A furnace system including an outer shell which comprises a top flange, an elongated body portion, and a bottom flange, wherein the outer shell is a pressure vessel, with no penetrations in the elongated body portion; a heater assembly which comprises (i) a single-piece annular shaped insulation layer, and (ii) a plurality of heaters embedded in the insulation layer, wherein the heater assembly is disposed within the elongated body portion of the outer shell; and an innermost layer disposed within the annular-shaped insulation layer, wherein the innermost layer is a baffle tube configured to force a natural convective flow, wherein each of the plurality of heaters is individually controllable and the plurality of heaters are configured to heat different zones within the furnace to different temperatures and/or at different rates. The system may be used to heat treat magnet materials, such as those formed of Bi-2212, therein.

It is an object of the present invention to allow a furnace core tube used for a heat treatment apparatus of a porous glass base material to be used for a long period of time.

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a furnace core tube made of silica glass; a heater provided adjacent to the furnace core tube, the heater heating a heating region; and a moving mechanism supporting a porous glass base material and relatively moving the porous glass base material with respect to the heater in the furnace core tube in a state where the heating region is heated by the heater to make the porous glass base material pass through the heating region. The heat treatment apparatus includes a thin-walled part provided in a region adjacent to a portion located in the heating region in the furnace core tube, the thin-walled part having a thickness of glass less than that of the portion located in the heating region.

It is an object of the present invention to allow a furnace core tube used for a heat treatment apparatus of a porous glass base material to be used for a long period of time.

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a furnace core tube made of silica glass; a heater provided adjacent to the furnace core tube, the heater heating a heating region; and a moving mechanism supporting a porous glass base material and relatively moving the porous glass base material with respect to the heater in the furnace core tube in a state where the heating region is heated by the heater to make the porous glass base material pass through the heating region. The heat treatment apparatus includes a thin-walled part provided in a region adjacent to a portion located in the heating region in the furnace core tube, the thin-walled part having a thickness of glass less than that of the portion located in the heating region.

A device to inject a reducing gas into a shaft furnace includes an external casing whose front face is provided with an outlet for gas injection into the shaft furnace, an internal casing located inside the external casing wherein reducing gas is circulating. The internal casing has an opening matching the gas injection outlet of the front face of the external casing. The front face of the external casing includes an upper and a lower part and the gas injection outlet is in the lower part and inwards from the upper part.

A device to inject a reducing gas into a shaft furnace includes an external casing whose front face is provided with an outlet for gas injection into the shaft furnace, an internal casing located inside the external casing wherein reducing gas is circulating. The internal casing has an opening matching the gas injection outlet of the front face of the external casing. The front face of the external casing includes an upper and a lower part and the gas injection outlet is in the lower part and inwards from the upper part.

A calcining kettle includes an outer kettle shell, an inner kettle shell, an interior heat exchanger assembly defining at least one tortuous path inside a volume defined by the inner kettle shell, and an agitator within the inner kettle shell. The inner kettle shell is disposed within the outer kettle shell such that the inner kettle shell and the outer kettle shell together at least partially define a jacket adjacent the inner kettle shell. The inner kettle shell and the interior heat exchanger assembly at least partially define a processing volume. The agitator is configured to rotate at least one paddle to cause movement of a feedstock material within the processing volume. A heating device may be structured and adapted to circulate a heat transfer fluid in the at least one tortuous path and the jacket. Calcining methods are also disclosed.

A calcining kettle includes an outer kettle shell, an inner kettle shell, an interior heat exchanger assembly defining at least one tortuous path inside a volume defined by the inner kettle shell, and an agitator within the inner kettle shell. The inner kettle shell is disposed within the outer kettle shell such that the inner kettle shell and the outer kettle shell together at least partially define a jacket adjacent the inner kettle shell. The inner kettle shell and the interior heat exchanger assembly at least partially define a processing volume. The agitator is configured to rotate at least one paddle to cause movement of a feedstock material within the processing volume. A heating device may be structured and adapted to circulate a heat transfer fluid in the at least one tortuous path and the jacket. Calcining methods are also disclosed.

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a furnace core tube made of silica glass; a heater provided adjacent to the furnace core tube, the heater heating a heating region; and a moving mechanism supporting a porous glass base material and relatively moving the porous glass base material with respect to the heater in the furnace core tube in a state where the heating region is heated by the heater to make the porous glass base material pass through the heating region. The heat treatment apparatus includes a thin-walled part provided in a region adjacent to a portion located in the heating region in the furnace core tube, the thin-walled part having a thickness of glass less than that of the portion located in the heating region.

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a furnace core tube made of silica glass; a heater provided adjacent to the furnace core tube, the heater heating a heating region; and a moving mechanism supporting a porous glass base material and relatively moving the porous glass base material with respect to the heater in the furnace core tube in a state where the heating region is heated by the heater to make the porous glass base material pass through the heating region. The heat treatment apparatus includes a thin-walled part provided in a region adjacent to a portion located in the heating region in the furnace core tube, the thin-walled part having a thickness of glass less than that of the portion located in the heating region.

Computer modelling methods and foundry methods for copper-nickel coolant pipes cast-in-copper coolers are combined. First, Computational Fluid Dynamics and/or Finite Element Analysis steps verify geometric computer aided design models and materials choices, point-by-point heat distribution, and heat flows. And second, casting steps to commit an acceptable last thickness iteration of a thermal buffer part in simulation to casting it in a foundry. In the foundry, casting conditions are empirically developed to yield all but slight, unclustered bonding imperfections at a concentric diffusion interface of the pipes and surrounding solidified casting that improve the thermal conductivity of furnace-block coolers that incorporate coolant pipes. The combined methods verify in simulation that operational thermal stresses at the pipe-casting interface stay in-bounds of material stress limits, and that the peak temperatures on the hot face do not rise above 450 C.