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 raw material supply apparatus that supplies a raw material into a flash smelting furnace and supplies a first gas contributing to a reaction of the raw material into the flash smelting furnace, includes: a raw material passage that is provided out of a lance through which the first gas passes, the raw material passing through the raw material passage; and an adjuster that adjusts a distribution of the raw material by blowing a second gas to the raw material passing through the raw material passage.

An apparatus for controlling the concentration of oxygen in a heating furnace according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a first oxygen concentration bias setting unit for receiving a set first oxygen concentration bias; a second oxygen concentration bias calculation unit for, when a measured value of carbon monoxide in exhaust gas is out of an allowable carbon monoxide range, calculating a second oxygen concentration bias by using the measured value of carbon monoxide and the concentration of oxygen measured in the exhaust gas; an oxygen concentration bias providing unit for providing an oxygen concentration bias by using the first oxygen concentration bias and the second oxygen concentration bias; and an oxygen concentration set value correction unit for correcting a set value of the concentration of oxygen by using the oxygen concentration bias.

A raw material supply process that supplies a raw material into a flash smelting furnace and supplies a first gas contributing to a reaction of the raw material into the flash smelting furnace, includes: a raw material passage that is provided out of a lance through which the first gas passes, the raw material passing through the raw material passage; and an adjuster that adjusts a distribution of the raw material by blowing a second gas to the raw material passing through the raw material passage.

An immersion probe with a variable connection length is configured to compensate for longitudinal and/or radial length variations in an immersion sublance connected to the immersion probe. The immersion probe is characterized by an adjustable portion that changes length upon engagement with a coupling end of an immersion sublance. The immersion probe can have a sensor head. An immersion assembly of the immersion probe connected to an immersion sublance can be used to take measurements or samples of molten metal in a converter furnace.

A Vacuum Arc Remelting controller apparatus wherein process control is accomplished primarily through control of pool power. Pool power being defined as the total energy flux into a top ingot surface of the VAR ingot. The controller apparatus of the present invention comprises a controller computer that transmits commands to the host furnace through an ethernet connection.

There is provided a technique that includes (a) acquiring temperature data of at least one of a heater temperature defined by a temperature of a heater and a furnace temperature defined by an inner temperature of a process chamber, and acquiring a power supply value indicating an electric power supplied to the heater; (b) acquiring a reference temperature of the temperature data; (c) creating a predetermined equation using a prediction model of estimating a predicted temperature of the temperature data; (d) calculating a solution of minimizing a deviation between the reference temperature and the predicted temperature based on the predetermined equation; and (e) outputting a calculated power supply value calculated from the solution, and processing a substrate while controlling heating of the heater based on the calculated power supply value.

The present invention intends to suppress energy consumption while making it possible to generate superheated steam in a short period of time. Specifically, the present invention includes: a steam generating part that generates steam; a superheated steam generating part that generates superheated steam; an on/off valve that switches between supplying the steam to the superheated steam generating part or stopping the supply; and a control device that sends a control signal to the switching mechanism for switching between a waiting state in which the steam generating part generates the steam and the supply of the steam is stopped, and a supply state in which the steam is supplied to the superheated steam generating part. When switching from the waiting state to the supply state, the control device gradually increases an amount of the steam supplied to the superheated steam generating part.

A machined ceramic article having an initial surface defect density and an initial surface roughness is provided. The machined ceramic article is heated to a temperature range between about 1000 C. and about 1800 C. at a ramping rate of about 0.1 C. per minute to about 20 C. per minute. The machined ceramic article is heat-treated in air atmosphere. The machined ceramic article is heat treated at one or more temperatures within the temperature range for a duration of up to about 24 hours. The machined ceramic article is then cooled at the ramping rate, wherein after the heat treatment the machined ceramic article has a reduced surface defect density and a reduced surface roughness.

Apparatus and methods for operating an autoclave. One embodiment includes a baffle located in an autoclave during a run cycle of the autoclave. A release mechanism secures the baffle in a retracted position during the run cycle, and automatically releases the baffle to a deployed position during the run cycle, when a temperature inside of the autoclave reaches a target temperature, to alter airflow within the autoclave.