US 5,314,170 A · Steel heating furnace

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steel heating furnace which permits free setting of an in-furnace temperature pattern or gradient as desired. A steel heating furnace 1 includes at least one or more burner systems of regenerative heating, each being arranged to supply a combustion air and exhaust a combustion gas through a regenerative bed. Those burner systems are disposed in each of plural zones which are defined within a single furnace body, or in each of unit furnaces 2. The unit furnaces 2 are interconnected to form a single furnace body. The amount of combustion may be controlled for each zones or each unit furnaces 2 to enable free variation of in-furnace temperature per zone or per unit furnace 2 so that a desired in-furnace temperature pattern gradient in the entire furnace 1 may be set easily. The steel heating furnace 1 may be constructed with a required length and in-furnace temperature pattern, by interconnecting the unit furnaces.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A continuous steel heating furnace through which workpieces move and are to be heated continuously, comprising:

a plurality of temperature zones defined in a direction in which the workpieces move in the furnace;
and
at least one pair of regenerative burner systems provided at each of said plurality of temperature zones, each said at least one pair of regenerative burner systems including:
a regenerative bed;
burner means;
combustion air supply means for supplying a combustion air via said regenerative bed to said burner means;
combustion gas exhaust means for exhausting a combustion gas via said regenerative bed from said burner means;
and
switch-over means for effecting a relative switch-over of a flow of said combustion air and a flow of said combustion gas with respect to said regenerative bed;
wherein a combustion amount in each of said plurality of temperature zones is controlled by means of said at least one pair of regenerative burner systems so as to adjustably set temperatures respectively in said temperature zones to selected degrees, independently of one another, whereby a desired temperature pattern is defined in said furnace to permit heating of the workpieces in each of said plurality of temperature zones to an optimal temperature.

7 more elements

A continuous steel heating furnace in which workpieces are to be heated continuously, comprising:

one furnace body;
an entry opening defined in said furnace body, through which said workpieces are carried into said furnace body;
an exit opening defined in said furnace body, through which said workpieces are carried out of said furnace body;
said furnace body including a plurality of unit furnaces which define a plurality of temperature zones, respectively, extending in a direction in which the workpieces are carried in said furnace body;
at least one pair of regenerative burner systems provided at each of said plurality of unit furnaces each said at least one pair of regenerative burner systems including:
a regenerative bed;
burner means;
combustion air supply means for supplying a combustion air via said regenerative bed to said burner means;
combustion gas exhaust means for exhausting a combustion gas via said regenerative bed from said burner means;
and
switch-over means for effecting a relative switch-over of a flow of said combustion air and a flow of said combustion gas with respect to said regenerative bed;
wherein combustion in each of said plurality of temperature zones is controlled by means of said at least one pair of regenerative burner systems so as to adjustably set temperatures respectively in said temperature zones to selected degrees, independently of one another, whereby a desired temperature pattern is defined in said furnace to permit heating workpieces in each of said plurality of temperature zones to an optimal temperature.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Steel heating furnace

Life of this patent

Steel heating furnace

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20