Smelting process and apparatus
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorsJacques PILOTE, Rodney James DRY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A smelting vessel includes a plurality of heat pipes (21) positioned in a refractory lining of at least a part of the hearth (9) for cooling at least a part of the refractory lining. At least one of the heat pipes includes (a) a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe and (b) a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe. The heat pipe also includes a vent to allow vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature.
Claims16
A smelting vessel for producing molten metal including a refractory lined hearth that in use is in contact with molten slag or molten metal in the vessel, with the hearth including a plurality of heat pipes positioned in a refractory lining of at least a part of the hearth for cooling at least a part of the refractory lining, with at least one of the heat pipes including:
- a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe;
- a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe;
- and
- a vent includes, a snorkel extending into the heat pipe, the snorkel comprising:
- an open end, that is inside the heat pipe, and a closed end, that is outside the heat pipe, wherein, the closed end of the snorkel opens when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature, to allow the vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe.
An assembly of (a) a slag zone cooler element for cooling a part of a refractory lining of a hearth of a smelting vessel and (b) heat pipes in heat transfer relationship with the slag zone cooler for transferring heat from the heat pipes to the slag zone cooler, with at least one of the heat pipes including (i) a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe and (ii) a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe, and (iii) a vent includes, a snorkel extending into the heat pipe, the snorkel comprising:
- an open end, that is inside the heat pipe, and a closed end, that is outside the heat pipe, wherein, the closed end of the snorkel opens when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature, to allow the vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe.
A smelting vessel for producing molten metal including a refractory lined hearth having an upper part that in use is in contact with slag in a slag zone in the vessel and a lower part that in use is in contact with molten metal in a metal zone in the vessel, the hearth including (a) a slag zone cooler positioned in a refractory lining of the upper part of the hearth for cooling the refractory lining and (b) a plurality of heat pipes positioned in the refractory lining of the upper part of the hearth below the slag zone cooler for cooling the refractory lining, with upper sections of the heat pipes being in heat transfer relationship with the slag zone cooler for transferring heat from the heat pipes to the slag zone cooler and lower sections extending downwardly within the upper part of the hearth from the slag zone cooler, and with at least one of the heat pipes including (i) a liquid phase of a heat transfer fluid, typically water, in a lower section of the heat pipe and (ii) a vapor phase of the heat transfer fluid, typically steam, in an upper section of the heat pipe, and (iii) a vent includes, a snorkel extending into the heat pipe, the snorkel comprising:
- an open end, that is inside the heat pipe, and a closed end, that is outside the heat pipe, wherein, the closed end of the snorkel opens when the vapour pressure or the temperature in the heat pipe exceeds a predetermined threshold pressure or temperature, to allow the vapour phase to escape from the heat pipe to reduce the pressure or the temperature within the heat pipe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.