Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D41/00—Casting melt-holding vessels, e.g. ladles, tundishes, cups or the like
  • B22D41/14—Closures
  • B22D41/44—Consumable closure means, i.e. closure means being used only once
  • B22D41/46—Refractory plugging masses
  • B22D41/465—Unplugging a vessel discharge port
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
  • C21B—MANUFACTURE OF IRON OR STEEL
  • C21B7/00—Blast furnaces
  • C21B7/12—Opening or sealing the tap holes
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C21—METALLURGY OF IRON
  • C21C—PROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
  • C21C5/00—Manufacture of carbon-steel, e.g. plain mild steel, medium carbon steel or cast steel or stainless steel
  • C21C5/28—Manufacture of steel in the converter
  • C21C5/42—Constructional features of converters
  • C21C5/46—Details or accessories
  • C21C5/4653—Tapholes; Opening or plugging thereof
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F27—FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
  • F27D—DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS, IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FURNACE
  • F27D3/00—Charging; Discharging; Manipulation of charge
  • F27D3/15—Tapping equipment; Equipment for removing or retaining slag
  • F27D3/1509—Tapping equipment
  • F27D3/1527—Taphole forming equipment, e.g. boring machines, piercing tools

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the casting of molten metal, in particular of molten steel.
• the invention relates to a device allowing safe opening of a metallurgical vessel taphole blockage for example of a metallurgical ladle.
• the invention will be described hereafter with respect to the casting of molten steel from a ladle. It is clear that this should not be seen as a limitation of the scope of protection of the present invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a cross section of a steel ladle.
• taphole Fig. 1 ; b
• the slide gate valve is located outside the ladle, below the bottom wall. It is also equipped with refractory elements.
• Fig. 2 shows a cross section of a ladle taphole with the wellblock (Fig.2; c), the inner nozzle (Fig. 2; d), the fixed (or stationary) plate of the slide gate valve (Fig.2; e), the mobile plate of the slide gate (Fig.2; f) and the collector nozzle (Fig.2; g).
• this taphole is also empty.
• the taphole is also filled with liquid steel and due to the thermal conductivity of the refractory elements which form the taphole, the liquid steel freezes.
• the valve is opened, the liquid steel which is in the ladle does not flow through the taphole, because it is blocked with solidified steel.
• the US 5,167,902 describes a dart assembly constituted of a dart-member located in the collector nozzle and actuated by a compression spring.
• a dart assembly constituted of a dart-member located in the collector nozzle and actuated by a compression spring.
• the opening device can comprise a rod or any other member which is pushed or slided upwardly, rotated or actuated according to a combination of these movements.
• the upper end of this rod or member which should be long enough to at least reach the sand crust, at least when actuated, hits and breaks the crust when actuated, allowing therefore the free flowing of the molten steel. .
• the invention concerns a process for opening the taphole of a metallurgical vessel equipped with a slide gate valve and with the above described device.
• Figure 1 represents a schematic view of a ladle
• Figure 2 represents a cross-section of a ladle taphole
• Figure 3 represents a three-dimensional view of a device according to an embodiment of the invention
• Figures 4 to 7 show constructional elements of the device of figure 3;
• FIGs 8 to 12 show the different steps of taphole opening with the device of figure 3;
• Figure 13 shows the closure of the slide gate valve;
• Figures 14 to 16 show the different steps of taphole opening with a variant of the opening device.
• the device of the invention (see fig. 3) is composed of a tube (1 ) on which are welded positioning plates, and locking springs. At the lower end of the tube (1), there is a support. A complete description of the tube is given on fig. 4. Inside this tube (1), there is a rod (2). This rod can move up and down and turn inside the tube (1). A complete description of the rod is given at fig. 5. At the upper end of the rod (2), there is a head (3) to break the sintered sand crust by rotation and/or vertical upwards translation.
• the tube is composed of a tube itself (1-1), of 4 positioning plates (1 -2a, 1 -2b, 1 -2c, 1 -2d), 2 springs (1-3a, 1-3b) and a support (1-4).
• the positioning plates, the springs and the support are welded on the tube (1-1) as depicted at figure 4, so that the assembly can be simply installed in the refractory inner nozzle from the outside of the slide gate.
• a sand breaking device (the head (3)) is welded at the upper end of the rod (2).
• This head can be composed of the assembly of a tube (3-1) and some plates (3-x) welded perpendicularly, in the axis direction, on the tube (3-1), (optionally slightly sloped).
• the lower part of the head is designed to cover the main tube (1) so as to avoid sand introduction into the tube.
• the general design of the head (3) is adapted to the customer's refractory profile.
• a disk (4) is attached at the lower end of the tube (1-4) by the means of an excentered axis (4a). The movement of this disk is loose about the axis 4a. However, the axis 4a is well tightened to the support (1-4) of the tube (1).
• the purpose of this disk is to transmit the force of the plate to the rod (2) in order to actuate the head (3) into the sand.
• the installation of the device is performed at the ladle preparation area of the steel plant, just before the ladle leaves this area.
• the device is introduced into the upper nozzle of the ladle (i.e. above the slide gate). It is simply pushed into the taphole. Once in position, the slide gate can be closed. [0035]
• the ladle is moved into its working position (vertical). At this moment, the disk abuts against the lower plate.
• the rod (2) is in its lower position, which means that the sand breaking device is also in its lower position (see Fig. 8).
• the taphole sand is poured into the taphole.
• the device is so completely surrounded by the taphole sand.
• the liquid steel is poured into the ladle.
• the steel treatment occurs, until the ladle goes into its casting position.
• the upper part of the head device is slightly submerged by the taphole sand. Thereby, it is embedded into the crust (see Fig. 9).
• the slide gate is opened.
• the opening of the slide gate corresponds to a movement of the mobile plate from left to right.
• the taphole sand falls out (see Fig 10).
• the disk (4) falls in its lower position, and is "in the hole" of the mobile slide gate plate (see Fig 11 ).
• the disk (4) is replaced by an articulated assembly of three connecting rods (61 ,62,63).
• the variant illustrated on figures 14-16 provides a much longer stroke for the vertical movement of the rod (2).
• the remainder of the device can be similar to the device of figure 3 or, alternatively, the slit (5) in the tube (1) can be linear.
• the first connecting rod (61) is fixedly attached to a support, which as in the depicted device, might be a tube (7) welded to the tube (1 ).
• the connecting rods (62,63) fall into the taphole and are just retained by the first connecting rod (61).
• the end of the last connecting rod (63) is just in contact with the lower end of the rod (2). So that when the slide gate is closed (figure 16), the mobile plate pushes the last connecting rod (63) itself pushing the rod (2) actuating thereby the opening device.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Furnace Charging Or Discharging (AREA)
• Carbon Steel Or Casting Steel Manufacturing (AREA)
• Casting Support Devices, Ladles, And Melt Control Thereby (AREA)
• Furnace Housings, Linings, Walls, And Ceilings (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27635855

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Citations (4)

• 2003
  • 2003-01-28 AT AT03702555T patent/ATE324210T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-01-28 ES ES03702555T patent/ES2260603T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-28 DE DE60304826T patent/DE60304826T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-01-28 EP EP03702555A patent/EP1472028B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-01-28 WO PCT/EP2003/000877 patent/WO2003064080A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (3)

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