A charging system for a shaft smelt reduction furnace includes a frame structure for mounting on a top charge opening of a shaft smelt reduction vessel; a center shaft arrangement supported by the frame structure and for removing off-gas gases from the furnace and to introduce granular charge materials to form a stack of materials in the furnace. The center shaft arrangement includes a center hood for off-gas extraction; a pair of first and second feed channels for first and second materials. The center hood includes a pair of facing off-gas panels defining an off-gas channel. The partition walls include lower portions that extend towards each other below the center hood to define a center feed passage, whereby material descending through the first feed channels may accumulate on lower portions according to the angle of repose of the material, permitting self-adjustment of the first material stock-line in the shaft arrangement.

A decompression heat-insulating pipe structure that can exhibit the desired heat-insulating performance and is easy to assemble. In the structure, a space between ends of inner and outer tubes is decompressed. The outer tube includes a first flange, which extends radially inward from an axially one end thereof, and a second flange, which extends radially outward from the axially other end thereof. The inner tube includes a third flange, which extends radially inward from an axially one end thereof and is opposed to the first flange at an axially inward position of the first flange, and a fourth flange, which extends radially outward from the axially other end thereof and being opposed to the second flange at an axially outward position of the second flange. First and second elastic seal members are disposed between the first and third flanges and between the second and fourth flanges, respectively.

A decompression heat-insulating pipe structure that can exhibit the desired heat-insulating performance and is easy to assemble. In the structure, a space between ends of inner and outer tubes is decompressed. The outer tube includes a first flange, which extends radially inward from an axially one end thereof, and a second flange, which extends radially outward from the axially other end thereof. The inner tube includes a third flange, which extends radially inward from an axially one end thereof and is opposed to the first flange at an axially inward position of the first flange, and a fourth flange, which extends radially outward from the axially other end thereof and being opposed to the second flange at an axially outward position of the second flange. First and second elastic seal members are disposed between the first and third flanges and between the second and fourth flanges, respectively.

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 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 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.

The invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for feeding feed material from a bin (10) for feed material into a furnace space of a smelting furnace. The method comprises a first providing step for providing a feed material feeding arrangement (9) for feeding feed material from the bin (10) for feed material into the furnace space of the smelting furnace (1), and a feeding step for feeding feed material from the bin (10) for feed material into the furnace space of the smelting furnace. The method comprises additionally a second providing step for providing at least one sensor (11) for measuring flow of feed material at a position between the bin (10) for feed material and the furnace space of the smelting furnace (1), and a measuring step for measuring flow of feed material by means of said at least one sensor (11) at said position.

A method and an apparatus for making a mineral melt having a cyclone furnace and a separating cyclone, the apparatus having a device for supplying pre-heated particulate mineral material from a bottom of the separating cyclone to an inlet of the cyclone furnace. A material receiving conduit adapted for receiving the pre-heated particulate mineral material from the bottom outlet of the separating cyclone, in which the material receiving conduit has a first pressure. An outlet conduit supplying the particulate mineral material to the inlet of the cyclone furnace having a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is higher than the first pressure, and the particulate mineral material is fluidised and flows from the material receiving conduit to the outlet conduit. A gas-lock valve is provided between the material receiving conduit and the outlet conduit.

The invention relates to an arrangement of a furnace and of bulk material of glass particles, said furnace (10) comprising a pressing punch (36), a pressure, distance and/or speed sensor and a control device for controlling a pressing process based on the output signal of the sensor. The sensor detects at least a pressure, position and/or motion parameter of the pressing punch (36). The pressing punch (36) acts on the bulk material of glass particles (32)possibly via an interposed ram (28), said glass particles being guided and crystallizable in a press channel (30). The trigger criterion for the process control is a change of at least a motion parameter of the pressing punch (36) upon softening of the bulk material of glass particles (32) which change is detected by the sensor.

A method and a device for charging a plurality of reduced iron raw materials into a traveling hearth reduction-melting furnace and treating the raw materials, allowing sufficient input of heat to the reduced iron raw materials on a hearth covering material to improve treatment efficiency are provided. The reduced iron raw materials are released downward from the lower surface of a ceiling of the reduction-melting furnace to be set on a hearth covering material on a hearth and reduced on the hearth covering material. The falling reduced iron raw materials are given a horizontal velocity having a direction equal to the travel direction of the hearth and being greater than the travel speed of the hearth to enable the reduced iron raw materials to roll in the same direction as the travel direction of the hearth after landing on the hearth covering material.