A system and method for installing and removing a porous plug relative to a port of metallurgic ladle includes an extendable boom rotatable about vertical axis and pivotable up and down at a first end of the boom. A mast is coupled to a second end of the boom and rotatable about multiple axes relative to the boom to position or maintain the mast in a given orientation, such as in alignment with the port of the ladle in response to rotatable or pivotable movement of the boom. The mast includes a slider mast that is translatable along the length of the mast to insert the plug or retract the plug. The mast may also include jaw grippers to secure the plug and may be configured to rotate the plug relative to the mast. The system may automatically control the position and orientation of the boom, mast, and slider mast.

There is provided a method of dynamic control for a bottom blowing O.sub.2—CO.sub.2—CaO converter steelmaking process. In the process, O.sub.2 is adopted as a top blowing gas, a mixed gas O.sub.2+CO.sub.2 is adopted as a bottom blowing carrier gas to inject lime powders into the converter from a bottom blowing tuyere. The ingredients of the molten steel in the converter steelmaking process are predicted based on the conservation of matter, in combination with the ingredient data of charged molten iron, the ingredient data of the converter gas in the converter blowing process, and working conditions of the bottom blowing device. The top blowing oxygen amount, the bottom blowing gas ratio and the flow rate of lime powder are dynamically adjusted stage by stage according to requirements for target ingredients at the end point of blowing.

The invention relates to a tilting mechanism for a tilting metallurgical vessel, in particular a converter, around a horizontal axis, comprising a rotatable shaft and at least one tilting drive mechanism for rotating the vessel about the axis, the at least one tilting drive mechanism has a fixed part and a moving part, wherein the moving part of the at least one tilting drive mechanism is directly connected to one end of the rotatable shaft.

The invention relates to a tilting mechanism for a tilting metallurgical vessel, in particular a converter, around a horizontal axis, comprising a rotatable shaft and at least one tilting drive mechanism for rotating the vessel about the axis, the at least one tilting drive mechanism has a fixed part and a moving part, wherein the moving part of the at least one tilting drive mechanism is directly connected to one end of the rotatable shaft.

A long-life service method for powder-bottom-injecting converter based on collaborative hot replacement of furnace bottom and bottom purging brick belongs to the field of steelmaking technologies using powder-bottom-injecting converters. According to equipment characteristics, process characteristics, and erosion characteristics of the powder-bottom-injecting converter, the design, arrangement, installation, use, maintenance, and replacement of the bottom purging/powder injection bricks are systematically optimized and improved, a technology of automatically detecting the erosion height of bottom purging bricks is adopted, and hot replacement of bottom purging/powder injection bricks and hot replacement of the converter furnace bottom are used collaboratively, which not only can prolong the service life of a single bottom purging/powder injection brick, but also can greatly prolong the overall life of the powder-bottom-injecting converter from 1000-3000 heats in the prior art to 6000-10000 heats. Hence, the life of the powder-bottom-injecting converter is as long as that of a conventional converter.

A long-life service method for powder-bottom-injecting converter based on collaborative hot replacement of furnace bottom and bottom purging brick belongs to the field of steelmaking technologies using powder-bottom-injecting converters. According to equipment characteristics, process characteristics, and erosion characteristics of the powder-bottom-injecting converter, the design, arrangement, installation, use, maintenance, and replacement of the bottom purging/powder injection bricks are systematically optimized and improved, a technology of automatically detecting the erosion height of bottom purging bricks is adopted, and hot replacement of bottom purging/powder injection bricks and hot replacement of the converter furnace bottom are used collaboratively, which not only can prolong the service life of a single bottom purging/powder injection brick, but also can greatly prolong the overall life of the powder-bottom-injecting converter from 1000-3000 heats in the prior art to 6000-10000 heats. Hence, the life of the powder-bottom-injecting converter is as long as that of a conventional converter.

The present invention relates to an access port arrangement and in particular an access port arrangement capable of enabling stirring of a molten metal in a vessel. Such arrangements are often called tuyeres. The access port arrangement comprises an inner part forming a core with an outer periphery and an outer part comprising a bore therethrough having an inner periphery positioned around the outer periphery of the inner part with the path way defined by a gap between the outer periphery of the inner part and the inner periphery on the outer part. The arrangement further comprises one or more bridges that span the gap between the outer periphery of the inner part and the inner periphery of the outer part. The inner and outer part are formed of a refractory material.

The present invention relates to an access port arrangement and in particular an access port arrangement capable of enabling stirring of a molten metal in a vessel. Such arrangements are often called tuyeres. The access port arrangement comprises an inner part forming a core with an outer periphery and an outer part comprising a bore therethrough having an inner periphery positioned around the outer periphery of the inner part with the path way defined by a gap between the outer periphery of the inner part and the inner periphery on the outer part. The arrangement further comprises one or more bridges that span the gap between the outer periphery of the inner part and the inner periphery of the outer part. The inner and outer part are formed of a refractory material.

A gas purging plug for blowing gas into a metallurgical vessel, having the form of an elongated body made of a first refractory material, contains a final visual wear indicator in the form of an elongated core extending from an inlet end to a distance, along a central longitudinal axis, less than the length of the elongated body. The final visual wear indicator is made of a second refractory material that differs in visual appearance from the first refractory material between 800 and 1500 degrees C. The plug also contains an intermediate visual wear indicator extending from the inlet end to a point between the end of the final visual wear indicator and the opposite end of the elongated body. The intermediate visual wear indicator is made of a third refractory material that differs in visual appearance from the first and second refractory materials between 800 and 1500 degrees C.

A gas purging plug for blowing gas into a metallurgical vessel, having the form of an elongated body made of a first refractory material, contains a final visual wear indicator in the form of an elongated core extending from an inlet end to a distance, along a central longitudinal axis, less than the length of the elongated body. The final visual wear indicator is made of a second refractory material that differs in visual appearance from the first refractory material between 800 and 1500 degrees C. The plug also contains an intermediate visual wear indicator extending from the inlet end to a point between the end of the final visual wear indicator and the opposite end of the elongated body. The intermediate visual wear indicator is made of a third refractory material that differs in visual appearance from the first and second refractory materials between 800 and 1500 degrees C.