An exemplary furnace system for melting stock metal includes a main hearth and a side well subsystem, which includes a melting well disposed downstream of the main hearth for receiving flow from the main hearth, an input flow inducer disposed upstream of the melting well and downstream of the main hearth, and an output flow inducer disposed downstream of the melting well and upstream of the main hearth. The input flow inducer drives molten metal into the melting well, thereby forming a differential metal head in the melting well. The output flow inducer evacuates molten metal from an output conduit, thereby reducing counter-pressure at an output port of the melting well communicating with the output conduit. This allows atmospheric pressure to add to the differential metal head in the melting well, resulting in an increase in productivity of the side well subsystem and of the furnace system as a whole.

An exemplary furnace system for melting stock metal includes a main hearth and a side well subsystem, which includes a melting well disposed downstream of the main hearth for receiving flow from the main hearth, an input flow inducer disposed upstream of the melting well and downstream of the main hearth, and an output flow inducer disposed downstream of the melting well and upstream of the main hearth. The input flow inducer drives molten metal into the melting well, thereby forming a differential metal head in the melting well. The output flow inducer evacuates molten metal from an output conduit, thereby reducing counter-pressure at an output port of the melting well communicating with the output conduit. This allows atmospheric pressure to add to the differential metal head in the melting well, resulting in an increase in productivity of the side well subsystem and of the furnace system as a whole.

Molten iron is obtained with a low electric power consumption rate by efficiently and reliably preheating a cold iron source by ascertaining the preheating state of the cold iron source. A method of producing molten iron in an electric furnace having a preheating chamber and a melting chamber includes: a cold iron source feeding step; a cold iron source preheating step having a preheating confirmation step; a supply step; and a melting step.

Molten iron is obtained with a low electric power consumption rate by efficiently and reliably preheating a cold iron source by ascertaining the preheating state of the cold iron source. A method of producing molten iron in an electric furnace having a preheating chamber and a melting chamber includes: a cold iron source feeding step; a cold iron source preheating step having a preheating confirmation step; a supply step; and a melting step.

A process and a plant for preheating a metal charge fed in continuous to an electric melting furnace through a preheating tunnel provided with a horizontal conveyor, wherein the metal charge is hit, in countercurrent, by the exhaust fumes or gas leaving the electric melting furnace and by jets of gas ejected through a plurality of nozzles positioned on the hood of the tunnel. The nozzles are arranged in groups interspaced from each other in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tunnel, and generate a small-scale turbulence or inject small fast gas jets that can penetrate the main gas stream passing through the preheating tunnel, and simultaneously generate a horseshoe vortex structure composed of a descending central gas flow (downwash), and ascending flows (upwash) close to the side walls of the preheating tunnel, which enable a desired circulation of the gases.

A process and a plant for preheating a metal charge fed in continuous to an electric melting furnace through a preheating tunnel provided with a horizontal conveyor, wherein the metal charge is hit, in countercurrent, by the exhaust fumes or gas leaving the electric melting furnace and by jets of gas ejected through a plurality of nozzles positioned on the hood of the tunnel. The nozzles are arranged in groups interspaced from each other in a longitudinal direction with respect to the tunnel, and generate a small-scale turbulence or inject small fast gas jets that can penetrate the main gas stream passing through the preheating tunnel, and simultaneously generate a horseshoe vortex structure composed of a descending central gas flow (downwash), and ascending flows (upwash) close to the side walls of the preheating tunnel, which enable a desired circulation of the gases.

A material supply apparatus and process for co-injecting heated solid metalliferous material and solid carbonaceous material via a solids injection lance into a direct smelting vessel are disclosed.

Electric arc furnace (10) usable for melting a metal charge (M) and comprising a container (11) having at least one perimeter wall (20) in which there are an upper aperture (21), a lateral slagging aperture (22) and a lateral feed aperture (43). A roof (15), able to be opened selectively, can be positioned on the upper aperture (21) of the container (11) and is provided with a central part (30) having one or more through holes (31) into which respective electrodes (32) can be inserted with clearance to melt the metal charge (M).

Electric arc furnace (10) usable for melting a metal charge (M) and comprising a container (11) having at least one perimeter wall (20) in which there are an upper aperture (21), a lateral slagging aperture (22) and a lateral feed aperture (43). A roof (15), able to be opened selectively, can be positioned on the upper aperture (21) of the container (11) and is provided with a central part (30) having one or more through holes (31) into which respective electrodes (32) can be inserted with clearance to melt the metal charge (M).

A rotary hearth furnace includes a unit that supplies an agglomerate onto a hearth of the rotary hearth furnace, a unit that discharges a heated substance which has been heated in the rotary hearth furnace to the outside of the furnace, and a unit that discharges an exhaust gas in the rotary hearth furnace to the outside of the furnace. The rotary hearth furnace has a heating section and a non-heating section. The unit that discharges an exhaust gas to the outside of the furnace is provided in the non-heating section. A unit that takes an outside air into the furnace is provided in the non-heating section and on an upstream side in a flow direction of the exhaust gas from the unit that discharges exhaust gas to the outside of the furnace.