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 furnace system includes a furnace and a preheater configured to preheat material before it enters the furnace. The system further includes a duct system including a mixing chamber disposed between the furnace and preheater. The duct system further includes an exhaust duct in fluid communication with an exhaust fluid outlet of the furnace and configured to vent fluid exhausted from the furnace. The exhaust duct is in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to redirect a portion of the fluid exhausted from the furnace to the mixing chamber. The duct system further includes a preheater duct in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and a fluid inlet of the preheater and configured to direct fluid from the mixing chamber to the preheater. The system further includes a duct scraper configured for movement within the mixing chamber to move particulates from the mixing chamber into the exhaust duct.

A glass batch inlet and cleaning device includes an outer tubular housing including a side inlet and an inner tubular chopper slidable within the outer tubular housing. The device also includes a cover on the outer tubular housing and an actuator carried by the cover and coupled to the inner tubular chopper to move the chopper with respect to the outer tubular housing. The actuator may be carried by the cover on top of the outer tubular housing. A method of using the device is also disclosed.

An apparatus for shaving a tap hole surface of a blast furnace or the like wherein efficiency can be improved, and a worker can be freed from physically burdensome work in the vicinity of the lower furnace wall of a blast furnace under high temperature. The apparatus includes a surface shaving unit having smoothing bits, and a rotating mechanism unit that, when the surface shaving unit is pressed against the tap hole surface, rotates the surface shaving unit, by utilizing the pressing force, by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction substantially parallel to the surface, and holds the surface shaving unit at the rotated position. The rotating mechanism unit eliminates the need for work such that every time a conventional surface shaving unit is separated from the tap hole surface after being pressed against the surface, a worker manually rotates the surface shaving unit by a predetermined angle.

After molten metal has been poured from a ladle 6 into a converter, metal 6b adhering to the ladle 6 is dropped into the ladle 6 on-line, and molten metal is poured from an electric furnace into the ladle 6 into which the metal 6b has been dropped. As a result, the metal 6b is melted and is recovered as a material.

Provided is a rotary sintering furnace. The rotary sintering furnace includes a furnace body assembly and a knocking device. The furnace body assembly includes a rotary furnace and a heat preservation housing. The rotary furnace is rotatably disposed through the heat preservation housing, and the heat preservation housing has a via hole. The knocking device is disposed outside the heat preservation housing. The knocking device includes a knocking member. The knocking is configured to movably pass through the via hole and knock on the rotary furnace.

The present disclosure provides a cutting device. The cutting device includes a shaft, two or more gussets, two or more radial cutting members, and a circumferential cutting member. The shaft extends from a first end to a second end. The two or more gussets include at least a first gusset and a second gusset extending radially away from the shaft. The two or more radial cutting members include at least a first radial cutting member axially supported by the first gusset and a second radial cutting member axially supported by the second gusset. The circumferential cutting member is axially supported by each of the first gusset and the second gusset.