Ladle heating system with air seal and heat shield

In apparatus for heating a ladle or the like which includes a chamber with an opening and a rim about the opening, said apparatus comprising a substantially flat seal surface means sized and shaped to engage the rim of the ladle, blower means for directing a flow of air through the seal surface into the ladle chamber and then back through the seal surface, means for heating the air directed to the ladle chamber, the improvement therein of a heat shield means extending about said seal surface, said heat shield means extending outwardly from the plane of the seal surface for receiving the rim of the ladle in telescoped relationship, and means for inducing a flow of air between the heat shield on one side and the portion of the seal surface in abutment with the rim of the ladle on the other side for mixing with the air flowing from the blower means through the seal surface and into the ladle chamber whereby air is directed from about the outer surface of the ladle adjacent the rim, is heated and is directed to the ladle chamber.

In combination with apparatus for heating ladles or the like, a lid assembly for movement into abutment with the rim of the ladle, a heat shield mounted adjacent said lid assembly and sized and shaped to telescopically receive the rim of the ladle to be heated, and conduit means adapted to be arranged about the rim of the ladle for directing a flow of air at a position about the ladle between said heat shield and the area of said lid in engagement with the rim of the ladle, and blower means including an inlet means in communication with said conduit means and an exhaust means in communication through said lid assembly with the ladle.

In combination with apparatus for heating ladles or the like, a lid assembly comprising a support frame, a network of refractory fiber modules supported by said support frame in a common plane, each of said modules being held by the others of the modules and by said support frame in compression across the common plane, and a heat shield mounted adjacent said fiber modules and sized and shaped to telescopically receive the rim of the ladle to be heated, and means for directing a flow of air between said heat shield and the modules in engagement with the rim of the ladle.

A method of heating ladles and the like comprising moving the rim of the ladle to be heated and the substantially flat surface of a seal assembly into abutment with each other with the rim of the ladle received in telescoped relationship in a flange member mounted about the seal surface, inducing a flow of air in sequence between the flange member and the rim of the ladle in abutment with the lid assembly in a direction away from the rim of the ladle outside the ladle, through a heat exchanger, and through the lid assembly into the ladle, mixing fuel with the air and igniting the mixture as the mixture passes through the lid assembly and into the ladle, and exhausting the gases from the ladle through the lid assembly and through the heat exchanger.

A method of heating ladles and the like comprising applying a lid to the rim of the ladle to substantially close the ladle, directing a flow of air about the external surface of the ladle at the rim of the ladle to collect heat emitted from the ladle at the rim of the ladle in the air, collecting the air directed about the rim of the ladle and moving the collected air first through a burner and then through the lid to the interior of the ladle, adding fuel to the air, burning the air and fuel in the ladle, and exhausting the combustion gases from the ladle through the lid.

A method of heating ladles and the like comprising the steps of applying a lid to the rim of the ladle, moving combustion air through the lid into the ladle, mixing fuel with the combustion air, igniting the mixture, exhausting the combustion gases from the ladle through the lid, and transferring some of the heat emitted from between the ladle rim and the lid to the combustion air before the fuel and combustion air are ignited.

A method of heating ladles and the like comprising the steps of applying a lid to the rim of the ladle, introducing a mixture of combustion air and fuel to a burner, igniting the mixture in the burner and directing the flame through the lid to the interior of the ladle, burning the combustion air and fuel in the ladle, exhausting the gases of combustion through the lid, forming an air barrier about the rim of the ladle, directing air from the air barrier to the burner, and combining air from the air barrier with the combustion air before the combustion air is introduced to the burner.