US 4,050,592 A · Charging apparatus for shaft furnaces

Abstract

Apparatus for charging material into a shaft furnace, such as a blast furnace. The apparatus includes gas lock means for introducing charge material into the furnace while the furnace is under gas pressure, and distributor means below the gas lock means that causes charge material to be deposited and distributed in the upper portion or throat of the furnace either toward the outer periphery of the cross section in the furnace bounded by the interior surface of the furnace wall or toward the center of such cross section, or in both places, to provide an upper surface or stockline of charge material that is essentially level or of any other desired shape within substantial limits. One form of distributor means disclosed comprises a vertically movable distributor bell with an upwardly and inwardly converging top surface that is positioned with the lower edge of such surface positioned either above or below the bottom edge of an opening, larger than the bell diameter, in a distributor hopper with upwardly outwardly diverging sides, so that the material charged into the hopper through the gas lock means can by cooperation of the bell and hopper be deflected either toward the outer periphery or toward the center of the cross section within the furnace or toward any intermediate location, by disclosed positioning or movement of the bell. Disclosed apparatus also includes means for sensing the level of the stock line at a plurality of locations around the outer periphery of the stockline near the furnace wall, and also at a central location; and means for reversing movement of the bell in case of jamming by an obstruction. Processes carried out by such forms of apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Apparatus for charging particulate material into a receptacle to form a stockline in the receptacle, said apparatus comprising an inner wall of the receptacle defining a zone in which said stockline is to be located;

distributor means for distributing particulate material in said receptacle to form said stockline comprising a bell in said receptacle and a member surrounding said bell, said member having a bottom opening into which at least a portion of said bell may extend during operation of said distributor means;
means for causing relative movement between said bell and said surrounding member during the distributing operation;
means for determining the configuration of said stockline comprising means for sensing the level of said stockline at a plurality of locations thereon near said inner wall of said receptacle and at a location substantially at the center of said stockline and beneath said bell, and means associated with said sensing means for indicating outside of said receptacle the level of the stockline in each of said locations to permit operation of said charging apparatus including said distributor means to be controlled to discharge particulate material to correct undesired deviations in the level of said stockline.

The apparatus of claim 51 in which said bell is supported by a bell rod, and said means associated with said sensing means beneath said bell operates through said bell rod to indicate outside of said receptacle the level of the stockline sensed by said sensing means beneath said bell.

Apparatus for charging particulate material into a shaft furnace in which a substantial pressure of gas is maintained during operation of said furnace, comprising a furnace portion having an inner furnace wall defining a space into which said material is to be deposited to form a stockline in the furnace;

gas lock means permitting introduction of said material into the upper portion of said space without harmful loss of gas pressure;
distributor means in said space below and gas lock means comprising a distributor bell having an upper surface that converges upwardly and inwardly from a perimeter of said bell at the lower edge of said upper surface, said perimeter being the largest perimeter of said bell, a distributor hopper surrounding said bell and having an inner surface that converges downwardly and inwardly said hopper having an opening adjacent the lower edge of said inner surface through which said bell may freely pass, the edge of said opening being in close proximity to and spaced from said perimeter of said bell when said perimeter is in said opening, and means for relatively positioning said bell and said hopper along an upright path between a position in which said bell perimeter is located in a lower position relative to said hopper opening so said particulate material is directed by the upper surface of said bell through said opening towards said inner furnace wall and a position in which said bell perimeter is in an upper position relative to said hopper opening so that particulate material is directed by the inner surface of said hopper toward a location below the bell and toward the central portion of the stockline away from said inner furnace wall;
means for sensing the level of material in said furnace at a plurality of locations near said inner furnace wall and at a location substantially at the center of said furnace beneath said bell;
and means outside of said furnace for receiving information from said sensing means as to the level of the stockline at each of said locations, to permit use of such information in causing relative positioning of said bell and said hopper to achieve a desired stockline configuration in said furnace.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Charging apparatus for shaft furnaces

Life of this patent

Charging apparatus for shaft furnaces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15