Melt shop layout
AssigneeIPSCO Enterprises Inc.
InventorWilliam R. Frank
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A melt shop for melting scrap steel comprises a pair of primary melting furnaces and a pair of refining facility stations. The layout for the primary melting furnaces, refining facility, associated support, and peripheral equipment and caster is a single-aisle layout with general longitudinal alignment of the major constituent elements. Scrap delivery to the primary melt furnaces may comprise trackways running perpendicular to the longitudinal layout, the discharge end of each trackway being proximate to a primary melt furnace. A single trackway is preferably provided for a pair of overhead cranes running longitudinally from the caster to the primary melt furnaces.
Claims11
In combination, a melting facility for a steel mill that accepts scrap iron and steel as an input and produces a molten steel output and a caster taking as an input the molten steel output of the melting facility and producing a cast slab output, wherein the melting facility is arranged in a longitudinally extending and spaced array in a single-aisle layout comprising the following components in spaced sequence:
- a) at least a pair of longitudinally aligned and spaced electric arc primary melting furnaces;
- b) a ladle metallurgical refining facility having at least a pair of longitudinally aligned and spaced operating stations;
- and
- c) at least one overhead crane transversely bracketing said furnaces and said refining facility and capable of longitudinal movement along the single-aisle layout of the melting facility;
- wherein the caster is located in the vicinity of the downstream end of the ladle metallurgical refining facility and in longitudinal alignment with the components of the melting facility;
- and wherein the cast slab output of the caster extends at a selected angle to said longitudinally extending and spaced array.
In combination, a melting facility for a steel mill that accepts scrap iron and steel as an input and produces a molten steel output and a caster taking as an input the molten steel output of the melting facility and producing a cast slab output, wherein the melting facility is arranged in a longitudinally extending and spaced array in a single-aisle layout comprising the following components in spaced sequence:
- a) at least a pair of longitudinally aligned and spaced electric arc primary melting furnaces, each said primary melting furnace having an outlet port;
- b) a ladle metallurgical refining facility having at least a pair of longitudinally aligned and spaced operating stations;
- c) ladle transfer means for positioning a ladle selectably underneath the outlet port of each of the primary melting furnaces or to a holding station downstream of the primary melting furnaces but upstream of the ladle metallurgical refining facility;
- d) a ladle stocking station in the vicinity of the ladle metallurgical refining facility;
- and
- e) two overhead cranes each transversely bracketing said furnaces and said refining facility and each capable of longitudinal movement along the single-aisle layout of the melting facility, one of said cranes serving the primary melt area including scrap delivery to the primary melting furnaces, and the other of said overhead cranes serving the remainder of the melting facility;
- wherein the caster is located in the vicinity of the downstream end of the ladle metallurgical refining facility and in longitudinal alignment with the components of the melting facility;
- and wherein the cast slab output of the caster extends at a selected angle to said longitudinally extending and spaced array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.