Direct reduction process and plant for producing DRI comprising a reduction reactor and at least one reducing gas heater typically comprising a convective heating section and a radiant heating section for raising the reducing gas temperature to a level adequate for iron oxides reduction to metallic iron, typically above 850° C., wherein the reducing gas fed to the reduction reactor comprises a stream of reducing gas recycled from the reduction reactor and a make-up stream of coke oven gas containing carbon compounds which may form carbon deposits in the heating path of said heater, namely BTX and other complex carbon compounds. The heater is provided with means for feeding oxidizing agents, for example steam, steam and air and/or oxygen at predetermined heating tubes successively for eliminating the carbon deposits which may form inside the heating tubes of said heater without interrupting the operation of the plant. The make-up stream of cold COG can be combined with the recycled gas at a point in the gas heating path of the heater where the tubes have a skin wall temperature of at least 700° C., or when the mixture of recycled gas and COG is at a temperature above 700° C. for minimizing clogging or fouling of heating equipment.

There is provide an apparatus for manufacturing a copper alloy metal material, including: a tundish in which molten copper is stored; a pouring nozzle through which the molten copper passes, the molten copper being flowed out from the tundish; a pressure variation device that varies a pressure applied to the pouring nozzle by the molten copper; and a controller that controls the pressure variation device so as to remove inclusions adhered to the pouring nozzle, by increasing the pressure applied to the pouring nozzle by the molten copper.

There is provide an apparatus for manufacturing a copper alloy metal material, including: a tundish in which molten copper is stored; a pouring nozzle through which the molten copper passes, the molten copper being flowed out from the tundish; a pressure variation device that varies a pressure applied to the pouring nozzle by the molten copper; and a controller that controls the pressure variation device so as to remove inclusions adhered to the pouring nozzle, by increasing the pressure applied to the pouring nozzle by the molten copper.

An apparatus for removing a blockage in a solids injection lance extending into a direct smelting vessel The solids injection lance has a single inlet coupled to a section of supply line that conveys gas and solids to the solids injection lance and that is upstream and co-axial with the solids injection lance. The apparatus has a tool that extends through the supply line section and the solids injection lance to remove a blockage of solid material and an assembly for advancing the tool through the solids injection lance and the supply line section to the blockage from an upstream side of the blockage.

A blocking prevention device for a gasification melting system combusts and melts an object to be treated into a slag in a melting furnace after the object to be treated is converted into pyrolysis gas in a gasification furnace, the blocking prevention device including: a slag adhesion prevention device having a slag adhesion prevention capability for preventing adhesion of the slag at an opening part that may be blocked due to the adhesion of the slag; an imaging device that images the opening part; and a control device including a calculation unit that calculates a change rate of an opening area of the opening part using a plurality of images with different capturing times or a video, captured by the imaging device, and a prevention device control unit that changes the slag adhesion prevention capabilities of a plurality of the slag adhesion prevention devices in accordance with the change rate.

The present application discloses a method for purge clean of a low pressure furnace, comprising: step 1, providing a process chamber of the low pressure furnace in a standby state, wherein an inner wall thin film formed by a furnace deposition process is accumulated on the surface of an inner wall of the process chamber; step 2, performing temperature ramp-up or temperature ramp-down treatment on the process chamber to generate first thermal stress in the inner wall thin film, wherein thin film particles with poor adhesion in the inner wall thin film peels off; step 3, introducing a cleaning gas in a pulse manner to perform cycle purge clean on the process chamber, so as to remove the peeling thin film particles from the process chamber; and step 4, switching a state of the process chamber to the standby state after the cycle purge clean ends.

Systems, devices and methods for effluent or flux removal from a gas are disclosed. In one aspect the system includes at least one tube having a body including an interior passageway enabling fluidic flow therethrough; and a plurality of openings disposed along a length of the body in fluidic communication with the interior passageway, thereby enabling withdrawal of the gas laden with the effluent exterior to the at least one tube through the plurality of openings into the interior passageway of the at least one tube.

System, method, and apparatus for cleaning industrial furnaces and associated structures. The system improves the dynamic pressure and cleaning of conventional air cannon systems utilizing air as a pressurized gas source for discharge by the air cannon. According to the present invention, the pressurized gas source is selected to have a density greater than air at an equivalent temperature. The increased density of the pressurized gas source improves the cleaning capability of the conventional air cannon for removing stubborn deposits.

A method of removing a blockage in a solids injection lance under normal operating conditions of a direct smelting vessel is disclosed. The direct smelting vessel contains a bath of molten metal and slag and the solids injection lance extends into the direct smelting vessel and has an outlet end that is submerged in the molten slag. The solids injection lance further has a single inlet coupled to a section of supply line that conveys gas and solid feed material to the solids injection lance. The method comprises (a) advancing a blockage-removing tool through the supply line section and through the solids injection lance to an upstream side of the blockage, (b) operating the tool under elevated gas pressure conditions to remove the blockage such that solid feed material and gas are able to flow through the solids injection lance. The method further comprises (c) retracting the tool from the solids injection lance and the supply line section. Also disclosed is an apparatus for removing a blockage in a solids injection lance extending into a direct smelting vessel.

A device for producing expanded granulated material from grains of sand with an expanding agent includes a furnace with a furnace shaft, which has upper and lower ends. A conveying section extends between the ends and passes through separately-arranged heating zones in a conveying direction. At least one feeder charges at least the unexpanded material into the furnace shaft at one end toward the other end. At least one rotatable shaft insert is arranged at least in sections in the furnace shaft and has at least one scraper blade forming with an inner wall of the furnace shaft at least one gap having a gap width and being designed, during rotation of the at least one shaft insert in an operating state of the device, to remove caking on the inner wall at least in sections if a thickness of the caking is greater than the respective gap width.