Furnace humidification system
AssigneeCleveland-Cliffs Steel Properties Inc.
InventorsAlan D. Poling, Shailesh Thakkar, Christopher Heiny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steel strip annealing furnace humidification system includes a furnace, a water-injecting system, and a control system. The furnace has a heating region and a soaking region. The water-injecting system is configured to directly feed a liquid into the furnace. The control system is in communication with the water-injecting system to control the feed of liquid into the furnace based on a measured dew point associated with an interior of the furnace.
Claims20
A steel strip annealing furnace humidification system, comprising:
- (a) a furnace having a heating region and a soaking region;
- (b) a water-injecting system configured to directly feed a liquid into the furnace;
- and
- (c) a control system in communication with the water-injecting system to control the feed of the liquid into the furnace based on a measured dew point associated with an interior of the furnace.
A method for annealing steel that utilizes a furnace humidification system, wherein the system includes a furnace having an upper region and a lower region, the method comprising:
- (a) feeding a liquid into the furnace using a water injection system;
- (b) controlling the feed of the liquid into the furnace based on a measured dew point associated with an interior of the furnace using a control system that is in communication with the water-injecting system;
- and
- (c) elevating the temperature of the furnace to vaporize the incoming liquid being fed by the water-injecting system.
A continuous annealing line, the continuous annealing line comprising:
- (a) a furnace including one or more enclosures, the one or more enclosures defining a heating section and a soaking section;
- (b) a fluid source;
- (c) one or more gas supply lines in communication with each enclosure of the one or more enclosures;
- (d) a plurality of pumps in communication with the fluid source;
- (e) one or more fluid supply lines, each fluid supply line being configured to communicate fluid from a pump of the plurality of pumps to an enclosure of the one or more enclosures, each fluid supply line being separate from the one or more gas supply lines;
- and
- (f) a controller in communication with each pump of the plurality of pumps and at least a portion of the furnace, the controller being configured to drive the pumps based on a measured dewpoint within the furnace.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.