Kiln provided with cooling device

Abstract

A kiln comprises a kiln body, a heater, a transfer device, a first cooling device, and a second cooling device. The kiln body comprises a temperature elevation section, a temperature maintaining section, a cooling section, and an outlet-side gas substitution chamber. The heater is positioned in the temperature elevation section and the temperature maintaining section. The transfer device supports a plurality of saggars containing objects to be fired, and transfers the plurality of saggars inside the kiln body. The first cooling device comprises a heat exchanger positioned in the cooling section. The second cooling device comprises: a plurality of nozzle pipes installed so as to pass through a side wall of the outlet-side gas substitution chamber; a drive unit for moving the plurality of nozzle pipes in a reciprocating manner from the outside of the kiln body; and a gas supply unit for supplying a cooling gas to the plurality of nozzle pipes.

Description

Kiln equipped with a cooling device

[0001] The present invention relates to a kiln, and more specifically, to a kiln equipped with a cooling device for lowering the temperature of the outlet of the furnace body.

[0002] The cathode material for secondary batteries is manufactured through processes such as raw material mixing, calcination, crushing, and classification. Among these, the quality of the cathode material is primarily determined during the calcination process. The calcination furnace for cathode material calcination can be composed of linear heating furnaces, such as pusher tunnel kilns and roller hearth kilns. Multiple refractory containers holding the cathode material are fed into the linear heating furnace and discharged after passing through a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, and a cooling section in sequence.

[0003] Most of the reaction in the cathode material occurs during the temperature rise phase, while the remaining reaction takes place during the temperature hold phase. To facilitate the reaction, the interior of the furnace is maintained with a high concentration of oxygen gas, and the resulting gas is discharged through the exhaust port. It is crucial for the furnace to maintain an internal high-temperature, high-concentration oxygen atmosphere for the desired reaction, and to isolate the interior from the outside air to prevent other reactions from occurring until the cathode material cools to room temperature.

[0004] In linear furnaces, the cooling section is connected to the temperature maintenance section, making rapid cooling difficult due to the structure, and cooling methods that bring in large amounts of ambient air cannot be applied. Currently, the cooling section lowers the temperature of the cathode material using a natural cooling method with a small amount of atmosphere gas, but this has limitations due to low cooling efficiency.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a kiln capable of increasing the productivity of anode materials by effectively lowering the temperature of the cooling section in a kiln using a linear heating furnace.

[0006] A firing furnace according to one embodiment comprises a furnace body, a heater, a conveying device, a first cooling device, and a second cooling device. The furnace body includes a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, a cooling section, and an outlet-side gas exchange chamber. A heater is located in the heating section and the temperature maintenance section. A conveying device supports a plurality of refractory containers holding a workpiece to be fired and conveys the plurality of refractory containers within the furnace body. The first cooling device includes a heat exchanger located in the cooling section. The second cooling device includes a plurality of nozzle tubes installed to penetrate the side wall of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, a driving unit that reciprocates the plurality of nozzle tubes on the outside of the furnace body, and a gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the plurality of nozzle tubes.

[0007] The first cooling device may further include a circulation fan located in the cooling section that circulates the atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger within the cooling section. The heat exchanger may include a first heat exchanger installed connected to the ceiling of the furnace body and a second heat exchanger installed connected to the side wall of the furnace body. The circulation fan may include a first circulation fan installed adjacent to the first heat exchanger and a second circulation fan installed adjacent to the second heat exchanger.

[0008] In the cooling section, a first opening and a second opening may be located on both side walls of the furnace body. The furnace may further include a cooling circulation pipe connected to both side walls of the furnace body from the outside, such that both ends communicate with the first opening and the second opening. The cooling section may be composed of a first space inside the furnace body and a second space inside the cooling circulation pipe.

[0009] The heat exchanger may include a third heat exchanger located in the second space and a fourth heat exchanger located in the upper region of the first space. A circulation fan may be located in the second space to allow the atmosphere gas of the cooling section to circulate continuously between the first space and the second space.

[0010] Multiple nozzles may be located in each of the multiple nozzle tubes. The multiple nozzle tubes may be provided in a number equal to the number of stacks of the multiple refractory boxes and may be installed at the same height as the windows of the multiple refractory boxes. The multiple nozzle tubes may be parallel to the width direction of the furnace body and may be positioned at a distance from each other along the height direction of the furnace body.

[0011] Multiple nozzle tubes can pass through the windows of multiple refractory boxes and enter the interior of multiple refractory boxes. Each of the multiple nozzles can be located at the upper center of each of the multiple refractory boxes and can spray cooling gas toward the object to be fired. Multiple nozzle tubes can be connected to a connecting pipe on the outside of the furnace body. The gas supply unit may include a gas supply source located on the outside of the furnace body, a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the connecting pipe, and an opening / closing valve installed in the gas supply pipe.

[0012] Multiple nozzle tubes may be integrally connected by a connecting tube. The driving unit may include a support located on the outer side of the furnace body, multiple pinion gears installed on the support, a rack gear fixed to the lowest nozzle tube among the multiple nozzle tubes, and a motor connected to each of the multiple pinion gears. A second cooling device may be provided as a pair on both side walls of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, and the pair of second cooling devices may face each other along the width direction of the furnace body.

[0013] A firing furnace according to another embodiment comprises a furnace body, a heater, a conveying device, and a movable cooling device. The furnace body includes a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, a cooling section, and an outlet-side gas exchange chamber. A heater is located in the heating section and the temperature maintenance section. The conveying device supports a plurality of refractory containers holding the object to be fired and conveys the plurality of refractory containers within the furnace body. The movable cooling device is equipped with a plurality of nozzle tubes installed to penetrate the side wall of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber. The plurality of nozzle tubes reciprocate along the width direction of the furnace body and, upon maximum advance, enter the interior of each of the plurality of refractory containers to spray cooling gas toward the object to be fired.

[0014] Multiple nozzles may be located in each of the multiple nozzle tubes. The multiple nozzle tubes may be provided in a number equal to the number of stacks of the multiple refractory boxes and may be installed at the same height as the windows of the multiple refractory boxes. The multiple nozzle tubes may pass through the windows of the multiple refractory boxes and enter the interior of the multiple refractory boxes. Each of the multiple nozzles may be located at the upper center of each of the multiple refractory boxes and may spray cooling gas in a downward direction.

[0015] Multiple nozzle tubes may be connected to a connecting tube on the outside of the furnace body. The movable cooling device may further include a driving unit and a gas supply unit. The driving unit may be connected to the lowest nozzle tube among the multiple nozzle tubes on the outside of the furnace body to reciprocate the multiple nozzle tubes. The gas supply unit may be connected to a connecting tube to supply cooling gas to the connecting tube and the multiple nozzle tubes.

[0016] According to the embodiments, the first cooling device cools the atmosphere gas in the cooling section by means of an indirect cooling method, thereby rapidly cooling the atmosphere gas in the cooling section without changing the composition of the atmosphere gas in the temperature maintenance section. Additionally, the second cooling device can rapidly cool the object to be fired by spraying cooling gas directly toward the object to be fired. In this way, productivity can be increased by improving the cooling structure of the object to be fired.

[0017] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are cross-sectional views of a kiln according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 1.

[0019] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the refractory case of the firing furnace shown in Figure 1.

[0020] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the furnace body of the cooling section of the kiln shown in Figure 1.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0022] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a kiln showing a modified embodiment of the cooling section furnace body and the first cooling device illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0023] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber of the kiln illustrated in Figure 1.

[0024] Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views in the YZ direction of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber illustrated in Figure 8.

[0025] FIGS. 11 and FIGS. 12 are schematic diagrams showing examples of the driving unit of the second cooling device illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0026] Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 10.

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0028] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are cross-sectional views of a kiln according to one embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a cross-section in the XZ direction, and FIG. 2 shows a cross-section in the YZ direction.

[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the kiln (1000) according to the present embodiment includes a furnace body (100) comprising a heating section (110), a temperature maintenance section (120), and a cooling section (130); a plurality of heaters (200) installed in the heating section (110) and the temperature maintenance section (120); a transfer device (400) that supports a plurality of refractory casings (300) and transfers a plurality of refractory casings (300) inside the furnace body (100); and a first cooling device (500) installed in the cooling section (130).

[0030] The furnace body (100) may further include an inlet-side gas exchange chamber (140) and an input section (150). The input section (150) may be located between the inlet-side gas exchange chamber (140) and the heating section (110). The furnace body (100) may further include an exhaust section (160) and an outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). The exhaust section (160) may be located between the cooling section (130) and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). The furnace body (100) may be configured as a straight-line heating furnace in which the internal space extends in a straight line from the inlet-side gas exchange chamber (140) to the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170).

[0031] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the refractory case of the firing furnace shown in Figure 1.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 4, the refractory box (300) is a square firing container consisting of a bottom part (301) and four sides (302), and holds a powdered object to be fired (e.g., a positive electrode material for a secondary battery) in its internal space. The refractory box (300) may be made of ceramic refractory material, and a window (303) is located on the upper side of each of the four sides (302) to allow gas to move smoothly between the inside and outside of the refractory box (300).

[0033] Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of refractory boxes (300) can be aligned side by side along the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100) and can be stacked along the height direction (Z direction) of the furnace body (100). FIG. 2 illustrates a configuration in which a plurality of refractory boxes (300) are arranged in four rows along the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100) and stacked in three layers along the height direction (Z direction) of the furnace body (100), but the arrangement of the refractory boxes (300) is not limited to the illustrated example.

[0034] The transfer device (400) moves a plurality of refractory boxes (300) along the length direction (X direction) of the furnace body (100). The transfer device (400) may include a plurality of rollers (401) arranged in a continuous manner along the length direction (X direction) of the furnace body (100), and a rotary drive unit (not shown) that rotates the plurality of rollers (401). Each of the plurality of rollers (401) may be positioned parallel to the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100). On the other hand, the transfer device may be composed of a pusher plate that supports a plurality of refractory boxes (300) and a pusher that pushes the pusher plate.

[0035] A kiln equipped with the former transfer device is called a Roller Hearth Kiln, and a kiln equipped with the latter transfer device is called a Pusher Tunnel Kiln. The kiln (1000) of this embodiment is not limited to a Roller Hearth Kiln (RHK), and the transfer device (400) can be replaced with a large plate and a pusher.

[0036] Multiple heaters (200) may be installed at the same height with a distance from each other along the length direction (X direction) of the furnace body (100) in the heating section (110) and the temperature maintenance section (120) of the furnace body (100). In each of the heating section (110) and the temperature maintenance section (120), the lower heater (201) may be located below the roller (401), and the upper heater (202) may be located above the refractory box (300).

[0037] In the heating section (110) and the temperature maintenance section (120), a plurality of first air supply ports (701) may be located on the bottom and the lower part of the side wall of the furnace body (100), and a plurality of first exhaust ports (702) may be located on the ceiling of the furnace body (100). Atmosphere gas (e.g., high-concentration oxygen gas) is supplied into the furnace body (100) through the plurality of first air supply ports (701), and the atmosphere gas may flow into the interior of the refractory box (300) through the window (303) of the refractory box (300). The gas discharged to the outside of the furnace body (100) through the first exhaust ports (702) may further include carbon dioxide and water vapor discharged from the object to be fired.

[0038] In the cooling section (130), a plurality of second air supply ports (703) and a plurality of second exhaust ports (704) may be located on the floor and ceiling of the furnace body (100). Atmosphere gas (e.g., high-concentration oxygen gas or dry air) may be injected into the furnace body (100) through the plurality of second air supply ports (703), and gas inside the furnace body (100) may be discharged through the plurality of second exhaust ports (704). The flow rate of atmosphere gas supplied to the cooling section (130) may be less than the flow rate of atmosphere gas supplied to the heating section (110) and the temperature maintenance section (120).

[0039] The furnace body (100) forms a closed structure isolated from the outside air, except for a plurality of first air supply ports (701), a plurality of first exhaust ports (702), a plurality of second air supply ports (703), and a plurality of second exhaust ports (704). Specifically, the heating section (110) and the temperature maintenance section (120) are closed spaces isolated from the outside air, except for the atmosphere gas supplied through the plurality of first air supply ports (701). The cooling section (130) is a closed space isolated from the outside air, except for the atmosphere gas supplied through the plurality of second air supply ports (703). Of course, the temperature maintenance section (120) and the cooling section (130) are connected to each other.

[0040] Two gates are installed in each of the inlet gas exchange chamber (140) and the outlet gas exchange chamber (170) to open or close the respective gas exchange chambers (140, 170). The inlet gas exchange chamber (140) and the outlet gas exchange chamber (170) function to block the internal space of the furnace body (100) extending from the input section (150) to the discharge section (160) from the outside air.

[0041] The kiln (1000) of the present embodiment includes a first cooling device (500) installed in the furnace body (100) of the cooling section (130). The first cooling device (500) cools the cooling section (130) indirectly through heat exchange. The kiln (1000) of the present embodiment may further include a second cooling device (600) installed in the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). The second cooling device (600) may be referred to as a mobile cooling device and can rapidly cool the object to be fired by directly injecting cooling gas.

[0042] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the furnace body of the cooling section of the kiln shown in Figure 1.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 5, the first cooling device (500) includes at least one heat exchanger (510) and at least one circulation fan (520) that flows the atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger (510) within the cooling section (130). The circulation fan (520) flows the atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger (510) only within the cooling section (130).

[0044] In the cooling section (130), the high-temperature atmosphere gas rises upward, and since the temperature of the upper space is higher than the temperature of the lower space, at least one heat exchanger (510) is installed to be located in the upper space of the cooling section (130) so as to cool the upper space.

[0045] At least one heat exchanger (510) may include a first heat exchanger (511) connected to the ceiling of the furnace body (100) in the cooling section (130), and a pair of second heat exchangers (512) connected to the side wall of the furnace body (100) in the cooling section (130). The first heat exchanger (511) may be positioned at a certain distance from the ceiling of the furnace body (100) by means of a support, and each of the pair of second heat exchangers (512) may be positioned at a certain distance from the side wall of the furnace body (100) by means of a support.

[0046] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 6, the first heat exchanger (511) and the second heat exchanger (512) may each be composed of a heat exchange tube through which a refrigerant flows into an internal space. The refrigerant may be in a liquid or gaseous state, and may be, for example, cooling water. The first heat exchanger (511) and the second heat exchanger (512) may each be composed of a combination of a plurality of straight tube sections (501) and a plurality of curved tube sections (502), and may be formed in a single-layer or multi-layer structure. FIG. 6 illustrates a single-layer heat exchanger (511, 512) as an example.

[0048] Referring again to FIG. 5, at least one circulation fan (520) may include a first circulation fan (521) located between the ceiling of the furnace body (100) and the first heat exchanger (511), and a second circulation fan (522) located between the side wall of the furnace body (100) and the second heat exchanger (512). The first circulation fan (521) may be provided in multiple numbers along the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100). Additionally, at least one third circulation fan (523) may be installed on the bottom of the furnace body (100).

[0049] The first and second heat exchangers (511, 512) exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing inside and the atmosphere gas of the cooling section (130) to cool the atmosphere gas in an indirect cooling manner. The first circulation fan (521) causes the atmosphere gas cooled around the first heat exchanger (511) to flow downward and supplies the cold atmosphere gas to the uppermost part of the plurality of refractory casings (300). The second circulation fan (522) causes the atmosphere gas cooled around the second heat exchanger (512) to flow sideways and supplies the cold atmosphere gas to the side of the plurality of refractory casings (300).

[0050] The atmosphere gas cooled in the cooling section (130) moves downward due to the difference in density, and the third circulation fan (523) causes the surrounding atmosphere gas to flow upward, thereby causing continuous flow in the height direction (up and down direction) throughout the cooling section (130). That is, the process of the first and second heat exchangers (511, 512) cooling the hot atmosphere gas in the upper space and the third circulation fan (523) sending the cold atmosphere gas in the lower space upward can proceed continuously.

[0051] To maximize cooling efficiency, the width of the first heat exchanger (511) along the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100) may be greater than the total width of the plurality of refractory bodies (300). Additionally, a pair of second heat exchangers (512) may be installed at a height equal to or similar to that of the plurality of refractory bodies (300) so as to face the sides of the plurality of refractory bodies (300).

[0052] The first cooling device (500) of the above configuration cools the atmosphere gas of the cooling section (130) in an indirect cooling manner, thereby not changing the composition of the atmosphere gas of the temperature maintenance section (120) connected to the cooling section (130), and can rapidly cool the atmosphere gas of the cooling section (130) to improve the cooling efficiency of the object to be fired.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a kiln showing a modified embodiment of the cooling section furnace body and the first cooling device illustrated in FIG. 5. Since the other components, excluding the cooling section furnace body and the first cooling device, are identical to the previously described embodiment, redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 7, in a modified example, the furnace (1001) may further include a first opening (OP1) and a second opening (OP2) provided on the two side walls facing each other of the furnace body (100a) in the cooling section (130a), and a cooling circulation pipe (135) connected to the two side walls of the furnace body (100a) so that both ends communicate with the first opening (OP1) and the second opening (OP2). The cooling circulation pipe (135) may be located on the upper side of the furnace body (100a) and may be configured to include approximately one horizontal pipe (136) and two vertical pipes (137), but is not limited to this example.

[0055] One of the two vertical pipes (137) is connected to a side wall where the first opening (OP1) is provided so that the interior communicates with the first opening (OP1), and the other vertical pipe is connected to a side wall where the second opening (OP2) is provided so that the interior communicates with the second opening (OP2). The cooling circulation pipe (135) is not connected to other sections of the furnace body (100a) or to other facilities other than the furnace body (100a), and is connected only to both side walls of the furnace body (100a) in the cooling section (130a).

[0056] The cooling section (130a) includes a first space (S10) inside the furnace body (100a) and a second space (S20) inside the cooling circulation pipe (135). The first space (S10) and the second space (S20) are connected to each other and form a closed space isolated from the outside air, except for atmospheric gas supplied through a plurality of second air supply ports (703) (see FIG. 1) in the first space (S10) and the second space (S20).

[0057] The first cooling device (500a) may include a third heat exchanger (513) connected to a cooling circulation pipe (135) to be located in the second space (S20), a fourth heat exchanger (514) connected to the ceiling of the furnace body (100a) of the cooling section (130a) to be located in the upper area of ​​the first space (S10), and a fourth circulation fan (524) installed inside the cooling circulation pipe (135) to be located in the second space (S20).

[0058] Each of the third and fourth heat exchangers (513, 514) may be composed of a heat exchange tube through which a refrigerant flows into an internal space, and the atmosphere gas in the second space (S20) and the first space (S10) is cooled by an indirect cooling method by heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing inside and the atmosphere gas.

[0059] The third heat exchanger (513) and the fourth heat exchanger (514) can be connected via a refrigerant pipe. Refrigerant supplied from the outside can be supplied to the third heat exchanger (513) and used to cool the atmosphere gas of the second space (S20) in the first stage. Refrigerant discharged from the third heat exchanger (513) can be supplied to the fourth heat exchanger (514) and used to cool the atmosphere gas of the first space (S10) in the second stage. The movement path of the refrigerant is not limited to the illustrated example, and a structure in which the refrigerant is supplied separately to each of the third heat exchanger (513) and the fourth heat exchanger (514) is also possible.

[0060] The fourth circulation fan (524) induces the atmosphere gas of the first space (S10) to move to the second space (S20), and the atmosphere gas, cooled while passing through the third heat exchanger (513), moves back to the first space (S10). The fourth circulation fan (524) causes the flow of atmosphere gas so that the atmosphere gas of the cooling section (130a) continuously circulates between the first space (S10) and the second space (S20).

[0061] The first cooling device (500a) may further include a filter (530) installed in the first opening (OP1). The filter (530) blocks floating foreign matter from the first space (S10) from entering the second space (S20). As a result, the cleanliness of the interior of the cooling circulation pipe (135), the fourth circulation fan (524), and the third heat exchanger (513) can be increased.

[0062] The kiln (1001) of the above configuration can be easily applied to a furnace body (100a) with a narrow internal space, and since it is easy to increase the diameter of the cooling circulation pipe (135) and the size of the fourth circulation fan (524) and the third heat exchanger (513), the cooling efficiency of the cooling section (130a) can be improved more effectively.

[0063] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber of the kiln illustrated in Figure 1.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 8, the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) includes an inlet gate (171) and an outlet gate (172). The inlet gate (171) is located on one side of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) facing the discharge section (160), and the outlet gate (172) is located on the opposite side of the inlet gate (171).

[0065] A pair of gate guides (173) parallel to the height direction (Z direction) may be located at the top of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). The inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172) may be raised along the gate guides (173) to open or lowered along the gate guides (173) to close by their respective drive units (174). The drive units (174) may be composed of various drive devices, such as known hydraulic cylinders or pneumatic cylinders.

[0066] With the inlet gate (171) open and the outlet gate (172) closed, a plurality of refractory boxes (300) can be moved from the discharge section (160) to the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) by the transfer device (400). Subsequently, as the inlet gate (171) closes, the discharge section (160) and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) can be spatially separated. FIG. 8 illustrates the case where both the inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172) are closed.

[0067] A plurality of third air supply ports (705) may be located on the floor of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170), and at least one third exhaust port (706) may be located on the ceiling of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). An atmosphere gas identical to the outside air (e.g., dry air) may be injected into the interior of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) through the plurality of third air supply ports (705). The flow rate of the atmosphere gas supplied to the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) may be greater than the flow rate of the atmosphere gas supplied to the cooling section (130) (see FIG. 1).

[0068] Even if a large amount of atmospheric gas is supplied to the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170), the cooling effect on the object to be fired is not significant. The second cooling device (600) is movably installed on the side wall of the furnace body (100) of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170), and can rapidly cool the object to be fired by directly spraying cooling gas onto the object to be fired contained in the refractory box (300).

[0069] Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views in the YZ direction of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber illustrated in Figure 8.

[0070] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the second cooling device (600) may include a plurality of nozzle tubes (610) installed to penetrate the side wall of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) of the furnace body (100), a driving unit (620) for moving the plurality of nozzle tubes (610) back and forth (see FIGS. 11 and 12), and a gas supply unit (630) for supplying cooling gas to the plurality of nozzle tubes (610). The second cooling device (600) may be provided as a pair on both side walls of the furnace body (100), and the pair of second cooling devices (600) may face each other along the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100).

[0071] A plurality of nozzle tubes (610) may be positioned parallel to the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100) and spaced apart from each other along the height direction (Z direction) of the furnace body (100) (610). A plurality of nozzle tubes (610) may be connected to a connecting tube (611), and a gas supply unit (630) may be connected to the connecting tube (611) to supply cooling gas to the connecting tube (611) and the plurality of nozzle tubes (610). The connecting tube (611) may be located outside the furnace body (100) and may be orthogonal to the plurality of nozzle tubes (610).

[0072] The number of nozzle tubes (610) may be equal to the number of stacks of the refractory box (300), and the plurality of nozzle tubes (610) may be located at the same height as the window (303) (see FIG. 4) of the refractory box (300). Each of the plurality of nozzle tubes (610) has a plurality of nozzles (615) for spraying cooling gas. The plurality of nozzles (615) may be located at the lower side of the nozzle tube (610) so as to spray cooling gas in a downward direction.

[0073] FIGS. 11 and FIGS. 12 are schematic diagrams showing examples of the driving unit of the second cooling device illustrated in FIG. 9.

[0074] Referring to FIGS. 9 to 12, the driving unit (620) reciprocates a plurality of nozzle tubes (610) along the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100). The driving unit (620) may be composed of, for example, a motor and a gear assembly, but is not limited to this example, and any configuration capable of reciprocating a plurality of nozzle tubes (610) is applicable.

[0075] The driving unit (620) may include a support (621), a plurality of pinion gears (622) installed on the support (621), a rack gear (623) fixed to the lowest nozzle tube (610), and a motor (624) coupled to each of the plurality of pinion gears (622). The rack gear (623) and the plurality of nozzle tubes (610) move linearly by the rotation of the pinion gear (622), and depending on the rotation direction of the pinion gear (622), the plurality of nozzle tubes (610) may enter the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) or move out of the furnace body (100) from the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170).

[0076] The gas supply unit (630) may include a gas supply source (631), a gas supply pipe (632) connecting the gas supply source (631) and the connecting pipe (611), and an opening / closing valve (633) installed in the gas supply pipe (632). The gas supply source (631) may be a gas tank that stores cooling gas or a gas pipe that supplies cooling gas. The gas supply pipe (632) may be composed of a flexible hose so as to move in accordance with the movement of the nozzle pipe (610).

[0077] With the exit gate (172) closed, the entrance gate (171) is opened, and the refractory box (300) of the discharge section (160) can move to the exit-side gas exchange chamber (170). Then, the entrance gate (171) is closed, and a plurality of nozzle tubes (610) can enter the exit-side gas exchange chamber (170) by the operation of the drive unit (620) (see FIG. 10). The plurality of nozzle tubes (610) can pass through the window (303) of the refractory box (300) and enter the interior of the plurality of refractory boxes (300). At this time, the nozzle (615) can be located at the upper center of the refractory box (300).

[0078] Next, the opening / closing valve (633) is opened so that cooling gas (e.g., dry air) can be supplied to the plurality of nozzle tubes (610), and the plurality of nozzles (615) can directly spray cooling gas toward the object to be fired contained in each refractory box (300) to rapidly cool the object to be fired. In this process, dry air is supplied through the plurality of third air supply ports (705), and the air used for drying and cooling can be expelled through the plurality of third exhaust ports (706).

[0079] After the cooling of the object to be fired is completed, the plurality of nozzle tubes (610) can be returned to their initial positions by the operation of the drive unit (620) (see FIG. 9). Then, the exit gate (172) is opened, and the plurality of refractory casings (300) can be moved outside the exit-side gas exchange chamber (170).

[0080] Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 10.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 13, the nozzle (615) can be positioned at the upper center of the refractory box (300) and can spray cooling gas toward the object to be fired. The sprayed cooling gas strikes the object to be fired and circulates evenly inside the refractory box (300), thereby rapidly cooling the object to be fired. Since the object to be fired is in a state where it is stuck together and its surface is hardened after firing, no dust is generated even when the cooling gas is sprayed directly.

[0082] Referring again to FIG. 8, the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) is a space separated from the previous section by an inlet gate (171), and unlike the previous section where multiple refractory plates (300) continue to advance, multiple refractory plates (300) can be stopped for a certain period of time. Thus, sufficient time can be secured to move multiple nozzle tubes (610) and cool the object to be fired.

[0083] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the claims, the detailed description of the invention, and the attached drawings, and it is obvious that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A furnace body comprising a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, a cooling section, and an outlet-side gas exchange chamber; A heater located in the above-mentioned heating section and the above-mentioned temperature maintenance section; A transfer device that supports a plurality of refractory containers holding objects to be fired and transfers the plurality of refractory containers within the furnace body; A first cooling device including a heat exchanger located in the above cooling section; and A kiln comprising a second cooling device including a plurality of nozzle tubes installed to penetrate the side wall of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, a driving unit that reciprocates the plurality of nozzle tubes on the outside of the furnace body, and a gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the plurality of nozzle tubes.

2. In Paragraph 1, The first cooling device described above is a kiln further comprising a circulation fan located in the cooling section and circulating an atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger within the cooling section.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanger connected to the ceiling of the furnace body and a second heat exchanger connected to the side wall of the furnace body. The above-mentioned circulation fan is a kiln comprising a first circulation fan installed adjacent to the first heat exchanger and a second circulation fan installed adjacent to the second heat exchanger.

4. In Paragraph 2, In the above cooling section, a first opening and a second opening are located on both side walls of the furnace body, and The above-mentioned kiln further includes a cooling circulation pipe connected to both side walls of the furnace body from the outside of the furnace body so that both ends communicate with the first opening and the second opening. The above cooling section is a kiln composed of a first space inside the furnace body and a second space inside the cooling circulation pipe.

5. In Paragraph 4, The heat exchanger includes a third heat exchanger located in the second space and a fourth heat exchanger located in the upper region of the first space. The above-mentioned circulation fan is located in the second space to allow the atmosphere gas of the cooling section to circulate continuously between the first space and the second space, thereby forming a kiln.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 5, A plurality of nozzles are located in each of the above plurality of nozzle tubes, and The plurality of nozzle tubes are provided in a number equal to the number of stacks of the plurality of refractory boxes, and the kiln is installed at the same height as the windows of the plurality of refractory boxes.

7. In Paragraph 6, A kiln in which the plurality of nozzle tubes are positioned parallel to the width direction of the furnace body and spaced apart from each other along the height direction of the furnace body.

8. In Paragraph 7, The plurality of nozzle tubes pass through the windows of the plurality of refractory boxes and enter the interior of the plurality of refractory boxes, and A firing furnace in which each of the plurality of nozzles is located at the upper center of each of the plurality of refractory casings and sprays cooling gas toward the object to be fired.

9. In Paragraph 6, The plurality of nozzle tubes are connected to a connecting tube on the outside of the furnace body, and The above gas supply unit comprises a gas supply source located on the outer side of the furnace body, a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the connecting pipe, and an opening / closing valve installed in the gas supply pipe, forming a furnace.

10. In Paragraph 6, The above plurality of nozzle tubes are integrally joined by a connecting tube, and The above drive unit comprises a support located on the outer side of the furnace body, a plurality of pinion gears installed on the support, a rack gear fixed to the lowest nozzle tube among the plurality of nozzle tubes, and a motor coupled to each of the plurality of pinion gears.

11. In Paragraph 7, The second cooling device is provided as a pair on both side walls of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, and the pair of second cooling devices face each other along the width direction of the furnace body.

12. A furnace body comprising a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, a cooling section, and an outlet-side gas exchange chamber; A heater located in the above-mentioned heating section and the above-mentioned temperature maintenance section; A transfer device that supports a plurality of refractory containers holding objects to be fired and transfers the plurality of refractory containers within the furnace body; and A kiln comprising a movable cooling device installed to penetrate the side wall of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, reciprocating along the width direction of the furnace body, and, upon maximum advance, entering the interior of each of the plurality of refractory casings to spray cooling gas toward the object to be fired.

13. In Paragraph 12, A plurality of nozzles are located in each of the above plurality of nozzle tubes, and The plurality of nozzle tubes are provided in a number equal to the number of stacks of the plurality of refractory boxes, and the kiln is installed at the same height as the windows of the plurality of refractory boxes.

14. In Paragraph 13, The plurality of nozzle tubes pass through the windows of the plurality of refractory boxes and enter the interior of the plurality of refractory boxes, and A firing furnace in which each of the plurality of nozzles is located at the upper center of each of the plurality of refractory boxes and sprays cooling gas in a downward direction.

15. In Paragraph 13, The plurality of nozzle tubes are connected to a connecting tube on the outside of the furnace body, and The above-mentioned mobile cooling device is, A driving unit coupled to the lowest nozzle tube among the plurality of nozzle tubes on the outer side of the above-mentioned furnace body and reciprocatingly moving the plurality of nozzle tubes; and A kiln further comprising a gas supply unit coupled to the above-mentioned connecting pipe and supplying cooling gas to the above-mentioned connecting pipe and the plurality of nozzle pipes.

Images