EP2264389A1 - Furnace assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has a housing and a furnace chamber (2) provided in the housing. A process muffle (5) is arranged in the furnace chamber, and load carriers (4) accommodate a bulk material or piece goods. A watergate (7) on an inlet side of a pusher type furnace (1) accommodates the load carriers. Another watergate (9) on outlet side of the furnace accommodates the carriers. A movement mechanism i.e. handling robot (8), is arranged on the inlet and/or outlet side of the furnace for docking one of the inlet- and outlet-sided watergates to the furnace and for removal of the watergate from the furnace. The load carriers are designed as bowls.

Description

The present invention relates to a furnace for carrying out a heat treatment for bulk or piece goods with a housing, a furnace chamber located in the housing, at least one arranged in the furnace chamber process muffle, a plurality of batch carriers for receiving the bulk material or piece goods, a conveyor for moving the batch carrier the process muffle, a lock on the inlet side of the furnace for receiving a freshly charged batch carrier and a lock on the exit side of the furnace for receiving a batch carrier with treated Good.

Such furnace systems for carrying out an industrial heat treatment are known. They can be used for the heat treatment of a variety of products, such as the calcination, reduction or annealing of products, or combinations of these methods. Such Heat treatment may be associated with cooling processes or other processes that may be performed inside or outside the furnace. The oven chamber located in the housing can be divided into a plurality of compartments, in which different treatments with, for example, different temperature gradients or pressure gradients are performed.

In the furnace chamber is at least one process muffle, which may be formed, for example in the form of a tube with a diameter of 100-300 mm. Normally, such a furnace has a multiplicity of process muffles arranged next to one another or one above the other.

To promote the treated bulk material or piece goods, the furnace has a plurality of batch carriers, by means of which the bulk material or piece goods is conveyed through the at least one process muffle. For this purpose, a conveyor, which may be formed in different ways, for example as a puncture device, conveyor belt, conveyor chain, etc.

On the inlet side of the furnace, a lock is provided, which serves to receive a freshly charged batch carrier. Another lock is located on the exit side of the furnace to receive a batch of treated good. With such locks it is avoided that the atmosphere located in the vicinity of the furnace can penetrate into the oven or the furnace atmosphere can escape from the oven.

Such locks are stationary in the ovens of the prior art. In this case, a batch carrier can only be introduced into the lock when the previous batch carrier has been removed from it after a corresponding passivation time. The corresponding lock at the exit end of the furnace therefore determines the material throughput of the furnace per unit of time. Even if a shorter throughput time through the furnace itself is possible, the throughput time of the furnace is again increased by the relatively long residence time in the stationary lock, which is required for passivation.

The present invention has for its object to provide a furnace system of the type reproduced above, which allows a particularly high material throughput in the unit time.

This object is achieved in a furnace system of the type specified in that the lock on the inlet and / or outlet side of the furnace is designed to be movable and that on the inlet and / or outlet side of the furnace, a movement device for docking a lock to the furnace and arranged to remove the same from the oven.

With the solution according to the invention, it is possible to remove the lock from the outlet end of the furnace very quickly and to a point at which, for example, the batch carrier can be removed from the lock and the product therein can be passivated in a separate station, for example empty Lock can be moved back to the exit end of the furnace and can already accommodate a new batch carrier. As a result, an empty lock for receiving a new charge carrier is available at the outlet end of the furnace earlier than in the prior art with a stationarily arranged lock, so that overall the throughput of the furnace installation per unit of time can be increased. A corresponding embodiment can be made on the inlet side of the furnace, ie, also here, the batch carrier can be arranged in a separate station from the oven to shorten the residence time within the lock.

According to the invention thus takes place at the inlet end and / or outlet end of the furnace as quickly as possible movement of the lock from the furnace end away, in particular a transverse promotion of the lock to empty the lock quickly and provide for receiving the next batch carrier.

The furnace installation preferably has a passivation station arranged outside the furnace, and the movement device for the lock at the outlet end of the furnace supplies the lock to the passivation station. In or at this passivation station, the lock is opened and the batch carrier is guided from the lock into the passivation station. After emptying the lock, it is immediately returned to the exit end of the furnace to accommodate the next batch carrier.

The inventively designed furnace system has particularly great advantages in an embodiment in which the

Furnace has a plurality of juxtaposed process muffles. In this case, a single movable lock is preferably provided for the multiplicity of process muffles arranged next to one another. The movable lock is thereby reciprocated by its movement device between the respective furnace end and a station arranged separately therefrom, for example a passivation station, whereby the lock can dock with different process muffles. For example, if four process muffles are provided side by side, the lock docks onto the first process muffle, picks up the corresponding batch carrier, moves it to the passivation station, for example, delivers the batch carrier to the passivation station and then returns to the oven, docking to the second process muff, to accommodate the batch carrier of this process muffle. In this order, all process muffles can be operated one after the other. Of course, the chosen order is arbitrary, depending on the existing conditions.

The device for moving the lock can thus move a lock on the inlet side of the furnace between a lateral pick-up point and a delivery point associated with a process muffle. On the exit side of the furnace, the device for moving the lock can move a lock between a receiving point assigned to a process muffle and a lateral delivery point. The corresponding movements in the opposite direction are of course included.

As already mentioned, the furnace installation designed according to the invention is not restricted to a furnace chamber in which a heat treatment is carried out. Thus, the furnace system preferably has a cooling zone downstream of the furnace chamber. Any other treatment zones are possible. In a particularly preferred embodiment, a batch emptying device, which is arranged parallel to the oven chamber, is provided with a subsequent batch filling device. This batch emptying device is arranged in particular according to the intended passivation station. Here, the batch carriers are moved with the treated material through the passivation station, wherein the desired passivation takes place. Thereafter, the batch carriers are emptied with the emptying device and fed in the empty state of the batch filling station, in which they are filled with good to be treated. The filled batch carriers are then successively introduced into the movable lock and fed with this to the inlet end of the furnace.

The locks themselves are preferably tubular and are adapted to the preferably tubular muffles, so that a transfer of the batch carrier from the lock into the muffle and from the muffle into the lock is possible without problems. The device for moving the locks is preferably designed so that it also moves the batch carrier into and out of the lock. The removal of the batch carrier from the lock or the introduction of the same in the lock can be carried out for example by means of a linear drive or a robot. When transferring the batch carrier between muffle and Sluice or lock and muffle find suitable pressing devices, sealing devices and slide devices (blade shifter, vacuum slide) use.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the furnace installation according to the invention has a piercing furnace, wherein the conveying device for the batch carrier is a piercing device.

As far as the charge carrier is concerned, it is preferably designed as a shell, in particular in the form of two shells arranged one above the other. The locks are preferably adapted to the corresponding batch carriers or product carriers.

The docking of a lock on a process muffle is preferably carried out by pressing the lock against a arranged between muffle and lock seal device, for example in the form of O-rings. Sluice and muffle are expediently opened and closed with the help of slides (blade slides, vacuum valves).

With the inventively designed furnace system can be realized low cycle times.

In a further development of the invention, the movable or movable locks are flushable and / or evacuated, whereby the throughput per unit time further increased or the cycle times can be further reduced. For this purpose, the furnace has corresponding devices for rinsing and / or evacuation.

Instead of slides, the process muffles can also be provided with inlet and / or outlet flaps.

The process space in the individual process muffles can be operated with various gases or gas mixtures, for example air, N ₂ , CO, CO ₂ , argon, H ₂ . Operation by means of negative pressure is also possible.

The transfer of the batch carriers between the individual stations, in particular between the lock and the oven, takes place with the exclusion of foreign gas. Depending on the temperature and atmospheric requirements, the process muffles can be formed, for example, from ceramic, graphite or steel alloys. For heating the furnace system, in particular electrical heating elements or gas / oil burners can be used.

One or more process muffles can be operated independently of the other process muffles with another product or another process gas and, depending on the arrangement, also with a different temperature and different cycle time. The throughput of the furnace can be reduced or increased by the number of process muffles without affecting the product quality.

Further advantages of the furnace installation designed according to the invention are that optimum heat transfer and optimum gas guidance can be achieved by adapted process muffle diameter and charge carrier geometry. By using tubular process muffles with circular cross-section can be a back diffusion in the process chamber compared to the usual D-shaped or rectangular muffles counteract targeted at low gas velocity in the process space.

Optimized process muffle cross-section and optimized batch carrier geometry in combination with the inlets and outlets can reduce process gas consumption, resulting in significant savings.

Figur 1

eine Seitenansicht einer mit einem Stoßofen ver- sehenen Ofenanlage;

Figur 2

eine Draufsicht auf die Ofenanlage der Figur 1;

Figur 3

eine Vorderansicht und eine Seitenansicht eines Chargenträgers; und

Figur 4

eine schematische Darstellung einer beweglichen bzw. verfahrbaren Schleuse mit zugehörigen Ein- richtungen.

The invention will be explained below with reference to an embodiment in conjunction with the drawings in detail. Show it:

FIG. 1

a side view of a provided with a blast furnace furnace system;

FIG. 2

a plan view of the furnace of the FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3

a front view and a side view of a batch carrier; and

FIG. 4

a schematic representation of a movable or movable lock with associated facilities.

The furnace system shown in the figures has a piercing furnace or blast furnace 1, which has a housing in which a furnace chamber 2 is arranged. This furnace chamber 2 serves as a boiler room. It is longitudinal in divided into several compartments in which different temperature and / or pressure gradients can be maintained.

Through the oven chamber 2, six process muffles 5 arranged side by side extend, which are designed as tubes with a circular cross-section. These process muffles extend out of the actual furnace chamber 2 on the inlet side. Also on the outlet side of the furnace 1, they extend out of this and form parts of a cooling zone 3. At their ends, the process muffles 5 are provided with inlet and outlet flaps or corresponding sliders.

The furnace further has at the inlet end and at the outlet end of the furnace depending on a lock system at the inlet end of the furnace, a movable, ie transversely to the oven movable lock 7 and an associated handling robot 8 for the lock and at the outlet end of the furnace a transversely movable lock 9 and a handling robot 10 for the movable lock comprises. With the help of handling robots 8, 10, the lock 7, 9 along a path 12 in the transverse direction can be moved, docked to a corresponding process muffle 6 and from this again releasable and openable and closable. The two handling robots 8, 10 are further provided with a pull-out and / or pushing device, by means of which the charge carrier located within the movable lock can be pushed out of the lock 7 into a corresponding process muffle 5. By successively pushing batch carriers out of the lock 7 into a corresponding one Process muffle 5, the batch carriers are pushed through the furnace 1 and the subsequent cooling zone 3. The arranged at the outlet end of the furnace movable lock 9 receives the batch carrier and is moved by the associated handling robot 10 in the transverse direction to a delivery point. At this discharge point, the batch carrier is pushed out of the lock 9 with the associated push device of the handling robot 10 and moved by rotation through 90 °, for example, into a calming or passivation device 13, in which the charge carriers 4 are arranged next to one another and transported through the device.

The calming or passivation device 13 is followed by an emptying device 14 with a destacking device, in which the charge carriers are emptied. The empty batch carriers are then fed to a subsequent filling device 15 with stacking device 16 and filled with new material to be treated. The filled batch carriers are then introduced into the movable lock 7, which is then moved transversely back to the entry end of the oven. Corresponding slide 6 ensure proper transfer of the batch carrier between lock and process muffle, without foreign gas can penetrate.

FIG. 3 This charge carrier 20 is cup-shaped and has two superimposed and positively interconnected shells 21, 22, each receiving the material to be treated (bulk material, general cargo). The individual process muffles 5 are in Adjusted to their volume and their design adapted to this batch carrier, so that optimum heat transfer and optimal gas flow can be achieved.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a movable lock 9 with associated handling robot 8. The lock 9 is formed in the form of a tube with a circular cross-section and is pressed with a schematically shown Andrückvorrichtung 35 of the handling robot 8 against an associated process muffle, wherein corresponding sealing means 33 in the form of Earrings form a tight seal. A slide 6 causes the corresponding opening and closing of the lock chamber. With the help of a pullout and pusher 30 of the charge carrier located in the lock 9 is pushed out of the lock or pulled into this. The pull-out and push device 30 further comprises a compensator 32 and a suitable rotating device 31, with which the batch carrier 4 can be rotated. A traversing device for the pull-out and push device 30 is shown at 34. Further, the cross-track unit 12 of the handling robot 8 is shown.

The furnace described above works in the following way:

In the filling device 15, the individual batch carriers 4 are successively loaded with the material to be treated and introduced successively into the lock 7 at the inlet end of the furnace. The lock is then after closing the handling robot 8 in the transverse direction to the front Entering end of the oven procedure. There, the batch carrier is pushed out of the lock 7 and into the associated process muffle 6.

The batch carriers 4 are successively moved (pushed) through the process muffles and then reach the cooling zone 3 and from there to the end of the muffle. Here they are pushed into the lock 9 at the outlet end of the furnace or pulled by the associated handling robot 10. After closing, the lock 9 is then moved in the transverse direction and reaches the passivation device 13. The lock is opened there, and the charge carrier is moved into the passivation device 13. The charge carriers arranged there are moved by the passivating device 13 and then reach the emptying device 14, in which the treated material is emptied from the charge carriers.

Claims (12)

Furnace system for carrying out a heat treatment for bulk or general cargo with a housing, a furnace chamber located in the housing, at least one arranged in the furnace chamber process muffle, a plurality of batch carriers for receiving the bulk material or piece goods, a conveyor for moving the batch carrier through the process muffle, a lock on the inlet side of the furnace for receiving a freshly charged batch carrier and a lock on the outlet side of the furnace for receiving a batch carrier with treated Good, characterized in that the lock (7, 9) on the inlet and / or outlet side of the furnace (1 ) is movable and that on the inlet and / or outlet side of the furnace (1) a movement means (8, 10) for docking a lock (7, 9) to the furnace (1) and for removing the same from the furnace (1) is arranged. Furnace installation according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a calming or passivation device (13) arranged outside the furnace (1) and in that the movement device (10) for the lock (9) at the outlet end of the furnace (1) 9) of the passivation station (13) feeds. Furnace installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of juxtaposed and / or stacked process muffles (5). Furnace installation according to claim 3, characterized in that each one single movable lock (7, 9) for the plurality of juxtaposed process muffles (5) at the inlet and outlet ends of the furnace (1) is provided. Furnace installation according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the device (8) for moving the lock (7) moves a lock (7) on the inlet side of the furnace (1) between a lateral receiving point and a dispensing point associated with a process muffle (5) , Furnace installation according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the device (10) for moving the lock (9) on the outlet side of the furnace (1) a lock (9) between a process muffle (5) associated receiving point and a lateral discharge point moves , Furnace installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a cooling zone (3) arranged downstream of the furnace chamber (2). Furnace installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a batch emptying device (14) arranged parallel to the furnace chamber (2) and having a following charge filling device (15). Furnace installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locks (7, 9) are tubular. Furnace installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (8, 10) for moving the lock (7, 9) comprises means (30) for moving a charge carrier (4, 20) into the lock (7, 9) and / or out of the lock (7, 9) out. Furnace installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a piercing furnace (1) and that the conveying device for the batch carriers (4, 20) is a piercing device. Furnace installation according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the batch carrier (4) as a shell (20), in particular in the form of a shell or of a plurality of superposed shells (21, 22) is formed.

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