Patent GB-1283558-A (GB)
Title: Oxy-fuel process for melting metals
Inventor: ESTES JAMES W
IPC: F27D3/16
Filed: 1969-10-28
Abstract: 1283558 Metal melting furnaces; burners; burner control systems AIRCO Inc 28 Oct 1969 [13 Nov 1968] 52743/69 Headings F4B and F4T An aluminium melting furnace comprises airfuel burners 6, two oxy-fuel burners 10 mounted in roof spaces between charging doors 3, and a flue 2 said burners 10 extending through the roof but not substantially into the furnace. One pair of the burners 6 are mounted approximately two-thirds of the way up the rear wall and are inclined downwardly and also inwardly at about 15 degrees to the side walls. The other burners 6 are mounted at the same height in the side walls near the front and are inclined at about 10 degrees to the front wall. In a modification (Figs. 5A, 5B) the reverberatory furnace has a scrap well at the front end alongside a sump containing a molten metal pump, two air fuel burners in the rear wall and one oxy-fuel burner in a side wall. The pump circulates molten metal from the main holding hearth to the scrap well to assist melting therein. A further modification (Figs. 6A, 6B) is similar to the furnace shown in Fig. 1A but with only two charging doors and a single oxy-fuel burner mounted in a side wall. The oxy-fuel burners supply about 20-30% of the total heat and with light, bulky scrap are ignited for about half the melting time. With heavy scrap they are ignited for the whole charging time. Burners.-The oxy-fuel burner 10, Fig. 2A, comprises concentric brass tubes 22, 16, 17 and 18 defining an outer water jacket with inlet 9 and outlet 15, an inner tube supplying oxygen from an inlet 14 through bores 21b in a copper block 21 and an innermost oil supply tube 22 with connection 13 supplying atomized oil through the atomizer 20. Prior to its discharge through a nozzle 23b, the oil is given a swirling motion through an element 30. The latter incorporates a pair of semi-circular vanes inclined to one another with an angle equal to that of a leading angled end (Figs. 2C, 2D). An oxy-gas burner (Figs. 7A, 7B) has a nozzle in which a central cluster of oxygen ports is encircled by larger natural gas ports themselves encircled by smaller oxygen ports. Burner control.-A system for supplying to the burners 10a, 10b oxygen, oil, cooling water, and nitrogen for purging the oil system is depicted in Fig. 3. Water is supplied by line 24 controlled by a globe valve 25 and switches 27a, 27b, 28a, and 28b operate to shut off fuel, oxygen and water in the event of serious leaks at the burners or inadequate water supply. Oxygen from a station 37 passes through lines 46, 47a and 47b incorporating a vaporizer 38, pressure switch 42 controlled by an electric circuit, Fig. 4, and a solenoid operated valve 45a which is remotely controlled to cut off the oxygen supply in emergency. Oil from a tank 50 passes through lines 56, 66a and 66b incorporating pressure responsive contacts 60 and a solenoid operated valve 64a. A source 71 of nitrogen purges the above oil circuit by solenoidoperated valve 72a. The electric control circuit of Fig. 4 incorporates a power supply 75 and a primary control relay 78, a normally closed circuit breaking pushbutton 79, a normally open push-button 81 for starting the system and a pilot light 83 illuminated when relay 78 is operated, i.e. when the system is turned on. Other pilot lights 92, 94 and 97 associated with oil solenoid 64, oxygen solenoid 45 and nitrogen solenoid 72 indicate respectively when oil, oxygen and nitrogen is flowing. A second relay 85 in series with pushbutton 84 is also in series with switches 27a, 27b, 28a, 28b, pressure switch 42 and pressureresponsive contacts 60. Depression of pushbuttons 84 and 90 energizes control relays 85 and 86, oil solenoid 64 and oxygen solenoid 45. When control relay 85 is de-energized by operating push-button 82 or opening any of the safety contacts, contacts 85b close operating nitrogen solenoid 72 and releasing nitrogen into the oil lines. A time delay relay 98 controls the length of time during which this occurs. Similar but simpler control systems (Figs. 8 and 9) operate on the oxygen and gas supplies to the oxy-gas burner (Figs. 7A, 7B).