METHOD OF OPERATING THE VERTICAL FURNACE Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: metallurgy. SUBSTANCE: method includes charging into furnace of iron-bearing raw material featuring low degree of metal content and therefore needing reduction, and iron-bearing raw material with high degree of metal content (metallization) and therefore needing only melting, and solid fuel, and blowing of furnace through lance with gas containing oxygen at normal or elevated temperature up to 600 C for reduction and melting of iron-bearing raw material. Method includes also determination of optimal value of degree of gas utilization by mean degree of iron-bearing raw material metallization. Operation of vertical furnace is controlled so that gas effluent from furnace has optimal value of gas utilization degree. Control is effected by regulation of height of charge, regulation of coke layer height, blowing volume, lance diameter and position of lance extension, using multistage lances and separate charging in radial direction. EFFECT: highly efficient reduction and melting of iron-bearing raw materials with low consumption of fuel. 18 cl, 19 dwg, 1 tbl