Thermal reduction apparatus for metal production, gate device, condensing system, and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019218642-A1
Application number	US-201916367436-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2019
Priority date	Sep 4, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a thermal reduction apparatus. The thermal reduction apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment includes: a preheating unit which preheats a to-be-reduced material and loads the to-be-reduced material into a reducing unit; the reducing unit which is connected to the preheating unit and in which a thermal reduction reaction of the to-be-reduced material occurs; a cooling unit which is connected to the reducing unit and from which the to-be-reduced material flowing into the cooling unit is unloaded to the outside; a gate device which is installed between the preheating unit and the reducing unit; a gate device which is installed between the reducing unit and the cooling unit; a condensing device which is connected to the reducing unit and condenses a metal vapor; a first blocking unit which is installed in the reducing unit; and a second blocking unit which is installed in the reducing unit so as to be spaced apart from the first blocking unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A gate device of a thermal reduction apparatus, which opens and closes a portion between a preheating unit and a reducing unit or a portion between the reducing unit and a cooling unit of the thermal reduction apparatus, the gate device comprising:
a first gate device which is installed between the preheating unit and the reducing unit; and a second gate device which is installed between the reducing unit and the cooling unit, wherein the first gate device or the second gate device includes: a valve housing which is installed on a movement route of the to-be-reduced material and defines an internal space; valve body members which are installed in the valve housing and have a passage through which the to-be-reduced material passes; and a valve door unit which is movably installed in the valve housing and selectively comes into close contact with the valve body members to open and close the passage.

2 . The gate device of claim 1 , wherein the valve body member includes: a frame which forms a passage; a sealing member which is installed along a circumference of the frame so as to be spaced apart from the frame and comes into close contact with the valve door unit to maintain air-tightness; and a blocking unit which selectively blocks a portion between a groove in which the sealing member is installed and the inside of the valve housing.

3 . The gate device of claim 2 , wherein the blocking unit includes a first curtain which is rotatably installed in the valve body member and blocks the groove in which the sealing member is installed.

4 . The gate device of claim 3 , wherein the blocking unit further includes a second curtain which is installed between the sealing member and the first curtain and blocks the groove.

5 . The gate device of claim 4 , wherein the blocking unit further includes: a space which is formed in the valve body member so that the second curtain is moved in the space; a spring which is installed in the space and applies elastic force to the second curtain; and a cooperating bar which is formed on the first curtain, abuts the second curtain, and pushes and moves the second curtain when the first curtain is rotated.

6 . The gate device of claim 5 , wherein the valve door unit includes:
a vertical cylinder which is installed at an upper end of the valve housing; a vertical beam which is connected to the vertical cylinder and moved upward and downward in the valve housing; door plates which are installed on the vertical beam and come into close contact with the valve body members while being moved in a horizontal direction toward the valve body members; and a close contact member which protrudes from the door plate and is moved into the groove in which the sealing member is installed so as to come into close contact with the sealing member.

7 . The gate device of claim 6 , wherein the valve body member further includes a thermal resistance unit which is installed between the frame and the sealing member and forms a temperature gradient in the internal space of the valve housing so as to block the reduced vapor from being moved toward the sealing member.

8 . A condensing system of a thermal reduction apparatus, the condensing system comprising
a single condensing device or a plurality of condensing devices which are connected to a reducing unit of the thermal reduction apparatus, condense a metal vapor at a tip of a condenser, and produce a metal crown.

9 . The condensing system of claim 8 , wherein the condensing system has the plurality of condensing devices, and includes:
branch pipes which supply the metal vapor to the plurality of condensing devices; control valves which are installed in the branch pipes connected to the condensing devices and control flows of the metal vapor; and a control unit which controls opened and closed states of the control valves in accordance with whether condensing processes are carried out in the respective condensing devices so as to adjust a movement direction of the metal vapor, and closes the control valve of the condensing device in which the condensing process is not being carried out, so as to block an inflow of the metal vapor.

10 . The condensing system of claim 9 , wherein the control unit measures a weight of the metal crown condensed on the condenser, and when the weight of the metal crown exceeds a set value, the control unit moves the condenser to a position for removing the metal crown.

11 . The condensing system of claim 9 , wherein the condensing device includes:
an inlet pipe which is connected with the branch pipe and into which the metal vapor flows; a metal collecting chamber which is coupled to the inlet pipe; a condenser which has a tip positioned at the inlet pipe and the other end positioned opposite to the tip and installed while penetrating the metal collecting chamber; a housing which is coupled to an opening of the metal collecting chamber and in which the other end of the condenser is positioned; a metal weight measuring unit which is installed between the condenser and the housing and measures a weight of the metal crown condensed at the tip of the condenser; and a condenser moving unit which is installed at one end of the housing and coupled to the condenser, and moves the condenser in a horizontal direction based on a control signal.

12 . The condensing system of claim 11 , wherein the condenser moving unit moves the condenser forward depending on a control signal from the control unit so as to move the condenser to a metal vapor condensing position in the inlet pipe, and moves the condenser to a position for removing the metal crown by retracting the condenser.

13 . The condensing system of claim 11 , wherein the condensing device further includes a scraper which separates the metal crown from the tip of the condenser when the condenser is moved to the position for removing the metal crown.

14 . The condensing system of claim 8 , wherein the condensing system has the plurality of condensing devices, and includes:
a chamber which accommodates the plurality of condensing devices in parallel and shares a discharge passage for the metal crown; a branch pipe which forms a space unit that covers a plurality of inlet pipes configured in parallel at one side of the chamber, and allows metal vapor to flow into the respective inlet pipes; control valves which are installed in the space unit and open and close inlets of the respective inlet pipes while being moved rectilinearly; and a control unit which controls opened and closed states of the control valves in accordance with whether condensing processes are carried out in the respective condensing devices, so as to adjust a movement direction of the metal vapor, and closes the control valve of the condensing device in which the condensing process is not being carried out, so as to block an inflow of the metal vapor.

15 . The condensing system of claim 14 , wherein the control valve includes:
a head portion which is made of a refractory material, has a predetermined inclination identical to an inclination of the inlet of the inlet pipe, and blocks the corresponding inlet of the inlet pipe; and a rectilinear motion mechanism which rectilinearly moves the head portion depending on a control signal.

16 . The condensing system of claim 11 , wherein the metal weight measuring unit includes:
a sleeve which is coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the condenser; a swinging shaft which connects the sleeve and the housing; and a load cell which is coupled to the sleeve, receives the swing movem

Assignees

• Res Inst Ind Science & Tech

Inventors

• Choo Dong Kyun
• Kim Young Ii
• Cho Kil Won
• Choo Wung Yong
• Park Jong Min
• Park Jae Sin
• Han Gilsoo
• Choi Good-Sun
• Lee Gyu Chang
• Park Dae Kyu
• Kim Moon Chui

Classifications

• F27B9/2407

  the conveyor being constituted by rollers (roller hearth furnace) · CPC title

• F27B2017/0091

  Series of chambers, e.g. associated in their use · CPC title

• C22B5/16 Primary

  with volatilisation or condensation of the metal being produced · CPC title

• F27B9/042

  Vacuum furnaces · CPC title

• C22B26/22

  Obtaining magnesium · CPC title