Systems and Methods of Cooling Blast Furnaces

• US 20080111287A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andco Metal Industry Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Andco Metal Industry Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Pyne, William E.
• Application Number:
  US11/792,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111287A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 266/190
• CPC Class Codes: C21B 7/10 Cooling; Devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 1/24 Cooling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 1/12 incorporating cooling arrangements constructions of tube assemblies in general F28
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2009/0018 the cooling medium passing through a pattern of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2009/0048 incorporating conduits for the medium
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2009/0062 made from copper or copper alloy
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 9/00 Cooling of furnaces or of charges therein F27D1/00, F27D3/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/02 in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods provide a cooling device for a blast furnace that may prevent an excessive amount of coolant from entering the blat furnace and may be easily installed in a conventional blast furnace. Systems and methods may provide a cooling device for a blast furnace that may prevent an excessive amount of coolant from entering the blast furnace and may be simple and cost effective to manufacture. The end of a heat pipe (202) that is outside of the furnace may be configured to interact with a heat sink (210). The heat sink (210) may be for example, a separate amount of coolant that is circulated outside of the furnace, an evaporative cooling system, and/or any other system or method of cooling the heat pipe (202) that transfers heat from the heat pipe (202) to the heat sink (210). Because the coolant within the heat pipe (202) is sealed within the heat pipe (202), only the small, fixed amount of coolant that. is within the heat pipe (202) will enter the furnace should the cooling plate (200) rupture. Thus, substantial damage to the furnace, extensive repairs, and/or long periods of non-production may be avoided.

Claims

1. A device for exchanging heat between an inside of a blast furnace and an outside of the blast furnace, comprising:

a body configured to be at least partially inserted into an opening in the blast furnace; and

at least one cavity disposed within the body, each of the at least one cavities extending from substantially one end of the body to substantially an opposite end of the body, each of the at least one cavities capable of containing coolant;

wherein the body is configured to transfer heat between a coolant contained within each of the at least one cavities and a heat sink outside of the blast furnace, and when the body is inserted into the opening of the blast furnace and each of the at least one cavities contains the coolant;

the one end of the body is exposed to heat generated by the blast furnace and the opposite end of the body is exposed to the outside of the blast furnace;

heat is absorbed by the coolant in a portion of the cavity in the vicinity of the one end of the body and is transferred to the coolant in a portion of the cavity in the vicinity of the opposite end of the body;

the heat in the portion of the cavity in the vicinity of the opposite end of the body is transferred from the coolant, through the body, to the heat sink; and

the body forms a barrier between the coolant and the heat sink such that substantially none of the coolant within each of the at least one cavities is in direct contact with the heat sink.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to be at least partially inserted into an existing opening in the blast furnace without substantial modification to the existing opening.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is at least partially copper.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is in the form of a plate cooler.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is in the form of a cooling stave.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is in the form of a cigar cooler.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to be inserted in an existing hole in a vicinity of an iron notches portion of the blast furnace.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to be inserted in an existing hole in a vicinity of a bosh portion of the blast furnace.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to be inserted in an existing hole in a vicinity of a stack portion of the blast furnace.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to be inserted in an existing hole in a vicinity of a tuyere breast portion of a blast furnace.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the body is a substantially annular circular conical frustum.

12. A method of replacing a cooling device within a blast furnace, comprising:

removing the cooling device from the blast furnace; and

inserting the cooling device of claim 1 into an opening in the blast furnace previously occupied by the removed cooling device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

avoiding substantial modification to a shell or a refractory lining of the blast furnace.

14. A method of cooling a blast furnace, comprising:

at least partially inserting a body into an opening in the blast furnace, at least one cavity disposed within the body, each of the at least one cavities extending from substantially one end of the body to substantially an opposite end of the body, each of the at least one cavities containing coolant, the body being configured to transfer heat between the coolant contained within each of the at least one cavities and a heat sink outside of the blast furnace;

exposing the one end of the body to heat generated by the blast furnace;

exposing the opposite end of the body to the outside of the blast furnace;

absorbing, with the coolant, heat in a portion of the cavity in the vicinity of the one end of the body;

transferring the absorbed heat to the coolant in a portion of the cavity in the vicinity of the opposite end of the body; and

transferring the heat in the portion of the cavity in the vicinity of the opposite end of the body from the coolant, through the body, to the heat sink;

wherein the body forms a barrier between the coolant and the heat sink such that substantially none of the coolant within each of the at least one cavities is in direct contact with the heat sink.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein at least partially inserting the body into the opening in the blast furnace comprises, inserting the body into an existing opening in the blast furnace without substantial modification to the existing opening.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein at least partially inserting the body into the opening in the blast furnace comprises inserting the body in an existing hole in a vicinity of an iron notches portion of the blast furnace.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein at least partially inserting the body into the opening in the blast furnace comprises inserting the body in an existing hole in a vicinity of a bosh portion of the blast furnace.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein at least partially inserting the body into the opening in the blast furnace comprises inserting the body in an existing hole in a vicinity of a stack portion of the blast furnace.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein at least partially inserting the body into the opening in the blast furnace comprises inserting the body in an existing hole in a vicinity of a tuyere breast portion of the blast furnace.