Patent ID: 7201868

Claim:
A direct smelting plant for producing molten metal from a metalliferous feed material including: (a) a fixed smelting vessel to hold a molten bath of metal and slag and a gas space above the bath, the smelting vessel having a side wall; (b) a solids feed apparatus to supply metalliferous feed material and carbonaceous material into the vessel, the solids feed apparatus including a plurality of solids injection lances that are arranged to extend downwardly and inwardly through openings in the side wall and are removable from the vessel; (c) a gas injection apparatus extending downwardly into the vessel to inject an oxygen-containing gas into the gas space and/or the bath in the vessel; (d) a gas delivery duct apparatus extending from a gas supply location away from the vessel to a delivery location above the vessel for delivering the oxygen-containing gas into the gas injection apparatus; (e) an offgas duct apparatus for facilitating flow of offgas from the vessel away from the vessel; (f) a metal tapping apparatus for tapping molten metal from the bath during a smelting operation out of the vessel and transporting the molten metal away from the vessel; (g) an end metal tapping apparatus for tapping molten metal from the bath at the end of the smelting operation out of the vessel and transporting the molten metal away from the vessel; and (h) slag tapping apparatus for tapping slag from the bath during a smelting operation out of the vessel and transporting the slag away from the vessel; (i) end slag tapping apparatus for tapping molten slag from the bath at the end of the smelting operation out of the vessel and transporting the molten slag away from the vessel; (j) at least three platforms for supporting plant operators at different heights of the vessel with (i) the metal tapping means and the slag tapping means being located so as to be accessible by plant operators on a cast house platform; (ii) the end metal tapping means and the end slag tapping means being located to be accessible by plant operators on a separate end tap platform that is at a lower height than the cast house platform and above ground level; (iii) the solids injection lances being located so as to be accessible by plant operators on a lance platform that is separate and above the cast house platform; and (iv) at least a portion of the solids feed apparatus extending under the end tap platform from a location remote from the vessel.