Shaft furnace for copper refining and method therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shaft furnace 1 for refining charge materials into molten copper, the shaft furnace having a vertically arranged steel outer casing 2 and a refractory lining 3 arranged inside the steel outer casing, the steel outer casing 2 having at least one charging opening 4 for supplying the charge materials into the shaft furnace 1 and a tapping opening 5 for the outflow of the molten copper out of the shaft furnace 1, and burners 6 for heating the charge materials and refining the copper being arranged in a predefined plane of the shaft furnace 1 between the charging opening 4 and the tapping opening 5, preferably a plurality of burners 6 being arranged around the shaft furnace 1 in a plurality of planes and rows. In the above-mentioned shaft furnace 1, the steel outer casing 2 of the shaft furnace 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape at least in the upper region 8 of the uppermost burner 6 or the uppermost row of the burners 6, and the refractory lining 3 has a continuous series of cylindrical subsections 8a to 8e from top to bottom in the upper region 8, these subsections being arranged concentrically with each other and the diameters of these subsections increasing successively from one subsection 8 to the next. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for refining charge materials into molten copper in such a shaft furnace.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shaft furnace for the refining of charge materials, in particular copper cathodes, into molten copper, said shaft furnace having a vertically arranged steel outer casing and a refractory lining arranged within this steel outer casing, wherein the steel outer casing has at least one charging opening for the supply of the charge material into the shaft furnace and a tapping opening for the outflow of the molten copper out of the shaft furnace. In a predefined plane of the shaft furnace, between the charging opening and the tapping opening, burners for heating the charge material and refining the copper are arranged, preferably in a plurality of rows and in a plane, around the circumference of the shaft furnace. The present invention further relates to a method for refining a charge material, such as a copper cathode, into molten copper in such a shaft furnace.

Background Art

[0002] Shaft furnaces, known also as methods and shaft furnaces for melting copper, are well known from the prior art. In this well-known technology, copper is added and charged in solid form through an upper charging opening and heated and melted using a burner, such as a gas burner, arranged at the lower side of the shaft furnace, and finally led out of this tapping opening through the tapping opening, for example, through a connecting groove, into a holding furnace or directly into a corresponding casting device. Throughout the passage of the charge material through the shaft furnace from above to below, this charge material is continuously heated and reaches a minimum temperature of about 1250 °C, which is necessary for the refining of copper, within the region of the melting zone. The shaft furnace usually consists of a cylindrical steel outer casing and a refractory lining arranged within this steel outer casing.

[0003] Shaft furnaces of this type, and methods for operating such shaft furnaces, are known, for example, from Patent Document 1. On the other hand, Patent Document 2 also describes a shaft furnace having a vertically arranged furnace body for the production of copper.

[0004] It is known from the prior art to monitor the filling state of a shaft furnace, which should preferably be filled with copper cathodes at least up to 1 m below the charging opening, using a camera. If the filling state decreases, the operator inserts new cathodes into the furnace. The steel structure of the furnace and the refractory lining between the charging area and the burner area are usually formed as a cylinder. In that case, the refractory bricks are preferably configured such that their long sides follow the radius of the combustion chamber formed by the steel cladding. In this case, it is necessary in particular to avoid blockages during the filling process, such as jams during slipping (Nachrutschen) in the shaft, for example. In this case, any deviation from the cylindrical shape of the steel outer casing of the shaft furnace or from shaped bricks adapted to the geometric shape of the furnace is time-consuming with regard to manufacturing, assembly, and statics.

[0005] Furthermore, the adjustment of the burner output is usually configured such that the output of the burner is adjusted depending on the filling state of the subsequent holding furnace, which serves purely as a storage for the downstream casting facility.

[0006] The molten copper usually flows continuously through the bottom region of the shaft furnace, which is formed inclined, below the lowest burner row, and is led through a tapping opening built of stone, which is embedded in the furnace wall, into the connecting groove to the holding furnace. The sizing of the tapping opening is based on empirical values in that case.

[0007] In the prior art known from practice, in that case, it is a drawback that monitoring the filling state using a camera requires constant attention from the equipment operator. The equipment operator is usually responsible, in a timely manner, for the introduction of new charge, cathode (neue Ladung Kathoden) into the furnace via the charging device. If the charging is carried out too early, the cathode is not positioned by the charging device in the advantageous vertical alignment direction and is placed in the shaft in an inclined or horizontal manner. This, in turn, interferes with the optimal heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the slipping cathode material during another process. If, on the contrary, the charging is carried out too late, the lining is damaged where the cathode collides with the refractory lining from an overly large drop height. Furthermore, if the furnace is not continuously and completely filled, the energy efficiency decreases.

[0008] The cathode drops onto the previously charged cathode layer in a relatively random alignment direction during charging. The burner in the lower region of the furnace melts the cathode, and the melt flowing out at the bottom of this furnace flows out through the tapping opening. The cathode continuously slides down from top to bottom, and in this case, the temperature continuously rises from top to bottom. In that case, the lining and the cathode expand and are often fixed in a wedge shape. These cathodes often only start to slide down after additional cathodes are charged from above or after the clogged material is distorted in shape and torn apart. This induces that the supply to the burner region is no longer continuous but rather intermittent, and accordingly, the melting rate of the shaft furnace decreases.

[0009] The frequent interruptions of the continuous sliding down and the resulting fluctuating melting rate, known from practice, make the automatic operation method of the furnace extremely difficult to the point of impossibility, and the burner output often needs to be changed, and in part, the distribution of the output between individual burners needs to be changed.

[0010] Furthermore, the geometric shape of the hot water outlet opening is extremely important both for the energy balance of the furnace and for the reliability of this energy balance. If the hot water outlet opening is, for example, excessively large, too much energy will leak through this hot water outlet opening into the adjacent coupling groove, and there, problems such as overheating of the burner located there will be induced. On the other hand, if this hot water outlet opening is excessively small, there is a risk of copper blockage and freezing in the bottom region of the shaft furnace. In the prior art up to now, however, the optimization of the geometric shape of the hot water outlet opening can only be carried out after the furnace has been shut down and the lining inside the furnace has been repaired.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0011]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0012] Therefore, the problems of the present invention are to ideally automatically monitor the height of the furnace filling state and substitute user management. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it should be achieved that cathode clogging can be avoided in order to achieve a suitable and continuous melting rate of the shaft furnace. According to the present invention, automatic adjustment of the burner output should be achieved instead of the conventionally known manual post-control of the burner output. In short, the geometric shape of the hot water outlet opening should be able to be changed and optimized from the outside without intervening in the original lining of the shaft furnace, and by this, ultimately, a continuous and steady operating method of the shaft furnace can be achieved, advantageously with a significantly reduced energy consumption.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0013] This problem is solved, in accordance with the gist of the present invention, by a shaft furnace including the features of claim 1 and by a method including the features of claim 22 . Advantageous configurations of the present invention are defined in particular in the dependent claims.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] In accordance with the present invention, a shaft furnace for refining a charging material into molten copper is provided, the shaft furnace having a vertically arranged steel outer jacket and a refractory lining arranged within the steel outer jacket. The steel outer jacket has at least one charging opening for supplying the charging material into the shaft furnace and a tapping opening for the outflow of the molten copper out of the shaft furnace. In a predefined plane of the shaft furnace between the charging opening and the tapping opening, burners for heating the charging material and refining the copper are arranged, preferably a plurality of burners arranged around the shaft furnace in a plurality of planes and rows. In accordance with the present invention, the steel outer jacket of the shaft furnace is formed in a cylindrical shape at least in an upper region above the uppermost burner or the uppermost row of the burners, and the refractory lining has a succession of cylindrical partial sections from above downward in the upper region, these partial sections being arranged concentrically with each other and each having a diameter, this diameter increasing successively from one partial section to the next. The diameter of a second partial section adjacent to a first partial section is at least 16 mm, preferably at least 20 mm, larger than the diameter of the first partial section (8a), and Each of the cylindrical partial sections has a height of at least 1200 mm, preferably greater than 1300 mm, in particular between 1300 mm and 1400 mm.

[0015] In accordance with the gist of the present invention, a shaft furnace is provided accordingly. The inner diameter of this shaft furnace is at least in one partial region, preferably above the burner, within an important part of the shaft (longer than 70% of this shaft length, preferably longer than 80%). In particular, within this part of the shaft that continues below the charging opening and extends up to the uppermost burner plane in this region, particularly preferably over the entire length of this shaft above the burner, it increases stepwise. Therefore, continuous and unobstructed slippage of the solid charging material, for example in the form of copper cathode plates, is possible throughout the operation of the shaft furnace despite heating of the charging material as well as the refractory lining.

[0016] It is particularly advantageous if the shaft furnace has at least 3, preferably at least 5, partial sections that are such consecutive and adjacent side by side with a stepwise increasing inner diameter of the refractory lining.

[0017] This ensures that the wedging fixation of the cathode inside the shaft furnace can be reduced or completely avoided despite the expansion due to the heat of the lining and the cathode when maintaining the cylindrical steel outer casing. The charged cathode can slip down despite thermal expansion and ensures continuous furnace operation. The temperature from top to bottom inside the shaft furnace rises continuously, and an optimal heat exchange between the exhaust gas of the burner and the slipping cathode material can be ensured.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the cylindrical partial section of the refractory lining is The thermal expansion of the refractory lining, preferably the thermal expansion of the refractory lining and the charging material, is formed such that it is at least compensated under the operating conditions of the shaft furnace. This ensures trouble-free operation of the shaft furnace, in which the charging material, in particular the copper cathode, can penetrate reliably when the refractory lining moves from a first partial section into a second partial section arranged below this first partial section and adjacent thereto, without being hindered by jamming due to slipping of the cathode material.

[0019] The terms "first partial section" and "second partial section" mean, in the context of the present invention, each pair of two partial sections that are arranged overlapping each other and adjacent to each other.

[0020] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one sensor, preferably three sensors arranged overlapping each other, is provided for measuring the filling state of the shaft furnace by the charging material. These sensors are arranged particularly preferably above the uppermost burner plane and, in particular, directly below the charging opening, particularly preferably below the charging opening, and not exceeding 1 m with respect to the uppermost sensor. In a very advantageous embodiment of the invention, one receiver is assigned to each of at least one of the sensors, preferably three of the sensors, and the receivers are arranged in the shaft furnace, particularly preferably opposite each respective sensor and in the plane of each respective sensor. This enables a simple and reliable measurement of the filling height of the shaft furnace, which obviates the need for visual inspection.

[0021] The sensors can thus measure the filling state of the shaft in the horizontal direction and determine whether the shaft furnace is filled in each plane covered by the sensors, and possibly by a receiver associated with this sensor. Regarding filling, it is advantageous if a warning signal is output throughout when below a predefined threshold value, and this warning signal indicates whether a new charge is necessary. In this context, it is particularly advantageous if these sensors are connected to one device, and this device automatically causes replenishment by the charging system when below a predefined threshold value. By this means, a higher degree of automation is achieved, by particularly simple means, in a shaft furnace already well known for refining charging materials into molten copper than in the prior art.

[0022] Ideally, three sensors are mounted relative to each other below the charging plane in the shaft furnace, advantageously at intervals of 400 to 600 mm, particularly 450 to 550 mm, and very particularly advantageously 500 mm, and measure whether there is charging material within the scanned plane. In this region of the shaft furnace where the copper is heated from room temperature to approximately the melting temperature, clogging of the copper cathodes or the respective different charging materials is prevented by the fact that the thermal expansion of the charging material is at least compensated for by a progressive increase in the diameter of the refractory lining from top to bottom. The coefficient of thermal expansion of copper is 16.5 * 10^-6 1 / K (16.5×10 -6 / K (Kelvin)), and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the lining is approximately 5 * 10^-6 1 / K (5×10 -6 / K). The lining is in that case configured such that, on the one hand, the inexpensive cylindrical outer shape of the steel jacket and the refractory lining is maintained above the burner row, and on the other hand, the load-bearing capacity of this refractory lining is ensured and the cost of the prefabricated bricks remains as low as possible.

[0023] According to the invention, it is advantageous if a measuring sensor for measuring the temperature of the molten copper upon outflow from the hot water outlet opening, advantageously a measuring lance coupled to the shaft furnace, is arranged within the region of the hot water outlet opening. In particular, when the current production rate of the downstream casting facility is similarly measured, the heat balance of the shaft furnace can be calculated using a process model, and the required current gas volume or burner output of individual burners or burner rows can be determined. From this, the basic adjustment amount of the burner, i.e., the burner output, is usually adjusted such that the burners of each row operate with the same output respectively and the output distribution of individual rows is adjusted in advance. In particular, when the current weight and weight change of the copper melt in the holding furnace connected downstream of the shaft furnace are determined, these values can continuously correct the above-described adjustment. Using this adjustment, in particular after the start-up of the shaft furnace, no further manual intervention is necessary for burner adjustment, and in that case, the operation of the shaft furnace is advantageously carried out completely automatically.

[0024] It is further advantageous if the refractory lining projects beyond the longitudinal extent of this steel jacket from the region of this refractory lining and from the inside out through the steel jacket for the tapping opening. Advantageously, the height of the tapping opening is in that case defined by shaped bricks which are inserted laterally into adjacent refractory bricks and fixed from above by a further brick. In this context, it is particularly advantageous that the refractory lining, in particular the shaped bricks, projecting beyond the steel jacket of the shaft furnace and the part of the refractory bricks surrounding this shaped brick are surrounded by a steel sleeve or a steel frame, and through this part, the tightness of this region of the shaft furnace can be ensured around the opening of the shaped brick. In this context, it is particularly advantageous if a part of the steel sleeve or the steel frame, in particular the upper steel plate, is detachably connected to this part. The detachable connection of the remaining part of the steel sleeve or the steel frame to the steel plate can advantageously be achieved by clamping or screwing. After removal of the steel plate, unobstructed access to the refractory bricks and / or shaped bricks embedded in the steel sleeve or steel frame can be enabled, without the need to intervene inside the shaft furnace in that case.

[0025] According to the invention, similarly, a holding furnace is arranged downstream of the water outlet opening of the shaft furnace, This is particularly advantageous if this holding furnace is coupled to a sensor, preferably a weighing cell, for the measurement of the weight of the melt in the holding furnace and for the detection of weight changes in the holding furnace. Thereby, measurement parameters are provided by particularly simple means, which allow the calculation of the heat balance of the shaft furnace and, in connection therewith, the determination of the required current gas quantity or burner output using a process model.

[0026] It is particularly advantageous if the output of each individual burner in each row of burners can be controlled individually and preferably automatically, in open-loop control or closed-loop control.

[0027] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a plurality of thermoelectric elements for the detection of the temperature of the refractory lining are provided in the region of the refractory lining, in particular in the region of the burners and / or in the shaft arranged above these burners. The measured values detectable thereby can be used for the optimization of the temperature of this lining taking into account the service life of the lining and can be used for the preferably automatic operation of the shaft furnace.

[0028] Furthermore, the open-loop or closed-loop control unit for open-loop control or closed-loop control of the degree of filling of the shaft furnace and / or the melting rate of the shaft furnace, preferably automatically, in particular for the continuous supply of the charging material and / or for ensuring a melting rate that is as constant as possible. It is advantageous when adjusted and configured. All of these are utilized for improving the efficiency of the shaft furnace and for achieving the highest possible thermal efficiency.

[0029] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for refining the charged material into molten copper in a shaft furnace is provided in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention described above. The method according to the present invention is characterized in that an open-loop or closed-loop control unit advantageously automatically open-loop controls or closed-loop controls the charging of the shaft furnace, the filling state inside the shaft furnace, and each row of burners, preferably the output of each individual burner. The height of the water outlet opening, and / or the geometric shape of this water outlet opening, in particular the size of the water outlet opening, and, accordingly, the amount of hot air or hot gas flowing out of the shaft furnace per unit time can be varied.

[0030] In this context, it is particularly advantageous for the open-loop or closed-loop control unit to calculate the heat balance of the shaft furnace based on measured parameters and under the use of a process model.

[0031] The measured parameters used for this purpose are the filling state of the shaft furnace, the temperature of the molten copper upon flowing out from the water outlet opening, and preferably also the weight and / or weight change of the molten copper inside a holding furnace arranged preferably downstream of the water outlet opening, and particularly preferably also the production rate of a casting facility connected downstream of the shaft furnace. and include.

[0032] In this context, the measured parameters are input into the process model for the calculation of the heat balance of the shaft furnace, It is particularly advantageous if this process model is used to determine the currently required burner output, in particular the amount of fuel required by each burner.

[0033] The geometric shape of the water outlet opening is determinatively involved in the energy balance of the furnace, and the same generally holds true with regard to the reliability of the shaft furnace operation. The geometric shape of the water outlet opening significantly limits the amount of hot air flowing out from the shaft furnace into the coupling groove. The less this amount of hot air, the more energy-efficiently the shaft furnace can generally operate. At the same time, it is necessary to consider that, in particular, slag may interfere with the outflow of the copper melt from the water outlet opening. Therefore, it is particularly advantageous if components defining the water outlet opening, such as shaped bricks and refractory bricks surrounding this shaped brick, are easily accessible and are arranged outside the steel outer casing. Furthermore, the provision of a steel sleeve or a steel frame around the part of the water outlet opening protruding from the steel outer casing enables an efficient limitation of undesired hot air outflow. Thanks to the advantageous, detachable steel plates in the steel sleeve or the steel frame, access to all components of the water outlet opening is nevertheless easily replaceable.

[0034] In accordance with the present invention, accordingly, it can be ensured that the melting rate of the shaft furnace does not change or only changes minimally. In addition, an optimal filling of the shaft furnace is ensured, whereby it can be guaranteed that high thermal efficiency can be achieved. By continuously supplying the charging material to the burner chamber, effective control of the melting rate of the shaft furnace can be achieved, and at the same time, automatic adjustment of the burner can be performed by the control implemented. Finally, by optimizing the height of the water outlet opening, the energy balance of the furnace can be further improved.

[0035] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to five figures, in which advantageous embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and which do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a shaft furnace 1 according to the present invention for refining a charging material into molten copper. The shaft furnace 1 consists of a vertically arranged steel outer casing 2 and a refractory lining 3 arranged inside this steel outer casing. The steel outer casing 2 has a charging opening 4 arranged inside the shaft furnace 1 at the upper side for supplying the charging material into the shaft furnace 1, and a hot water outlet opening 5 for the outflow of molten copper from the shaft furnace 1 to the outside. In the lower region of the shaft furnace 1, burners 6 are arranged in rows or in a planar shape around the shaft furnace 1. In this embodiment, three rows of burners 6 are provided. While both upper rows of burners 6a, b are arranged in the shaft furnace 1 in a horizontal plane, the plane for the lower row of burner 6c basically exists in the shaft furnace 1 parallel to the steeply inclined bottom plane 7, along which the molten copper in the area of burner 6 is led to the tapping opening 5. Above the area of burner 6, the shaft furnace 1 has a shaft area 8, in which basically solid charge material is conveyed from above to below based on gravity in the form of copper cathodes and is continuously heated from the charging temperature to the melting temperature there. In the case in question here, the shaft area 8 of the shaft furnace 1 has a height of about 9 m above the burner 6, with a minimum inner diameter of 1804 mm. The shaft area 8 of the shaft furnace 1 consists of a plurality of cylindrical subsections 8a - 8e above the burner 6, and the diameters of these subsections 8 increase successively by 20 mm each from one subsection to the next. The diameters of these subsections 8 are configured such that a reliable sliding of the charge material from above to below is ensured over the plurality of subsections 8a - 8e of the refractory lining 3 as well during the heating of the refractory material having a temperature gradient from above to below and from the inside to the outside as well.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a partial view of the upper area of the shaft furnace 1 of Figure 1. In the area of the charging opening 4, a cylindrical part of the refractory lining 3 having a diameter of 1804 mm is provided, to which the first subsection 8a of the refractory lining 3 is adjacent downward in the direction of gravity. Following this first subsection, yet another subsection 8b is provided within the refractory lining 3, and this yet another subsection also has an inner diameter, which is formed 20 mm larger than in the adjacent upper subsection 8a and is thus 1844 mm.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the region of the shaft furnace (not shown) within the region of the hot water outlet opening 5. The hot water outlet opening 5 is defined by the shaped bricks 5a, and these shaped bricks are surrounded by rows of refractory bricks 5b on the upper and lower sides. Similar to the shaped bricks 5a, the refractory bricks 5b that are directly adjacent to these shaped bricks 5a are arranged such that at least a part of the shaped bricks 5a projects outward from the shaft furnace 1 beyond the longitudinal extension of the steel outer casing 2. This protruding part of the shaped bricks 5a and the refractory bricks 5b surrounding these shaped bricks is surrounded by a steel sleeve or a steel frame following the steel outer casing 2. This integrated component of the steel sleeve or the steel frame is the upper steel plate 5c, and this upper steel plate is detachably coupled to the steel sleeve or the steel frame via fastening elements. When the steel plate 5c is removed, basically unobstructed access is provided to those parts of the refractory components of the hot water outlet opening 5 that project beyond the steel outer casing 2.

[0040] Figure 4 shows a schematic partial view of the upper region of the shaft furnace 1 approximately 1 m below the charging opening (not shown). Outside the steel outer casing 2, within three planes from 10a to 10c, approximately 1 m below the charging opening (not shown) and at intervals of approximately 500 mm from each other, three sensors from 12a to 12c, as well as three receivers from 13a to 13c that are operatively coupled to these sensors, are shown. Using the sensors from 12a to 12c, accordingly, it can be determined whether solid charging material is present or not inside the shaft furnace 1 at the heights of the sensors from 12a to 12c and the receivers from 13a to 13c.

[0041] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram regarding the automatic control of the burner output inside the shaft furnace 1 according to the present invention. The measured temperature of the molten copper flowing out from the tapping opening 5 using the measurement cell 9a, and the weight of the molten copper in the holding furnace 14 using the measurement cell 9, are passed on to the open-loop or closed-loop control unit 15, and via this open-loop or closed-loop control unit, the output of each burner 6 inside the shaft furnace 1 is adjusted taking into account the current production rate of the subsequent and not shown casting facility. Thereby, a constant operation of the shaft furnace 1 is guaranteed, basically in an automated state, advantageously with a constant burner output and a constant flow of the molten copper from the tapping opening 5 into the holding furnace 14. Note that although this application relates to the invention described in the claims, the following may also be included as other aspects. 1. A shaft furnace (1) for refining charged materials into molten copper, the shaft furnace comprising: a vertically arranged steel outer casing (2) and a refractory lining (3) arranged inside the steel outer casing, the steel outer casing (2) having at least one charging opening (4) for supplying the charged materials into the shaft furnace (1) and a tapping opening (5) for the outflow of the molten copper out of the shaft furnace (1), a burner (6) for heating the charged materials and refining the copper being arranged in a predetermined plane of the shaft furnace (1) between the charging opening (4) and the tapping opening (5), preferably a plurality of burners (6) arranged around the shaft furnace (1) in a plurality of planes and rows, In the above shaft furnace (1), the steel outer casing (2) of the shaft furnace (1) is formed in a cylindrical shape at least in the upper region (8) of the uppermost burner (6) or the uppermost row of the burners (6), and the refractory lining (3) has a continuous cylindrical partial section (8a - 8e) from top to bottom in the upper region (8), these partial sections being concentrically arranged with each other and the diameters of these partial sections increasing successively from one partial section (8) to the next, characterized by the shaft furnace (1). 2. The diameters of the cylindrical partial sections (8a - 8e) of the refractory lining (3) are formed such that the thermal expansion of the refractory lining (3), preferably the thermal expansion of the refractory lining (3) and the charged materials, is at least compensated under the operating conditions of the shaft furnace (1), characterized by the shaft furnace (1) according to item 1 above. 3. The diameter of the second partial section (8b) adjacent to the first partial section (8a) is at least 16 mm, preferably at least 20 mm larger than the diameter of the first partial section (8a), characterized by the shaft furnace (1) according to item 1 or 2 above. 4. The cylindrical partial sections (8a - 8e) are The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 above, characterized in that each has a height of at least 1200 mm, preferably greater than 1300 mm, in particular between 1300 mm and 1400 mm. 5. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 above, characterized in that at least four, preferably five, of said cylindrical partial sections (8a - 8e) are arranged overlapping each other. 6. At least one sensor (12), preferably three sensors (12a - 12c) arranged overlapping each other, for measuring the filling state of the shaft furnace (1) by the charged material in the shaft furnace (1), The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 above, characterized in that it is arranged not exceeding 1 m above the uppermost burner plane (6a), in particular directly below the charging opening (4), and particularly preferably below the charging opening (4), with respect to the uppermost sensor (12a). 7. At least one of said sensors (12), preferably three of said sensors (12a - 12c), each having one receiver (13) assigned thereto, The shaft furnace (1) according to claim 6 above, characterized in that the receiver is preferably located opposite each sensor (12) and is arranged in the shaft furnace (1) within the plane (10) of the sensor (12). 8. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 above, characterized in that a measuring sensor, preferably a measuring lance combined with the shaft furnace, for measuring the temperature of the molten copper upon outflow from the outlet opening (5) is arranged within the region of the outlet opening (5). 9. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 above, characterized in that the refractory lining (3) is provided in the region of the outlet opening (5) so as to protrude laterally beyond the steel outer casing (2) of the shaft furnace (1) from the inside to the outside. 10. The refractory lining (3) has at least one shaping brick (5a) defining the height of the outlet opening (5) in the region of the outlet opening (5), The shaping brick is surrounded by bricks (5b) of the refractory lining (3) adjacent to the shaping brick (5a) from above and below as well as from the side. The refractory lining component of the outlet opening (5), in particular the shaped brick (5a) and the refractory brick (5b) arranged to project beyond the steel outer casing (2) surrounding this shaped brick, is surrounded by a steel sleeve or a steel frame. The steel sleeve or the steel frame has a steel plate (5c), preferably a steel plate (5c) arranged above the steel sleeve or the steel frame. This steel plate is detachably coupled to the steel sleeve or the steel frame. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of the above 1 to 9, characterized in that. 11. The connection of the steel plate (5c) to the steel sleeve or the steel frame is The shaft furnace (1) according to the above 10, characterized in that it is connected by clamping or screwing. 12. A holding furnace (14) is arranged downstream of the outlet opening (5) of the shaft furnace (1). The holding furnace is coupled to a sensor, preferably a weight measuring cell (9), for measuring the weight of the melt in this holding furnace (14) and for detecting a change in weight in this holding furnace (14). The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of the above 1 to 11, characterized in that. 13. The sensor (12) is coupled to a monitoring unit, and this monitoring unit Regarding the filling of the shaft furnace (1) with the charging material, at least one warning signal when falling below a predefined threshold value, and preferably for outputting an instruction for the automatic charging of the shaft furnace (1) in particular with the charging material. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of the above 6 to 12, characterized in that it is configured and adjusted. 14. The shaft furnace (1) is coupled to an open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15). This open-loop or closed-loop control unit Based on the measured parameters and under the use of a process model, calculates the heat balance of the shaft furnace (1), and from this, determines the current required burner output, preferably the current required fuel quantity. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of the above 1 to 13, characterized in that. 15. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) is For each row of burners (6a to 6c), preferably the output of each individual burner (6), individually and preferably automatically, for open-loop control or closed-loop control The shaft furnace (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that it is configured and adjusted. 16. The plurality of thermoelectric elements for detecting the temperature of the refractory lining (3) The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that it is provided in the region of the refractory lining (3), particularly in the region of the burner (6), and / or in the shaft (8) arranged above these burners. 17. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) For open-loop control or closed-loop control, preferably automatically, of the degree of filling of the shaft furnace (1) and / or the melting rate of the shaft furnace (1), particularly for ensuring continuous supply of the charging material and / or a melting rate that is as constant as possible The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that it is adjusted and configured. 18. In the method for refining the charging material into molten copper in the shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, An open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) The charging of the shaft furnace (1), the filling state inside the shaft furnace (1), and each row of burners (6a to 6c), preferably the output of each individual burner (6) The method is characterized in that it is preferably automatically subjected to open-loop control or closed-loop control. 19. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) The method according to claim 18, characterized in that it calculates the heat balance of the shaft furnace (1) based on the measured parameters and under the use of a process model. 20. The measured parameters are The filling state of the shaft furnace (1) The temperature of the molten copper during outflow from the tapping opening (5), and Preferably, also the weight and / or weight change of the molten copper inside the holding furnace (14) arranged downstream of the tapping opening (5), Particularly preferably, also the productivity of the casting facility connected downstream of the shaft furnace (1), The method according to claim 19, characterized in that it includes. 21. The measured parameters are input into a process model for the calculation of the heat balance of the shaft furnace (1), characterized in that the burner output currently required, preferably the amount of fuel required by each burner (6), is determined using this process model, according to the method of any one of the above 19 or 20. 22. The height of the water outlet opening (5), and / or the geometric shape of this water outlet opening, in particular the size of the water outlet opening (5), and the amount of hot air or hot gas flowing out of the shaft furnace (1) per unit time associated therewith is variable, according to the method of any one of the above 18 to 21. 23. The operation of the shaft furnace (1) is automatically carried out at least after the start of this operation, according to the method of any one of the above 18 to 22.

Explanation of Symbols

[0042] 1 Shaft furnace 2 Steel outer jacket 3 Refractory lining 4 Charging opening 5 Hot water outlet opening 5a Shaping brick 5b Refractory brick 5c Steel plate 6 Burner 7 Bottom plane 8 Shaft area 9 Measuring cell 9a Measuring cell 10a Sensor plane 10b Sensor plane 10c Sensor plane 12a Sensor 12b Sensor 12c Sensor 13a Receiver 13b Receiver 13c Receiver 14 Holding furnace 15 Open-loop or closed-loop control unit

Claims

1. A shaft furnace (1) for refining charged materials into molten copper, the shaft furnace comprising a vertically arranged steel outer casing (2) and a refractory lining (3) arranged inside the steel outer casing, the steel outer casing (2) having at least one charging opening (4) for supplying the charged materials into the shaft furnace (1) and a tapping opening (5) for the outflow of the molten copper from the shaft furnace (1), a burner (6) for heating the charged materials and refining the copper being arranged in a predefined plane of the shaft furnace (1) between the charging opening (4) and the tapping opening (5), preferably a plurality of burners (6) being arranged around the shaft furnace (1) in a plurality of planes and rows, in the shaft furnace (1) described above, the steel outer casing (2) of the shaft furnace (1) being formed in a cylindrical shape at least in an upper region (8) above the uppermost burner (6) or the uppermost row of the burners (6), and the refractory lining (3) comprising a succession of cylindrical partial sections (8a - 8e) from top to bottom in the upper region (8), these partial sections being arranged concentrically with each other and the diameters of these partial sections increasing successively from one partial section (8) to the next, characterized shaft furnace (1).

2. The diameters of the cylindrical partial sections (8a - 8e) of the refractory lining (3) are formed such that the thermal expansion of the refractory lining (3), preferably the thermal expansion of the refractory lining (3) and the charged materials, is at least compensated under the operating conditions of the shaft furnace (1), characterized in that the shaft furnace (1) according to claim 1.

3. The diameter of a second partial section (8b) adjacent to a first partial section (8a) is at least 16 mm, preferably at least 20 mm larger than the diameter of the first partial section (8a), characterized in that the shaft furnace (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The cylindrical partial sections (8a - 8e) each have a height of at least 1200 mm, preferably greater than 1300 mm, in particular between 1300 mm and 1400 mm, characterized in that the shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least four, preferably five, of said cylindrical partial sections (8a to 8e) overlap each other.

6. At least one sensor (12), preferably three sensors (12a to 12c) arranged overlapping each other, for measuring the filling state of the shaft furnace (1) by the charged material in the shaft furnace (1), is arranged, with respect to the uppermost sensor (12a), not exceeding 1 m, preferably above the uppermost burner plane (6a), in particular directly below the charging opening (4), and particularly preferably below the charging opening (4), of the shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. At least one of said sensors (12), preferably three of said sensors (12a to 12c), is each assigned one receiver (13), the shaft furnace (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the receiver is arranged facing each respective sensor (12) and in the plane (10) of the sensor (12) in the shaft furnace (1).

8. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that in the region of the water outlet opening (5), there is arranged a measuring sensor, preferably a measuring lance combined with the shaft furnace, for measuring the temperature of the molten copper during outflow from the water outlet opening (5).

9. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the refractory lining (3) projects laterally beyond the steel outer casing (2) of the shaft furnace (1) from the inside to the outside in the region of the water outlet opening (5).

10. The refractory lining (3) has, in the region of the water outlet opening (5), at least one shaping brick (5a) defining the height of the water outlet opening (5), the shaping brick being surrounded by bricks (5b) of the refractory lining (3) adjacent to the shaping brick (5a) from above and below as well as from the side. The refractory lining component of the outlet opening (5), in particular the shaped brick (5a) and the refractory brick (5b) arranged to project beyond the steel outer casing (2) surrounding this shaped brick, is surrounded by a steel sleeve or a steel frame. The steel sleeve or the steel frame has a steel plate (5c), preferably a steel plate (5c) arranged above the steel sleeve or the steel frame. This steel plate is detachably coupled to the steel sleeve or the steel frame. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that.

11. The connection of the steel plate (5c) to the steel sleeve or the steel frame is The shaft furnace (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that it is connected by clamping or screwing.

12. A holding furnace (14) is arranged downstream of the outlet opening (5) of the shaft furnace (1). The holding furnace is coupled to a sensor, preferably a weighing cell (9), for measuring the weight of the melt in this holding furnace (14) and for detecting weight changes in this holding furnace (14). The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that.

13. The sensor (12) is coupled to a monitoring unit, and this monitoring unit For the filling of the shaft furnace (1) with the charging material, at least one warning signal when falling below a predefined threshold value, and preferably for outputting an instruction for the particularly automatic charging of the shaft furnace (1) with the charging material. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 6 to 12, characterized in that it is configured and adjusted.

14. The shaft furnace (1) is coupled to an open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15). This open-loop or closed-loop control unit Based on the measured parameters and using a process model, calculates the heat balance of the shaft furnace (1), from which the current required burner output, preferably the current required fuel quantity, is determined. The shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that.

15. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) is For the purpose of individually and preferably automatically open-loop or closed-loop controlling the output of each row of burners (6a to 6c), preferably of each individual burner (6), A shaft furnace (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that it is configured and adjusted.

16. A plurality of thermoelectric elements for detecting the temperature of the refractory lining (3) are A shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that they are provided in the region of the refractory lining (3), in particular in the region of the burners (6), and / or in the shaft (8) arranged above these burners.

17. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) is For the purpose of preferably automatically open-loop or closed-loop controlling the degree of filling of the shaft furnace (1) and / or the melting rate of the shaft furnace (1), in particular for ensuring a continuous supply of the charging material and / or a melting rate that is as constant as possible, A shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that it is adjusted and configured.

18. In a method for refining a charging material into molten copper in a shaft furnace (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 17, An open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) The charging of the shaft furnace (1), the filling state inside the shaft furnace (1), and each row of burners (6a to 6c), preferably the output of each individual burner (6), A method characterized in that it is preferably automatically open-loop or closed-loop controlled.

19. The open-loop or closed-loop control unit (15) is A method according to claim 18, characterized in that it calculates the heat balance of the shaft furnace (1) based on measured parameters and under the use of a process model.

20. The measured parameters are The filling state of the shaft furnace (1), The temperature of the molten copper during outflow from the tapping opening (5), and Preferably, the weight and / or weight change of the molten copper inside a holding furnace (14) arranged downstream of the tapping opening (5) as well, Particularly preferably, the productivity of a casting facility connected downstream of the shaft furnace (1) as well. The method according to claim 19, characterized by comprising

21. The measured parameter is input into a process model for calculating the heat balance of the shaft furnace (1), The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, using this process model, the burner output currently required, preferably the amount of fuel required by each burner (6), is determined.

22. The height of the water outlet opening (5), and / or the geometric shape of this water outlet opening, in particular the size of the water outlet opening (5), and The method according to any one of claims 18 to 21, characterized in that the amount of hot air or hot gas flowing out of the shaft furnace (1) per unit time, associated therewith, is variable.

23. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 22, characterized in that the operation of the shaft furnace (1) is carried out automatically, at least after the start of this operation.

Images