Method and apparatus for cooling reduced-iron agglomerate

Abstract

In a method and an apparatus for cooling a reduced-iron agglomerate in a reduced-iron agglomerate production equipment wherein an iron oxide agglomerate is reduced in a reducing furnace and discharged as a reduced-iron agglomerate, a conveyer to convey said reduced-iron agglomerate is installed at the outlet of said reduced-iron agglomerate production equipment, a plurality of spray nozzles are installed above, or above and below, said conveyer at intervals in the conveying direction of said reduced-iron agglomerate, and said reduced-iron agglomerate on said conveyer is cooled intermittently by ejecting cooling water, continuously or intermittently, through said spray nozzles.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cooling a high-temperature reduced-iron agglomerate that is reduced in, and discharged continuously from, a reducing furnace, in reduced-iron production equipment, to produce a reduced-iron agglomerate from an iron oxide agglomerate. [0002] Here, the above method and apparatus include, for example, a method and an apparatus for cooling a reduced-iron agglomerate produced in a rotary hearth furnace, for reduction, wherein a reduced iron is produced by processing dust and sludge containing metallic oxide generated in the metal refining industry and the metal processing industry. BACKGROUND ART [0003] As a method for cooling a reduced-iron agglomerate discharged from a reduced-iron production equipment, a method has heretofore been put into practical use wherein a reduced-iron agglomerate is immersed and cooled in a water bath, thereafter taken out from the water bath with a conveyer, discharged direc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for cooling a reduced-iron agglomerate in a production equipment. The method involves rapidly cooling the reduced-iron agglomerate by ejecting cooling water at a high temperature, reducing reoxidation and pulverization, and controlling the water content to prevent excessive water evaporation. The apparatus includes a conveyor to convey the reduced-iron agglomerate and a plurality of spray nozzles above or below the conveyor, which cool the reduced-iron agglomerate by ejecting cooling water intermittently. The technical effects of the invention include reducing reoxidation and pulverization of the reduced-iron agglomerate, preventing excessive water evaporation, and controlling the water content to improve the cooling process.

Problems solved by technology

However, the reduced-iron agglomerate produced by this immersing and cooling method has a high water content and, when it is charged directly into molten metal, there is the danger of a water vapor explosion.

Moreover, the reduced-iron agglomerate has the problems of pulverization and reoxidation.

However, this method is a method wherein high-temperature reduced-iron briquettes are cooled slowly with a water spray in order to suppress cracking of the reduced-iron briquettes and not a method wherein a reduced-iron agglomerate discharged from a reduced-iron production equipment, such as a rotary hearth furnace, is cooled.

Moreover, this method does not take an appropriate water content of the reduced-iron agglomerate into consideration.

Therefore, this method cannot be applied as it is.

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