Patent ID: 8557018

Claim:
Process for improving energy supply when heating and melting a scrap bulk within a vessel having side and top walls, wherein a hot blast of preheated oxidizing gas with addition of fossil fuels melts a channel into the scrap bulk, and further energy supply occurs through this channel and wherein said hot blast is supplied to the scrap bulk from said top wall, wherein said hot blast causes a gas stream in the scrap bulk, the gas stream involving hot gases leaving the scrap bulk through an outer ring within the vessel, thereby heating scrap in said outer ring, wherein the hot blast blows onto the scrap bulk from a central top position, and wherein a high hot blast velocity 500 to 900 m/sec is applied during a first phase and a reduced hot blast velocity approx. 300 to 500 m/sec during a second phase, wherein the hot blast let is enriched with oxygen to 30 to 50% in phase 1, whereas there is no or hardly any oxygen enrichment in phase 2.