When using oxygen gas pipes 3, situations can arise, in particular due to slag return and similar dangers, in which the operator must initiate safety measures. Slag return safety devices are known which, in such a case, ensure that the gas flow is stopped by melting a cap 35 of a heat sensor 5. The response of this outlet valve 6 of the slag return safety device can be recognized, for example, by the fact that the inlet pressure of the existing oxygen gas 4 is used to push pins 21 located in the wall 19 of the oxygen gas pipe 3 beyond the outside 27 of the oxygen gas pipe 3, so that they cannot be overlooked as a warning signal. The movement of the pins 21 can be used to activate further signal systems 30 in order to provide additional indications of this movement optically and/or acoustically.

A feed mixture distribution device configured to even out a feed of feed mixture in an annular feed mixture feed channel of a burner. The feed mixture distribution device includes a cylindrical member having a cylindrical wall, a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal central axis X. The cylindrical member is at the first end provided with rectangular flat plate means, which extend radially from the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical member and which are arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal central axis X of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical wall of the cylindrical member is between the rectangular flat plate and the second end provided with helical plate means arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal central axis X of the cylindrical member.

A refractory-lined equipment includes a vessel defining an interior at least partially lined with a refractory material, and a nozzle assembly coupled to the vessel and extending into the interior. The nozzle assembly includes an outer sleeve fixed to the sidewall and extending through an aperture defined in the sidewall, the outer sleeve defining a central passageway, and a nozzle cartridge assembly positionable within the central passageway and including an inner sleeve, a refractory lining disposed about the inner sleeve, and a nozzle positioned within the inner sleeve. The nozzle cartridge assembly is removably coupled to the outer sleeve external to the vessel.

A feed mixture distribution device configured to even out a feed of feed mixture in an annular feed mixture feed channel of a burner. The feed mixture distribution device includes a cylindrical member having a cylindrical wall, a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal central axis X. The cylindrical member is at the first end provided with rectangular flat plate means, which extend radially from the cylindrical wall of the cylindrical member and which are arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal central axis X of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical wall of the cylindrical member is between the rectangular flat plate and the second end provided with helical plate means arranged symmetrically about the longitudinal central axis X of the cylindrical member.

A low-NOx end-fired furnace for melting glass equipped with an overhead burner includes an inlet duct for oxidizer, including 15% to 30% of oxygen, in its upstream wall, a duct for receiving the combustion flue gases in its upstream wall, and a sonic injection system including at least one injector for injecting a jet of a gas at a speed at least equal to 80% of the speed of sound, referred to as a sonic injector, opening into the upstream wall or opening into the duct for receiving the combustion flue gases, the sonic injector injecting its gas counter-current to the stream of the combustion flue gases that are heading toward the duct for receiving the combustion flue gases.

The object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency when operating the melting/refining furnace of the cold iron source using a burners and a lance, or during refining, and the present invention provides a method for operating a melting/refining furnace comprising a through hole so as to penetrate a furnace wall, at least one burners provided in the through hole; and at least one lances installed in an oxidant gas supply hole provided above the through-hole for the burner, wherein an amount of oxygen introduced in the melting step is adjusted to a range calculated based on a the furnace volume.

When the decarburization refining of molten iron is performed by top-blowing oxygen gas from the top blowing lance, the oscillation of molten iron, a bubble burst, and spitting due to the bubble burst are suppressed. A refining method for a converter includes decarburizing molten iron in the converter with a top blowing lance having Laval nozzles disposed at the lower end thereof by blowing oxygen gas on the surface of the molten iron in the converter through the Laval nozzles, in which one or both of an oxygen feeding rate from the top blowing lance and lance height LH are adjusted in such a manner that an oxygen accumulation index S(F) is 40 or less.

A method for heating a furnace (40) used for metal processing by combusting a fuel in the furnace (40) by supplying an oxidizing gas through an oxidizing gas supply line (20) into the furnace (40) and by supplying a fuel through a fuel supply line (30) into the furnace (40), wherein the oxidizing gas is supplied in form of a central oxidizing gas flow (24) together with a first shroud gas flow (25), and/or the fuel is supplied in form of a central fuel flow (34) together with a second shroud gas flow (35), and to a corresponding burner (10).

A method for injecting a solid feed material through a solids injection lance includes creating flow conditions in an injection passageway of the lance so that at least a part of the feed material flowing along the passageway forms a buffer zone between a wall of a tube that defines the passageway and feed material flowing along a central section of the passageway.

Described are steel production systems and methods, and a furnace and methods of using such furnace to produce steel. In some embodiments, the furnace may include a shell having a top portion and a bottom portion. There may be a roof connected to the top portion that can have feed ports for the introduction of a metal oxide into the furnace. The shell may include injectors that can inject a fluid into the furnace. The bottom portion may be connected to a hearth. The furnace can melt the metal oxide to form a molten bath in the hearth. The molten bath may have a slag layer and a metal layer. The fluid can reduce the metal oxide in the slag layer to form molten metal.