Paul Wurth S.a.

Paul Wurth Refractory & Engineering Gmbh

Paul Wurth Deutschland Gmbh

Lionel Hausemer

Guy Thillen

Jean-Paul Simoes

Emile Lonardi

Paul Tockert

Jeannot Loutsch

Christian Benoit Thix

Claude Thinnes

Manfred Moller

Jean-Joseph Stumper

Rudolf Hebel

Emile Breden

Christian De Gruiter

Paul Goedert

Jeff Vandivinit

Fabrice Hansen

Dominique Rocchi

Manfred Möller

Lutwin Franziskus

Cédric Schockaert

Maryam Baniasadi

Philipp Bermes

Christian Benoît Thix

A shaft furnace charging device and cooling system includes a suspension rotor with a charge distributor and stationary housing. The cooling system includes an annular swivel joint arranged coaxially on an axis, connecting stationary and rotary circuit portions. The swivel joint includes forward connections for receiving cooling fluid from the stationary circuit portion and supplying cooling fluid to the rotary circuit portion; return connections for receiving cooling fluid from the rotary circuit portion; and returning cooling fluid to the stationary circuit portion. The swivel joint includes a partition dividing the annular volume into cavities wherein an internal cavity is partially surrounded by an external cavity, and the forward connections are coupled via one of the cavities and the return connections are coupled via the other of the cavities. The swivel joint includes leakage-permitting communication between the external and internal cavities through annular clearances. Annular flow restrictors are provided in clearances.

Shaft furnace charging device equipped with a cooling system and annular swivel joint therefore

A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace comprises a stationary housing () for mounting on the throat () of the shaft furnace and a suspension rotor () supported therein so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis (A), said suspension rotor () and stationary housing () cooperating to delimit an annular chamber forming the main casing () of said rotary charging device. A charge distributor () is pivotally suspended to the suspension rotor (). The device further comprises: rotary drive means for rotating the suspension rotor () about its axis; independent tilting drive means for pivoting the charge distributor () about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis (B) that include: a tilting motor (M) with horizontal output shaft () fixedly mounted relative to the stationary housing (); a tilting drive shaft () in the main housing () that is mounted onto the suspension rotor (), an outward end () of the tilting drive shaft () being coupled to the tilting motor (M) by motion transfer means () while the opposite inward end () of the tilting drive shaft is coupled to the charge distributor () to selectively operate its pivoting, the motion transfer means () being configured in such a way as to allow transmitting power from the tilting motor (M) to the tilting drive shaft () at any angular position of the suspension rotor ().

Rotary charging device for shaft furnace

A blast furnace installation includes a blast furnace and a chute transmission gearbox; the blast furnace having a top cone with a top cone ring arranged thereon for receiving a connection flange of the chute transmission gearbox. The connection flange is directly fixed onto the top cone ring by fixing means for establishing a firm connection between the top cone ring and the connection flange. According to an aspect of the present invention, the connection flange is fixed to the top cone ring in three separated fixation regions (), each fixation region including one or more fixing means. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the blast furnace installation also includes a flexible sealing element arranged around the perimeter of the connection between the top cone ring and the chute transmission gearbox.

Blast furnace installation

A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace comprising: a stationary housing () and a suspension rotor () that is supported so that it can rotate about a substantially vertical axis (A), a charge distributor () being pivotally suspended to the suspension rotor (). Rotary drive means are provided for rotating the suspension rotor about its axis (A) and tilting drive means for pivoting the charge distributor () about a substantially horizontal pivoting axis (B), independently from said rotary drive means. The tilting drive means are mounted onto the suspension rotor () and rotate therewith; they comprise: an electric tilting motor (M) is installed inside the main casing () and having a substantially horizontal output shaft (); a tilting input gear () driven by the tilting motor output shaft; and a tilting output gear () rotationally integral with a suspension arm () of said chute distributor (), said tilting input gear meshing with said tilting output gear.

Annular swivel joint including an annular fixed part and an annular rotary part and having an annular trough that defines an annular volume, via which the circuits portions communicate, a stationary forward connection for receiving cooling fluid from the stationary circuit portion; a rotary forward connection for supplying cooling fluid to the rotary circuit portion; a rotary return connection for receiving cooling fluid from the rotary circuit portion; and a stationary return connection for returning cooling fluid to the stationary circuit portion; a partition dividing the annular volume into an annular external cavity and an annular internal cavity so that the forward connections are coupled via one of the external and internal cavities and the return connections are coupled via the other cavity, so that the internal cavity is at least partially surrounded by the external cavity.

There is provided a bustle pipe arrangement of a shaft furnace, in particular for feeding hot gas into the shaft furnace such as e.g. a blast furnace, wherein the bustle pipe arrangement comprises a circumferential bustle pipe arranged along the outer casing of the shaft furnace, at a certain distance therefrom. The arrangement further comprises a plurality of first support arms connecting the bustle pipe to the outer casing of the shaft furnace on a first level; and a plurality of second support arms connecting the bustle pipe to the outer casing of the shaft furnace on a second level, the first level being separate from the second level. The first and second support arms are configured to support the circumferential bustle pipe. First blow channels are arranged through the first support arms for fluidly connecting the bustle pipe to the interior of the shaft furnace.

Bustle pipe arrangement

Tuyere stock arrangement of a blast furnace includes a tuyere body configured for installation in a shaft furnace wall. The tuyere body includes a front face facing an interior of the shaft furnace and an opposite rear face and a tuyere channel extending between the rear and front faces (). The stock arrangement includes a blowpipe between the rear face and a hot blast air supply system, the blowpipe having a front portion connecting to the tuyere body and an opposite rear portion connecting to the hot blast air supply system. A fuel injection lance is arranged through the tuyere body and feeds fuel into the shaft furnace. A gas injection lance feeds an oxidizing gas to the shaft furnace and is arranged in the rear portion of the blowpipe to feed oxidizing gas into a central portion of a stream of hot blast air fed through the blowpipe.

Tuyere stock arrangement of a blast furnace

Tuyere stock arrangement () of a blast furnace comprising a tuyere () having a tuyere body () configured for installation in a blast furnace wall (); the tuyere body () having an outer wall (), a front face () and a rear face (), the tuyere body () further having a tuyere channel () extending from the rear face () to the front face (), the tuyere channel () forming an inner wall () in the tuyere body (). The tuyere stock arrangement () further comprises a blowpipe () connected between the rear face () of the tuyere body () and a gas feeding device (), the blowpipe () being configured and arranged so as to feed hot gas, generally hot blast air, from the gas feeding device () to the tuyere channel () for injection into the blast furnace. The tuyere stock arrangement () also comprises an injection lance () for feeding a combustible, generally pulverized or granular coal, into the blast furnace at the tuyere level, the injection lance () being an coaxial lance comprising an outer pipe and an inner pipe, coaxially arranged within the outer pipe, the outer and inner pipes being arranged for separately conveying oxidizing gas and said combustible, the inner pipe forming a separation wall for separating said combustible from the oxidizing gas. According to an important aspect of the invention, the injection lance () is removably arranged in a lance passage () formed in the tuyere body (), the lance passage () being arranged between the inner wall () and the outer wall () of the tuyere body () and extending from the rear face () to the front face (), the lance passage () opening into a front lace () of the tuyere body ().

Tuyere stock arrangement for a blast furnace and method for feeding hot blast into a blast furnace

The invention proposes an arrangement for burning blast furnace off-gas from a bleeder valve. It comprises a bleeder valve () having a fixed hollow valve body () defining an outlet () and a valve seat and a movable obturator () that cooperates with the valve seat for closing the bleeder valve and releasing blast furnace off-gas through the outlet. The arrangement includes an apparatus for combustion of blast furnace off-gas released by the bleeder valve (). This apparatus is characterized by an ignition device () that is arranged on or adjacent the valve body or the moveable obturator of the bleeder valve () itself. The ignition device () has its spatial ignition range located downstream the outlet in a region where blast furnace off-gas released through the outlet mixes with ambient air when the obturator is in an open position so as to allow open-air combustion of blast furnace off-gas released into ambient air at the location of the bleeder valve.

Arrangement for burning blast furnace off-gas from a bleeder valve and corresponding bleeder valve

A shaft furnace charge material distribution device includes a main housing, a distribution chute, a suspension rotor and an adjustment rotor, which are rotatable about a vertical axis. The chute is suspended to the suspension rotor to rotate therewith for circumferential distribution of charge material and is adjustable in orientation for radial distribution of charge material. A differential gear interconnects the suspension rotor and adjustment rotor and is configured to transmit to the adjustment rotor the same speed of rotation that is imparted to the suspension rotor by a main rotation drive unless an adjustment drive imparts differential rotation to the adjustment rotor. The device includes two gear casings arranged on the main housing and a shaft arrangement. The first gear encloses a gear mechanism connecting the main rotation drive to one output shaft. The second gear casing encloses the differential gear connecting the adjustment drive to another output shaft.

Device for distributing charge material into a shaft furnace

The present invention proposes a method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace (), wherein the method comprises providing a charging device () having at least one material hopper (), the material hopper () comprising a hopper chamber (), a material inlet aperture for feeding a burden into the hopper chamber (), and a material discharge aperture for feeding a burden from the hopper chamber () to the blast furnace (); the material inlet aperture having an associated inlet seal valve) for opening and closing the material inlet aperture and the material discharge aperture having an associated material discharge valve () for opening and closing the material discharge aperture. The method further comprises opening the material inlet aperture and closing the material discharge aperture; feeding a burden into the hopper chamber () through the material inlet aperture; closing the inlet seal valve (); pressurizing the hopper chamber () by feeding pressurizing gas into the hopper chamber (); and opening the material discharge valve () and feeding the burden from the hopper chamber () to the blast furnace (). According to an important aspect of the invention, the method further comprises subjecting at least a portion of a top gas recovered from the blast furnace () to a recycling process wherein carbon dioxide is removed from the recovered top gas; and feeding at least a portion of the recovered carbon dioxide as pressurizing gas into the hopper chamber () for pressurizing the hopper chamber ().

Method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace

There is provided a bustle pipe arrangement of a shaft furnace that comprises a circumferential bustle pipe arranged along the outer casing of the shaft furnace, the bustle pipe being arranged at a certain distance from the outer casing. The arrangement further comprises a plurality of first arms connecting the bustle pipe to the outer casing of the shaft furnace on a first level; and a plurality of second arms connecting the bustle pipe to the outer casing of the shaft furnace on a second level, the first level being different from the second level. First and second blow channels are respectively arranged through the first and second arms for fluidly connecting the bustle pipe to the interior of the shaft furnace.

The present invention proposes a method for feeding a burden to a blast furnace (), wherein the method comprises providing a charging device () having at least one material hopper (), the material hopper () comprising a hopper chamber (), a material inlet aperture for feeding a burden into the hopper chamber (), and a material discharge aperture for feeding a burden from the hopper chamber () to the blast furnace (); the material inlet aperture having an associated inlet seal valve) for opening and closing the material inlet aperture and the material discharge aperture having an associated material discharge valve () for opening and closing the material discharge aperture. The method further comprises opening the material inlet aperture and closing the material discharge aperture; feeding a burden into the hopper chamber () through the material inlet aperture; closing the inlet seal valve (); pressurizing the hopper chamber () by feeding pressurizing gas into the hopper chamber (); and opening the material discharge valve () and feeding the burden from the hopper chamber () to the blast furnace (). According to an important aspect of the invention, the method comprises feeding a predetermined amount of pressurized flushing gas through the hopper chamber () before pressurizing the hopper chamber (), wherein the flushing gas comprises at least 75% carbon dioxide.

A rotary charging device for a shaft furnace commonly comprises a rotary distribution configured to distribute charge material on a charging surface in the shaft furnace. A rotatable structure supports the rotary distribution means and a stationary support rotatably supports the rotatable structure. According to the invention, the charging device is equipped with an inductive coupling device including a stationary inductor fixed to the stationary support and a rotary inductor fixed to the rotatable structure. The stationary inductor and the rotary inductor are separated by a radial gap and configured as rotary transformer for achieving contact-less electric energy transfer from the stationary support to the rotatable structure by means of magnetic coupling through the radial gap for powering an electric load arranged on the rotatable structure and connected to said rotary inductor.

Rotary charging device for a shaft furnace

A shaft furnace bleeder valve for controlling a gas outflow from the interior of a pressurized furnace to the ambient atmosphere through an exhaust conduit is proposed. The bleeder valve comprises a valve seat associated with the exhaust conduit, a movable closure member having a central closure surface and a peripheral sealing surface cooperating with the valve seat, the closure surface comprising a convex surface at least in proximity to the sealing surface. The valve further has an actuating mechanism, which is connected to the closure member for moving the closure member between a closed position on the valve seat and an open position distant from the valve seat. According to the invention, the closure member comprises a recurved deflection portion at the periphery of the peripheral sealing surface, the recurved deflection portion comprising a deflection surface inclined against the convex surface by an angle in the range of 30&#xb0; to 70&#xb0; for imparting to a gas outflow passing between the valve seat and the closure member a velocity component which is opposite to the initial opening movement of the closure member.

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Steinsel, Luxembourg

Lionel Hausemer