Patent ID: 7481965
Filing Date: 2009-01-27
Classification: C21B,C21C,C22B,F27B,F27D,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for injecting gas into a vessel, comprising: a gas flow duct extending from a rear end to a forward end from which to discharge gas from the duct; an elongate central structure extending within the gas flow duct from its rear end to its forward end; a plurality of flow directing vanes disposed about the central structure adjacent the forward end of the duct to impart swirl to a gas flow through the forward end of the duct; cooling water supply and return passages extending through the wall of the gas flow duct and extending from the rear end to the forward end of the gas flow duct for supply and return of cooling water to the forward end of the duct; and an annular duct tip disposed at the forward end of the duct and having an internal cooling water passage connecting with the cooling water supply and return passages so as to receive and return a flow of cooling water to internally cool the duct tip, the flow directing vanes being mounted on the central structure so as to extend along the central structure from rear ends set rearwardly of the duct tip to forward ends disposed within the duct tip and dimensioned such that during operation of the apparatus their forward ends are engaged and supported by the internally water cooled duct tip; wherein a rearmost part of the duct tip has a radially outwardly extending annular rear wall formed with a corrugation deformable to accommodate radial loading on the wall on engagement with the forward ends of the vanes, and wherein the forward ends of the vanes are disposed within a rearmost part of the duct tip so as to be engaged only by that rearmost part of the tip.