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AssigneeHylsa S.A. de C.V.
InventorsMarco A. Herrera-Garcia, Rodolfo A. de la Garza Villarreal
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A method and apparatus for feeding iron-bearing particles into a metallurgical furnace such as an electric arc furnace, comprising a vessel for containing a bath of molten iron, having a wall extending above the bath of molten iron, a preferably screw type feeder mounted on the exterior of the vessel, a feeding port in the vessel wall shaped to permit passage of the feeder into the interior of the bath of vessel and located at such a height from the molten iron so that no molten materials will spill out from the furnace through the port during the normal operation and maneuvering of the furnace; and actuating means for extending the screw type feeder from a retracted position out of the vessel to an extended position into the vessel. Iron-bearing particles are charged at a point proximate to the bath of molten iron, and at the same time are positively pushed into the slag layer in the direction of the molten iron and also of the hottest zone of the furnace whereby the overall productivity of the furnace is increased.
A method of feeding iron-bearing particulate materials by means of an elongated feeder having a lower delivery end into a metallurgical furnace for containing a bath of molten iron with a layer of slag covering said molten iron and having at least one upper side wall above said slag for containing emissions from the bath including gases and radiant heat, comprising the steps of forming the bath of molten iron with an upper slag layer in said furnace, introducing the lower delivery end of the elongated feeder through a hole in one of the upper side walls of said furnace to an operative position at least closely adjacent said slag layer and not extending into the molten iron, pushing a charge of said iron-bearing particulate materials down into said slag layer by means of said feeder towards said bath of molten iron, and continuously regulating the charging of the iron-bearing particulate materials through said feeder into the slag layer at a rate effectively equal to that at which the particulate materials charged to the furnace are melted in the furnace.
Apparatus in the form of a feeder for charging iron-bearing particulate materials into a metallurgical furnace adapted to contain a bath of molten iron and a layer of slag covering said bath, comprising a housing of a generally cylindrical shape, a shaft rotatably mounted inside said housing and having screw-type helical blade extending from an upper feed end to a lower discharge end to push said particulate materials through said feeder and out of the lower discharge end, driving means to cause said shaft to rotate in said feeder, and actuating means to position the discharge end of said feeder over a range of depths and not extending into the molten iron and yet being effectively close to said bath of molten iron to be capable of pushing said materials through said slag layer to said bath and to retract said feeder from an operative position inside the furnace to a non-operative position outside the furnace whereby when in the non-operative position, said feeder does not interfere with required repositioning of said furnace, and said shaft being at an angle to a horizontal effective to push the particulate materials positively into said slag layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.