A new design method of combined equipment for titanium sponge production

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of sponge titanium production technology and discloses a novel integrated equipment design method for sponge titanium production. The novel integrated equipment for sponge titanium production includes a reduction heating furnace, a cooling furnace, a passage heater, a sieve plate, and a discharge system. Passage heaters are installed on the reduction heating furnace and the cooling furnace. Magnesium chloride in the reduction heating furnace enters the cooling furnace through the passage heaters, is cooled in the cooling furnace, and then recycled. The sieve plate is installed at the bottom of the reduction heating furnace, and the discharge system is installed at the top of the reduction heating furnace. This invention systematically solves the core pain points in large-scale sponge titanium production, such as precise temperature control, sieve plate deformation, difficult discharge, and passage leakage, significantly improving equipment adaptability and production stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of sponge titanium production technology, and relates to a novel combined equipment design method for sponge titanium production. Background Technology

[0002] Titanium possesses excellent properties such as light weight, high strength, strong corrosion resistance, and high temperature resistance, making it a key material for manufacturing aircraft, submarines, and high-temperature corrosion-resistant chemical equipment. It is currently widely used in industries such as aviation, aerospace, marine, chemical, petroleum, textiles, and medical devices, hence its nickname "modern metal."

[0003] The mainstream method for industrial production of sponge titanium is the magnesothermic reduction process (Klauer process), with inverted "U"-shaped combined furnaces as the main production equipment. Since its industrial application in the 1940s, this type of equipment has undergone more than 70 years of technological iteration. The reactor size has gradually developed from the initial 0.5-ton level to 3-ton, 5-ton, 8-ton, 10-ton, 13-ton, 16-ton, and 18-ton levels, and has now evolved to a 20-ton large-scale combined furnace. In the future, it is developing towards ultra-large-scale and continuous production at the 25-30 ton level.

[0004] The large-scale, intelligent, and energy-efficient development of sponge titanium production equipment is a core trend in the industry. However, the large-scale application of traditional sponge titanium production equipment has revealed many problems affecting production efficiency, product quality, and equipment operational stability. These problems are mainly concentrated in four core components: the reduction heating furnace, the reactor sieve plate, the passage heater, and the reactor discharge system, as detailed below: (1) Problems with reduction heating furnaces: The reduction furnace is the core equipment in the magnesiothermal reduction process for producing sponge titanium. It provides a closed, high-temperature, and controllable chemical reaction environment for the reduction reaction of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) and liquid magnesium (Mg), producing sponge-like metallic titanium and the byproduct magnesium chloride (MgCl2). With the increasing size of reactors, the requirements for temperature uniformity and precise control in the supporting reduction furnace have significantly increased, revealing obvious shortcomings of traditional furnaces. With the significant increase in the diameter and height of large furnaces, the temperature field distribution inside the furnace is uneven, which can easily lead to local overheating, causing the titanium agglomerate to densify and seriously affecting the quality of sponge titanium products. The heating furnace needs to take into account both the reduction (exothermic reaction) and distillation (endothermic process) stages, and the temperature requirements for the two stages are very different. Traditional temperature control methods cannot meet the requirements of both stages at the same time. The overall production cycle of large furnaces has been extended, while the production cycle of ton titanium has been shortened. This has significantly increased the requirements for real-time monitoring and dynamic adjustment of furnace temperature, which traditional temperature control systems cannot meet.

[0005] (2) Problems with the sieve plate: The sieve plate is the core internal component at the bottom of the sponge titanium reactor. Its main functions are: to isolate the generated sponge titanium (titanium lumps) from the bottom of the reactor, prevent adhesion and facilitate subsequent separation; to provide uniform support for the formation of titanium lumps, ensure that the bottom of the titanium lumps is flat and reduce the generation of "bottom skin" waste; and to serve as a by-product discharge channel, during the reduction stage, liquid magnesium chloride (MgCl2) flows into the bottom of the reactor through the sieve holes and is discharged through the magnesium chloride discharge pipe, while during the vacuum distillation stage, residual magnesium and magnesium chloride vapor are discharged through the sieve holes.

[0006] As reactor sizes increase, the weight of titanium blocks increases significantly, leading to a simultaneous increase in the load on the sieve plate and its own weight. Traditional integral cast or welded sieve plates have many disadvantages in application: High manufacturing costs: Increased diameter and weight of the sieve plate lead to increased processing difficulty and significantly increased production costs. Short service life: The screen plate is in a high-temperature working environment for a long time, and the large integral structural components are prone to thermal deformation, which greatly reduces the service life of the equipment. Significant safety risks: The sieve plate itself is heavy and is prone to sticking to the bottom of the titanium block during the removal process, increasing the difficulty and safety risks of removing the titanium block. Impact on production continuity: Cleaning the screen holes of large screen plates is complicated, and deformation of the screen plates can easily lead to deformation of the magnesium chloride discharge pipe, resulting in poor material discharge and affecting normal production.

[0007] (3) Problems with the corridor heater: The passage heater is the core throat component of the inverted U-shaped reduction-distillation combined furnace. It is installed in the connecting passage (vertical pipe + horizontal pipe) between the reduction reactor and the distillation reactor. It is a key device for realizing the continuous production of sponge titanium through "reduction-distillation". Its performance directly determines the distillation efficiency, product purity and production continuity. In large sponge titanium reactors, the role and influence of this component are further amplified.

[0008] As the reactor diameter increases, the center-to-center distance between the reduction and distillation reactors also increases, and the increased reactor volume leads to a longer distillation time. The combined effect of these two factors severely impacts the temperature measurement, material lifespan, sealing reliability, and vacuum system stability of the passage heaters. Specific problems include: As the center distance increases, the horizontal tube of the heater becomes longer, and the pipe deflection increases. In addition, long-term high-temperature operation accelerates the high-temperature creep effect, making the pipe prone to permanent bending deformation. Pipe bending deformation causes stress to concentrate at the root of the horizontal pipe flange and the flange weld connection, which can easily lead to stress corrosion cracking. Weld cracking can cause the reactor vacuum environment to fail, and air can enter the furnace, causing the sponge titanium to degrade in quality. The extended passageway increases the mass and length of the external heater. Long-term high temperature causes fatigue in the heater's steel structure, leading to the external heater sinking and deforming. This causes the internal insulation material to break, and in some cases, the heating resistance wire overlaps with the horizontal pipe connecting to the reactor, resulting in a short circuit.

[0009] (4) Problems with the material discharge system: The discharge system is a key device in the production of sponge titanium, used to discharge the byproduct magnesium chloride. Traditional discharge devices mostly adopt a fixed, integrated pipeline design, which has the following significant drawbacks: High maintenance costs: The original discharge pipeline was a single welded structure with no segmented design at the connection between the vertical and horizontal pipes. When the horizontal pipe was damaged due to corrosion or deformation, the entire section of the pipeline had to be disassembled and replaced, resulting in material waste and high maintenance costs per operation. Insufficient compensation margin: Stress concentration at the connection between the vertical and horizontal pipes can easily lead to weld cracking, posing a risk of material leakage. Traditional vertical pipes are integral rigid steel pipes, which cannot effectively absorb the stress generated by thermal expansion and contraction or pressure fluctuations. Especially under high-temperature conditions, pipe deformation exacerbates the risk of leakage and may even cause magnesium chloride leakage, resulting in environmental pollution and safety hazards. High safety risks: The siphon pipe is prone to horizontal pipe deformation, which can lead to cracking of the weld between the horizontal pipe and the flange, as well as the weld between the vertical pipe and the flange, increasing the risk of pipe blockage and liquid magnesium spraying, thus posing a safety hazard. Inefficient replacement: The fixed siphon design requires multiple people to work together and is time-consuming, resulting in insufficient production continuity and making it difficult to meet the needs of modern high-efficiency production.

[0010] In summary, in view of the above-mentioned technical defects of traditional sponge titanium production equipment, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of combined equipment adapted to large furnace production. Through the optimization and improvement of core components, key problems such as precise temperature control, screen plate deformation, material discharge difficulties, and weld cracking of the passage heater can be solved, so as to meet the development needs of large-scale, intelligent, green and energy-saving sponge titanium equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This invention addresses the technical problems existing in the application of large-furnace type in existing sponge titanium production equipment. Through targeted optimization design of the three core components—reduction heating furnace, reactor sieve plate, and passage heater—it provides a new type of combined equipment for sponge titanium production, effectively solving the technical defects of traditional equipment and improving the efficiency, product quality, and operational stability of sponge titanium production.

[0012] The technical solution of this invention: A novel integrated equipment design method for sponge titanium production includes a reduction heating furnace, a cooling furnace, a passage heater, a sieve plate, and a discharge system. Both the reduction heating furnace and the cooling furnace are equipped with passage heaters. Magnesium chloride in the reduction heating furnace enters the cooling furnace through channels within the passage heaters, where it is cooled and then recycled. When the magnesium chloride in the cooling furnace is recycled, the cooling furnace functions as the reduction heating furnace, and the reduction heating furnace functions as the cooling furnace. The sieve plate is installed at the bottom of the reduction heating furnace, and the discharge system is installed at the top of the reduction heating furnace. (1) Optimized design of the reduction heating furnace; The reduction furnace has six heating zones along its height, numbered from top to bottom as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth heating zones. Each zone has independent temperature control and adjustment. The first, fifth, and sixth heating zones have a heating power of 200kW, while the second, third, and fourth heating zones have a heating power of 170kW. Each heating zone is equipped with insulated terminals and a resistance band to enable independent heating. The reduction heating furnace is equipped with multiple temperature measuring points. The thermocouples at the temperature measuring points are covered with protective tubes. The protective tubes are sealed to the reduction heating furnace with silicone rubber to ensure the vacuum level inside the reduction heating furnace. The thermocouples transmit the temperature signals to the temperature control system in real time. The temperature control system adjusts the temperature independently and precisely according to the heating power of each heating zone. The reduction heating furnace is equipped with heat-insulating cotton. (2) Optimized design of the sieve plate; The sieve plate mainly consists of a bottom end cap, a load-bearing ring, a flat plate, support tubes, and a heat dissipation cylinder. The bottom end cap provides support and housing space for the reactor sieve plate. One end of the load-bearing ring is fixed to the inner wall of the bottom end cap, and the other end supports the flat plate, forming a stable support structure. Three support tubes are welded onto the flat plate to support the heat dissipation cylinder. The heat dissipation cylinder is fixed to the flat plate and is made of high-strength cast iron material, with gaps inside to form a gas flow channel. Holes are made on the flat plate, with a layered hole diameter distribution ranging from 30-50 mm. A 100-150 mm hole is made in the middle of the load-bearing ring. The flat plate is coated with an electroplated coating containing a titanium mixture.

[0013] (3) Optimized design of corridor heaters; The passageway heater includes a reactor cover, heating device, T-tube, first support column, second support column, flange, bolt assembly, and platform steel structure; A flange is provided at one end of the heating device. Two heating devices are connected as one unit through the flange and bolt assembly. High-temperature and corrosion-resistant sealant is applied to the connection of the flange. A T-tube is provided on the heating device. The heating device is fixed to the reactor cover by the first support column. The flange is fixed to the platform steel structure by the second support column.

[0014] Multiple heating devices are evenly arranged above the pipe, and each heating device can be controlled independently to achieve precise temperature control in different zones and improve the uniformity of heating of the pipe.

[0015] High-temperature resistant graphite gaskets are installed at the flange connection.

[0016] (4) Optimized design of the material discharge system; The discharge pipe system includes lifting lugs, detachable horizontal pipes, pagoda heads, vertical pipes, corrugated pipes, and anti-deformation modules. The detachable horizontal pipes have flange structures fixed at both ends, and the branch ends of the vertical pipes have flange structures fixed as well. One flange structure of the detachable horizontal pipe is bolted to the flange structure of the branch end of the vertical pipe. The other flange structure of the detachable horizontal pipe is connected to one end of the discharge pipe of the reduction heating furnace. The other end of the discharge pipe extends to the bottom of the reduction heating furnace, located below the sieve plate. The upper end of the vertical pipe is equipped with a pagoda head, and the lower part of the vertical pipe is fitted with multiple layers of corrugated pipes. The lower end of the vertical pipe leads into the lifting ladle. The corrugated pipes are made of corrosion-resistant, high-strength materials, and their waveform is Ω-shaped. The anti-deformation module includes a transmission horizontal plate, a transmission vertical plate, anti-loosening bolts, and pipe supports. Multiple transmission vertical plates are fixed between two transmission horizontal plates. The transmission horizontal plates are fixed to a platform, and a pipe support is fixed to the upper end of the transmission vertical plates. The detachable horizontal pipe is fixed to the pipe support. Lifting lugs are fixed to the detachable horizontal pipes.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) Optimization of temperature control in reduction heating furnace: This invention employs zoned heating, with a design that divides the furnace into six heating zones to accommodate the spatial dimensions of large furnaces. This avoids heating blind spots and localized overheating, achieving uniform temperature distribution along the height of the furnace. The reduction heating furnace can effectively solve the problem of titanium agglomeration and improve the quality of sponge titanium products.

[0018] It achieves automatic power adjustment and automatic temperature control during both the reduction and distillation stages. This satisfies the different temperature requirements of the two stages while reducing unit energy consumption, aligning with the trend of green and energy-saving development.

[0019] Multiple K-type armored thermocouples are set up for temperature measurement points, which are then sealed with silicone rubber. This ensures the vacuum requirements inside the reduction heating furnace and enables real-time and accurate temperature monitoring. The temperature measurement signals are transmitted to the temperature control system in real time, enabling dynamic adjustment of the temperature inside the reduction heating furnace. This solves the problems of lag and low accuracy in traditional temperature control systems and meets the needs of increasing the production efficiency of ton titanium in large furnaces.

[0020] (2) Optimization of sieve plate structure: The non-integral modular design significantly reduces the weight and processing difficulty of individual modules, resulting in a significant reduction in manufacturing costs; damaged parts can be replaced individually without the need for complete scrapping, reducing maintenance costs by more than 40%.

[0021] The load-bearing ring structure distributes the load, and the one-piece cast panel reduces thermal deformation. The flexural deformation at high temperatures is controlled within 5mm. With the alternating forward and reverse use method, the service life of the screen plate is extended by more than 50%.

[0022] The lightweight design reduces the risks and operational difficulties in the titanium agglomerate removal process, makes cleaning the sieve holes more convenient, avoids blockage of the magnesium chloride discharge pipe due to sieve plate deformation, and improves production continuity and operational safety.

[0023] The support tubes welded onto the plate to enhance structural stability work in conjunction with the heat sink to effectively prevent the heat sink from tipping over. At the same time, the structural design of the load-bearing ring and the plate enhances the support capacity for the sponge titanium, preventing the plate from deforming due to uneven stress, making the entire structure more stable and ensuring the stable operation of the production process.

[0024] The evenly distributed pore design, along with the large-diameter pores in the center of the load-bearing ring, balances filtration accuracy and speed, effectively preventing sieve plate clogging and allowing liquid magnesium chloride to pass through the sieve plate quickly and smoothly, significantly improving production efficiency compared to traditional sieve plates.

[0025] The cast iron plate, combined with an electroplated coating containing a titanium mixture, effectively prevents impurities from precipitating out and reduces contamination of the sponge titanium products, thereby improving the purity and quality of the sponge titanium products and meeting the market demand for high-quality sponge titanium.

[0026] (3) Optimization of the corridor heater structure: The two-stage disconnect structure separates the flange from the high-temperature heating zone, simplifying the heating method to heat conduction, avoiding prolonged high temperatures for the flange and weld, and eliminating the risk of cracking and leakage in this area.

[0027] The independent support design prevents the heater from sinking and deforming, avoids the breakage of the insulation material and the short circuit of the heating resistance wire, greatly improves the stability of equipment operation and reduces unplanned downtime.

[0028] The two heating devices are designed with a center distance of 120-150mm. By eliminating the "cold zone" in the disconnected area through heat conduction, the condensation and blockage of magnesium / magnesium chloride are prevented, ensuring unobstructed distillation channels.

[0029] Segmented independent temperature control can precisely allocate power according to the temperature of the two pipe sections, avoiding local overheating, extending the service life of electrical components and pipes, and reducing energy consumption under long center distance and long distillation cycle.

[0030] (4) Overall equipment optimization: The system systematically addresses key pain points in large-scale sponge titanium production, such as precise temperature control, sieve deformation, material discharge difficulties, and leakage in the aisle, significantly improving equipment adaptability and production stability.

[0031] The lightweight, modular, and energy-saving design aligns with the trend of large-scale, intelligent, and green development of sponge titanium equipment, laying the foundation for subsequent technological upgrades of 25-30 ton ultra-large furnaces. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the reduction heating furnace; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sieve plate structure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the aisle heater structure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material discharge system; Figure 5 This is the main structural view of the anti-deformation module; Figure 6 This is a side view of the anti-deformation module. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the bellows structure; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a new combined equipment for the production of sponge titanium.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. Type K armored thermocouple; 2. Furnace shell; 3. Insulation cotton; 4. Resistance band; 5. Insulating terminal; 6. Bottom end cap; 7. Load-bearing ring; 8. Flat plate; 9. Support pipe; 10. Heat dissipation cylinder; 11. Reactor cover; 12. Heating device; 13. T-tube; 14. First support column; 15. Second support column; 16. Flange; 17. Bolt assembly; 18. Platform steel structure; 19. Lifting lug; 20. Detachable horizontal pipe; 21. Pagoda head; 22. Vertical pipe; 23. Corrugated pipe; 24. Pipe support; 25. Anti-loosening bolt; 26. Transmission horizontal plate; 27. Transmission vertical plate. Detailed Implementation

[0034] A novel integrated equipment design method for sponge titanium production, comprising the following steps: (1) Optimized design of the reduction heating furnace; Six heating zones are arranged along the height of the reduction heating furnace, from top to bottom: heating zone 1, heating zone 2, heating zone 3, heating zone 4, heating zone 5, and heating zone 6. Each heating zone has independent temperature control and adjustment. The heating power of heating zones 1, 5, and 6 is 200kW, while that of heating zones 2, 3, and 4 is 170kW, avoiding heating blind spots and localized overheating. Each heating zone has four insulated terminals and three resistance bands, using a 3-phase 4-wire AC 380V power supply with Y-type wiring. The operating temperature range is 0–1050℃, suitable for both reduction and distillation processes, enabling independent heating of each zone. The reduction heating furnace is equipped with multiple temperature measuring points, each with seven points. The positions of these points can be flexibly adjusted according to the design specifications, enabling multi-dimensional temperature monitoring within the furnace. The thermocouples at each measuring point are encased in protective tubes, which are sealed to the furnace with silicone rubber to ensure a vacuum seal of -90kPa to -85kPa. The thermocouples transmit temperature signals to the temperature control system in real time. This system independently and precisely adjusts the temperature based on the heating power of each heating zone, achieving a temperature control accuracy of ±2℃. After power-on, the zero-sequence current in a single zone is ≤20A. The system can dynamically adjust the power of each heating zone according to the temperature requirements of both the reduction (exothermic) and distillation (endothermic) processes, achieving precise temperature matching between the two stages.

[0035] The reduction heating furnace is equipped with heat-insulating cotton. (2) Optimized design of the sieve plate; The sieve plate mainly consists of a bottom end cap, a load-bearing ring, a flat plate, support tubes, and a heat dissipation cylinder. The bottom end cap provides support and storage space for the reactor sieve plate. One end of the load-bearing ring is fixed to the inner wall of the bottom end cap, and the other end supports the flat plate, forming a stable support structure that effectively supports the deposition and growth of sponge titanium and prevents deformation of the flat plate due to uneven local stress. Three support tubes with a length of 150-200mm are welded on the flat plate. The support tubes support the heat dissipation cylinder, prevent the heat dissipation cylinder from tipping over, and enhance the stability of the overall structure. The heat dissipation cylinder is fixed on the flat plate and is made of high-strength cast iron material. It has gaps inside to form a magnesium chloride flow channel. Holes are opened on the flat plate, and the holes adopt a layered pore size distribution with a pore size range of 30-50mm. A 100-150mm hole is opened in the middle of the load-bearing ring, which is conducive to the natural flow and distribution of materials in the bottom end cap, avoids material blockage, and is conducive to the filtration and discharge of liquid magnesium chloride. The sieve plate is made of a material with good high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, and can work stably for a long time in the high temperature and strong corrosion environment of sponge titanium production.

[0036] The flat plate is made of cast iron, a material with excellent high-temperature and corrosion resistance, enabling it to operate stably for extended periods in the high-temperature and highly corrosive environments required for titanium sponge production. To further enhance the plate's performance, its surface undergoes a spray coating process using an electroplated coating material containing a titanium mixture. This spraying process forms a uniform and dense electroplated coating on the plate's surface. This coating effectively prevents the precipitation of impurities such as iron, avoiding their contamination into the titanium sponge product and thus improving its quality.

[0037] The heat dissipation cylinder is made of high-strength cast iron, which has excellent thermal conductivity. Appropriate gaps are left inside the cylinder to form gas flow channels, effectively improving heat dissipation efficiency and promptly dissipating the heat generated during the production of sponge titanium. This ensures that the temperature inside the reduction furnace remains within a suitable range, creating favorable conditions for the reaction process of sponge titanium.

[0038] (3) Optimized design of corridor heaters; The passageway heater includes a reactor cover, heating device, T-tube, first support column, second support column, flange, bolt assembly, and platform steel structure; A flange is provided at one end of the heating device. Two heating devices are connected as one unit through the flange and bolt assembly. High-temperature and corrosion-resistant sealant is applied to the connection of the flange. A T-tube is provided on the heating device. The heating device is fixed to the reactor cover by the first support column. The flange is fixed to the platform steel structure by the second support column.

[0039] Multiple heating devices are evenly arranged above the pipe, and each heating device can be controlled independently to achieve precise temperature control in different zones and improve the uniformity of heating of the pipe.

[0040] High-temperature resistant graphite gaskets are installed at the flange connections to ensure a tight seal.

[0041] Enlarging the flange size by 15%-20% increases the contact area to distribute thermal stress, and bolted connections are used instead of traditional welding. The enlarged flange provides a larger contact area, enhancing connection stability.

[0042] Four sets of heating devices are evenly arranged above the pipeline. Each set of heating devices can be controlled independently to ensure uniform heating and improve distillation efficiency.

[0043] The support columns are made of high-strength, corrosion-resistant materials, ensuring stability even in high-temperature and corrosive environments. The design of the support columns effectively prevents flange deformation due to uneven heating, further guaranteeing the stability and safety of the equipment.

[0044] (4) Optimized design of the material discharge system; The discharge pipe system includes lifting lugs, detachable horizontal pipes, pagoda heads, vertical pipes, corrugated pipes, and anti-deformation modules. The detachable horizontal pipes have flange structures fixed at both ends, and the branch ends of the vertical pipes have flange structures fixed as well. One flange structure of the detachable horizontal pipe is bolted to the flange structure of the branch end of the vertical pipe. The other flange structure of the detachable horizontal pipe is connected to one end of the discharge pipe of the reduction heating furnace. The other end of the discharge pipe extends to the bottom of the reduction heating furnace, located below the sieve plate. The upper end of the vertical pipe is equipped with a pagoda head, and the lower part of the vertical pipe is fitted with multiple layers of corrugated pipes. The lower end of the vertical pipe leads into the lifting ladle. The corrugated pipes are made of corrosion-resistant, high-strength materials, and their waveform is Ω-shaped. The anti-deformation module includes a transmission horizontal plate, a transmission vertical plate, anti-loosening bolts, and pipe supports. Multiple transmission vertical plates are fixed between two transmission horizontal plates. The transmission horizontal plates are fixed to a platform, and a pipe support is fixed to the upper end of the transmission vertical plates. The detachable horizontal pipe is fixed to the pipe support. Lifting lugs are fixed to the detachable horizontal pipes.

Claims

1. A novel integrated equipment design method for sponge titanium production, characterized in that, The new combined equipment for sponge titanium production includes a reduction heating furnace, a cooling furnace, a passage heater, a sieve plate, and a discharge system. The reduction heating furnace and the cooling furnace are equipped with passage heaters. Magnesium chloride in the reduction heating furnace enters the cooling furnace through the passage heater, is cooled in the cooling furnace, and is then recycled. When the magnesium chloride in the cooling furnace is recycled, the cooling furnace acts as the reduction heating furnace, and the reduction heating furnace acts as the cooling furnace. The sieve plate is installed at the bottom of the reduction heating furnace, and the discharge system is installed at the top of the reduction heating furnace.

2. The novel combined equipment design method for sponge titanium production according to claim 1, characterized in that, Optimized design of the reduction heating furnace: Six heating zones are arranged along the height of the furnace, from top to bottom: heating zone 1, heating zone 2, heating zone 3, heating zone 4, heating zone 5, and heating zone 6. Each heating zone has independent temperature control and adjustment. The heating power of heating zones 1, 5, and 6 is 200kW, and the heating power of heating zones 2, 3, and 4 is 170kW. Each heating zone is equipped with insulated terminals and a resistance band to achieve independent heating for each zone. The reduction heating furnace is equipped with multiple temperature measuring points. The thermocouples at the measuring points are covered with protective tubes, and the protective tubes are sealed to the reduction heating furnace with silicone rubber to ensure the vacuum level inside the reduction heating furnace. The thermocouples transmit the temperature signal to the temperature control system in real time, and the temperature control system adjusts independently and precisely according to the heating power of each heating zone. The reduction heating furnace is equipped with insulation cotton.

3. The novel combined equipment design method for sponge titanium production according to claim 1, characterized in that, Optimized design of the sieve plate: The sieve plate mainly consists of a bottom end cap, a load-bearing ring, a flat plate, support tubes, and a heat dissipation cylinder. The bottom end cap provides support and housing space for the reactor sieve plate. One end of the load-bearing ring is fixed to the inner wall of the bottom end cap, and the other end supports the flat plate, forming a stable support structure. Three support tubes are welded on the flat plate to support the heat dissipation cylinder. The heat dissipation cylinder is fixed on the flat plate and is made of high-strength cast iron material. There are gaps inside to form a magnesium chloride flow channel. Holes are opened on the flat plate, and the holes adopt a layered hole diameter distribution with a hole diameter range of 30-50mm. A 100-150mm hole is opened in the middle of the load-bearing ring.

4. The novel combined equipment design method for sponge titanium production according to claim 1, characterized in that, Optimized design of the passageway heater: The passageway heater includes a reactor cover, heating device, T-tube, first support column, second support column, flange, bolt assembly and platform steel structure; One end of the heating device is equipped with a flange, and two heating devices are connected as one unit by the flange and bolt assembly. The connection of the flange is coated with high-temperature and corrosion-resistant sealant. The heating device is equipped with a T-tube. The heating device is fixed to the reactor cover by the first support column. The flange is fixed to the platform steel structure by a second support column; Multiple heating devices are evenly arranged above the pipe, and each heating device can be controlled independently to achieve precise temperature control in different zones and improve the uniformity of heating of the pipe. High-temperature resistant graphite gaskets are installed at the flange connection.

5. The novel combined equipment design method for sponge titanium production according to claim 1, characterized in that, Optimized design of the discharge system: The discharge pipe system includes lifting lugs, detachable horizontal pipes, pagoda heads, vertical pipes, corrugated pipes, and anti-deformation modules. Both ends of the detachable horizontal pipe are fixed with flange structures, and the branch ends of the vertical pipe are also fixed with flange structures. One end flange structure of the detachable horizontal pipe is bolted to the branch end flange structure of the vertical pipe. The other end flange structure of the detachable horizontal pipe connects to one end of the discharge pipe of the reduction heating furnace. The other end of the discharge pipe extends to the bottom of the reduction heating furnace, located below the sieve plate. The upper end of the vertical pipe is equipped with a pagoda head, and the lower part of the vertical pipe is fitted with multiple layers of corrugated pipes. The lower end of the vertical pipe leads into the lifting ladle. The corrugated pipes are made of corrosion-resistant, high-strength materials, and their waveform is Ω-shaped. The anti-deformation module includes a transmission horizontal plate, a transmission vertical plate, anti-loosening bolts, and pipe supports. Multiple transmission vertical plates are fixed between two transmission horizontal plates. The transmission horizontal plates are fixed to a platform, and the upper end of the transmission vertical plates is fixed with pipe supports. The detachable horizontal pipe is fixed to the pipe supports. Lifting lugs are fixed to the detachable horizontal pipes.

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