Plant and process for fluidized bed reduction of ore
AssigneeFior de Venezuela
InventorRoy H. Whipp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved FIOR processing plant and method for reducing raw iron ore fines into a 90+% metallized briquette product utilizing a multi-stage fluidized bed reactor in which the reducing and fluidizing gases are the products of partial combustion of methane with oxygen, the gases being introduced into an intermediate zone of the reducing tower above the stage or stages where final metallization occurs. Said processing plant including an ore preparation and feed assembly, a multi-stage reactor assembly, a briquetting assembly, a recycle and fresh reducing gas assembly, and, a heat recuperation assembly.
Claims25
In a processing plant for reducing wet iron ore fines under 1/2" including a reactor assembly, a preheat reactor assembly, and, an ore feed assembly with an ore feed conduit means for transferring iron ore to said reactor assembly, said preheat reactor assembly comprising:
- a preheat reactor;
- a quench and gas cleanup system;
- an airstream source means for providing an airstream;
- a natural gas source means for providing natural gas;
- said preheat reactor including:
- a reactor vessel including an upper cavity portion and a lower cavity portion;
- ore inlet port means for connecting said upper cavity portion to the ore feed conduit means;
- gaseous exhaust port means for connecting said upper cavity portion to said quench and gas cleanup system;
- ore outlet port means for providing an exit for ore fines from said lower cavity portion and out of said preheat reactor;
- air intake port means connecting said lower cavity portion to said airstream source means and facilitating the development of an airstream upward from the lower cavity portion to the upper cavity portion and out of the gaseous exhaust port means;
- said airstream passing through falling iron ore fines and developing a fluidized bed of iron ore fines within said reactor vessel;
- said air intake port means being located below said ore outlet port means;
- natural gas injection means for injecting natural gas into said airstream and for igniting said natural gas in said airstream;
- said natural gas injection means including natural gas intake port means connecting said lower cavity portion to said natural gas source means;
- and,
- combustion air means for providing combustion air and mixing combustion air with said natural gas to facilitate combustion, said mixture being referred to as flue gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.