Combustion system for a steckel mill

Abstract

A combustion system for use in the steckel mill provides for the controlled mixing of combustible fluids to each furnace incorporated in the steckel mill while also harnessing at least a portion of the heat developed during the operation of the mill to increase the overall operation efficiency of the steckel mill. The invention also contemplates enhancing the manner in which combustion products are drawn from the furnaces which also aids in recovering heat developed during the operation of the steckel mill as well as improving the operation of the overall combustion system. These features are obtained by providing a supply system for the air or other combustible gas delivered to each of the steckel mill coil furnaces and to direct at least a portion of the flow of this combustion gas through at least one recuperator that is in-line with an exhaust duct associated with the steckel mill. In this manner, this portion of the intake combustion gas is pre-heated prior to delivery to the various burners of the coil furnaces which results in an increased overall operation efficiency of the furnaces and steckel mill. A controlled rate of auxiliary combustion gas is also supplied to burners of the furnaces for mixing with a combustible gas, such as natural gas, in order to maintain a desired stoichiometric combustion ratio.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.