Kiln with cooling device

Abstract

The kiln comprises a furnace body, a heater, a transfer device, a heat exchanger, and a circulation fan. The furnace body includes a temperature rising section, a temperature maintaining section, and a cooling section. The heater is located in the temperature rising section and the temperature maintaining section. The transfer device supports a plurality of saggers containing an object to be fired and transfers the plurality of saggers inside the furnace body. The heat exchanger is located in the cooling section and is composed of a pipe through which a refrigerant flows. The circulation fan is located in the cooling section and allows atmospheric gas around the heat exchanger to flow within the cooling section.

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 of a secondary battery 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 calcining the cathode material can be composed of a linear heating furnace, represented by a Pusher Tunnel Kiln (PTK) and a Roller Hearth Kiln (RHK). 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 includes a furnace body, a heater, a conveying device, a heat exchanger, and a circulation fan. The furnace body includes a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, and a cooling section. A heater is located in the heating section and the temperature maintenance section. A 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. A heat exchanger is located in the cooling section and consists of a pipe through which a refrigerant flows. A circulation fan is located in the cooling section and circulates an atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger within the cooling section.

[0007] 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 around the first heat exchanger to discharge atmospheric gas around the first heat exchanger downward. The circulation fan may further include at least one of a second circulation fan installed around the second heat exchanger to discharge atmospheric gas around the second heat exchanger to the center of the cooling section and a third circulation fan installed at the bottom of the furnace body to discharge atmospheric gas in the lower region of the cooling section upward.

[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] A firing furnace according to another embodiment includes 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. The conveying device supports a plurality of refractory containers holding objects to be fired and conveys the plurality of refractory containers within the furnace body. The first cooling device is located in the cooling section and includes a heat exchanger composed of a pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and a circulation fan that circulates an atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger within the cooling section. The second cooling device is installed at the inlet gate and the outlet gate of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, respectively, and includes a nozzle body that sprays cooling gas toward objects to be fired contained in the plurality of refractory containers, and a gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the nozzle body.

[0011] The heat exchanger may include at least one of 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 circulation fan may include at least one of a first circulation fan installed around the first heat exchanger, a second circulation fan installed around the second heat exchanger, and a third circulation fan installed at the bottom of the furnace body.

[0012] 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 consist of a first space inside the furnace body and a second space inside the cooling circulation pipe. A heat exchanger may be located in each of the first space and the second space, and 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.

[0013] The nozzle body may include a first nozzle body installed at the inlet gate and a second nozzle body installed at the outlet gate. The gas supply unit may include a first gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the first nozzle body and a second gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the second nozzle body.

[0014] The furnace body may further include an exhaust section located between the cooling section and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber. The first nozzle body may include a plurality of first linear injection tubes positioned parallel to windows provided in a plurality of refractory containers when the inlet gate is closed. The plurality of first linear injection tubes may include a plurality of first nozzles that inject cooling gas toward both the exhaust section and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber.

[0015] The second nozzle body may include a plurality of second linear injection tubes positioned alongside windows provided in a plurality of refractory containers when the outlet gate is closed. The plurality of second linear injection tubes may include a plurality of second nozzles that inject cooling gas into the outlet-side gas exchange chamber.

[0016] The first gas supply unit can supply gas identical to the atmosphere gas of the cooling section to the first nozzle body, and the second gas supply unit can supply dry air to the second nozzle body. The plurality of first nozzles and the plurality of second nozzles may be configured as either circular nozzles or slit-type nozzles. The plurality of first nozzles and the plurality of second nozzles may be installed parallel to the ground. On the other hand, the plurality of first nozzles and the plurality of second nozzles may be installed at an angle downward from a reference position parallel to the ground.

[0017] 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.

[0018] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are cross-sectional views of a kiln according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 1.

[0020] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the refractory case of the firing furnace shown in Figure 1.

[0021] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the furnace body of the cooling section of the kiln shown in Figure 1.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0023] 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.

[0024] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber of the kiln illustrated in Figure 1.

[0025] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the inlet gate, outlet gate, and second cooling device of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber shown in FIG. 8.

[0026] FIG. 10 is a front view of the gate of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber illustrated in FIG. 8.

[0027] Figure 11 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 8.

[0028] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the first nozzle and the second nozzle shown in FIG. 11.

[0029] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the first nozzle and the second nozzle illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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).

[0033] 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).

[0034] Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the refractory case of the firing furnace shown in Figure 1.

[0035] 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).

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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).

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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).

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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) can rapidly cool the object to be fired by directly injecting cooling gas.

[0045] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the furnace body of the cooling section of the kiln shown in Figure 1.

[0046] 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).

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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).

[0052] 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).

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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).

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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).

[0059] 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).

[0060] 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).

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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).

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber of the kiln illustrated in Figure 1.

[0067] 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).

[0068] 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 become open by their respective drive units (174), or lowered along the gate guides (173) to become closed. The drive units (174) may be composed of various drive devices, such as known hydraulic cylinders or pneumatic cylinders.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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).

[0071] Even if a large amount of atmosphere 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 installed at the inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172) of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170), and can rapidly cool the object to be fired by directly spraying cooling gas toward the object to be fired contained in the refractory box (300). Since the object to be fired after firing is in a state where it is stuck together and its surface is hardened, no dust is generated even when cooling gas is sprayed directly.

[0072] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the inlet gate, the outlet gate, and the second cooling device of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber illustrated in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a front view of the gate of the outlet-side gas exchange chamber illustrated in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, both sides of the inlet gate (171) and the inner side of the outlet gate (172) may have the same shape, and the gate illustrated in FIG. 10 may correspond to both the inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172).

[0073] Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, the second cooling device (600) may include a first nozzle body (610) installed at an inlet gate (171), a first gas supply unit (620) connected to the inlet gate (171) and the first nozzle body (610) and supplying cooling gas into the interior of the first nozzle body (610), a second nozzle body (630) installed at an outlet gate (172), and a second gas supply unit (640) connected to the outlet gate (172) and the second nozzle body (630) and supplying cooling gas into the interior of the second nozzle body (630).

[0074] The first nozzle body (610) can spray cooling gas toward both the discharge section (160) and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170), and the second nozzle body (630) can spray cooling gas toward the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). The cooling gas sprayed by the first nozzle body (610) may be the same as the atmosphere gas (high concentration oxygen gas or dry air) of the cooling section (130) and the discharge section (160). The cooling gas sprayed by the second nozzle body (630) may be dry air with the same composition as the outside air.

[0075] Each of the first nozzle body (610) and the second nozzle body (630) may include a plurality of linear injection pipes (611, 631) and connecting pipes (612, 632) connected to the plurality of linear injection pipes (611, 631). In the first nozzle body (610), the plurality of linear injection pipes (611) include a plurality of first nozzles (613) located on both the front and rear sides (both sides facing the discharge section (160) and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). In the second nozzle body (630), the plurality of linear injection pipes (631) include a plurality of second nozzles (633) located on one side (one side facing the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170)).

[0076] In each of the first nozzle body (610) and the second nozzle body (630), a plurality of linear injection tubes (611, 631) may be positioned parallel to the width direction (Y direction) of the furnace body (100) and may be positioned at a distance from each other along the height direction (Z direction). A connecting tube (612, 632) may be positioned in the center of the plurality of linear injection tubes (611, 631) and may be orthogonal to the plurality of linear injection tubes (611, 631). The interior of the connecting tube (612, 632) is connected to the interior of the plurality of linear injection tubes (611, 631).

[0077] A plurality of first nozzles (613) and a plurality of second nozzles (633) may be installed at the same height as the window (303) so as to face the window (303) formed in a plurality of refractory boxes (300). Each of the plurality of first nozzles (613) and the plurality of second nozzles (633) may be a circular nozzle, but is not limited to this example. Each of the plurality of first nozzles (613) and the plurality of second nozzles (633) may be positioned side by side at a distance from each other along the length direction (Y direction) of the linear spray pipe (611, 631).

[0078] Each of the first gas supply unit (620) and the second gas supply unit (640) may include a gas supply source (621, 641), a gas supply pipe (622, 642) connecting the gas supply source (621, 641) and the connecting pipe (612, 632), and an opening / closing valve (623, 643) installed in the gas supply pipe (622, 642). The gas supply source (621, 641) may be a gas tank or gas chamber that stores cooling gas, or a gas pipe that supplies cooling gas. The gas supply pipe (622, 642) may be composed of a flexible hose that bends easily when the gate (171, 172) is raised or lowered so as not to hinder the sliding of the gate (171, 172).

[0079] The first nozzle body (610) may be installed inside the inlet gate (171), and the second nozzle body (630) may be installed inside the outlet gate (172). In this case, a plurality of gate openings (OP3) that open a plurality of first nozzles (613) are located on both sides of the inlet gate (171), and a plurality of second openings (OP4) that open a plurality of second nozzles (633) are located on one side of the outlet gate (172). FIG. 10 illustrates a case where two gate openings (OP3, OP4) are located for each line of linear injection pipes (611, 631), but the number of gate openings (OP3, OP4) is not limited to the illustrated example.

[0080] On the other hand, although the city is omitted, the second nozzle body (630) may be installed on one side of the exit gate (172). In this case, the gate opening of the exit gate may be omitted, and the second nozzle body (630) may be provided with a thin thickness so as not to hinder the sliding of the exit gate (172). On the other hand, a concave groove corresponding to the second nozzle body (630) may be provided on one side of the exit gate (172), and the second nozzle body (630) may be fitted into the concave groove.

[0081] With both the inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172) closed, cooling gas can be supplied to the first nozzle body (610) and the second nozzle body (630). A plurality of first nozzles (613) can rapidly cool the objects to be fired by directly spraying cooling gas toward the objects to be fired contained in a plurality of refractory containers (300) located in the discharge section (160) and toward the objects to be fired contained in a plurality of refractory containers (300) located in the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170).

[0082] Multiple second nozzles (633) can also rapidly cool the object to be fired by directly spraying cooling gas toward the object to be fired contained in multiple refractory containers (300) located in the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170). The surface temperature of the inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172) is lowered by the second cooling device (600), thereby extending the service life of the inlet gate (171) and the outlet gate (172).

[0083] When the cooling gas supplied to the first nozzle body (610) is high-concentration oxygen gas, the first nozzle body (610) and the second nozzle body (630) can operate sequentially. When the cooling gas supplied to the first nozzle body (610) is dry air, the first nozzle body (610) and the second nozzle body (630) can operate sequentially or simultaneously.

[0084] Figure 11 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 8.

[0085] Referring to FIG. 11, a plurality of first nozzles (613) and a plurality of second nozzles (633) may be installed parallel to the ground (parallel to the bottom portion (301) of the refractory box (300). In this case, the cooling gas in the uppermost refractory box (300) may flow along a path that is generally parallel to the surface of the object to be fired or curved downward in an approximate parabolic shape. In the remaining refractory boxes (300) excluding the uppermost refractory box (300), the cooling gas may flow along a path that is generally parallel to the surface of the object to be fired and then circulate inside the refractory box (300).

[0086] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the first nozzle and the second nozzle shown in FIG. 11.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 12, a plurality of first nozzles (613a) and a plurality of second nozzles (633a) may be installed at an angle downward (toward the bottom portion (301) of the refractory box (300). The angle of inclination of the first nozzles (613a) and the second nozzles (633a) from a reference position parallel to the ground is greater than 0° and less than 90°. In this case, the cooling gas in all refractory boxes (300) can flow in an approximate parabolic path that curves downward and then exit the refractory box (300).

[0088] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a plurality of first nozzles (613, 613a) and a plurality of second nozzles (633, 633a) can be installed at appropriate angles considering the flow pattern of the cooling gas and the cooling efficiency accordingly.

[0089] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the first nozzle and the second nozzle illustrated in FIG. 10.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 13, a plurality of first nozzles (613b) and a plurality of second nozzles (633b) may be configured as slit-shaped nozzles parallel to the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the linear injection tubes (611, 631).

[0091] The circular nozzle shown in FIG. 10 is advantageous for increasing the flow rate of the cooling gas, and the slit-shaped nozzle shown in FIG. 13 is advantageous for increasing the flow rate of the cooling gas. A plurality of first nozzles (613, 613b) and a plurality of second nozzles (633, 633b) can be implemented in appropriate shapes considering the flow rate and flow rate of the cooling gas.

[0092] Referring again to FIG. 8, the outlet-side gas exchange chamber (170) is a space separated from the discharge section (160) by an inlet gate (171), and since the speed of the transfer device (400) can be controlled individually, the refractory box (300) can be easily positioned at a desired location. In addition, as a plurality of first nozzles (613) and a plurality of second nozzles (633) spray cooling gas directly toward the object to be fired at the same height as the window (303) of the refractory box (300), the object to be fired can be cooled quickly.

[0093] 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 including a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, and a cooling section; 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 heat exchanger located in the above cooling section and composed of a pipe through which a refrigerant flows; and A kiln comprising a circulation fan located in the cooling section and circulating an atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger within the cooling section.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above heat exchanger is a kiln comprising 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.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above-mentioned circulation fan is a kiln comprising a first circulation fan installed around the first heat exchanger to discharge the atmosphere gas around the first heat exchanger downward.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above-mentioned circulation fan further comprises at least one of a second circulation fan installed around the second heat exchanger to discharge the atmosphere gas around the second heat exchanger into the center of the cooling section, and a third circulation fan installed at the bottom of the furnace body to discharge the atmosphere gas in the lower region of the cooling section upward.

5. In Paragraph 1, 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-described kiln further includes cooling circulation pipes 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.

6. In Paragraph 5, 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.

7. 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 comprising a heat exchanger located in the cooling section and composed of a pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and a circulation fan that circulates an atmosphere gas around the heat exchanger within the cooling section; and A firing furnace comprising a second cooling device, each installed at the inlet gate and the outlet gate of the above-mentioned outlet-side gas exchange chamber, and including a nozzle body that sprays cooling gas toward a firing object contained in the plurality of refractory containers, and a gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the nozzle body.

8. In Paragraph 7, The heat exchanger includes at least one of 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 comprises at least one of a first circulation fan installed around the first heat exchanger, a second circulation fan installed around the second heat exchanger, and a third circulation fan installed at the bottom of the furnace body.

9. In Paragraph 7, 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-described kiln further includes cooling circulation pipes 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.

10. In Paragraph 9, The heat exchanger is located in each of the first space and the second space, and 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.

11. In any one of paragraphs 7 through 10, The nozzle body above includes a first nozzle body installed at the inlet gate and a second nozzle body installed at the outlet gate. The above gas supply unit comprises a first gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the first nozzle body and a second gas supply unit that supplies cooling gas to the second nozzle body.

12. In Paragraph 11, The above furnace body further includes an exhaust section located between the cooling section and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber, and The first nozzle body includes a plurality of first linear injection tubes positioned parallel to the windows provided in the plurality of refractory boxes when the inlet gate is closed, and The plurality of first linear injection pipes above include a plurality of first nozzles that inject cooling gas into both the discharge section and the outlet-side gas exchange chamber.

13. In Paragraph 12, The second nozzle body includes a plurality of second linear injection tubes positioned parallel to the windows provided in the plurality of refractory boxes when the outlet gate is closed, and The above plurality of second linear injection tubes is a furnace comprising a plurality of second nozzles that inject cooling gas into the outlet-side gas exchange chamber.

14. In Paragraph 13, The first gas supply unit supplies a gas identical to the atmosphere gas of the cooling section to the first nozzle body, and The above second gas supply unit is a kiln that supplies dry air to the above second nozzle body.

15. In Paragraph 13, A firing furnace in which the plurality of first nozzles and the plurality of second nozzles are composed of either a circular nozzle or a slit-type nozzle.

16. In Paragraph 13, A kiln in which the plurality of first nozzles and the plurality of second nozzles are installed parallel to the ground.

17. In Paragraph 13, A kiln in which the plurality of first nozzles and the plurality of second nozzles are installed at an angle downward from a reference position parallel to the ground.

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