A shaft furnace, in particular a blast furnace, includes a metal jacket defining the furnace outer wall and a protective layer protecting the inner surface of the outer wall. At least one condition monitoring probe is arranged inside within the protective layer to monitor the latter. The condition monitoring probe is connected to a wireless module arranged outside the outer wall to transmit condition monitoring data. The wireless module is located inside a casing mounted to the outer surface of the metal jacket. The condition monitoring probe includes one or more conductive loops positioned at predetermined depths below the front face of the cooling plate body, or of the refractory lining, so that wear of the body, resp. refractory, can be detected by a change of an electrical characteristic of the loop(s) due to abrasion.

A heat treatment furnace disclosed herein may include: a heat treatment unit configured to heat-treat an object; a cooling unit configured to cool the object heat-treated by the heat treatment unit; and a conveyor configured to convey the object in the heat treatment unit and the cooling unit. The cooling unit may include a housing, wherein the housing is disposed below a conveyance path on which the object is conveyed by the conveyor and configured to cool the object being conveyed by the conveyor by liquid flowing inside the housing. The housing may include an upper plate facing the object being conveyed by the conveyor. The upper plate may be tilted so that gas stays at a predetermined portion of the housing while the liquid is flowing in the housing.

A heat treatment furnace disclosed herein may include: a heat treatment unit configured to heat-treat an object; a cooling unit configured to cool the object heat-treated by the heat treatment unit; and a conveyor configured to convey the object in the heat treatment unit and the cooling unit. The cooling unit may include a housing, wherein the housing is disposed below a conveyance path on which the object is conveyed by the conveyor and configured to cool the object being conveyed by the conveyor by liquid flowing inside the housing. The housing may include an upper plate facing the object being conveyed by the conveyor. The upper plate may be tilted so that gas stays at a predetermined portion of the housing while the liquid is flowing in the housing.

One embodiment is a cooling system for regulating temperature of a surface of a metallurgical furnace. The cooling system includes a plurality of spray conduits. Each spray conduit has one or more control valves and has a plurality of nozzles. A plurality of temperature sensors are disposed proximate the surface of the metallurgical furnace. A control system adjusts the control valves of the plurality of spray conduits in response to temperature information derived from the plurality of temperature sensors.

One embodiment is a cooling system for regulating temperature of a surface of a metallurgical furnace. The cooling system includes a plurality of spray conduits. Each spray conduit has one or more control valves and has a plurality of nozzles. A plurality of temperature sensors are disposed proximate the surface of the metallurgical furnace. A control system adjusts the control valves of the plurality of spray conduits in response to temperature information derived from the plurality of temperature sensors.

A multi-chamber heat treatment device according to the present disclosure in which heating chambers are disposed with an intermediate transport chamber interposed therebetween in a top view, and a treatment object is stored in a heating chamber via the intermediate transport chamber, wherein the multi-chamber heat treatment device includes a gas cooling chamber which cools the treatment object using a cooling gas; and a cooling gas circulation device which includes an gas inlet and a gas outlet.

A multi-chamber heat treatment device according to the present disclosure in which heating chambers are disposed with an intermediate transport chamber interposed therebetween in a top view, and a treatment object is stored in a heating chamber via the intermediate transport chamber, wherein the multi-chamber heat treatment device includes a gas cooling chamber which cools the treatment object using a cooling gas; and a cooling gas circulation device which includes an gas inlet and a gas outlet.

A method for providing a region of inert gas around the electrodes in an electric arc furnace is provided. This electric arc furnace includes consumable graphite electrodes, a melting zone, and at least one lance including an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is connected to a liquid inert fluid source. The method includes introducing the consumable graphite electrodes into the melting zone, wherein the distal ends of the electrodes form arcs with a solid charge of scrap metal. The method also includes introducing the liquid inert fluid into the inlet end of the at least one lance, wherein the inert fluid exits the outlet end and is introduced into the melting zone proximate to the distal ends of the electrodes, thereby providing an inert gaseous blanket, once the liquid vaporizes, around the distal ends of the electrodes

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a system including: an enclosure having an interior sized to enclose and the workpiece and form a vacuum and pressurized atmosphere within the interior. A plurality of thermal applicators may be in thermal communication with first and second portions of the interior. First and second thermal applicators may independently heat and cool the first and second portions of the interior. The first thermal applicator may apply a first thermal treatment to a first portion of the workpiece in the first portion of the interior. A second thermal applicator may apply a second thermal treatment to a second portion of the workpiece in the second portion of the interior independently of the first thermal treatment.

Each of substrates which are sequentially loaded into an apparatus is transferred to one of empty (available) cooling units, and the cooling unit is reserved as a unit to be used for performing a cooling treatment after a post-exposure bake process for the substrate and the reservation information is stored. After one of the cooling units is reserved in advance before the post-exposure bake process, the substrate is transferred from the cooling unit to one of heating units without being subjected to a cooling treatment and is subjected to a post-exposure bake process therein. After the post-exposure bake process, the substrate is transferred from the heating unit to the reserved cooling unit which is reserved in advance and subjected to a cooling treatment therein.