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 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.

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.

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 continuous concentrate feeding equipment of the present invention includes a plurality of concentrate supply mechanisms (50) each including a pressure-adjusting tank that temporarily accumulates granular concentrate; a lift tank that receives the concentrate from the pressure-adjusting tank (50) and discharges the concentrate to a smelting furnace; and a pressure control system that controls pressures of the pressure-adjusting tank (50) and the lift tank (51) such that the concentrate is continuously supplied from the lift tank to the smelting furnace throughout a time when the concentrate is received in the pressure-adjusting tank (50) and a time when the concentrate is discharged into the lift tank (51). The plurality of concentrate supply mechanisms (100) to (103) are connected in parallel to a conveyor for carrying in concentrate from an upstream side of the conveyor to a downstream side thereof. Supply control means is provided to control supply of the concentrate such that the concentrate reception of the concentrate supply mechanism is performed in order from the upstream side to the downstream side and the concentrate reception of the concentrate supply mechanism at an upstream end is started before the end of the concentrate reception of the concentrate supply mechanism at an downstream end.

A continuous concentrate feeding equipment of the present invention includes a plurality of concentrate supply mechanisms (50) each including a pressure-adjusting tank that temporarily accumulates granular concentrate; a lift tank that receives the concentrate from the pressure-adjusting tank (50) and discharges the concentrate to a smelting furnace; and a pressure control system that controls pressures of the pressure-adjusting tank (50) and the lift tank (51) such that the concentrate is continuously supplied from the lift tank to the smelting furnace throughout a time when the concentrate is received in the pressure-adjusting tank (50) and a time when the concentrate is discharged into the lift tank (51). The plurality of concentrate supply mechanisms (100) to (103) are connected in parallel to a conveyor for carrying in concentrate from an upstream side of the conveyor to a downstream side thereof. Supply control means is provided to control supply of the concentrate such that the concentrate reception of the concentrate supply mechanism is performed in order from the upstream side to the downstream side and the concentrate reception of the concentrate supply mechanism at an upstream end is started before the end of the concentrate reception of the concentrate supply mechanism at an downstream end.

A method of operating a top submerged lance furnace, and more particularly but not exclusively to a method of coating an end of a lance of a top submerged lance furnace with a slag layer, as well as a method of maintaining a uniform heat distribution about the periphery of the lance of the top submerged lance furnace. In terms of the method, the lance is caused to rotate, and a fluid is passed through the lance before it is inserted into the molten material bath inside the crucible.

A method of operating a top submerged lance furnace, and more particularly but not exclusively to a method of coating an end of a lance of a top submerged lance furnace with a slag layer, as well as a method of maintaining a uniform heat distribution about the periphery of the lance of the top submerged lance furnace. In terms of the method, the lance is caused to rotate, and a fluid is passed through the lance before it is inserted into the molten material bath inside the crucible.

Disclosed is a blast furnace apparatus includes: a rotating chute; a plurality of tuyeres; a profile measurement device configured to measure surface profiles of a burden charged into the blast furnace through the rotating chute; and a blowing amount controller configured to control a blowing amount of at least one of hot blast or pulverized coal in each of the plurality of tuyeres, in which the profile measurement device includes: a radio wave distance meter installed on the blast furnace top and configured to measure the distance to the surface of the burden charged; and an arithmetic unit configured to derive the surface profiles of the burden on a basis of distance data for the entire blast furnace related to distances to the surface of the burden obtained by scanning a detection wave of the radio wave distance meter in the blast furnace in a circumferential direction.