Method and apparatus for melting metal
AssigneeFives North American Combustion, Inc.
InventorsThomas F. Robertson, John N. Newby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for melting a metal load includes a furnace having a melting chamber with a hearth and a molten metal outlet. The apparatus further includes non-regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber, and regenerative burners that also are operative to fire into the melting chamber. The method includes the steps of firing non-regenerative burners into the chamber to provide heat for melting the load, and also firing regenerative burners into the chamber to provide heat for melting the load.
Claims26
A method of retrofitting a furnace having a melting chamber with a hearth, a molten metal outlet, and a plurality of non-regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber, said method comprising:
- installing a plurality of regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber.
A method of retrofitting a furnace having a melting chamber with a hearth, a molten metal outlet, and a plurality of regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber, said method comprising:
- installing a plurality of non-regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber.
A method of retrofitting a furnace having a melting chamber with a hearth, a molten metal outlet, and a plurality of non-regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber, said method comprising:
- installing a plurality of regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber;
- and
- providing a reactant supply and control system including a controller that is configured to fire the burners in differing modes including a) a direct-fired mode in which regenerative burners are fired without exhaust cycles while non-regenerative burners also are being fired, and b) a hybrid mode in which at least two regenerative burners are fired with alternating exhaust cycles while a non-regenerative burner also is being fired.
A method of retrofitting a furnace having a melting chamber with a hearth, a molten metal outlet, and a plurality of regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber, said method comprising:
- installing a plurality of non-regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber;
- and
- providing a reactant supply and control system including a controller that is configured to fire the burners in differing modes including a) a direct-fired mode in which regenerative burners are fired without exhaust cycles while non-regenerative burners also are being fired, and b) a hybrid mode in which at least two regenerative burners are fired with alternating exhaust cycles while a non-regenerative burner also is being fired.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.