Apparatus for producing molten iron from iron oxide with coal and oxygen

Apparatus for reducing particulate iron oxide and producing molten iron comprising:

• (a) a generally vertical shaft furnace having a particle inlet for admitting particulate iron oxide material at the top thereof and an outlet for discharging particulate material from the bottom thereof, a gas inlet intermediate the ends of the furnace for introducing a hot reducing gas to the material therein and a gas outlet for withdrawing spent reducing gas from the top thereof;
• (b) a melter-gasifier vessel having a molten metal bath therein, a conduit communicating with the material discharge outlet of said shaft furnace for admitting particulate shaft furnace product of the top of said vessel, means for melting said particulate materials in said vessel, and a tap hole for withdrawing molten product from said vessel, said vessel being in sealed relationship with the discharge end of said shaft furnace;
• (c) means for introducing oxygen and fossil fuel into said vessel and for directing said oxygen and fossil fuel against the surface of the molten metal bath wherein said oxygen and fossil fuel will impinge on said surface;
• (d) a water injection nozzle for introducing water to the interior of said vessel to humidify the hot gases therein;
• and
• (e) a reducing gas conduit connected to said vessel and to the reducing gas inlet of said shaft furnace for introducing humidified hot gases from said vessel to said shaft furnace as reducing gases.