HEARTH MELTING FURNACE AND METHOD OF ITS OPERATION FOR PRODUCTION OF IRON OR STEEL Russian patent published in 2006 - IPC C21B13/14 C21B13/08 

FIELD: production of iron or steel; mobile hearth melting furnaces.

SUBSTANCE: material for conditioning the hearth which is made from hydrocarbon-containing materials including refractory materials is distributed over refractory surface of hearth melting furnace. Preliminarily reduced metallized iron is charged on hearth conditioning material, heated to melting for forming granules of metallic iron or steel at content of hydrocarbon of about 0.01 to 4% of slag. Then, solid granules, slag and hearth conditioning material are discharged from furnace and granules are subjected to screening for separation of oversize fraction and screenings, utilization of screenings and utilization of hearth conditioning materials. Oversize fraction material is introduced into melting furnace for forming molten steel in it. Hearth melting furnace is modified furnace with revolving hearth which is heated by burners working on gaseous fuel and air forming flue gases. Proposed furnace makes it possible to produce granulated iron in form of intermediate product or in form of molten steel at high yield of iron excluding decarbonization of iron at furnace outlet.

EFFECT: enhanced energy efficiency.

29 cl, 5 dwg, 1 tbl