Furnace stave

Abstract

A furnace stave comprising a plurality of internal channels or conduits for circulating cooling fluid through the stave; an inlet and an outlet channel associated with each internal channel; wherein the inlet channels of two internal channels are fed by the same inlet pipe or conduit. In another preferred aspect, the inlet channels of two internal channels fed by the same inlet pipe or conduit may or may not be overlapping or in fluid communication with each other.

Claims

1. A furnace stave comprising a plurality of internal channels or conduits for circulating cooling fluid through the stave; wherein the stave comprises first and second opposite ends and each of the plurality of internal channels run between the first and second opposite ends; a plurality of cooling fluid inlet conduits defined by the first end of the stave; a plurality of cooling fluid outlet conduits defined by the second end of the stave; a plurality of inlet channels, wherein each inlet channel is defined by the first end of the stave and is associated with one of the plurality of internal channels; a plurality of outlet channels, wherein each outlet channel is defined by the second end of the stave and is associated with one of the plurality of internal channels; wherein each cooling fluid inlet conduit only feeds the inlet channels of two non-consecutive internal channels.

2. The stave of claim 1 wherein each cooling fluid outlet conduit is fed only by the outlet channels of two non-consecutive internal channels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For the present disclosure to be easily understood and readily practiced, the present disclosure will now be described for purposes of illustration and not limitation in connection with the following figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a conventional stave;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of a stave according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial rear view of a stave without inlet/outlet pipes attached according to a preferred embodiment of a stave according to the present disclosure;

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along Line A-A of FIG. 2;

(6) FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along Line B-B of FIG. 3; and

(7) FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along Line C-C of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying examples and figures that form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Such embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to, individually and/or collectively, herein by the term disclosure merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single concept, structure or method if more than one is in fact disclosed.

(9) The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

(10) FIGS. 2-6 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a planar, drilled/plugged fluid cooled stave 20 according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. Stave 20 defines ribs 22 and channels 24 for receiving bricks (not shown). Stave 20 also preferably defines a plurality of channels 26 which preferably have been drilled into stave 20 for circulating cooling fluid such as water. The bottom of each channel 26 is preferably sealed by a plug 38 affixed by welding, brazing or as otherwise known in the art. Preferably, each inlet pipe 13 provides cooling fluid two channels 26 via two inlet channels 32, 33 which may or may not be overlapping or in fluid communication with each other as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. Preferably, each outlet pipe 13 receives cooling fluid two channels 26 via two outlet channels 34, 35 which may or may not be overlapping or in fluid communication with each other as shown in FIGS. 3-5.

(11) Preferably, stave 20 of the present disclosure allows for a stave having reduced weight requiring less copper or other materials and allows for small diameter channels 26 and a thinner stave overall.

(12) In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment to streamline the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the disclosure require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.