US470481A

US470481A - Blast furnace and means foe operatinfj the same

Info

Publication number: US470481A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1909-03-08

Description

Sheet 1.

3 Sheets J. GIL'L. BLAST FURNAGE AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME.-

Pateted Mar. 8, 1892'.

(No Model.)

\NVENTOR- 3 Sheets-Sheet 24 (No Model.

J.. GILL., BLA'ST FURNACE AND MEANS F No. 470.481

` 3 Sheets--Shee1t` 3. J. GILL. V BLAST PURNAGE AND MEANS FOR OPEBATING THE SAME No. .470,48-1. Patented Mar. 8, 1892.

(No Model.)

4 l PA %Il/III! i M J -WITNESSES WM i UNrrEn S'rn'rns -ATENT nmena JOHN GILL, OF EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND.

BLAST-FURNACE AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent N o. 470,481, dated March 8, 1892. Application filed April 14, 1890. Serial No. 347381. (No model.)

producers and tuyeres connected. therewth..

The blast-furnace is to be closed at the top and to have the usual cup and cone or other suitable arrangement for charging ore and fuel. Reductive gases, especially hydrogen and carbon oXide, may be prepared by a gasproducing furnace, as hereinafter described,

' and are to be admitted or forced at a suitable temperature into the' blast-furnace near the top, whence they descend through the ores and fuel in the upper part of the furnace, and the whole or part of the descending gases are then drawn Ott through an opening or series of openings around the furnace and are conducted down to the tu yeres near the bottom. The tuyeres each consist of an outer and inner tuyere, with an annular ring orspace between them. A pr'essure ar-blast is forced through the inner tuyere into the blasts-furnace, and the infiaminable "gases brought down from the-upper 'part of the furnace enter the annular ring or space between each inner and outer tuyere, and the nozzle of the outer tuyere projects-beyond the nozzle of the inner tuyere, and is so forned that the pressure air-blast passingthrough the innertuyere draws or forces into the furnace along with itself a supply of the said in flammable gases. The air-blast and those inflammable gases mix and ignite inside the furnace, and their combustion intensifies the heat, increases the fusing power, quickens the action of the furnace, and enables it to be worked with less fuel, less air-blast, and with other advantages. The supply of ar-blast and of gases admitted by the tuyeres may be regulated orcontrolled by 'means of stop-cocks or Valves or similar appliances on the pipes or conduitsconveying' them to the tuyeres. The air-blasts nay be cold or hot; but hot blast is preferable, especiall y in large furnaces: The waste gascs or products of combustion ascend from the zone of fusion through the materials in the furnace and pass out by an opening or series of openings around the furnace at a height some distance below the point where the gases in the upper part of the furnace are taken off. The waste gases and products of combustion after passing out of the furnace, as above mentioned, enter achamber immediately outside the furnace, in which chamber there is or may be placed a gas producing furnace closed at top by a cup and cone or other suitable arrangement for charging it With fuel. The waste gases sui-round the gas-producing turnace and give up to it part of their sensibie heat. The gas-producing furn ace may be made of cast metal or other suitable material. The -heat of the waste gases may also be used for heating the air-blast and for raising and super-heating steam. Those gases may pass off partly or wholly by a chimney or partly or wholly by a down-comer. Part may go by a .down-comer and be used for heating the airblast or for raising steam or for other purposes, and only part may enter the chamber in which the gas-producing furnace is placed, and may there be burned, with the addition of air-blast, to increase the heat of that ehan ber The gas-producing furnace has an opening in it whereby the gases produced therein pass off by a conduit or pipe and enter the blast-furnace by one or more openings near the top. Such opening in the gas-producing furnace is preferably placed near the bottom.

Tuyeres for the admission of air-blast are placed at various heights, or, at all events, nearthe bottom of the gas-producing furn ace, and also at some distance under the level of the top of the fuel in the said furnace. Each tuyere can be shut olf by means of a stopcock. When the fuel in the gas.- producing furnace is kindled and brought to a red heat by means of the air-blast through the tuyeres at the bottom, the air-blast is then shut ofi from those tuyeres and turned on by the upper tuyeres, and then the products of com-` bustion pass downward through the redhot fuel and out by the opening near the bottom abovementioned and enter the blast-furnace near the top, as already stated. As the only outlet for the gases produced in the gas-producing furnace is bythe opening leading into IOO the blast-furnace, those gases are under sufficient pressure to enable them to force'their' way down through 'the materials in the upper part of the'blast-furnace. Sufficicnt air-blast is admitted to keep the fuel under the tuyeres in the gas-producing furnace at abright red heat, and superheated `steam in limited quantity is admitted a short distance under the level of the upper tuyeres. The result is a continuous conversion of the superheated steam into hydrogen and carbon oxide. In some cases theheat of the waste gases issuing from the blastfurnace may be sufficient to keep the fuel within the gas-producing furnace at a sufficient heat for the continuous' formation of the requisi'te quantity of gascs from superheated steam, in which case the air-blast for the gas-producing furnace may be shut off. The gas-producingfurnace may also be worked with' air-blast and without the adnission of any steam; The quantity of gas tobe produced by the' gas -producing furnace can be regulated 'as `required by admitting more or less air-blast and more orless superheated steam, and the temperature of. the gases produced can also be regulated in like manner. Coke, coal,slack, dross, or any; kind of fuel may be used both in the gas-producing furnace and also in the blast-furnace. Either hot or cold air-blast may be used forthe gas-'producing furnace; but `hot blast is prefer-red. -At the bottom of the gas producingf u ri na'cethe ashes may be drawn off bya revolving screw or othersuitable means. The chamber in which the gas producing furnace is placed` canialsobe used, if desirechfor placinzfthere-` in'a col of pipe for heating the air-blast. The reductive gases formed by the gas-producing-furnace and entering the blasts-'furnace near the top at a proper temperature heat'up the contents of the upper part of the blast-furnace 'to the requisite temperature and distll the volatile portions of the coke, coal, or any raw fucl that maybe used-therein,-turnthe moisturein the ores and fuel into gases, andcarry down all the gases for-med there through the ores and fuel in the upper' part of `the furnace, which gases, containing. hydrogen and carbon oxideiaud being kept at asuitable temperature by the regulation of the heat in the gas producing furnace, have a powerful effect in-preparng and reducing theores. The admission of those gases'from the gas-producing furnace and their combustion at the tuyeres, as above described, enable the blast-furnace to be worked with less than the usual amount of air-blast and to be charged with less than the usual 'amount of fuel, and to be worked with coke, coal,wood, or other raw fuel, and so that all the volatile portions of such fnel will be utilized in the furnace, in the first place in reducing the ores and secondly for 'increasing and intensifying thefusing power of the furnace. In some instances it may be desired to dispense with the gas-producing furnace, but to adapt the drawing down to the tuyeres of'the gases' furnace and no more.

in the upper part'of the furnace, and in such cases a supply of hot gases for the top of the furnace may be got by making an opening a few feet above the tuyeres, and conducting the gases issuing therefron by a conduit to the top of the furnace. The conduit can be made of suitable size, and can be regulated by a Valve or other means so as to carry such a supply of hot gases as shall sufficicntly heat up the contents of the upper part of the According to these arrangements the furnaceis divided into two parts, an upper and a lower. In the upper =part-tle gases descend and in the lower they ascend toward the outlet for the waste gases, which is placed at the division between the upper and the lower part of the furnace. The lower part of the furnace can be increased or diminished in 'height and the upper part can be diminished or increased in height to'suit the requirements of the material to be smelted. The hot f urnace-gases to be 'draw down to the tuyeres may in :some cases be 'taken from any short distance above the tuyeres where they have a high temperature. The adoptio'n of thispart of the invention may be of advantage by itself to any ordinary furnace. It is desirable to 'follow this course where it is desired to allow all the gases descending in the upper part of the furnace to pass out of thefurnace in order to carry off i'npnrities,which otherwise might enter the metal or regulus. The arrangements described will have advantages iu enabling small concentrates and the dust of ores tobe smelted without the loss which frequently takes place by the dust of the ores and fuelbeing'blown out at the top. Any dust of ores escaping from the blast-furnace, as above described, can be deposited in a catch pool and n'ade to tlow into the hopper atthe top of'thefnrnace. The arrangements described also afford facilities for eliminating impurities from ores, &c., in the upper-.part of the blast-furnace before the ores reach the zone of fusion. In such cases the reductive gases, admitted near the top of the blastfurnace', are allowed to de- -scend and to leave the f urnace along with the waste gases arising from the zone of fusion, without any portion of them being drawn off and burned atthe tuyeres; but a supply of the reductive intlammable gases may be taken direct from the gas-producing furnace to the tuyeres at the bottom of the blast-furnace without passing through the upper part of the blast-furnace, or otherwise a supply of in flam mable f urnace gases may be 'drawn down to the tuyeres from an opening or openings a short distance above the'tuyeres and below the outlet for 'the waste gases. In furnaces'for smelting such ores, whereit is desirable to prevent impurtiestherein from entering the regulus or metal, it may be desirable to have the outlet for the products of combustion at a short distance above the zone of fusion and to have theupper part of the furnace above such outlet made higher.

IOO

IIO

Where it is desiredto carry off impurities both from the upper part of the furnace and also from the lower part, the upper part may be worked by means of reductive gases from a gas-produeing furnace and the lower part by the air-blast through the tuyeres with or without the addition ofinfiammable gases drawn either from the gas-producing furnacc or from a short distance above' the tuyeres. By the arrangements described the heat in the upper as well as in the lower part of the blast-furnace is under the control of the furnaceman.` I-Ie can increase it or diminish it at pleasure either in the lower or upper part of the furnace, and as the reductive gases necessary in the upper part of the furnace can be supplied in sufficient quantity either from the gas-produeing furnace or by a Conduit from the lower part of the furnace, and gaseousfuel can also be obtained at the zone of fusion in sufficient quantity to produce the heat necessary there, the fuel to be mixed with the ores and charged into the blast-furnace need not be more or much more than is required for the Chemical reactions in the two parts of the blast-furnace. The fuel used both `in the gas-produeing furnace and also in the blast-furnace is consumed, especially when the waste gases issuing from the blast-furnace are bu'rned for heatingair-blast, raising and superheating steam, or for heating a reverberatory furnace, so that the entire heat which the fuel is capable of producing is developed and utilized. In any case the fuel can be so consumed that Very little of its heating power is lost, and there is also much additional reductive and fusing power got from the hydrogen 'brought into the furnace. The use of hydrogen in the blast-furnace as being one of the most effective reductive and heating agents known will be of some value, and the arrangenents described will enable it to be applied with great advantages.

,In the drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4: are vertical sections of blast-furnaces adapted for the purposes of carrying out my invention. a

Fig. 1 shows a close-t'opped iron-smelting blast-furnace A A', with a close-topped gasprodueing furnace B in an adjoining chamber C. The blast-furnace has an upper part A and a lower part A' and an outlet D for the waste gases between them. This outlet D communicates with an opening or recess E, made round the inside of the brick-work of the t'urnace. The waste gases on passing 'out of the furnace surround the gas-produeing furnace B and then leave the chamber C by a down-comer F, to be used for heating the air-blast and for raising steam. The gas from the gas-produeing furnace B is conducted by a pipe .or passage G to near the top of the blast-furnace, where it enters and passes round .in a channel H, made in the brick-work, whenee it passes through openings Il' into the furnace; or it may pass direct from the pipe or passage G into the recess H made tuyeres.

round the inside of the brick-work of the fur-` nace. It then passes down through the ores and fuel in the upper part of the furnace till the whole or part of it is drawn off by a recess I, made round the brick-work and communieating with a passage J, which leads it to a channel K, whenee it is drawn down through passages K' by and to the tuyeres L, to be mixed with the air-blast entering the furnace and burned therewith inside the furnace. i

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the gasprodueing furnace is dispensed with and a supply of hot gases is taken by a recess M made round the inside of the brick-work and an opening N in communication therewith a short distance above the tuyeres and conducted by a Conduit G, built in fire-brick, to

at H' into a recess ll?, made round the inside of the brick-Work of the furnace, and it then descends through the materials in the upper part of the furnace till the whole or part of it is drawn off at I and conducted down by the Conduit J to the channel K, whenee it is led by passages K' to the tuyeres L to be mixed with the air-blast entering the furnace. The descending of the gases in the upper part of the furnace is eaused or promoted, first, by the pressure of the gases in the lower part of the furnace; second, the suction or exhaustion in the conduit J, leading down to the tuyeres, caused by the force of the pressure air-blast through the tuyeres, and, third, the draft of the chimney acting through the outlet F for the waste gases. The opening N in the lower part of the furnace for the gases going to the top of the furnace may be much nearer to the tuyeres than is shown in the drawngs. In this arrangement hot-air blast and superheated steam may be introduced into the upper part of the furnace for thepurpose of fo'ming hydrogen and earbon nace, and also to aid the fusing action at the Fig. 3 shows a furnace, water-j acketf urnace, for smeltin g cop per ores, concentrates, &0. The gases descend in 'the upper and rise in the lower part of the furnace. There is a passage N, about two feet above the tuyeres, communicating with a conduit G, which opens into the furnace at 1-1', near the top thereof. This eonduit G takes a regulated supply of hot furnace-gases to the top of the fnrnace. These gases and the volatile portions of, the fuel descend through the upper portion of the furnace, and the whole or part thereof is then drawn off by a Conduit J, leading to the tuyeres L, in a manner similar to that described in reference to Fig. 2. The waste gases pass off at F, abouthalf-way up the furnace, to the chimney R. There is a catch-pool S in the chimney for collecting fine-dust and allowing it to run into the hopper T on the top of the furnace, whenee it en- IIO oxide to aid the reductive action of the furwhich may be a ters the furnace with each successive charge. y

Coal or coke or any kind of fuel may be used with this furnace.

Fig. tis a diagram showing how a series of my improved blast-furnaces may be combined and worked together and may be so arranged as to Volatilizeand carry off sone inpurities from the ores or 'fuel in the upper parts of such furnaces. According to `this arrangement the gas-producing furnace delivers its hot gases into the upper part of the first blastfurnace of the'series at preferably sonewhat under the surface of the ores or materials in the furnace. They pass down through the ores and fuel in the said upper part, and after heating, reducing, and preparing the said ores are led off wholly or partly at V to waste or-to heatthe gas-producing furnace or to be u tilized for other heating purposes. The furnace-gases from the lower part of the furnace are taken off at E,wholly or inpart, and are cond ucted by the passage or Conduit D to the upper part of the second blast-furnace in the series. These gases, afterpassing down through and heating, reducing, and preparing the ores in the upper part of the said second blast-furnace are taken off at W' and are led away by the passage or conduitF', either to waste or to be utilized for heating purposes. Th furnacegases from the lower part of the said second furnace are taken off wholly or partly at E and are conducted by the passage or Conduit D to the upper part of the third blast-furnace in the series, and so on for any required number of blast-furnaces. The gases introduced into the upper part of the last furnace in the series, after passing down through the ores and fuel and heating, reducing, and preparing the ores in the upper part of such furnace, are taken off at E along with the gases from the lower part of the f urnace, and' are led away by the passage or Conduit F 'to waste or-to be utilized for heating purposes.-

The outlets V and W for the waste gases coming from the upper parts of the first and' second furnaces are preferably restricted by means of suitable dam pers or otherwise, so as to maintain the pressure of the gases in the lower-part of each of those furnaces, respectively, and thereby to force such gases into and down through the upper part of the next furnace in order.

hen it is des'red to volatilize or remove impurities 'from the ores by a prelim'inary opaddition of any fuel, and the first is used as a blast-furnace, consisting of upper and lower parts, as above described, and the upper part is worked by neansof gases from a gas-producing furnace, as already described. These gases on leaving the upper part of the blastfurnace, with or without the addition of part of the furnace-gases from the lower part of the blast-furnace, are conducted to the upper part of the second or calcining furnace, where they enter and pass down through the ores in the upper part thereof, and thence go to waste, while the furnace-gases from the lower part of the blast-furnace or part thereof are conducted to the lower part of the second or calcining-turnace, where they enter and ascend through the ores in the lower part thereof, and thence go to waste. By this arrangement the ores are subjected to several successive Currents of hot gases, first, in the upper part of the second orcalcining furnace second, in the lower part thereof; third, in the upper part of the first or blast furnace, and, fourth, in the lower part thereof. The admission of superheated steam and air blast into the upper and lower parts of 'the second or calcining furnace,eithercontinuouslyorintermittently, may be of much advantage.

I am aware that it is not new to provide an escape for the waste gases from a blast-t'nrnace located in a position between the upper and lower portions ot' such furnace; also, that it is not new to admit an air-blast at or near the top of a blast-furnace, so'as to produce a descending current therein; also, that it is not new to employ a gas-producing furnace for supplying gases' to be mixed with the airblast at or near the tuyeres of a blast-furnace; but., so far as I am aware, a gas-producing furnace has not hitherto been used for supplying gases, especially hydrogen, to the upper part of a blast-furnace for the reduction of ores in such upper part.

I am also aware that it is not new per se to draw off furnace-gases near the top and to bring-them down and mix them'with the airblast at the tuyeres, and I would have it understood that I make 'no claim separately to any of the features above stated to be not new; but

What I do claim is- 1. The process of reducing ores mixed with fuel and arranged in a vertical column, which consists in iguiting the fueL'thereby causing inflammable gases tobe evolved, drawing off these gases from the lower portion of the column, introducing them into the upper part of the column, and causing them to descend through the column, substantially as set forth.

2. The process of reducing ores, which consists in arranging the ore in furnaces in several vertical columns, causing a blast of reducing gases to pass downward through the first of the series of'columns of ore, conducting the gases which escape from this furnace to the top of the next in theseries, causing such gases to pass downward through the column of ore in such furnace, and so on throughout the series, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein-described method of operating blast-turn aces, consisting in supplying infiammable gases to the upper part of the furnaoc, in causing said gases to pass down through the material to be reduced, in then withdrawing them from the furnace, together 'with other gases which may have been taken 47o,4s1 i 5 up or acquired from said material, and in then forcin g the gases so withdrawn into the botto n of the furn ace, together With an air-blast, substantially as set forth.

4. The berem-described method of operatin g blast-furnaces, consisting in supplying inflammable gases to the upper part of the furnace, in causing said gases to pass down through the material to be reduced, in then withdrawing them from the furnace, together With other gases which may have been taken up or acquired from said material, in then forcing the gases so withdrawn into the bottom of the furnace, together with an air-blast, and in withdrawing the products of combustionfrom the furnace at a height intermediate between the point of exit of said gases and the point of their reintroduction, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein-described method of operating a blast-furnace, which consists in causing a current'of hot inflammable gases to descend through the upper part thereof, Withdrawing hot furnace-gases from the lower portion of the furnace and above the tuyeres, forcing or blowing said furnace-gases, with the air-blast, into the bottom of the furnace, and withdrawing the products of combustion at a pointbelow the exit of said furnace-gases, substantially as set forth.

6. The berem-described blast-furnacghaving the duct Gr communicating with a gasgenerator opening into the top of the furnace, the duet J in the outer wall, the distributing surrounding duct K, the ducts K', connected 3 5 therewith, and the air-blast tuyeres at the lower end of the latter duet, substantially as set forth.

7. A blast-furnace having a gas-opening I-I', communicating with a gas-generator, and exit I, communicating with the tuyeres, and an outlet-fiue for the products of combustion intermediate between said exit I and the tuyeres, substantially as set forth.

JOHN GILL. Witnesses:

CHRISTOPHER D. BUTLER,

Of 3 Oaledom'an Place, Edinburgh. ROBERT KEMP,

Of 35 Frederick Street, Edinburgh.