STEEL MELTING PROCESS AND ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: metallurgy. SUBSTANCE: furnace has shaft 1 charged with steel 2 being melted, roof 3 above shaft 1, one or more electrodes 4, 5 installed in roof so that they are inscribed into virtual cylinder, and tuyeres 9 for injecting oxygen-enriched gas jets 12 into shaft 1 towards molten steel bath and for afterburning carbon monoxide in furnace atmosphere. Zones at which jets 12 hit bath surface are beyond electrode or virtual cylinder. Tuyeres 9 are arranged in roof 3 and provide for afterburning carbon oxide in close proximity of bath surface. Steel melting process also includes injection of oxygen-enriched gas jets 12 through small depth of bath not over 5 cm. Maintaining primarily carbon dioxide atmosphere within top part of furnace is preferable. Provision is also made for additional vertical supply of oxidizing or neutral gas through furnace hearth above zones of impact between jets 12 and bath surface. EFFECT: improved afterburning of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide condition and resulting heat recovery for bath heating, reduced melting time, power requirement, oxygen and carbon consumption. 7 cl, 2 dwg, 1 ex