US3520525A

US3520525A - Apparatus for delivering air to a blast furnace

Info

Publication number: US3520525A
Application number: US683326A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Zimmermann
Original assignee: Koppers Co Inc
Current assignee: Beazer East Inc
Priority date: 1967-11-15
Filing date: 1967-11-15
Publication date: 1970-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1987-07-14

Description

July 14,; 1970 ZIMMERMANN 3,520,525

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AIR TO A BLAST FURNACE Filed Nov. 15, 1967 INVENTOR. P055197 E. Z/MMEAMAA/N United States Patent 3,520,525 APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AIR TO A BLAST FURNACE Robert E. Zimmermann, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Koppers Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 683,326 Int. C1. C21!) 7/16 US. Cl. 26641 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for delivering air from a bustle pipe to the tuyeres of a blast furnace comprises an elbow that has an end with a plurality of arms that cooperate with a bridle assembly and a face plate to which is mounted a sealing ring of material that is conformable to the rounded end of a blowpipe extending between, and cooperating with, the sealing ring and the tuyere. A plurality of spring biased bridles exert a force on the blowpipe to frictionally hold it in position. The blowpipe has a refractory lining and a plurality of longitudinally extending external fins that dissipate heat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the blast furnace process, heated or blast air is carried in a bustle pipe that surrounds the bosh section of the furnace, and the blast air is conveyed into the furnace through a plurality of conduit assemblies which comprise a gooseneck tuyerestock, a blowpipe and a tuyere. The blowpipe comprises a length of refractory lined tubing that abuts the tuyerestock at one end and the tuyere at the other end.

Heretofore, it has been difficult to obtain a tight seal at each end of the blowpipe, and particularly at the end where the blowpipe cooperates with the tuyerestock. In some applications, the blowpipe has been spherically machined to fit a corresponding end of the tuyere and the tuyerestock. But, reliance upon a machined joint to obtain a gastight fit and seal has not been entirely satisfactory. In many instances, the tuyerestock ends become damaged during handling or while the blowpipe is in storage, and they do not make a proper seal with the tuyerestock.

However, the present invention discloses apparatus for delivering air to a blast furnace that overcomes the disadvantages in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a tuyerestock elbow connected to a bustle pipe and a face plate mounted to the tuyerestock elbow which supports a sealing ring that is conformable to the rounded end of a blowpipe extending be tween the face plate and a tuyere in the wall of the furnace. The sealing ring is hollow and fluid cooled, or is solid material. The blowpipe has external longitudinal fins that provide additional radiating surface to maintain the blowpipe cool.

For a further understanding of the invention and for advantages and features thereof, reference may be made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which shows for the purpose of exemplification embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of apparatus for delivering air to a blast furnace in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view shoWing details of one end of the blowpipe and tuyerestock elbow of FIG. 1;

3,520,525 Patented July 14, 1970 FIG. 3 is a view along line IIIIII of FIG. 2, showing a seal ring in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a seal ring in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates apparatus for delivering air to a blast furnace in accordance with the invention that comprises a blowpipe 11 situated between a furnace tuyere 13 and a tuyerestock elbow 15. Each of the furnace tuyeres 13 occupies a position at the inner end (the end nearest the furnace centerline) of a cooler casting 17 set into the furnace wall 19. The tuyerestock 15 is connected in a conventional manner to conduit 21 communicating with a bustle pipe (not shown) that surrounds the furnace and in which heated air flows.

The blowpipe 11 is comprised of a generally cylindrical envelope or shell 23 that is lined with a suitable refractory material 25. The steel tube or envelope 23 has a plurality of longitudinally extending and outwardly projecting fins 27 that provide additional radiating surface on the envelope to dissipate heat to the ambient air.

The end of the blowpipe 11 that is adjacent the tuyerestock 15 is rounded, as shown at 26 in FIG. 2, and abuts a hollow, generally circular seal ring 29, shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, both ends of the blowpipe 11 are alike; that is, both ends are rounded as at 26 so that either end may abut and cooperate with the sealing ring 29. The seal ring 29 may be comprised of a suitable metal, such as Monel, bronze, copper, wrought iron, or the hollow seal ring may be a metal tube covered on the outside with hard asbestos, or stainless steel wire inserted in hard asbestos. The seal ring 29 is provided with an inlet conduit 31 and an outlet conduit 33, whereby cooling fluid can enter, flow through the tubular seal ring, and flow therefrom.

The seal ring 29 fits into a groove 35 provided in a face plate 37 which is suitably fastened, as by bolts 39, to the tuyerestock 15. A notch 41 is provided in the periphery of the face plate at a convenient location around the periphery of the face plate to accommodate the bossing portion of the seal ring, where the inlet 31 and the outlet 33 conduits are connected to the seal ring 29. Preferably, the groove 35 is so made that the seal ring is deformed slightly, or is pinched as it were, so that the seal ring 29 is held frictionally in position in the groove 35.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4 differs only slightly from the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 2. In FIG. 4, the blowpipe 11 abuts a solid metal seal ring 43 which may be made of soft copper or any other suitable metal, and the seal ring 43 has threads 45 that cooperate with threads on the face plate 47 to hold and secure the seal ring 43 in position. Preferably, the seal ring 43 has a tapered surface that is readily deformable and conformable to the rounded end 26 of the blowpipe 11.

Instead of using a conventional tuyerestock, having a single bridle at the bottom and a safety hook at the top, the invention provides a tuyerestock with three each equiangularly spaced, outwardly extending arms 49, that have a U-shaped slot therein. The arms 49 cooperate with springs 53, biasing bridle bolts 59 that are pivotally connected to clips 57 welded to the steel portion of the furnace wall 19. Thus, the pressure exerted by the springbiased bridles of the invention on the face plate and ultimately on the blowpipe 11 is more uniformly distributed than the single bridle arrangement of the prior art. The pressure on the seal ring 29 is not exerted only at the bottom of the face plate, as in the prior art apparatus.

When assembling the blowpipe 11 in a blast furnace, the blowpipe is placed between the tuyere 13 and the tuyerestock face plate so that the rounded end of the blowpipe abuts and seals against one of the seal rings. The blowpipe is maintained in position by the frictional force resulting from the pressure exerted by the bridles on the face plate.

A feature of the invention is that the blowplpe has rounded ends that are adapted to cooperate with a deformable seal supported by the tuyere face plate. By being double ended, the blowpipe effectively seals aga nst the tuyere and against the seal ring with equal effectiveness.

A feature of the invention is the tuyerestock elbow with its three equi-angularly spaced arms that cooperate each with a bridle. The three bridles exert a more uniform pressure on the tuyerestock face plate which in turn exerts more uniform sealing pressure on the seal ring and the cooperating end of the blowpipe.

A feature of the invention is that the sealing ring is hollow and that a fiuid circulating therein cools the seal ring and the adjacent unprotected metal parts of the face plate 37 and envelope 23.

A feature of the invention is that the face plate has a groove which is adapted to coperate with the seal ring and frictionally engage the same, whereby the seal ring is held in position even when no pressure is applied against it.

A feature of the invention is the longitudinally extending outwardly projecting fins on the external surface of the blowpipe that provide more radiating surface whereby the blowpipe is cooler and is not subjected to heat and mechanical distortion. Further, the blowpipe is less likely to suffer rupture by cracking.

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only as an example and that the scope of the invention is defined by what is hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for delivering air from a bustle pipe conduit to the tuyeres of a blast furnace, the improvement comprising:

(a) a tuyerestock elbow connecting to said conduit and terminating in an end spaced apart from said tuyere;

(-b) a face plate having a groove therein mounted to the end of said elbow;

(c) a tubular blowpipe having rounded ends and a plurality of outwardly projecting longitudinally extending fins on the external surface thereof disposed between and cooperating with said tuyere and said face plate;

((1) a sealing member supported in the groove of said face plate between an end of said blowpipe and said face plate that is conformable to the end of said blowpipe to seal against leakage of air from said elbow and blowpipe;

(e) at least three arms equi-angularly spaced around and projecting outwardly from the periphery of said tuyerestock elbow;

(f) a resiliently biased member connecting each said arm and said blast furnace, urging said sealing member into intimate sealing contact with the end of said blowpipe; and

(g) means for maintaining said blowpipe in position.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

(a) said sealing member is hollow and fluid conductive.

3. In apparatus for delivering air from a bustle pipe to the tuyeres of a blast furnace, the improvement comprising:

(b) at least three arms equi-angularly spaced around and projecting outwardly from the periphery of said tuyerestock elbow;

(c) a face plate mounted to the end of said elbow, said face plate having a groove in the face thereof;

((1) a blowpipe connecting said tuyere and said face plate, said blowpipe including (i) a tubular envelope having partially rounded ends,

(ii) a refractory lining within said envelope, and

(iii) a plurality of fins projecting outwardly from and extending longitudinally of said envelope,

(e) a sealing member supported in the groove of said face plate and cooperating with an end of said blowpipe, said sealing member being conformable to the end of said blowpipe to seal against leakage of air from said elbow and blowpipe; and

(f) a resiliently biased member connecting each said arm and said blast furnace urging said sealing member into intimate sealing contact with the end of said blowpipe.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein:

'( a) said sealing member is hollow and fluid conductive.

5. In apparatus for delivering air from a bustle pipe conduit to the tuyeres of a blast furnace, the improvement comprising:

(b) A face plate mounted to the end of said elbow;

((1) a sealing member threadedly engaging said face plate and disposed between an end of said blowpipe and said face plate, said sealing member being readily deformable metal that is conformable to the end of said blowpipe to seal against leakage of air from said elbow and blowpipe;

(g) means for maintaining said blowpipe in position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,844,194 2/1932 Von Maltitz 266-30 1,847,835 3/1932 Jordan 266-41 X 3,088,725 5/1963 Hall 266-41 3,255,734 6/1966 ONeill 122-6.6 3,281,135 10/1966 Boron 266-41 X I. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner J. S. BROWN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 122-66