Method for protecting an inner wall of a shaft furnace

Method for protecting a wall of a shaft furnace, wherein the furnace wall comprises a lining of cooling staves and an innermost surface which directly interfaces with an interior of the shaft furnace, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one injection device through the furnace wall and through a cooling stave, the injection device comprising an injection lance having an open-end at the innermost surface of the furnace wall and being configured to inject protective material into the interior of the shaft furnace and onto the innermost surface, wherein the protective material comprises at least one of slag, coal, ore, sinter, refractory material, mills scales and mills pellet;
• and
• injecting on demand the protective material into the shaft furnace through the at least one injection device, in such a manner that the protective material builds up to form a protection wall on the innermost surface of the furnace wall,
• wherein a hot face of the cooling stave comprises a profile with ribs and grooves, wherein the step of providing the injection device through the cooling stave comprises the step of passing the injection device through a rib or a groove of the profile of the hot face of the cooling stave,
• wherein the formed protection wall comes into contact with burden material during a normal furnace operation, and
• wherein said injecting on demand occurs during the normal furnace operation.