Thermal energy recovery systems for non-contact temperature detection of molten steel in steelmaking process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503736-B1
Application number	US-202519214025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 20, 2025
Priority date	Sep 25, 2024
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

The present discloses a thermal energy recovery auxiliary system for temperature detection of molten steel in a steelmaking process, comprising an electric arc furnace, a water supply device, a power generation system, a piston type oxygen compression device, and one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices. A flue communicates with a side wall of the electric arc furnace. The water supply device includes a water supply tank, a water supply pipeline of an electrolytic cell, and a thermal energy recovery component. The power generation system includes a Seebeck-effect thermoelectric power generation component and an electrolytic cell. The piston type oxygen compression device forms a steam containment chamber and an oxygen containment chamber through a piston isolation. One end of each of the one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices communicates with the oxygen containment chamber and the other end of each of the one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices communicates with an interior of the electric arc furnace.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A thermal energy recovery auxiliary system for temperature detection of molten steel in a steelmaking process, comprising:
an electric arc furnace, wherein a flue communicates with a side wall of the electric arc furnace; a water supply device including a water supply tank, a water supply pipeline of an electrolytic cell, and a thermal energy recovery component, wherein the water supply tank supplies water to the thermal energy recovery component via a water supply pipeline of a steam generator of the thermal energy recovery component, the water supply tank supplies water to the electrolytic cell via the water supply pipeline of the electrolytic cell, and the thermal energy recovery component exchanges heat with the flue to generate steam; a power generation system including a Seebeck-effect thermoelectric power generation component and the electrolytic cell, wherein the Seebeck-effect thermoelectric power generation component includes a thermoelectric generator, a voltage stabilizer, a rechargeable battery, and an electrolytic water device, the thermoelectric generator, the voltage stabilizer, and the rechargeable battery form a closed loop, and the rechargeable battery and the electrolytic water device form a closed loop, the electrolytic water device is arranged in the electrolytic cell, and the electrolytic cell communicates with the water supply pipeline of the electrolytic cell, a high-temperature side of the thermoelectric generator exchanges heat with the flue and generates a electromotive force in the electrolytic cell; a piston oxygen compression device, which forms a steam containment chamber and an oxygen containment chamber through a piston isolation, wherein the steam containment chamber communicates with the thermal energy recovery component and the oxygen containment chamber communicates with the electrolytic cell; one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices, one end of each of the one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices communicates with the oxygen containment chamber and the other end of each of the one or more non-contact temperature measurement devices communicates with an interior of the electric arc furnace.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein
the thermal energy recovery component further includes a helical heating coil, the water from the water supply tank enters the steam generator via the water supply pipeline of the steam generator, high-temperature and high-pressure water vapor generated in the steam generator enters into an interior of the steam containment chamber via a gas supply main line of the steam generator, and the helical heating coil is wound around a periphery of the flue and the helical heating coil communicates with the steam generator.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric generator includes a high-temperature side thermal conductive ceramic, a low-temperature side thermal conductive ceramic, an n-type semiconductor, a p-type semiconductor, a high-temperature side metal plate, two low-temperature side metal plates, and an insulation layer, one low-temperature side metal plate is bonded to a side of the n-type semiconductor, the other one low-temperature side metal plate is bonded to a side of the p-type semiconductor, the two low-temperature side metal plates are located on a same side of the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor, the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor, as well as the two low-temperature side metal plates, are isolated by the insulation layer, the high-temperature side metal plate is bonded to the other side of the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor, and the high-temperature side thermal conductive ceramic is bonded to the high-temperature side metal plate, the low-temperature side thermal conductive ceramic is bonded to the two low-temperature side metal plates.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein a heat exchange surface of the high-temperature side thermal conductive ceramic is provided with heat transfer fins.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the Seebeck-effect thermoelectric power generation component further includes an external supplementary power source, the external supplementary power source is electrically connected with the electrolytic water device.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system further includes an electrolytic cell exhaust gas pipeline and an oxygen delivery pipeline that communicate with the electrolytic cell and the piston oxygen compression device at both ends, a communication port of the electrolytic cell exhaust gas pipeline and the piston oxygen compression device is located in a middle of a path of the piston, and a communication port of the oxygen delivery pipeline and the piston oxygen compression device is located outside the path of the piston.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the oxygen delivery pipeline includes a gas storage tank and a multi-point balance heat exchanger sequentially communicated along a direction of oxygen delivery, and a path of the electrolytic cell exhaust gas pipeline traverses the multi-point balance heat exchanger.

8 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the system further includes an oxygen production device, and the oxygen production device communicates with the oxygen delivery pipeline.

9 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the system further includes an oxygen production device and an oxygen compression device sequentially communicated along a direction of oxygen delivery, wherein the oxygen compression device communicates with an input end of the non-contact temperature measurement device.

Assignees

• Univ Central South
• Univ Xian Architectur & Tech

Inventors

• Yang Lingzhi
• Lyu Ming
• Hu Hang
• Guo Yufeng
• Jiang Tao
• Wei Guangsheng
• Chen Feng
• Wang Shuai
• Qiu Guanzhou

Classifications

• F27D17/10

  Arrangements for using waste heat · CPC title

• H10N10/13

  characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction · CPC title

• H10N10/17

  characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device · CPC title

• F27B3/225

  Oxygen blowing · CPC title

• F27D17/15

  using boilers · CPC title