Provided are a fixed-type electric furnace enabling continuous operation which allows melting without the interruption of power supply and tapping in a fixed state, and a fixed-type electric furnace and a molten steel production method using same. The fixed-type electric furnace comprises: a preheating furnace which is disposed on the side of a melting furnace and preheats an iron source (scrap) using exhaust gas from the melting furnace; a supply means for supplying the iron source, which has been preheated in the preheating furnace, to the melting furnace; the melting furnace comprising electrodes for melting the preheated iron source; and a fixed-type discharge means for discharging molten steel which has been melted in the melting furnace, wherein the preheating furnace is integrally connected to the melting furnace.

A metal scrap submergence device comprising an open top chamber including walls of a heat resistant material, an inlet positioned in a side wall of the chamber, an outlet positioned in the base of said chamber, and a ramp adjacent said side wall of the chamber. The side wall further includes a feature affecting molten metal flow. The feature can include, for example, a baffle, a vane, a passage, a diverging or converging shape and combinations thereof. Similarly, the molten metal flow can be affected by slanting the ramp inwardly or outwardly.

A metal scrap submergence device comprising an open top chamber including walls of a heat resistant material, an inlet positioned in a side wall of the chamber, an outlet positioned in the base of said chamber, and a ramp adjacent said side wall of the chamber. The side wall further includes a feature affecting molten metal flow. The feature can include, for example, a baffle, a vane, a passage, a diverging or converging shape and combinations thereof. Similarly, the molten metal flow can be affected by slanting the ramp inwardly or outwardly.

A sand dispensing system with a compact movable sand reservoir, mounted for movement atop a metal making furnace, is refillable with a predetermined amount of sand, and tilts with the furnace. The reservoir dispenses a directed stream of the predetermined amount of sand through a nozzle in a sump panel door to fill a tap hole in the furnace. One end of the nozzle receives the directed stream of sand. The opposite end of the nozzle projects into the furnace, to direct the sand stream into the tap hole when the sand reservoir is in the dispensing position. An imaging device may be used to inspect the tap hole before and after the sand is directed into the tap hole. A remote control may be used to operate the sand dispensing system. The predetermined amount may be adjusted as the fill volume of the tap hole increases.

A sand dispensing system with a compact movable sand reservoir, mounted for movement atop a metal making furnace, is refillable with a predetermined amount of sand, and tilts with the furnace. The reservoir dispenses a directed stream of the predetermined amount of sand through a nozzle in a sump panel door to fill a tap hole in the furnace. One end of the nozzle receives the directed stream of sand. The opposite end of the nozzle projects into the furnace, to direct the sand stream into the tap hole when the sand reservoir is in the dispensing position. An imaging device may be used to inspect the tap hole before and after the sand is directed into the tap hole. A remote control may be used to operate the sand dispensing system. The predetermined amount may be adjusted as the fill volume of the tap hole increases.

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.

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.

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.

A metal melting apparatus capable of providing a clear melt with little oxides, even when either one or a mixture of scrap material and fresh material is supplied. Solution is provided by a metal melting apparatus including melting chamber to which a melt raw material is supplied, and gas injection system for injecting gas into melt in the melting chamber to generate a vortex of melt in the melting chamber.