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 metallurgical apparatus comprises a vessel for holding a body of liquid metal and a circulating apparatus for circulating the body of liquid metal within the vessel. The vessel has a peripheral wall and a base, and the circulating apparatus comprises a launder that provides an open-topped flow channel and a pumping device for pumping liquid metal through the launder. The launder has an inlet end connected to a first opening in the peripheral wall and an outlet end connected to a second opening in the peripheral wall. The pumping device is configured to pump liquid metal through the launder so that liquid metal flows out of the vessel through the first opening and into the vessel through the second opening, thereby causing the body of liquid metal within the vessel to circulate.

A metallurgical apparatus comprises a vessel for holding a body of liquid metal and a circulating apparatus for circulating the body of liquid metal within the vessel. The vessel has a peripheral wall and a base, and the circulating apparatus comprises a launder that provides an open-topped flow channel and a pumping device for pumping liquid metal through the launder. The launder has an inlet end connected to a first opening in the peripheral wall and an outlet end connected to a second opening in the peripheral wall. The pumping device is configured to pump liquid metal through the launder so that liquid metal flows out of the vessel through the first opening and into the vessel through the second opening, thereby causing the body of liquid metal within the vessel to circulate.

An apparatus for heating plastic preforms includes a first transport device that transports the plastic preforms in a separated manner, wherein said first transport device has a plurality of recesses for receiving the plastic preforms, and a second transport device that takes over the plastic preforms transported by the first transport device and transports the plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path. The apparatus has at least one sensor device that detects at least one measured value that is characteristic of at least one of the two drive devices, and a control device that is designed to control the drive device for moving the holding elements as a function of this characteristic measured value.

An apparatus for heating plastic preforms includes a first transport device that transports the plastic preforms in a separated manner, wherein said first transport device has a plurality of recesses for receiving the plastic preforms, and a second transport device that takes over the plastic preforms transported by the first transport device and transports the plastic preforms along a predetermined transport path. The apparatus has at least one sensor device that detects at least one measured value that is characteristic of at least one of the two drive devices, and a control device that is designed to control the drive device for moving the holding elements as a function of this characteristic measured value.

A furnace includes: a furnace body; a housing rotary body including a plurality of side walls, a plurality of housing chambers partitioned by the side walls and disposed circumferentially in multiple stages, each including multiple housing chambers, and a space disposed in the central portion of the housing rotary body to provide a donut shape in plan view; a rotary driving device for rotating the housing rotary body; a heating device for heating the air inside the furnace body; a first and a second partition wall which together partition the inside of the furnace body into the first and the second zone; a first flow passage communicating a blowout port of the fan with outer circumference sides of the housing chambers in the first zone; and a second flow passage communicating outer circumference sides of the housing chambers in the second zone with a suction port of the fan.

A furnace includes: a furnace body; a housing rotary body including a plurality of side walls, a plurality of housing chambers partitioned by the side walls and disposed circumferentially in multiple stages, each including multiple housing chambers, and a space disposed in the central portion of the housing rotary body to provide a donut shape in plan view; a rotary driving device for rotating the housing rotary body; a heating device for heating the air inside the furnace body; a first and a second partition wall which together partition the inside of the furnace body into the first and the second zone; a first flow passage communicating a blowout port of the fan with outer circumference sides of the housing chambers in the first zone; and a second flow passage communicating outer circumference sides of the housing chambers in the second zone with a suction port of the fan.

There is disclosed a vertical vibratory thermal treatment system, comprising a heating section for thermally treating material, a retort section that is located within or connected to the heating section and includes at least one elevator system for vertically moving the material to the heating section. The disclosed elevator system is isolated from other parts of the thermal treatment section by an enclosure thereby allowing for flexibility and simplicity in the design of the retort section. There is also disclosed a method of treating materials, including hazardous or radioactive materials, such as a powder, sand, granule, gravel, agglomerate or other form of particle or combinations thereof, using the system described herein.

There is disclosed a vertical vibratory thermal treatment system, comprising a heating section for thermally treating material, a retort section that is located within or connected to the heating section and includes at least one elevator system for vertically moving the material to the heating section. The disclosed elevator system is isolated from other parts of the thermal treatment section by an enclosure thereby allowing for flexibility and simplicity in the design of the retort section. There is also disclosed a method of treating materials, including hazardous or radioactive materials, such as a powder, sand, granule, gravel, agglomerate or other form of particle or combinations thereof, using the system described herein.