from the waste gas itself heat for heating air supplied through said air supply means.

Claim 36

The combination of claim 19 and wherein a conveyor means is situated within said cooling means and extends between said supply and discharge means for conveying the material supplied by said supply means from the latter to said discharge means.

Claim 37

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said discharge means is located adjacent said vessel, said vessel being tiltable between an operating position communicating with said cooling means and a charging position communicating with said discharge means for receiving treated material directly therefrom.

Claim 38

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said cooling means including a rotary furnace through which waste gas flows, said supply means communicating with one end of said rotary furnace for supplying material thereto and said discharge means communicating with an opposite end of said rotary furnace for receiving treated material therefrom.

Claim 39

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said cooling means including a rotary furnace through which waste gas flows, said supply means communicating with one end of said rotary furnace for supplying material thereto and said discharge means communicating with an opposite end of said rotary furnace for receiving treated material therefrom.

Claim 40

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said supply means continuously supplies material to the interior of said cooling means.

Claim 41

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said supply means intermittently supplies material to the interior of said cooling means.

Claim 42

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said cooling means provides a substantially horizontal path of flow for waste gas, and supply means directing material supplied thereby transversely across the waste gas in the substantially vertical direction.

Claim 43

The combination of claim 19 and wherein said supply means and discharge means are situated for directing the material supplied by said supply means to said discharge means in countercurrent to the flow of waste gas through said cooling means.

Claim 44

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said supply means and discharge means being situated for directing the material supplied by said supply means to said discharge means in countercurrent to the flow of waste gas through said cooling means, said cooling means including an elongated vertical portion having water-cooled walls defining a passage through which the waste gas flows in an upward direction, said supply means providing materials to be treated to said vertical portion of said waste gas cooling means at an upper part thereof so that the material falls down through said vertical portion in countercurrent to the upwardly flowing waste gas, and said discharge means being located at a lower end of said vertical portion of said cooling means.

Claim 45

In a metallurgical furnace installation, a vessel in which metallurgical operations are carried out with development of waste gas which flows from the vessel, waste gas cooling means communicating with the vessel for receiving the waste gas therefrom and cooling the waste gas while the latter flows through said cooling means, supply means communicating with said cooling means for supplying to the interior thereof materials to be treated by the waste gas therein, and discharge means communicating with said cooling means for discharging the treated materials therefrom, said supply means and discharge means being situated for directing the material supplied by said supply means to said discharge means in countercurrent to the flow of waste gas through said cooling means, said cooling means including an elongated vertical portion having water-cooled walls defining a passage through which the waste gas flows in an upward direction, said supply means providing materials to be treated to said vertical portion of said waste gas cooling means at an upper part thereof so that the material falls down through said vertical portion in countercurrent to the upwardly flowing waste gas, and said discharge means being located at a lower end of said vertical portion of said cooling means.