US2345188A - Cooling plate for blast furnace inwalls and mantles - Google Patents

Description

A. L. FOELL 2,345,188

COOLING PLATE FOR BLAST FURNACE INWALLS AND MANTLES March 28, 1944 2 Sheetls- Sheet 1 Filed March 13, 1942 INVENTOR. noun/Li hen. {3&6 4.

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March 28, 1944. 2,345,188

COOLING PLATE FOR BLAST FURNACE INWALLS AND MANTLES A. L. FOELL FiledMarch 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR. LPHLFOEL ml: Irma/var Patented Mar. 28, 1944 UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE COOLING PLATE FOR BLAST FURNACE INWALLS AND MANTLES Adolph L. Foell, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 13, 1942, Serial No. 434,468

8 Claims. I (01.122-6) This invention relates to the art of metallurgical blast furnaces, and particularly to those portions of such furnaces which rest on the mantle and extend thereabove' to form what is known as the inwall.

nace it is extremely difficult to satisfactorily cool the mantle and inwall portions of the stack, and this is especially true when the furnace is operated over a protracted period of time. reasons which will appear more fully hereinafter, these portions of the stack are so constructed and arranged that they donot readily lend themselves to alteration in the manner of other portions of the shaft of the furnace.

It is among the objects of the present invention to more efficiently cool the inwalls and mantles of metallurgical blast furnaces.

Another object is the provision of a watercooled plate for the inwalls and mantles of metallurgical blast furnaces which is constructed and arranged for extreme durability in service.

Another object is to provide an instrumentality of the class described which is characterized by increased resistance to displacement with respect to that portion of the shaft of the furnace in which it is disposed.

Still another object is to more securely connect the water-cooled'plate with the exterior of the furnace while at the same time permitting it to move with the shaft during expansion and contraction.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter more fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative of but one of a number of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through a portion of either the mantle or inwall of a metallurgical blast furnace employing the cooling plates and associated instrumentalities of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal view of the end of one of the cooling plates of Figure 1 illustrating the instrumentalities which connect it with the exterior of the furnace.

. Figure 3 is a, fragmentary sectional view take on the line IIIIII of Figure 2. v

plate-.r neinbers which are so constructed and For 1 elevation taken on line IX--IX of Fig. 1, and

arranged with respect to the jacket of the blast furnace as to permit relative movement thereof for purposes which willbe described hereinafter.

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan of one of the cooling plates of Figure 1, illustrating in more detail the construction therof.

Figure 6 isa view taken on the line VI-VI of Figure Sand illustrates an end of one ofthe cooling plates.

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken VII-VII of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a view illustrating the outer ends of the water connections for the cooling plates of the invention. l I

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional on the line illustrating a portion of the furnace stack with the cooling plate of the invention disposed in operative position therein.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the letter A designates either themantle or inwall portion of a metallurgical blast furnace,

'the same being referred to hereinafter as the stack. 26

This portion of the shaft of the-furnace is composed of very thick refractory brickwork and is most frequently enclosed by a jacket B of heavy metal plates.

According to conventional design, there is buried within the refractory brickworkof the stack of the blast furnace at the time of its erection a multiplicity of hollow'water cooled plates, which are provided with water intake and outlet conduits that extend to the exterior of the jacket B. These water intake and outlet conduits usually pass through small round apertures in the jacket B, but the teachings of the present invention comprise enlarged apertures'C which may be rectangular in shape, and the purpose and intent of which will later become more apparent. Usually there is provided between the stack A and encircling jacket B a suitable packing D. Due to the fact that inwall or mantle plates are constructed and arranged for the circulation of cooling water circumferentially of the very thick refractory brickwork of the stack, they are usually buried quite deep therewithin. By

plates, and having .no communication-with the their water intake and outlet conduits, they cannot be removed and replaced without the rebuilding of the stack. g

Early designs of inwall or mantleplates; which .tend to the exterior of the furnace.

reduced by extreme care in the casting technique,

there is ever present the possibility of a cracking at those points where the integral elongated neck portions of the plate tend underextreme'ly While blow holes and This tendency toward cracking at the points mentioned is enhanced by reason of the fact that usually the integrally cast elongated neck portions pass through small tightly encompassing round apertures in the jacket B of heavy metal plates, and when the stack A moves during temperature change a binding action takes place.

To a certain extent, the prior art stack plate described hereinbefore has been replaced by those of more recent design which have foreshortened integrally cast neck portions, or none at all, together with separately attached water intake and outlet conduits which are enclosed by protection pipes extending from either the body portion of the plate, or the said foreshortened neck portions, to the exterior of the furnace.

high temperatures to move with the stackrelative to the jacket B, thereby subjecting the integral elongated neck portions to highly destructive stresses.

Because of the foregoing difficulties which are indigenous to stack plates provided with integrally cast elongated neck portions, it became prevalent: practice in case of a. failure to introduce through the water conduits cement or the like, whereby the plate, having failed in its capacity as acooling medium, was permitted to contribute somewhat to the refractory qualities of that portionofthe stack in which it was disposed.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, the

high temperatures of the furnace cause crumbling, spalling and fusion of the bricks comprising the walls of the inwall and mantle. .This

tendency toward disintegration is furthered by the reaction of the furnace gases with the brickwork. The infiltration through the refractory brickwork of carbon monoxide (CO) gas within certain temperature limits, reacts with the ferric oxide (F6203) of the refractory material. This reaction results in the formation of carbon which exerts an expansive effort in Zones heated to temperature within a certain critical range. In addition, the contact of the furnace burden (coke, ore and limestone) with the interior of the wall of the stack causes much wear. These combined factors frequently cause the deterioration of the interior of the wall of the stack to such an extent asto expose theinnerm'ostedge's of the stack plates therein.

"so long as a blast furnace is operated safely within the limits prescribed by the thickness and construction of .the refractory brickwork of the stack, the cooling plates therefore will remain buried therewithin. If, however, the furnace is operated over a protracted period of time, the

deterioration of the interior of the wall of the stack will progress beyond the point where the innermost edges of the stack plates are exposed, with the result that ultimately the support for the said plates is destroyed.

When the deterioration of the refractory brickwork immediately below a stack plate progresses to an extent sufficient to impair the support afforded thereby, the extreme weight on the plate causes it to tend to sag down into the furnace,

.neck portion to crack at their points of connection with the body portions of -the plateis dan- 'ge'rously increased."

Some of these more recently designed stack plates jprovid'e flexibility either between the plate and the protection pipes or in the protection pipes per'se whereby destructive stresses are greatly reduced if not entirely eliminated.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, there is provided for disposal in the stack (either the inwall or mantle) of the furnace a cast elongated relatively flat hollow cooling plate generally indicated at 2. In plan, the cooling plate 2 is shaped like a segment of a cylinder, the curvature thereof being such as will conform to the contour of that portion of the stack in which it is, in the erection of the furnace, to be buried. The inner edge, and accordingly that which is most adjacent the axis of the furnace, is therefore concave, as shown at 3, while the opposite and outer edge is concentric and necessarily convex, as shown at 4.

Referring more particularly to Figures 2, 5 and 8 of the drawings, the plate 2 is provided at both of its ends with a foreshortened right-angularly extending portion which is necked-in and provided on its outer extremity with an integrally cast substantially flat terminal portion 1. 7 Both of these terminal portions 1 are shown as being substantially oblong in plan and the most remote edges of each are provided with a pair of ears 8. This construction and arrangement provides a pocket 9 behind each pair of ears 8.

Referring more particularly to Figures 5, 6 and 8, it will be perceived that the outer face of each of the ears 8 is provided with a raised, flattened surface In for a purpose which will be later described.

Extending from the inner sides of the flat terminal portions 1 and longitudinally of the interior of the stack plate 2 is a partition ll. Each of the terminal portions 1 has an aperture on either side of the partition I I forming means for connecting an inlet or outlet pipe to the plate, those at one end of the plate being designated 13, while the apertures at the opposite end of the plate are designated at Id. These apertures l3-l3 and I l-l4 permit of the ingress and egress of the coolant (i. e. water) through conduits l5, and together with th'e'partitionmemher I I permit of inner and outer water circulating passages. In the event the plate 2 becomes optional, and as such forms no part of the present invention.

- Referring more particularly to Figures 1 through 3, the apertures l3--l3' and 14-140:

the stack plate 2 are connected with water intake and water outlet conduits l5 which extend to the exterior of the furnace.,

Extending between the foreshortened rightangularly extending necked-in portion 6 and in co-planar relationship with respect to the bottom of the plate 2 is an integrally castfin I! which is reinforced along its length by a plurality of transversely extending integrally cast reinforcing ribs l8 which connect with the convex outer surface 4 of the plate 2. The purpose of this reinforced integrally cast fin I1 is to provide an increased bearing area, as shown in Figure 7, whereby there is reduced the tendency of the plate to sag within the shaft of the furnace upon the deterioration of the refractory brickwork immediately below the said plate.

Referring more particularly to Figure 2, disposed to extend across each of the terminal portions 1 is a metallic connecting plate 20 having therein a pair of apertures 2|, eachof which is aligned with one of the apertures (l3l3 and 14-14) which permit the ingress and egress of the cooling. water. Surrounding each of the apertures 2| (in the connecting. plates 20) is a protection pipe 22. These protection pipes 22 are welded as at 23 to the respective connecting plates 20 and extend through passages P in the wall of the stack to the exterior of the furnace.

Preferably, the connecting plates 20 are of the same contour as the terminal portion 1 of the plate 2 to provide a flush relationship,;and those portions of the connecting plates 2t!v which lie between the ears 8 are apertured as at 24 to accommodate bolts 25 which extend from the pockets 9 and are provided on their outermost ends withthe usual nuts to provide a rigid connection. It will be seen that the inner faces of the connecting plates 20 contact the raised flat surfaces IU of the ears 8, and the clamping effect provided by the nuts 25 and their associated bolts accomplishes an extremely rigid connection.

The teachings of the present invention comprise the securing cf the protection pipes 22 to the jacket B of the furnace in such manner as to materially resist the inward longitudinal movement thereof, while at the same time permitting trans-axial displacement in all directions. By this means there is reduced the tendency of the stack plate 2'to sag within the furnace upon the deterioration of the refractory brickwork immediately below it, yet the said plate is free to move with the stack A during expansion and contraction accruing from temperature changes without subjecting either the protection pipes 22 or the water conduits therewithin to. destructive stresses. More specifically, this part of the invention comprisesthe provision in the jacket B of the furnace of enlarged apertures C which are shown as being rectangular in shape. Disposed between the inside of the jacket B and the packing D is a rectangular plate 26 which overlaps the aperture C in the jacket and is provided with a pair of apertures 21 for closely embracing the protection pipes 22. This close embracing relationship prevents the egress of the packing D. Disposed exteriorly of the jacket B is a second plate 23 which is shown as being identical in size and shape to the plate 26 which is described immediately hereinbefore. This plate 28 is provided with apertures 29 which closely embrace the protection pipes 22. However, while the plate 26 is free to slide along the protection pipes 22, the plate 28 is welded to the said protection pipes in the manner of the continuous circular welds 23 which connect the inner ends of the protection pipes to the connecting plates 20.

The foregoing construction and arrangement is such as to permit of the sliding movement of the plates 26-28 with respect to the jacket B in any direction, while at the same time restraining the inward movement of the protection pipes 22 and the outward movement of the packing D.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, changes being made as regards the details described, providing the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I claim:

1. Ina metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, a hollow cooling plate buried within the wall of said refractory stack whereby refractory portions of the said stack are provided between the inner and outer Walls thereof and the said hollow cooling plate, the exterior wall of said stackhaving a pair of passages communicating with said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet connections for said hollow cooling plate, each of said connections being in alignment with one of said passages and terminating inwardly of the exterior Wall of said stack, a protection pipe disposed in each of said passages,

an apertured plate secured to the inner end of each of said protection pipes, the apertures of said plates communicating with the bores of the respective pipes to which they are secured, means for securing said apertured plates to said hollow cooling plate, and fluid inlet and outlet conduits extending through said protection pipes into said connections. i

2. In a metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, a hollow cooling plate buried within the wall of said refractory stack whereby refractory portions of the said stack are provided between the inner and outer walls thereof and the said hollow cooling plate, the exterior wall of said stack having a pair of passages communicating with said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet connections for said hollow coolingplate, each of said connections being in alignment with one of said passages and terminating inwardly of the exterior wall of said stack, 'a protection pipe disposed in each of said passages, an apertured plate secured to the inner end of each of said protection pipes, the apertures of said plates communicating with the bores of the respective pipes to which they are secured, means for securing said apertured plates to said hollow "cooling plate, fluid inlet and outlet conduits extending through said protection pipes into said connections, and a balancing fin carried by and projecting from said hollow cooling plate.

3. In ametallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, a hollow cooling plate buried within the wall of said refractory stack whereby refractory portions of the said stack are provided between the inner and outer Walls thereof and the said hollow cooling plate, the exterior wall of said stack having a pair of passages communicating with said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet connections for said hollow cooling plate, each of said connections being in alignment with one of said passages and terminating inwardly of the exterior wall of said stack, a protection pipe disposed in each of said passages, an apertured plate secured to the inner end of each of said protection pipes, the apertures of said plates communicating with the bores of the respective pipes to which they are secured, means for securing said apertured plates to said hollow cooling plate, fluid inlet and outlet conduits extending through said protection pipes into said connections, and a balancing fin carried by and projecting from said hollow cooling plate, said balancing finextending substantially toward the exterior of said refractory stack.

4. In a metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, a metallic jacket for said stack, a hollow cooling plate buried within the wall of said refractory stack whereby refractory portions of the said stack are provided between the inner and outer walls thereof and the said hollow cooling plate, the exterior wall of said stack having a pair of passages communicating with said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet connections for, said hollow cooling plate, each of said connections being in alignment with one of said passages and terminating inwardly of the exterior wall of said stack, a protection pipe disposed in each of said passages and connected to said hollow cooling plate, said protection pipes extending through said metallic jacket, fluid inlet and outlet conduits extending through said protection pipes into said connections, and flexible means connecting said protection pipe with said metallic jacket.

5. In a metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, a metallic jacket for said stack, a hollow cooling plate buried within the wall of said refractory stack whereby refractory portions of the said stack are provided between the inner and outer walls thereof and the said hollow cooling plate, the exterior wall of said stack having a pair of passages communicating with said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet connections for said hollow cooling plate, each of said connections being in alignment with one of said passages and terminating inwardly of the exterior wall of said stack, a protection pipe disposed in each of said passages and connected to said hollow cooling plate, said protection pipes extending through said metallic jacket, fluid inlet and outletconduits extending through said protection pipes into said connections, flexible means connecting said protection pipe with said metallic jacket, and a balancing fin carried by and projecting from said hollow cooling plate.

6. In a metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, a metallic jacket for said stack, a hollow cooling plate buried within the wall of said refractory stack whereby refractory portions of the said stack are provided between the inner and outer walls thereof and the said hollow cooling plate, the exterior wall of said stack having a pair of passages communicating with said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet connections for said hollow cooling plate, each of said connections being in alignment with one of said passages and terminating inwardly of the exterior wall of said stack, a protection pipe disposed in each of said passages and connected to said hollow cooling plate, said protection pipes extending through said metallic jacket, fluid inlet and outlet conduits extending through said protection pipes into said connections, flexible means connecting said protection pipe with said metallic jacket, and a balancing fin carried by and projecting from said hollow cooling plate, said balancing fin extending substantially toward the exterior of said refractory stack.

7. A metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack, a hollow cooling plate buried in said stack and disposed wholly between the inner and outer walls thereof, said plate having openings therein through which cooling liquid is adapted to pass, said stack having passages extending inwardly from the outer wall thereof and in communication with said plate openings, a protection pipe in each of said passages, each of said pipes secured at its inner end to said plate coaxial with an opening therein, fluid conduits disposed within said protection pipes in communication with said plate openings at one end and projecting at their opposite ends beyond the outer face of said stack Wall, and flexible means connecting said protection pipes with the outer face of said stack wall.

'8. In a metallurgical blast furnace comprising a refractory stack extending above the mantle thereof, an apertured metallic jacket for said stack, an apertured hollow cooling plate buried in said wall in such manner that refractory portions of said stack are provided between the inner and outer faces thereof and the hollow cooling plate,

the said stack having a pair ofpassages therein communicating with the apertures in said jacket and said hollow cooling plate, fluid intake and fluid outlet conduits disposed in said passages and connected to said hollow cooling plate and extending through the aperture in said metallic jacket, protection pipes enclosing said conduits, said pipes secured at their inner ends to said cooling plate and extending through said passages to the exterior of said wall and through the aperture in said jacket, a pair of apertured plates disposed one on each side of said jacket and over the aperture therein, the said protection pipes extending through said apertures in said plates, one of said plates anchored in said wall and loosely receiving said protection pipes, and the other of said plates having sliding engagement with said jacket and permanently affixed to said protection pipes. I

ADOLPH L. FOELL.

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