Method and apparatus for supplying pre-heated particulate mineral material for making a mineral melt

A method for supplying pre-heated particulate mineral material from a separating cyclone to an inlet of a cyclone furnace, said method comprising:

• providing a material receiving conduit, an inclined elongated housing and an outlet conduit, wherein;
• the material receiving conduit is positioned to receive the pre-heated particulate mineral material from the separating cyclone;
• the outlet conduit is positioned to supply the pre-heated particulate mineral material to the inlet of the cyclone furnace;
• and
• the inclined elongated housing interconnects the material receiving conduit to the outlet conduit, the inclined elongated housing having a lowermost section connected to a lowermost section of the material receiving conduit and being inclined upwardly to an uppermost section of the inclined elongated housing that is connected to an uppermost section of the outlet conduit;
• receiving the pre-heated particulate mineral material in the material receiving conduit from the separating cyclone such that the pre-heated particulate mineral material is built up in the material receiving conduit from the lowermost section of the material receiving conduit to at least a mineral material entry level;
• providing one or more air inlets in the material receiving conduit and/or in the inclined elongated housing;
• fluidising the pre-heated particulate mineral material in the material receiving conduit and/or the inclined elongated housing using the one or more air inlets;
• flowing the fluidised pre-heated particulate mineral material from the lowermost section of the material receiving conduit into the lowermost section of the inclined elongated housing and upwardly in the inclined elongated housing to a material exit level at the uppermost section of the inclined elongated housing;
• the material exit level being vertically lower than the mineral material entry level;
• providing a further stirring means in the inclined elongated housing;
• keeping the fluidised pre-heated particulate mineral material in the inclined elongated housing in a fluidized state using the further stirring means such that the fluidised pre-heated particulate mineral material flows from the lowermost section of the inclined elongated housing to the material exit level due to gravity and the material exit level being vertically lower than the mineral material entry level;
• receiving the fluidised pre-heated particulate mineral material into the uppermost section of the outlet conduit from the uppermost section of the inclined elongated housing;
• and
• a second pressure in the outlet conduit being higher than a first pressure in the material receiving conduit, a constant presence of the fluidised pre-heated particulate mineral material in the inclined elongated housing preventing a backflow from the outlet conduit to the material receiving conduit.