Continuous electric steelmaking with charge preheating, melting,

Abstract

An improved method and apparatus for preheating, melting, refining and casting of steel. The apparatus has a variable length secondary belt conveyor positioned in a charging area for introducing minute charge materials or slag formers, a skirted self-positioning charging cart engaging the secondary conveyor, a charge conveyor for receiving charge material having a means for maintaining a homogeneous scrap bed height that is coupled to the self-positioning cart, a dynamic gas seal coupled to both the charge conveyor and a preheater, the preheater communicating with the charge conveyor for preheating the charge materials on the charge conveyor, a connecting car for feeding charge materials into a furnace bath that is removably coupled to the preheater and charge conveyor, an electric arc furnace for melting and refining metallic charge therein, at least one electrode sealing ring that is coupled to the electrodes of the furnace, a directly fed intermediate metallurgical vessel that receives the molten metal discharged from the furnace, and a continuous casting device that receives refined-alloyed steel from the intermediate metallurgical vessel. No ladle is used so that the furnace pours directly into the intermediate metallurgical vessel thereby eliminating the requirements for both a ladle and ladle handling equipment.