Apparatus for pre-heating a metal charge for a melting plant and connected method

Apparatus for pre-heating and conveying a metal charge to a melting furnace of a melting plant, comprising:

• a conveyor channel capable of advancing a metal charge to a lateral loading aperture of the melting furnace, having lateral walls and a bottom wall that define a substantially U-shaped cross section,
• a hood at least partially disposed above the conveyor channel and having a tunnel wherein at least part of the fumes generated from the melting furnace advance into the hood,
• an expansion chamber within the hood and at least partially located above the metal charge and the conveyor channel,
• a connection pipe disposed between a fume exit of the melting furnace and the expansion chamber, and in a direct fluid communication from the melting furnace to the expansion chamber, to introduce a substantial amount of fumes generated inside the melting furnace directly into the expansion chamber, to reduce the passage of the fumes through the conveyor channel;
• at least one suction pipe disposed within the lateral walls of the conveyor channel;
• and
• a longitudinal portion of the conveyor channel having at least one passage apertures disposed within the lateral walls and in fluid communication with one the at least one suction pipe;
• wherein the fumes entered from the melting furnace through the connection pipe do not directly contact the metal charge before the fumes reduce their speed and temperature in the expansion chamber, in order to avoid localized melting in the metal charge,
• wherein an internal volume of the expansion chamber is a function of the flow rate of fumes generated from the melting furnace so that the fumes remain in the expansion chamber for a time period of at least 1.5 seconds before contacting to the metal charge on the conveyor channel.