US2825551A

US2825551A - Converter

Info

Publication number: US2825551A
Application number: US594585A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter L Kerlie
Original assignee: United States Steel Corp
Current assignee: United States Steel Corp
Priority date: 1956-06-28
Filing date: 1956-06-28
Publication date: 1958-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1975-03-04

Description

March 4,1958 w. L. KERLIE 2,825,551

CONVERTER Filed June 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I w I 1 I II I I/VVE/VZ'OR. v WALTER L. KERL/E,

his Aflarpg.

W. L. KERLIE March 4, 1958 CONVERTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 File d June 28, 1956 his Af/orney.\

more efficient refining operation.

United CONVERTER Walter L. Kerlie, Monroeville, Pa., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New .iersey Application June 28, 1956, Serial No. 594,585

2 Claims. (Cl. 266-35) tion'Serial No. 588,762 filed'June 1, 1956.

The process of my said copending application provides improvements overthe surface blowing process disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,733,141 to Clarence E.

'Sims which are directed to the end among others of obtaining improved circulation of the slag and metal at the surface of the bath and thereby a reduction of wear or erosion of the refractory converter lining as well as a The process disclosed in the Sims patent requires an air blast which is directed against the surface of the bath at a velocity and angle of incidence such that a surging non-circulating wall of foaming slag may be formed in front of the tuyeres and against the side of the vessel opposite the tuyeres. This non-circulating wall of foaming slag has been known to obstruct the blast from the tuyeres and to cause a throwback of slag and metal, which erodes the refractory lining particularly in the area about the tuyeres. The formation of this surging wall of foaming slag is prevented and an improved continuous circulation of slag and metal at the surface of the bath is obtained, according to the disclosure of my copending application, by confining the blast to-an area centrally of the ends of the bath and in such manner that the slag and metal which is moved across the surface of the bath by the blast will circulate from the area in front of the tuyeres through the areas at the ends of the bath and thus be continuously circulated or returned to a position for further movement by the. blast over the surface of the bath. This circulation of the slag and metal at the surfaceof the bath is assisted by conducting the blowing operation in a barrelshaped converter which is supported in a horizontal position so that its sides provide a cover for the bath and which has its mouth opening outwardly from an end thereof and spaced from the area over the bath.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an apparatus which is particularly adapted for practicing the processes of the above mentioned Sims patent and copending application and which will further improve the circulation of slag and metal at the surface of the bath.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus forconverting iron to steel' by 'surface blowing which is particularly adapted to an operation using oxy gen or oxygen-enriched air as an oxidizing blast.

A further object of the invention is to provide a surface blown 'converterin which an oxidizing blastisapplied to the surface of the bath through a plurality of water-cooled tuyeres which are arranged in a horizontal row and respectively project through a side of the converter at an angle such that each tuyere axis forms an acute angle with the surface of the bath and intersects 5118b Surface at a point spaced from the said side of the Patented Mar. 4, 1958 new did

converter. Incidental to this object, another object of the invention is to provide a space in back of the points of impingement of the tuyere blasts with the bath surface into which slag and metal may circulate from both ends of the bath as a part of a continuous recirculating movement.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description.

In the drawings there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention. 'In this showing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the converter of this invention; 7 r

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially in the plane of the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figures '3 and 4 respectively are sectional views taken substantially in the planes of the lines III-III of Figure 2 and l'V-IV of Figure l; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken axially of one of the water-cooled tuyeres shown in Figures 2 through 4.

The converter of this invention comprises a vessel 1 which is shown in the drawings as having a cylindrical or barrel shape. It has a metal shell 2 with a refractory lining 3 in the manner of conventionally fabricated conveters and is mounted for rotation with its axis in a horizontal position. Its mounting includes a pair of aixally spaced rocker rails or wheels 4 which are secured to the shell 2 concentrically with respect to the axis of the vessel 1 and have rolling engagement on supporting rollers 5. A sprocket or gear drive (not shown) is provided for tilting the vessel 1 to and fromits upright blowing position as shown in the drawings.

The inner end of the vessel 1 is closed by a manhole cover which includes a mounting plate 6 and a preformed and tapered dolomite block 7 which are detachably secured to the shell 2. The provision of a removable manhole in this manner enablesreplacement of the refractory lining 3 according to the practice used in relining standard basic Bessemer converters. For relining in this manner, the plate 6 is removed and the vessel 1 is placed in an upright position after removal from its supporting rollers 5. After the lining 3 has been replaced, the tapered block 7 is rammed into positionand the plate 6 is detachably fastened to the shell 2.

A wind-box or manifold 10, shown somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 1 through 4 of the drawings, extends between the rocker wheels 4 and is supplied with oxygen, air, or oxygen-enriched air from a coupling 11 which is connected to the manifold 10 by a conduit 12. The coupling 11 is removably secured to the shell 2 about the plate Gand is connected to an air supply'conduit 13 which is rotatably supported in suitable bearings (not shown).

At itsouter end the converter has a nose section 15 which is shaped to provide a mouth 16 in a skewed and eccentric position with respect to the axis of the converter as best shown in Figure 3. When the vessel is in its operative blowing position as shown in the drawings, its mouth 16 is arranged at one side of thearea directly over the bath and faces outwardly in an endwise direction from the vessel. The mouth 16 has its lower edge 17 located well above the surface 18 of the converter bath and its upper edge 19 is flush with the .top of the lining which provides a. cover over the bath. From the lower edge17, the lining .sur'face slopes downwardly at an angle of approximately 45 as shown in Figure '3. The shape of the nose 15 and the skewed location of the mouth 16 are effective in preventing ejection of metal and slag from the vessel by splashing. To tap slag or metal it is only necessary to rotate the vessel in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 to lower the mouth 16 to vessel into which slag and ner to be'described. n

7 As explained in my above mentioned 'copending application, the-tuyeres 20 have -a minimum spacing rela-- .tive to each other which is determined by;the tuyere'dieliminated.

andareshown somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 2 through 4. The tuyeres'20 are arranged in a horizontal row in positions parallellto each other and with their axes 7 extending transversely oftheaxisof the vessel land in-.- tersecting with the surface 18 of the converter bathat an acute' angle." The inner ends 22 of the tuyeresr20' are spaced from the converter' side 2 3 through which the intersectwith the surface 18 at points which are arranged ,along-the broken line designatedb y the'numeral24 in Figure 41 ofthedrawings The angular inclination of the V tuyeres'20 thus provides space 25along the'side 23of the metal may'circulate in a mandiameter in inches, and Vis the wind velocity in feetper second. In addition, the end tuyeres 20 have a spacing from the end of the vessel suchithatthe end portions 26'of thebath 18' respectively have an axial'length outwardly of the end tuyeres 20 of about 7 27+ginohes' V V The spacing of the end tuyeresltl in this mannerproyides V for return circulation of.-slag and metalover the surface of the bath and a more effective slag circulation and mixing of the metal and slag forming constituentsl I By reason of the vessel side-23 being flattened as shown in Figure 2, and the'barrel shape of the vessel 1 as shown .in Figures ,2 and 3; the periphery of the' bath in the vessel will have a D-shap'ed-contour as designated bythe broken a 'line 27in Figure4 with its fiat side located along the ves- V sel side 23. Theblast fromthe tuyeres 20 is etfectiveto move thslag and'metal ,at thesurface of the bath trans;

V verselyiof the vessel axis over the space 28 between the endvzones' 26. By reason of the curvature of thevelssel side ioppositel the tuyeres 20. and the fact that the'end V zones. 26 of the lbath'are not subjected directly to blast from thentuyeres, slag and metal at the surface or the bath will circulate in opposite directifonsfromthe center space 28 into both of the end zones 26., *By reason'of the angularposition ,of thetuyeres'20 above the surface ofthe bath andthe fact that the axes of the blasts :therefrom impinge with the bath surfacealongthe line 24, the slag tuyere V a position below the level ofa bath in the converter. The V 'mouth 16 preferably hasa large diameterproviding for 1 visual inspection of, the -lining and such fettling repairs thereto asmaybe needed. The provision of: a wide mouth;16-i n-a relatively: short nose'sectio'nl5 results in a rrelativelylo w velocity of the spirally moving waste gas emerging from thejvessel "In this manner, deposition of slag and metal in the upper portionof the; nose. is 'kept', at a -minimum and-skulling of the mouth. 16'. is i,

1 1O I he manifold :10 extendshorizontally between the rocker rails 4 and has. connections of a character to be, described with a plurality of water-cooled, tuyeres which are respectively designated as afwhole'by the numeral 'fromthescope of the following claims.

V vessel side and said points;

and metal moving into the freely into the space between thelinefgtand vessel. side 23. The slag and metal moving intothespace 25 in this mannermoves into the path of the blast from, the V tuyeres 20'so that it circulates continuously fever thefs ir face of the bath.

As best shown in Figure 5, each of the tuyeres 20 rcVorn- V prises a hollow pipe having its" inner end connected with the manifold 10. A tubular. jacket lal aboutthe-pipe 3 0 and a tubular partition '32 form an enclosureabout the pipe 30.. A water.supplyconduitfl33 delivers T cooling 1 Q Water to the interior of the.partition 3zfiavhereiteisz'con strained to flow downwardly overthe'surfacepf the pipe V 30. r The lower end. of the partition '32isfspac'ed 'from the end 3401: the-jacketf'or the pipe '30 so that the cooling water is .circulatedupwardly through the space 35'to' the upper end of the jacket 31. The upperend. of the jacket '31 is connected with an exhaust conduit 36'forthe 1 cooling water.

g Each of thetuyeresitl eirtends :an opening .31

which extends through the shell 2 and a prefo'rmedre fractory block 38 which is rammed in an: opening "in the lining 3.

Flanges

39 and, 40 respectively on the tuyeres, j 20'and amounting 'memberAl welded to the shell12 are connected together to secure the tuyeres '20 in position.

' V While one embodimentofflmyjinvention has been shown anddescribed'it.will-be.apparent'that-other adap- 1 Y tatio'ns and modifications may be made 'without departing I. claim: 1

vessel side to provide for circulation of 'slag and metal from both of saidbath endsinto thespacebetweenjsaid 2.'A converter: as d fined end iones 2 61 may 1.1A surface blown converter comprisinga-refi'actoryj 'linedivesseLfo'r containing. abath, of slag; and metal,-

means mountingsaid-.vsselina horizontalposition for rotational movement about its longitudinal;a7ris,.said%vesa V sel providingja'coveriover the bath in its bottom portion and having a mouth openingoutwardly. from one end 5 thereof in an eccentric; position relative toisaidiaxis', :a. f wind box.extending horiz ontally along -one sider of said 1 vessehia horizontal: row ofjwater-cooled'tuyieres, respec- I .tively extending through saidvessel side and having their-- outer ends connectedjwithj said:wind box andftheir'linner i endsf positioned over the; bath in said vessel and-spaced." V from said vessel side, the-tuyeres at' opposite ends of said .row being'spaced inwardly of the ends of,saidbath ,-,e'ach of said tuyeres extending-transversely of. said bath and having a downward angular inclination {relative to; the: g surface thereof whereby its axis intersects with said bath'i surface at an acute angle and 'at a pointgspaced fromsaid in' claim lcharad triz'egi 1 said vessel having a-barrel -shape and being'fflattened along said oneside such that its said-lower bath eontai ing portion has 'a D-shaped contour in a hori'nontalplane- I and a bath contained therein has 'a similariy ishaiped con-1