Patent ID: 8038766

Claim:
A circulating fluidized bed process for direct reduction of a metalliferous material which comprises supplying the metalliferous material, a solid carbonaceous material, an oxygen-rich gas, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed in a vessel and maintaining the fluidized bed in the vessel, at least partially reducing metalliferous material in the vessel, and discharging a product stream that comprises the at least partially reduced metalliferous material from the vessel, comprising: (a) reducing the metalliferous material in a solid state in a metal-rich zone in the vessel; (b) injecting the oxygen-rich gas into a carbon-rich zone in the vessel with a downward flow in a range of up to 40 degrees to the vertical and generating heat by reactions between oxygen and the metalliferous material, the solid carbonaceous material and other oxidizable solids and gases in the fluidized bed, and (c) transferring heat from the carbon-rich zone to the metal-rich zone by movement of solids within the vessel, and wherein the vessel has an upper section, a lower section, and an intermediate section, the intermediate section is intermediate said lower section and said upper section of the vessel, and the metal-rich zone is formed in the lower section of the vessel and the carbon-rich zone is formed in the intermediate section of the vessel, the oxygen-rich gas is injected into the carbon-rich zone in the vessel at a location that is spaced horizontally from walls of the vessel using a water-cooled lance, the process comprises withdrawing gas and entrained solids from the upper section of the vessel, separating solids from the withdrawn gas, and recirculating the separated solids to the vessel, the metalliferous material and the solid carbonaceous material are supplied to the fluidized bed through a common solids delivery device, the oxygen-rich gas comprises at least 90% by volume oxygen, and the metalliferous material is supplied into the fluidized bed as particles that are distinct from the carbonaceous material.