Methods for controlling the position of a lance supplying oxygen to a furnace containing a bath of molten metal. The methods include the steps of continuously detecting actual conditions associated with the furnace, continuously comparing the actual conditions to target parameters corresponding to the actual conditions, and continuously adjusting the position of the lance with respect to the furnace based on the comparison of the actual conditions to the target parameters.

This electric furnace includes one or more upper electrodes, one or more bottom-blowing tuyeres, a mechanical stirrer equipped with an impeller, and a charging device which injects an iron oxide-containing iron raw material.

This electric furnace includes one or more upper electrodes, one or more bottom-blowing tuyeres, a mechanical stirrer equipped with an impeller, and a charging device which injects an iron oxide-containing iron raw material.

A melting furnace includes a melting portion to which a metal material is supplied; a burner for melting the metal material in the melting portion; a heating portion that receives the molten material from the melting portion; a temperature regulating portion that receives the molten material from the heating portion; a separator that separates the heating portion and the temperature regulating portion, wherein the lower portion of the separator is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator, an inlet; an immersion heater wherein at least part of the immersion heater is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; and a gas introduction path that is formed in the separator, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; wherein the burner is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

A melting furnace includes a melting portion to which a metal material is supplied; a burner for melting the metal material in the melting portion; a heating portion that receives the molten material from the melting portion; a temperature regulating portion that receives the molten material from the heating portion; a separator that separates the heating portion and the temperature regulating portion, wherein the lower portion of the separator is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator, an inlet; an immersion heater wherein at least part of the immersion heater is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; and a gas introduction path that is formed in the separator, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion; wherein the burner is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

An improved apparatus for producing steel, including a lower furnace, an annular, water-cooled, fireproof lined cylindrical upper furnace, on which an upwardly closing conically tapering hat having openings can be placed. The smelting assembly is configured for the operational mode without melt flow and the operational mode with melt flow. To this end, at least one opening is provided in the conical furnace cover, through which opening at least one top lance can be introduced into the upper furnace. A plurality of sidewall injectors radially rotate around the cylindrical upper furnace in such a way that in a working position, the top lance and the sidewall injectors are directed onto a smelt level of a molten mass located in the lower furnace for refining.

The present invention provides a melting furnace capable of suppressing oxidation of molten materials and improving the quality of the molten materials. As shown in FIG. 3, a melting furnace 1 includes a melting portion 2 to which a metal material is supplied; a burner 4 for melting the metal material in the melting portion 2 into a molten material; a heating portion 5 that receives the molten material from the melting portion 2 to raise the temperature of the molten material; a temperature regulating portion 6 that receives the molten material from the heating portion 5 and stores the molten material; a separator 7 that separates the heating portion 5 and the temperature regulating portion 6, wherein the lower portion 70 of the separator 7 is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator 7, an inlet 71 that allows the introduction of the molten material from the heating portion 5 into the temperature regulating portion 6; an immersion heater 10 wherein at least part of the immersion heater 10 is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6 to thereby heat the molten material; and a gas introduction path 72 that is formed in the separator 7, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner 4 into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6; wherein the burner 4 is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

The present invention provides a melting furnace capable of suppressing oxidation of molten materials and improving the quality of the molten materials. As shown in FIG. 3, a melting furnace 1 includes a melting portion 2 to which a metal material is supplied; a burner 4 for melting the metal material in the melting portion 2 into a molten material; a heating portion 5 that receives the molten material from the melting portion 2 to raise the temperature of the molten material; a temperature regulating portion 6 that receives the molten material from the heating portion 5 and stores the molten material; a separator 7 that separates the heating portion 5 and the temperature regulating portion 6, wherein the lower portion 70 of the separator 7 is immersed in the molten material to form, below the separator 7, an inlet 71 that allows the introduction of the molten material from the heating portion 5 into the temperature regulating portion 6; an immersion heater 10 wherein at least part of the immersion heater 10 is immersed in the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6 to thereby heat the molten material; and a gas introduction path 72 that is formed in the separator 7, and that introduces combustion gas from the burner 4 into a space above the molten material in the temperature regulating portion 6; wherein the burner 4 is controlled so that the combustion gas has an oxygen concentration of 5% or less.

A method for treating molten metals (4) and/or slags in metallurgical baths comprises the introduction of a process gas into a melt bath. The process gas is accelerated to supersonic speed and is introduced below the melt bath surface (5) by means of at least one supersonic nozzle (6) with supersonic speed into the liquid phase of the molten metal (4) and/or into the slag and/or into the region of a phase boundary between molten metal and slag. The disclosure further relates to a metallurgical plant for treating molten metals.

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).