Patent ID: 7449142

Claim:
A plant for manufacturing steel, comprising: (a) a direct reduction furnace for producing direct reduced iron (DRI); and (b) a stationary electric arc furnace for melting the DRI, wherein the electric arc furnace is rectangular and has a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed end walls, wherein the electric arc furnace has a plurality of electrodes for melting the DRI, wherein the electrodes are located along a longitudinal axis of the electric arc furnace and are arranged in pairs, wherein the side walls of the electric arc furnace are parallel to the longitudinal axis and the end walls are transverse to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the electric arc furnace includes a plurality of said pairs of said electrodes located along said longitudinal axis; and (c) a plurality of conduits extending between the direct reduction furnace and the electric arc furnace for transferring DRI from the direct reduction furnace to the electric arc furnace; (d) a plurality of charging ports located in a roof of the electric arc furnace, wherein each of said conduits communicates with an interior of the electric arc furnace through one of said charging ports; wherein the electric arc furnace contains a layer of slag which contains FeO in an amount of about 7 to 30% by weight; and wherein each said charging port is located adjacent to a pair of electrodes, such that the electrodes and the charging port form a triangle, with the charging port located at an apex of the triangle which is substantially equally spaced from each of the electrodes.