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 maintaining efficient a tapping channel of a furnace for the production of metal, includes a bearing structure and a mobile support means associated with the bearing structure. An operating arm is associated with the support means and terminally provided with a rod. A linear positioner is configured to move the support means along an elongation axis. A corresponding method for maintaining efficient a tapping channel of a furnace for the production of metal is also provided.

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.

Walking beam furnace comprising movable and stationary andirons supported by movable and stationary keels, respectively, and drive means designed to move a lifting frame and a translation frame according to a rectangular displacement cycle having two vertical positions and an intermediate vertical position, the movable andirons being at the same height as the stationary andirons The furnace further comprises stationary and movable beams, the movable beams arranged between the stationary beams and separated from the latter by a space, the movable keels attached to the movable beams, which are attached to the translation frame and arranged at the same height as the stationary refractory beams in the intermediate position. The furnace further comprises a plurality of skirts attached to the other movable beams defining the separation space and dipping into longitudinal water tanks arranged in line with the separation spaces and attached to one of the separation space defining beams.

A tap hole cleaning apparatus (20) for an electric arc furnace and a corresponding electric arc furnace (1) enable the cleaning of a tap hole (12) of an electric arc furnace (1) comprising a furnace vessel (2) having an eccentric or offset bottom tap hole (12). A lance head (24) is movable in a first step from a lower end position to an upper end position into and through the tap hole (12), and in a second step, the lance head (24) is movable back through the tap hole (12) from the upper end position to the lower end position while ejecting oxygen through one or more lateral oxygen ejection nozzles to clean the inner periphery of the tap hole (12).

A cleaning method introduces a cleaning gas containing hydrogen fluoride into a reaction tube included in a heat treatment apparatus and having a furnace portion at one end in a state where an inside of the reaction tube with the furnace port being closed by a lid is maintained at a temperature at which water exists as a liquid film and the furnace port is locally heated, thereby removing a deposit from the reaction tube.

A tap hole cleaning apparatus (20) for an electric arc furnace and a corresponding electric arc furnace (1) enable the cleaning of a tap hole (12) of an electric arc furnace (1) comprising a furnace vessel (2) having an eccentric or offset bottom tap hole (12). A lance head (24) is movable in a first step from a lower end position to an upper end position into and through the tap hole (12), and in a second step, the lance head (24) is movable back through the tap hole (12) from the upper end position to the lower end position while ejecting oxygen through one or more lateral oxygen ejection nozzles to clean the inner periphery of the tap hole (12).

Systems, devices and methods for effluent or flux removal from a gas are disclosed. In one aspect the system includes at least one tube having a body including an interior passageway enabling fluidic flow therethrough; and a plurality of openings disposed along a length of the body in fluidic communication with the interior passageway, thereby enabling withdrawal of the gas laden with the effluent exterior to the at least one tube through the plurality of openings into the interior passageway of the at least one tube.

A blocking prevention device for a gasification melting system combusts and melts an object to be treated into a slag in a melting furnace after the object to be treated is converted into pyrolysis gas in a gasification furnace, the blocking prevention device including: a slag adhesion prevention device having a slag adhesion prevention capability for preventing adhesion of the slag at an opening part that may be blocked due to the adhesion of the slag; an imaging device that images the opening part; and a control device including a calculation unit that calculates a change rate of an opening area of the opening part using a plurality of images with different capturing times or a video, captured by the imaging device, and a prevention device control unit that changes the slag adhesion prevention capabilities of a plurality of the slag adhesion prevention devices in accordance with the change rate.

A calcination unit able to decarbonate raw materials intended for clinker production, the unit including: a main duct in which the raw materials circulate according to a first movement direction, the raw materials being calcined in the main duct; a solid fuel supply duct opening onto the main duct via a fuel outlet, the solid fuel moving according to a second movement direction; a retaining device located in the main duct and arranged opposite the solid fuel outlet so that the solid fuel arriving in the main duct via the fuel outlet passes through the retaining device.