A heat storage device such as a hot blast stove including a heat regeneration checkerwork made of checker bricks, the checkerwork being supported by a support assembly (16). In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, the support assembly having a carrier structure made of refractory material and carrier floor also made of refractory material, the carrier floor resting on the carrier structure and being arranged and formed to carry the checker bricks of the checkerwork.

Vertical furnace reactor assembly, comprising: a reactor housing defining a processing chamber configured for processing substrates therein, the processing chamber having an opening for moving substrates into and out of the processing chamber along a main loading axis, the opening being surrounded by a stack of annular flange units including at least two of a housing flange, a gas divided ring unit, a liner suspension ring unit, a scavenger ring unit and a clamp ring unit, wherein at least two of the annular flange units are provided with mutually cooperating centering structures for centering the respective at least two flange units with respect to each other, wherein the mutually cooperating centering structures comprise a plurality of slots and a corresponding plurality of pins, wherein the slots each extend along a respective main slot axis, wherein the slot axes are directed to mutually intersect centrally with respect to the stack.

Vertical furnace reactor assembly, comprising: a reactor housing defining a processing chamber configured for processing substrates therein, the processing chamber having an opening for moving substrates into and out of the processing chamber along a main loading axis, the opening being surrounded by a stack of annular flange units including at least two of a housing flange, a gas divided ring unit, a liner suspension ring unit, a scavenger ring unit and a clamp ring unit, wherein at least two of the annular flange units are provided with mutually cooperating centering structures for centering the respective at least two flange units with respect to each other, wherein the mutually cooperating centering structures comprise a plurality of slots and a corresponding plurality of pins, wherein the slots each extend along a respective main slot axis, wherein the slot axes are directed to mutually intersect centrally with respect to the stack.

A method for protecting an inner wall (12) of a shaft furnace, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one injection device (28) through the inner wall (12) of the shaft furnace, the injection device (28) being configured to inject protective material into the shaft furnace; and injecting on demand the protective material into the shaft furnace through the injection device (28), in such a manner that the protective material builds up to form a protection wall between the interior of the shaft furnace and the furnace wall (12).

A method for protecting an inner wall (12) of a shaft furnace, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least one injection device (28) through the inner wall (12) of the shaft furnace, the injection device (28) being configured to inject protective material into the shaft furnace; and injecting on demand the protective material into the shaft furnace through the injection device (28), in such a manner that the protective material builds up to form a protection wall between the interior of the shaft furnace and the furnace wall (12).

High heat flux furnace cooler comprise CuNi pipe coils cast inside pours of high purity (99%-Wt) copper. The depth of front copper cover over the pipe coils in the hot face to manufacture into the casting is derived from a projection of the thermal and stress conditions existing at the cooler's end-of-campaign-life. CFD and/or FEA analyses and modeling is used for a trial-and-error zeroing in of the optimum geometries to employ in the original casting of CuNi pipe coils in high purity copper casting. Individual pipe coil positions to cast inside a copper casting mold are secured with devices that will not melt, cause thermal shear stresses, or be the source of contaminations or copper defects. Pipe bonding to the casting results because the differential coefficient of expansions of the pipes' and the casting's copper alloys involved do not exceed the yield strength of the casting copper during operational thermal cycling.

High heat flux furnace cooler comprise CuNi pipe coils cast inside pours of high purity (99%-Wt) copper. The depth of front copper cover over the pipe coils in the hot face to manufacture into the casting is derived from a projection of the thermal and stress conditions existing at the cooler's end-of-campaign-life. CFD and/or FEA analyses and modeling is used for a trial-and-error zeroing in of the optimum geometries to employ in the original casting of CuNi pipe coils in high purity copper casting. Individual pipe coil positions to cast inside a copper casting mold are secured with devices that will not melt, cause thermal shear stresses, or be the source of contaminations or copper defects. Pipe bonding to the casting results because the differential coefficient of expansions of the pipes' and the casting's copper alloys involved do not exceed the yield strength of the casting copper during operational thermal cycling.

A water pipe collection box and stave support for a cast copper stave cooler body panel that has disposed within it a circuit of water pipes with a number of loops each with an inlet end and an outlet end, and all such inlet ends and outlet ends clustered together in a single group that exits a backside of the copper stave cooler body panel. A cast copper stave cooler body panel that has disposed within a circuit of water pipes with a number of loops each with an inlet end and an outlet end, and all such inlet ends and outlet ends clustered together in a single group that exits a backside of the copper stave cooler body panel. A blast furnace having stave cooler body panels variously profiled to fit inside, and where each has disposed within it a circuit of water pipes with a number of loops each with an inlet end and an outlet end, and all such inlet ends and outlet ends are clustered together in a single group that exits a backside of each copper stave cooler body panel.

An assembly of a liner and a flange for a vertical furnace for processing substrates is provided. The liner being configured to extend in the interior of a process tube of the vertical furnace, and the flange is configured to at least partially close a liner opening. The liner comprising a substantially cylindrical wall delimited by the liner opening at a lower end and closed at a higher end and being substantially closed for gases above the liner opening and defining an inner space. The flange comprising: an inlet opening configured to insert and remove a boat configured to carry substrates in the inner space of the liner; a gas inlet to provide a gas to the inner space. The assembly is constructed and arranged with a gas exhaust opening to remove gas from the inner space and a space between the liner and the low pressure tube.

An assembly of a liner and a flange for a vertical furnace for processing substrates is provided. The liner being configured to extend in the interior of a process tube of the vertical furnace, and the flange is configured to at least partially close a liner opening. The liner comprising a substantially cylindrical wall delimited by the liner opening at a lower end and closed at a higher end and being substantially closed for gases above the liner opening and defining an inner space. The flange comprising: an inlet opening configured to insert and remove a boat configured to carry substrates in the inner space of the liner; a gas inlet to provide a gas to the inner space. The assembly is constructed and arranged with a gas exhaust opening to remove gas from the inner space and a space between the liner and the low pressure tube.