Plant for melting metal materials comprising at least a heating unit (11) provided with a container (13) to contain the mainly metal materials and with at least an induction heating device (22) configured to heat the mainly metal materials contained in the container (13). The plant also comprises a transfer unit (25) disposed downstream of the heating unit (11) and configured to move, substantially continuously, the mainly metal solid materials exiting from the heating unit (11) to a melting furnace (12). The container (13) is provided with an aperture (16) through which the mainly metal material, heated and in a solid state, is discharged onto the transfer unit (25), and opening/closing members (17) are associated with the aperture (16), commanded by an actuator (19) and configured to open, close and choke the aperture (16) in order to regulate the delivery of the metal materials that is discharged onto the transfer unit (25).

Apparatus to heat and transfer mainly metal materials to a melting furnace (12), the apparatus comprising a transporter device (13) configured to move the materials continuously to the melting furnace (12), and at least an induction heating unit (28) associated with the transporter device (13) and configured to heat by electromagnetic induction the materials moved in the transporter device (13), keeping them in a solid state.

An apparatus to move and preheat metal material (M) to be fed to a container comprises a containing structure, having an internal compartment and provided with a support wall, a conveyor for the material (M), a fume transit section whose volume reduces as it is distanced from said container along the longitudinal development of said containing structure, and a collector for hot fumes (F) whose volume increases in a manner correlated to said reduction in the fume transit section. The collector is located below said conveyor inside the internal compartment essentially along the entire longitudinal development of said containing structure. Moreover, one or more through apertures are made in said support wall to put the conveyor and the collector into fluidic connection.

Apparatus for continuously conveying and pre-heating a metal charge inside a container of a melting plant, includes at least a channel for conveying the metal charge, at least a hood disposed above the conveyor channel defining a tunnel and/or an expansion chamber, inside which at least part of the fumes exiting from the container advance, and apertures made in cooperation with lateral walls of the conveyor channel to discharge the fumes. The conveyor channel includes an activator that divert the fumes and/or delimit the zone occupied by the metal charge of the conveyor channel, and that cooperate longitudinally with at least part of the conveyor channel.

An apparatus to feed and pre-heat a metal charge to a melting furnace of a steelworks comprises a feeding and pre-heating tower separate from the melting furnace provided with at least one compartment to temporarily contain said metal charge, transfer means to transfer said metal charge to said melting furnace and conveying means to convey the fumes exiting from the melting furnace to said compartment. The apparatus also comprises a post-combustion chamber, disposed adjacent to and below said compartment, and connected on one side to said compartment and on another side to said conveying means, the post-combustion chamber being configured to determine the expansion of the fumes introduced by the conveying means and to direct said expanded fumes toward said compartment along a path such as to determine a desired residence time of said fumes suitable to obtain at least the substantial complete combustion of the unburned gases present in said fumes.

The invention relates to a device having a bottom, side walls and a ceiling, which together define a channel, as well as transportation means, extending in an axial direction of said channel from an entry port of the channel to an exit port of said channel, for transferring a metallurgical material from said entry port to said exit port.

Molten iron is produced in an electric furnace with high energy utilization efficiency at a low cost. In an electric furnace in which a shaft-type preheating chamber is provided on and continuously with a melting chamber and used to preheat iron scrap, an exhaust gas generated in the melting chamber is passed through the preheating chamber filled with the iron scrap so as to preheat the iron scrap, the iron scrap thus preheated is sequentially caused to descend in the preheating chamber so as to be supplied into the melting chamber, and the iron scrap is melted in the melting chamber to obtain molten iron m.

A process and plant for preheating a metal charge fed in continuous to an electric melting furnace through a preheating tunnel provided with side walls, a vault and a horizontal conveyor, wherein the metal charge is enveloped in countercurrent by fumes or exhaust gases exiting from the electric melting furnace, includes causing an air intake from the surrounding environment through openings along the preheating tunnel to complete the combustion of the fumes or exhaust gases. The intake is regulated by acting on suction fans and/or on the openings, based on measurements by temperature sensors and/or the composition of the outgoing gases in or downstream of the terminal part of the tunnel. The metal charge is enveloped by jets of gas ejected through a plurality of nozzles arranged non-uniformly longitudinally on the vault of the tunnel, with a greater concentration on the top of the vault of the tunnel.