A lance for top submerged lancing injection in a pyro-metallurgical operation, wherein the lance has at least two substantially concentric pipes, with an annular passage for oxygen-containing gas defined between an outermost one of the pipes and a next adjacent pipe and a further passage for fuel defined within an innermost one of the pipes; the outermost pipe has a lower part of its length, from a submergible lower outlet end of the lance, by which the outermost pipe extends beyond an outlet end of the or each other pipe to define between the outlet end of the outermost pipe and the outlet end of the or each other pipe a chamber with which the passage for oxygen-containing gas communicates; and the lance further includes a defined gas flow-modifying device that is disposed in a lower end section of the passage for oxygen-containing gas.

Methods of maximizing mixing and melting in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) are described. One method includes melting an inorganic feedstock in an SCM using an arrangement of two or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a north side (N) and a south side (S), and operating the arrangement of SC burners such that a progressively higher percentage of a total combustion flow from the SC burners occurs from SC burners at progressively downstream positions in the SCM. Other methods include operating the N and S SC burners with more combustion flow than the central burners. Other methods include strategic placement of fuel lean SC burners and fuel rich SC burners.

A lance for top injection of a fluid in metallurgical vessels comprises an inner tube, a refractory sheath surrounding the inner tube, an anchoring point rigidly coupled to said inner tube and at least partially embedded in the refractory sheath, an annular gap separating the inner tube from the refractory sheath; at least one annular guide surrounding the inner tube and comprising: an annular portion circumscribing the inner tube, and at least two anchor protrusions rigidly extending transversally from the annular portion and at least partially embedded in the refractory sheath, wherein a guide gap is formed between the annular portion and an outer surface of the inner tube. The at least two anchor protrusions are distributed over the external surface of the annular portion, separated from one another by an angle comprised between 90 and 270.

Methods of maximizing mixing and melting in a submerged combustion melter (SCM) are described. One method includes melting an inorganic feedstock in an SCM using an arrangement of two or more submerged combustion (SC) burners, the SCM having a length (L) and a width (W), a centerline (C), a north side (N) and a south side (S), and operating the arrangement of SC burners such that a progressively higher percentage of a total combustion flow from the SC burners occurs from SC burners at progressively downstream positions in the SCM. Other methods include operating the N and S SC burners with more combustion flow than the central burners. Other methods include strategic placement of fuel lean SC burners and fuel rich SC burners.

An apparatus for manufacturing molten metal has a stationary electric furnace, a raw material charging chute, and exhaust duct and a secondary combustion burner in the furnace top, and a shock generator. The raw material charging chute is in one end of the furnace in a width direction and an electric heating region is spaced from the raw material charging chute in the width direction. A raw material layer having a sloping surface extends downward from the one end of the furnace having the raw material charging chute toward the electric heating region, the sloping surface supporting a metal agglomerate raw material layer. The shock generator is provided at least partially within the raw material and extends to the sloping surface, to be in contact with the metal agglomerate raw material layer, and to mechanically overcome hanging of the metal agglomerate raw material layer on the sloping surface.

The present discloses a thermal energy recovery auxiliary system for temperature detection of molten steel in a steelmaking process, comprising an electric arc furnace, a water supply device, a power generation system, a piston type oxygen compression device, and one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices. A flue communicates with a side wall of the electric arc furnace. The water supply device includes a water supply tank, a water supply pipeline of an electrolytic cell, and a thermal energy recovery component. The power generation system includes a Seebeck-effect thermoelectric power generation component and an electrolytic cell. The piston type oxygen compression device forms a steam containment chamber and an oxygen containment chamber through a piston isolation. One end of each of the one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices communicates with the oxygen containment chamber and the other end of each of the one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices communicates with an interior of the electric arc furnace.

A burner comprises a primary nozzle for injecting an oxygen-rich gas. The primary nozzle is designed as a supersonic nozzle. A coaxial nozzle having an annular outlet opening is provided for injecting a fuel gas. The coaxial nozzle is designed as a subsonic nozzle and is coaxial to the primary nozzle. The primary nozzle has a convergent portion and a divergent portion, which adjoin each other at a radius of the narrowest cross-section. The annular outlet opening is located at an end face of the burner. The fuel gas, in the form of hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and a hydrocarbon-containing gas, is injected at a fixed inlet pressure and a fixed inlet volumetric flow rate, with respect to a planned thermal power of the burner. In contrast, the inlet pressure and the inlet volumetric flow rate of the oxygen-rich gas are varied according to the application.