Copper anode furnace and a method for operating the same

A copper anode furnace, comprising;

• a furnace drum which can be pivoted about an axis and in which copper melt is refined into anode copper, said furnace drum including a coating, a fireproof lining inward of said coating and a spout through which the refined copper is poured out of an interior of said furnace drum;
• a sliding closure arranged in connection with the spout, said sliding closure comprising at least one stationary, fireproof closing plate and a fireproof sliding plate displaceable relative to said at least one closing plate whereby displacement of said sliding plate enables regulation or closure of an outlet from said furnace drum and thereby control of an outflow amount of the copper from the interior of said furnace drum;
• a fireproof brick arranged in a pour-out region of said furnace drum, said fireproof brick including a seat on a side of said fireproof brick facing outward from said furnace drum and an aperture leading from said seat to a side of said fireproof brick facing the interior of said furnace drum;
• and
• a fireproof case arranged in said seat defined by said fireproof brick, said fireproof case being separate from said fireproof brick and including an aperture, said apertures of said fireproof brick and said fireproof case defining in combination an outlet opening between the interior of said furnace drum and said sliding closure,
• at least a portion of said aperture of said fireproof brick tapering from the side of said fireproof brick facing the interior of said furnace drum towards said seat in which said fireproof case is arranged and forming a feeding angle,
• at least a portion of said aperture of said fireproof case being conical with a larger cross-sectional area on a side more proximate the interior of said furnace drum.