A burner for a metal-melting furnace can releasably receive a tapered plug in sealing engagement with an access passage aligned with an air passage. The burner may be configured to extend through a wall of the metal-melting furnace so that the air passage is through a front face within the furnace and so that the access passage is through a rear face outside of the furnace. The access passage may be aligned with the air passage to permit a rigid structure to be passed through the burner from outside the furnace to dislodge build-up of solidified metal from the air passage. The tapered plug may be moveable between a sealing configuration of being received in a seat to seal the access passage during burner operation and a cleaning configuration of being removed from the seat to expose the access passage for insertion of the rigid structure.

A metallurgical vessel structure and method is provided for producing low-impurity Magnesia-Carbon reclaimed aggregate suitable for reuse in the production of high purity Magnesia-Carbon refractory. A metallurgical vessel is assembled with a non-reactive or chemically similar backup lining. The entire height of the working lining wall is Magnesia-Carbon brick suitable for reuse. The working lining is exposed to a metal making high temperature process, and the working lining is sequentially demolished. Due to the assembly of vessel, metallurgical practice, and ease of demolishing the vessel, there is little to no need for sorting, such that the used Magnesia-Carbon brick are easily converted into low impurity Magnesia-Carbon reclaimed aggregate. A refractory composed of low-impurity Magnesia aggregate reclaimed from the method is also contemplated.

A method for detecting a cleaning need of a commercial cooking appliance with at least one cooking surface. The method includes the steps of capturing at least one image of at least a part of the cooking surface and/or at least a part of a cooking product, comparing the captured image of the part of the cooking surface with a prestored reference image of a contaminated cooking surface requiring cleaning and/or of the captured image of the part of the cooking product with a prestored reference image of the cooking product in a cooking status indicating a need for cleaning the cooking surface, and deciding, based on the result of the comparison, whether a cleaning is needed. A further aspect relates to a quality management monitoring system as well as a commercial appliance with a quality management monitoring system.

An apparatus comprising a cleaning rod driven in reciprocating, axial extension (y) and retraction (x) movements upon cleaning a smelt discharge opening of a chemicals recovery boiler, wherein a linear actuator is controllable for driving the cleaning rod in the axial movements. A pivot actuation means is controllable for pivoting the cleaning rod about an axis (S) upon cleaning a smelt spout associated with the smelt discharge opening, wherein one or more sensors are arranged to provide control basis for correlation of the axial movements (x; y) with the change in pivot angle (φ) during pivoting of the cleaning rod. A method to be performed in use of the apparatus is likewise disclosed.

An apparatus comprising a cleaning rod driven in reciprocating, axial extension (y) and retraction (x) movements upon cleaning a smelt discharge opening of a chemicals recovery boiler, wherein a linear actuator is controllable for driving the cleaning rod in the axial movements. A pivot actuation means is controllable for pivoting the cleaning rod about an axis (S) upon cleaning a smelt spout associated with the smelt discharge opening, wherein one or more sensors are arranged to provide control basis for correlation of the axial movements (x; y) with the change in pivot angle (φ) during pivoting of the cleaning rod. A method to be performed in use of the apparatus is likewise disclosed.

A melting furnace feedstock charger includes a charger conduit including an inlet to receive feedstock and an outlet at an outlet portion of the charger conduit to transmit feedstock, and an auger or other feedstock mover coupled to the charger conduit to convey feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet. A gate may be detachably coupled to the outlet portion of the charger conduit and configured to be coupled directly to a wall of a melting vessel. The auger may have a helical flight with an outer diameter of varying size. A stripper may be movably carried by the charger conduit and may include a stripping tool moved by an actuator with respect to the charger conduit to facilitate transmission of feedstock and/or to strip away clogged feedstock and/or molten material.

A melting furnace feedstock charger includes a charger conduit including an inlet to receive feedstock and an outlet at an outlet portion of the charger conduit to transmit feedstock, and an auger or other feedstock mover coupled to the charger conduit to convey feedstock in a direction from the inlet toward the outlet. A gate may be detachably coupled to the outlet portion of the charger conduit and configured to be coupled directly to a wall of a melting vessel. The auger may have a helical flight with an outer diameter of varying size. A stripper may be movably carried by the charger conduit and may include a stripping tool moved by an actuator with respect to the charger conduit to facilitate transmission of feedstock and/or to strip away clogged feedstock and/or molten material.

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.

Walking beam furnace comprising movable and stationary andirons supported by movable and stationary keels, respectively, and drive means designed to move a lifting frame and a translation frame according to a rectangular displacement cycle having two vertical positions and an intermediate vertical position, the movable andirons being at the same height as the stationary andirons The furnace further comprises stationary and movable beams, the movable beams arranged between the stationary beams and separated from the latter by a space, the movable keels attached to the movable beams, which are attached to the translation frame and arranged at the same height as the stationary refractory beams in the intermediate position. The furnace further comprises a plurality of skirts attached to the other movable beams defining the separation space and dipping into longitudinal water tanks arranged in line with the separation spaces and attached to one of the separation space defining beams.

Walking beam furnace comprising movable and stationary andirons supported by movable and stationary keels, respectively, and drive means designed to move a lifting frame and a translation frame according to a rectangular displacement cycle having two vertical positions and an intermediate vertical position, the movable andirons being at the same height as the stationary andirons The furnace further comprises stationary and movable beams, the movable beams arranged between the stationary beams and separated from the latter by a space, the movable keels attached to the movable beams, which are attached to the translation frame and arranged at the same height as the stationary refractory beams in the intermediate position. The furnace further comprises a plurality of skirts attached to the other movable beams defining the separation space and dipping into longitudinal water tanks arranged in line with the separation spaces and attached to one of the separation space defining beams.