Anode material kiln and manufacturing method for structure parts thereof

Abstract

This anode material kiln comprises: a kiln structure that includes a main body providing a firing space and a floor structure mounted at the bottom of the firing space; a heater mounted in the kiln structure to heat the firing space; a plurality of saggers which are stacked in the height direction in the firing space and accommodate anode materials in an inner space; and a transfer device for pushing and moving the plurality of saggers in the horizontal direction in the firing space. The floor structure includes a plurality of structure parts, and at least one of the plurality of structure parts includes ultra-high performance concrete.

Description

Method for manufacturing an anode material firing furnace and structural components thereof

[0001] The present invention relates to a cathode material firing furnace for manufacturing a cathode material for a secondary battery and a method for manufacturing structural components of the cathode material firing furnace.

[0002] A cathode material firing furnace is a facility that fires the cathode material of a secondary battery at a high temperature of approximately 400°C to 1100°C. If metallic foreign substances are introduced into the cathode material during the firing process, a fire caused by a spark may occur during the use of the secondary battery, which is the final product; therefore, the introduction of metallic foreign substances during the firing of the cathode material must be thoroughly prevented.

[0003] The anode material firing furnace includes a structure surrounding the firing space. Since metal materials cannot be used as components of the structure due to concerns about the ingress of metallic foreign substances, the structure is typically fabricated using ceramic refractories such as alumina (Al2O3). Although ceramic refractories have excellent strength, they are not very brittle, so they can crack and break when subjected to impact.

[0004] Meanwhile, the pre-firing process is a step to remove moisture from the anode material; however, since some ceramic refractories have the characteristic of weakening in strength when exposed to moisture, wear may occur in areas with high moisture content. Consequently, operating the anode material firing furnace for an extended period may result in damage to the skid rails or the skid supports located beneath them.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an anode material firing furnace and a method for manufacturing structural parts thereof, which can suppress damage such as cracking, breakage, and wear of structural parts by increasing the strength and robustness of structural parts and enable stable operation for a long time.

[0006] An anode material firing furnace according to one embodiment comprises a firing furnace structure including a main body providing a firing space and a bottom structure installed on the bottom of the firing space, a heater installed in the firing furnace structure to heat the firing space, a plurality of refractory containers stacked in the height direction in the firing space and containing an anode material in their internal spaces, and a conveying device for pushing and moving the plurality of refractory containers in the horizontal direction in the firing space. The bottom structure comprises a plurality of structural components, and at least one of the plurality of structural components comprises ultra-high performance concrete.

[0007] At least one structural component may be composed of an assembly of ultra-high performance concrete blocks and refractory blocks.

[0008] At least one structural component may include an inner block made of ceramic refractory and an outer block made of ultra-high performance concrete. The ultra-high performance concrete forming the outer block may include glass fibers as reinforcing fibers. At least one structural component may further include a projection-groove joint. The projection-groove joint may include a projection located on one surface of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, and a groove located on the inner surface of the outer block that accommodates the projection.

[0009] On the other hand, the projection-groove joint may include a main projection located on one side of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, a plurality of extended projections extending from both sides of the main projection in a direction orthogonal to the main projection, a main groove located on the inner surface of the outer block and accommodating the main projection, and a plurality of extended grooves connected to the main groove and accommodating the plurality of extended projections.

[0010] At least one structural component may include an inner block made of ultra-high performance concrete and an outer block made of ceramic refractory. The ultra-high performance concrete forming the inner block may include steel fibers as reinforcing fibers. At least one structural component may further include a projection-groove joint. The projection-groove joint may include a projection located on one surface of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, and a groove located on the inner surface of the outer block that accommodates the projection.

[0011] On the other hand, the projection-groove joint may include a main projection located on one side of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, a plurality of extended projections extending from both sides of the main projection in a direction orthogonal to the main projection, a main groove located on the inner surface of the outer block and accommodating the main projection, and a plurality of extended grooves connected to the main groove and accommodating the plurality of extended projections.

[0012] At least one structural component may include a main block made of ceramic refractory and at least one protective block made of ultra-high performance concrete. The ultra-high performance concrete forming the protective block may include glass fibers as reinforcing fibers. At least one structural component may further include a projection-groove joint. The projection-groove joint may include a plurality of projections located on either the main block or the protective block, and a plurality of grooves located on the other of the main block or the protective block.

[0013] Each of the plurality of protrusions can be parallel to the width direction of the structural part, and at least one of the main block and the protective block can slide along the width direction so that the main block and the protective block can be assembled together.

[0014] At least one structural component may be a skid support.

[0015] A method for manufacturing a structural component of an anode material kiln according to one embodiment comprises: (i) mixing crushed refractory raw materials, introducing the refractory raw materials into a first mold, high-pressure molding, drying, and firing to produce a ceramic refractory block; (ii) mixing ultra-high performance concrete raw materials with water, introducing the ultra-high performance concrete raw materials into a second mold, molding, and drying to produce an ultra-high performance concrete block; and (iii) assembling the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block.

[0016] A concave structure is provided in either the first mold or the second mold, and a protruding structure is provided in the other, so that the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block may include a protrusion-groove joint.

[0017] According to the present invention, the rigidity of the floor structure can be increased by using ultra-high performance concrete and damage to the floor structure can be suppressed, and as a result, the anode material kiln can be operated stably for a long time.

[0018] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are cross-sectional views of an anode material firing furnace according to one embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a plurality of skid rails and a plurality of skid supports in the anode material firing furnace illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0020] Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of Figure 3.

[0021] Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing a plurality of refractory boxes and a conveying device among the anode material firing furnaces illustrated in Figure 1.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a first embodiment of a structural component.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a second embodiment of a structural component.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a third embodiment of a structural component.

[0025] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a fourth embodiment of a structural component.

[0026] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a fifth embodiment of a structural form.

[0027] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a sixth embodiment of a structural component.

[0028] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a seventh embodiment of a structural component.

[0029] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing the eighth embodiment of a structural component.

[0030] FIG. 14 is a drawing showing the ninth embodiment of a structural component.

[0031] FIG. 15 is a process flowchart for explaining a method for manufacturing a structural component according to one embodiment.

[0032] 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.

[0033] FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2 are cross-sectional views of an anode material firing furnace according to one embodiment. FIGS. 1 shows a cross-section in the XZ direction, and FIGS. 2 shows a cross-section in the YZ direction.

[0034] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the anode material firing furnace (1000) according to the present embodiment includes a firing furnace structure (200) that provides a firing space (100), a heater (300) installed in the firing furnace structure (200) to heat the firing space (100), a plurality of refractory containers (400) that contain an anode material in an internal space, and a conveying device (500) that pushes and moves the plurality of refractory containers (400) in a horizontal direction within the firing space (100). The anode material firing furnace (1000) of the present embodiment is of the Pusher Tunnel Kiln type.

[0035] The furnace structure (200) of the anode material furnace (1000) may include a main body (210) that surrounds the firing space (100), a plurality of skid supports (220) installed on the bottom of the firing space (100), and a plurality of skid rails (230) installed to intersect the plurality of skid supports (220) on the plurality of skid supports (220).

[0036] The main body (210) may be composed of a side wall (211), a bottom portion (212), and a ceiling portion (213), and has a firing space (100) that extends long along the horizontal direction (X direction) inside. The horizontal direction (X direction) may be referred to as the length direction of the firing space (100). The main body (210) may be made of a conventional refractory structure.

[0037] The main body (210) may include an air supply section (610) for supplying gas to the firing space (100) and an exhaust section (620) for discharging gas from the firing space (100). The air supply section (610) may be installed on the floor section (212) and the exhaust section (620) may be installed on the ceiling section (213), but is not limited to these examples.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a plurality of skid rails and a plurality of skid supports in the anode material firing furnace illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 3.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the plurality of skid supports (220) is made of a rod-shaped structure parallel to the vertical direction (Y direction). The plurality of skid supports (220) are positioned at a distance from each other along the horizontal direction (X direction). The vertical direction (Y direction) may be referred to as the width direction of the plastic space (100).

[0040] Each of the multiple skid rails (230) is made of a bar-shaped structure parallel to the horizontal direction (X direction). The multiple skid rails (230) are positioned at a distance from each other along the vertical direction (Y direction) on the multiple skid supports (220). Both ends of each skid rail (230) can be placed across two adjacent skid supports (220).

[0041] Each skid rail (230) may be composed of a central portion (231) floating between two adjacent skid supports (220) and a pair of connecting portions (232) resting on the two adjacent skid supports (220). The height of the central portion (231) may be greater than the height of each of the pair of connecting portions (232).

[0042] Multiple skid rails (230) can be divided into odd-numbered rows of skid rails (230A) and even-numbered rows of skid rails (230B) along the horizontal direction (X direction). The even-numbered rows of skid rails (230B) can be positioned offset from the odd-numbered rows of skid rails (230A).

[0043] Specifically, the joints (232) of the even-numbered skid rails (230B) may be positioned between the joints (232) of the odd-numbered skid rails (230A). That is, the odd-numbered skid rails (230A) and the even-numbered skid rails (230B) may be positioned alternately along the vertical direction (Y direction) on a single skid support (220). A plurality of concave grooves (221) for fitting the odd-numbered skid rails (230A) or the even-numbered skid rails (230B) may be located on the upper surface of each skid support (220).

[0044] The furnace structure (200) of the anode material furnace (1000) may further include a plurality of guide blocks (240) located on both sides (both sides along the vertical direction (Y direction)) of a plurality of skid rails (230). Each guide block (240) is formed as a rod-shaped structure parallel to the horizontal direction (X direction). The plurality of guide blocks (240) may be positioned in a line along the horizontal direction (X direction).

[0045] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2, a heater (300) is installed in the main body (210) to heat the firing space (100). A plurality of heaters (300) may be installed at a distance from each other along the horizontal direction (X direction) of the main body (210). The heater (300) may be made of various known heating means.

[0046] Multiple refractory boxes (400) contain anode materials in the form of granules or briquettes and are stacked along the height direction (Z direction). Each refractory box (400) may be composed of a square bottom and four side walls, and a window is located at the top of the side wall to allow gas to move between the inside and outside of the refractory box (400).

[0047] Figure 5 is a configuration diagram showing a plurality of refractory boxes and a conveying device among the anode material firing furnaces illustrated in Figure 1.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 5, the transfer device (500) may include a pusher plate (510) that supports a plurality of refractory plates (400), a skid plate (520) located below the pusher plate (510), and a pusher (530) that pushes and moves the pusher plate (510) in a horizontal direction (X direction). The pusher plate (510) may be referred to as a base plate.

[0049] Two pusher plates (510) can be positioned side by side along the vertical direction (Y direction) on multiple skid rails (230), and multiple refractory plates (400) are stacked along the height direction (Z direction) on each pusher plate (510). And one pusher (530) can push and move two pusher plates (510) simultaneously.

[0050] The pusher plate (510) and the skid plate (520) can be made of ordinary refractory material. The pusher (530) can be composed of a pressurizing cylinder, etc., and can be the only metal part in the anode material firing furnace (1000).

[0051] Referring again to FIG. 1, the firing space (100) of the anode material firing furnace (1000) can be divided into a heating section, a temperature maintenance section, and a cooling section according to temperature characteristics. The heating section is a section in which the temperature is raised to a set temperature according to the characteristics of the anode material. The temperature maintenance section is a section in which the set temperature is maintained, and the cooling section is a section in which the temperature is cooled from the set temperature to room temperature.

[0052] The transfer device (500) stops a plurality of refractory boxes (400) for a set time in each of the heating section, the temperature maintenance section, and the cooling space, and moves them to the next section by pushing them in the horizontal direction (X direction).

[0053] During the firing process of the anode material, gas may be supplied to the firing space (100) through the air supply section (610). The gas may be divided into a first gas supplied to the heating section, a second gas supplied to the temperature maintenance section, and a third gas supplied to the cooling section. The first to third gases may be preheated to different temperatures and supplied at different flow rates. For example, the second gas may be preheated to a higher temperature than the first and third gases, and the flow rates of the first and third gases may be greater than the flow rate of the second gas.

[0054] The gas injected into the firing space through the air supply section (610) may be air and / or oxygen gas. The gas in the firing space (100) is discharged to the outside of the main body (210) through the exhaust section (620). The gas discharged from the firing space (100) may further contain carbon dioxide and water vapor discharged from the anode material in addition to the air and / or oxygen gas.

[0055] Conventional anode kilns are constructed with all components, except for the pusher, made of refractory materials to prevent metallic foreign substances from entering the anode material. Although existing ceramic refractories have excellent strength, they are not brittle, so they can crack and break when subjected to impact.

[0056] In the anode material kiln (1000) of the present embodiment, at least a portion of the kiln structure (200) includes Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) to enhance structural stability and robustness. Generally, Ultra-High Performance Concrete is a composite of reinforcing fibers and cement, in which the concrete itself acts as a structure due to the reinforcing fibers, and has a strength at least five times higher than that of ordinary concrete. The reinforcing fibers may include steel fibers and / or glass fibers.

[0057] At least a portion of the floor structure located at the bottom of the firing space (100) among the firing furnace structures (200) of the anode material firing furnace (1000) may include ultra-high performance concrete. The floor structure includes a plurality of skid supports (220), a plurality of skid rails (230), and a plurality of guide blocks (240). The floor structure is continuously subjected to external impact due to the movement speed of the pusher (530) and interference between the structures, and is a part prone to failure due to stress concentration, even though the force applied locally is weaker than the breaking strength.

[0058] In the anode material firing furnace (100) of the present embodiment, the structural component forming the floor structure may include ultra-high performance concrete, and the damage to the floor structure can be effectively suppressed due to the high strength and high brittleness of the ultra-high performance concrete. The structural component may be composed of ultra-high performance concrete alone or may be composed of a composite of ultra-high performance concrete and ceramic refractory material.

[0059] In one embodiment, the structural component may be a plurality of skid supports (220). In another embodiment, the structural component may be a plurality of skid rails (230). In yet another embodiment, the structural component may include a plurality of skid supports (220) and a plurality of skid rails (230).

[0060] In particular, since the multiple skid supports (220) are the lowest components among the floor structures, if the rigidity of the multiple skid supports (220) is increased using ultra-high performance concrete, damage to the multiple skid supports (220) and the multiple skid rails (230) installed thereon can be effectively suppressed, and stable operation of the anode material kiln (1000) for a long time becomes possible.

[0061] Since ultra-high performance concrete can exhibit diverse mechanical properties depending on the type and size of aggregates, the type of reinforcing fibers, and the ratios of constituent materials, ultra-high performance concrete used in structural components is not limited to specific materials. Furthermore, ultra-high performance concrete can be combined with ceramic refractories in various ways to form structural components.

[0062] However, in the case where the structural component is configured to expose ultra-high performance concrete on its surface, the ultra-high performance concrete may include glass fiber and / or glass net as reinforcing fibers to prevent metallic foreign substances from entering the anode material. On the other hand, in the case where the structural component is configured not to expose ultra-high performance concrete on its surface, the ultra-high performance concrete may include steel fiber as reinforcing fibers.

[0063] The composition of two types of ultra-high performance concrete that can be used as structural parts in the anode material kiln (1000) of this embodiment is shown in Table 1 below.

[0064] Ingredients (%) CaOSiO2Al2O3+ TiO2Fe2O3Cr 6+ Reactivity with reinforcing fiber metal Example 16: 6870.3 < 0.0002 glass fiber, glass net X Example 2: 6870.3 < 0.0002 steel fiber, glass net O

[0065] The ultra-high performance concrete of Example 1 described in Table 1 has no reactivity with metal, so it can be applied to structural parts where the ultra-high performance concrete is exposed on its surface. The ultra-high performance concrete of Example 2 has reactivity with metal, so it can be applied to structural parts where the ultra-high performance concrete is not exposed on its surface.

[0066] Table 2 below shows the impact resistance test results of ceramic refractories and ultra-high performance concrete, and Table 3 below shows the mechanical properties of ceramic refractories, ordinary concrete, and ultra-high performance concrete.

[0067] Material impact force (kJ / m²) 2 , average of 4 times) Brittleness Alumina 1(Al2O3) 2.175 Inferior Alumina 2(Al2O3) 3.4 Inferior Silicon Carbide (SiC) 2.4 Inferior Ultra-high Performance Concrete 17.5 Superior

[0068] Compressive Strength (MPa) Flexural Strength (MPa) Elastic Modulus (GPa) Alumina (Al2O3) 120 200 52 Silicon Carbide (SiC) 180 400 16 General Concrete 283 35 Ultra-High Performance Concrete 180 50 49

[0069] From the results of Tables 2 and 3, it can be seen that the impact resistance of the ultra-high performance concrete is more than 5 times higher than that of the ceramic refractory, and the compressive strength of the ultra-high performance concrete is similar to that of the ceramic refractory. Although the flexural strength of the ultra-high performance concrete is lower than that of the ceramic refractory, it is more than 4 times higher than the maximum principal stress (approximately 9 to 11 MPa) applied to the bottom structure of the anode material kiln (1000), and the flexural strength can be further increased by changing the type of reinforcing fiber and the ratio of the constituent materials.

[0070] Next, embodiments of structural components including ultra-high performance concrete will be described. For convenience, FIGS. 6 to 14 illustrate the case where the structural component is a skid support.

[0071] FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a first embodiment of a structural component.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 6, the structural component (700A) of the anode material kiln can be composed solely of ultra-high performance concrete.

[0073] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing a second embodiment of a structural component.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 7, the structural component (700B) of the anode material kiln may include an inner block (710) made of ceramic refractory material and an outer block (720) made of ultra-high performance concrete. The outer block (720) may cover the remaining surfaces (top surface and a plurality of sides) of the inner block (710), excluding the bottom surface.

[0075] The ultra-high performance concrete forming the outer block (720) to prevent metal foreign substances from entering the anode material may include glass fibers and / or glass nets as reinforcing fibers. The configuration shown in FIG. 7 is suitable for structural parts subjected to frequent impacts, and can effectively suppress damage to the structural parts (700B) caused by impact by utilizing the high impact resistance of the ultra-high performance concrete.

[0076] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a third embodiment of a structural component.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 8, the structural component (700C) of the anode material kiln may include an inner block (711) made of ultra-high performance concrete and an outer block (721) made of ceramic refractory material. The outer block (721) may cover the remaining surfaces (top surface and a plurality of sides) of the inner block (711), excluding the bottom portion.

[0078] Since the ultra-high performance concrete is not exposed on the surface of the structural component (700C), the ultra-high performance concrete may include steel fibers as reinforcing fibers and may further include glass fibers and / or glass nets. The mechanical strength of the inner block (711) may be higher than the mechanical strength of the outer block (721). The configuration illustrated in FIG. 8 is suitable for structural components requiring high structural strength.

[0079] Specifically, in the configuration of FIG. 8, even if a crack occurs in the outer block (721) due to impact, the crack occurs only to the thickness of the outer block (721) and does not propagate to the central block (711). Therefore, the structural component (700C) illustrated in FIG. 8 can secure high structural stability and can be reconstructed by replacing only the outer block (721) where the crack occurred.

[0080] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a fourth embodiment of a structural component.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 9, a structural component (700D) of an anode material kiln may include an inner block (712) made of ceramic refractory material, an outer block (722) made of ultra-high performance concrete, and a projection-groove joint (730a) provided on the inner block (712) and the outer block (722). The projection-groove joint (730a) may be composed of a projection (731) located on one side of the inner block (712) and a groove (732) located on the inner surface of the outer block (722).

[0082] The protrusion (731) and the groove (732) can be extended along the length direction of the structural part (700D) (when based on the kiln, the vertical direction (Y direction)). The protrusion-groove joint (730a) provides a rigid interlocking structure when assembling an inner block (712) and an outer block (722) of different materials, thereby allowing the inner block (712) and the outer block (722) to be firmly joined and preventing shaking of the inner block (712) and the outer block (722) when using the structural part (700D).

[0083] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a fifth embodiment of a structural form.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 10, the structural component (700E) of the anode material firing furnace includes the configuration of the aforementioned fourth embodiment as a basic configuration, and has some differences in the structure of the protrusion-groove coupling part (730b).

[0085] Specifically, the projection-groove coupling portion (730b) may include a main projection portion (733) located on one side of the inner block (713), a plurality of extension projection portions (734) extending outward from both sides of the main projection portion (733), a main groove portion (735) located on the inner surface of the outer block (723) to accommodate the main projection portion (733), and a plurality of extension groove portions (736) located on the inner surface of the outer block (723) to accommodate the plurality of extension projection portions (734).

[0086] The main protrusion (733) and the main groove (735) can be extended along the length direction of the structural part (700E) (the vertical direction (Y direction) when based on the kiln). Multiple extension protrusions (734) can be orthogonal to the main protrusion (733). Multiple extension protrusions (734) connected to one side of the main protrusion (733) and multiple extension protrusions (734) connected to the opposite side of the main protrusion (733) can be positioned offset from each other.

[0087] The aforementioned projection-groove coupling portion (730b) provides a more complex interlocking structure than the projection-groove coupling portion of the fourth embodiment, which can more firmly connect the inner block (713) and the outer block (723) and more effectively suppress shaking of the inner block (713) and the outer block (723) when using the structural component (700E).

[0088] FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a sixth embodiment of a structural component.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 11, a structural component (700F) of an anode material kiln may include an inner block (714) made of ultra-high performance concrete, an outer block (724) made of ceramic refractory material, and a projection-groove joint (730c) provided on the inner block (714) and the outer block (724). The projection-groove joint (730c) may be composed of a projection (731) located on one side of the inner block (714) and a groove (732) located on the inner surface of the outer block (724).

[0090] The protrusion (731) and the groove (732) can be extended along the length direction of the structural part (700F) (the vertical direction (Y direction) when relative to the kiln). The protrusion-groove joint (730c) provides a rigid interlocking structure when assembling the inner block (714) and the outer block (724) of different materials, thereby allowing the inner block (714) and the outer block (724) to be firmly joined and preventing shaking of the inner block (714) and the outer block (724) when using the structural part (700F).

[0091] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a seventh embodiment of a structural component.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 12, the structural component (700G) of the anode material firing furnace includes the configuration of the aforementioned 6th embodiment as a basic configuration, and has some differences in the structure of the protrusion-groove joint part (730d).

[0093] Specifically, the projection-groove coupling portion (730d) may include a main projection portion (733) located on one side of the inner block (715), a plurality of extension projection portions (734) extending outward from both sides of the main projection portion (733), a main groove portion (735) located on the inner surface of the outer block (725) to accommodate the main projection portion (733), and a plurality of extension groove portions (736) located on the inner surface of the outer block (725) to accommodate the plurality of extension projection portions (734).

[0094] The main protrusion (733) and the main groove (735) can be extended along the length direction of the structural part (700G) (the vertical direction (Y direction) when based on the kiln). Multiple extension protrusions (734) can be orthogonal to the main protrusion (733). Multiple extension protrusions (734) connected to one side of the main protrusion (733) and multiple extension protrusions (734) connected to the opposite side of the main protrusion (733) can be positioned offset from each other.

[0095] The aforementioned projection-groove coupling portion (730d) provides a more complex interlocking structure than the projection-groove coupling portion of the 6th embodiment, which can more firmly connect the inner block (715) and the outer block (725) and more effectively suppress shaking of the inner block (715) and the outer block (725) when using the structural component (700G).

[0096] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing the eighth embodiment of a structural component.

[0097] Referring to FIG. 13, the structural component (700H) of the anode material kiln may include a main block (740) made of ceramic refractory material and a protective block (750) made of ultra-high performance concrete. The protective block (750) may be selectively positioned in a part of the structural component (700H) where impacts frequently occur.

[0098] The ultra-high performance concrete constituting the protective block (750) to prevent metallic foreign substances from entering the anode material may include glass fibers and / or glass nets as reinforcing fibers. FIG. 13 illustrates a case where the protective block (750) is located above the main block (740), but the location of the protective block (750) is not limited to the illustrated example.

[0099] Additionally, although FIG. 13 illustrates a case where the protective block (750) is a single unit, the protective block (750) may be provided in multiple units, and multiple protective blocks may be positioned at a distance from each other on the surface of the main block (740) where impacts frequently occur.

[0100] Since external impacts on the structural component (700H) are applied to the protective block (750) rather than the main block (740), damage to the structural component (700H) can be suppressed by utilizing the high impact resistance characteristics of ultra-high performance concrete. The protective block (750) can function as a kind of sacrificial layer that withstands loads and wear caused by external impacts.

[0101] FIG. 14 is a drawing showing the ninth embodiment of a structural component.

[0102] Referring to FIG. 14, the structural component (700I) of the anode material kiln may include a main block (741) made of ceramic refractory, a protective block (751) made of ultra-high performance concrete, and a protrusion-groove joint (760) provided on the main block (741) and the protective block (751).

[0103] The projection-groove coupling portion (760) may be composed of a plurality of projections (761) located on either the main block (741) or the protection block (751), and a plurality of grooves (762) located on the other. FIG. 14 illustrates a case where a plurality of projections (761) are located on one side (bottom surface) of the protection block (751) facing the main block (741), and a plurality of grooves (762) are located on one side (top surface) of the main block (741) facing the protection block (751), but the locations of the projections (761) and grooves (762) are not limited to the illustrated example.

[0104] The protrusion (761) and the groove (762) may extend along the width direction of the structural part (700I) (the horizontal direction (X direction) when relative to the kiln). The protrusion (761) may be a triangular wedge shape, and the groove (762) may be a triangular wedge-shaped concave space corresponding to the protrusion (761).

[0105] The main block (741) and the protective block (751) can be joined by a process of fitting a plurality of protrusions (761) and a plurality of grooves (762) while moving toward each other along the width direction (horizontal direction (X direction) with respect to the kiln) of the structural part (700I). That is, the main block (741) and the protective block (751) can be assembled as a single unit by sliding at least one of the main block (741) and the protective block (751) along the width direction (X direction) of the structural part (700I).

[0106] The protrusion-groove joint (760) provides a rigid interlocking structure when assembling a main block (741) and a protective block (751) of different materials, thereby allowing the main block (741) and the protective block (751) to be firmly joined, and can suppress shaking of the main block (741) and the protective block (751) when using the structural part (700I).

[0107] Next, the manufacturing method of structural components of the anode material firing furnace is described.

[0108] FIG. 15 is a process flowchart for explaining a method for manufacturing a structural component according to one embodiment.

[0109] Referring to FIG. 15, the method for manufacturing a structural component includes a ceramic refractory block manufacturing step (S10) in which a refractory material is prepared and a refractory block is formed using a first mold, an ultra-high performance concrete block manufacturing step (S20) in which an ultra-high performance concrete material is prepared and an ultra-high performance concrete block is formed using a second mold, and an assembly step (S30) in which the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block are assembled and integrated.

[0110] The process of preparing ceramic refractory materials may include processes of crushing refractory raw materials (S11) and mixing the crushed refractory raw materials (S12). The process of forming a ceramic refractory block may include processes of introducing the mixed refractory raw materials into a first mold (S13), forming under high pressure conditions (S14), and drying and firing (S15). The process of forming a ceramic refractory block may further include post-processing (S16), such as surface treatment.

[0111] The ceramic refractory block manufactured by the above-described process may be any one of the inner block (710) of the structural component according to the second embodiment, the outer block (721) of the structural component according to the third embodiment, the inner block (712) of the structural component according to the fourth embodiment, the inner block (713) of the structural component according to the fifth embodiment, the outer block (724) of the structural component according to the sixth embodiment, the outer block (725) of the structural component according to the seventh embodiment, the main block (740) of the structural component according to the eighth embodiment, and the main block (741) of the structural component according to the ninth embodiment.

[0112] The process of preparing ultra-high performance concrete materials may include the steps of preparing raw materials for ultra-high performance concrete (S21), adding water to the raw materials, and mixing the raw materials in a predetermined ratio (S22). The raw materials may include cement, aggregate, reinforcing fibers, and binders. The reinforcing fibers may be steel fibers and / or glass fibers, and may further include glass nets.

[0113] The process of forming an ultra-high performance concrete block may include steps of introducing mixed raw materials into a second mold (S23), forming the ultra-high performance concrete block while removing air bubbles (S24), and natural drying (S25). The process of forming an ultra-high performance concrete block may further include post-processing steps (S26), such as surface treatment.

[0114] The ultra-high performance concrete block manufactured by the above-described process may be any one of the outer block (720) of the structural component according to the second embodiment, the inner block (711) of the structural component according to the third embodiment, the outer block (722) of the structural component according to the fourth embodiment, the outer block (723) of the structural component according to the fifth embodiment, the inner block (714) of the structural component according to the sixth embodiment, the inner block (715) of the structural component according to the seventh embodiment, the protective block (750) of the structural component according to the eighth embodiment, and the protective block (751) of the structural component according to the ninth embodiment.

[0115] In the case where the structural component includes a protrusion-groove joint, a concave structure or a protruding structure is provided in each of the first mold and the second mold so that a protrusion-groove joint is formed in the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block.

[0116] In the assembly step (S30), the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block are assembled integrally to complete the structural component. If the structural component includes a protrusion-groove joint, the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block form a rigid interlocking structure, which can effectively suppress shaking when the structural component is used.

[0117] 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 kiln structure comprising a main body providing a firing space and a floor structure installed on the bottom of the firing space; A heater installed in the kiln structure to heat the above-mentioned firing space; A plurality of refractory containers stacked in the height direction in the above firing space and accommodating anode material in their internal spaces; and It includes a transfer device that moves the plurality of refractory casings in a horizontal direction in the firing space, and The above floor structure includes a plurality of structural parts, and At least one of the above plurality of structural components is an anode material kiln comprising ultra-high performance concrete.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above-mentioned at least one structural component is an anode material kiln composed of an assembly of ultra-high performance concrete blocks and refractory blocks.

3. In Paragraph 2, The above-mentioned at least one structural component comprises an inner block made of ceramic refractory and an outer block made of ultra-high performance concrete, and The ultra-high performance concrete forming the outer block above is an anode material kiln containing glass fibers as reinforcing fibers.

4. In Paragraph 3, The above-mentioned at least one structural component further includes a projection-groove coupling portion, and The above-mentioned projection-groove coupling portion comprises a projection portion located on one surface of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, and a groove portion located on the inner surface of the outer block and receiving the projection portion, in an anode material firing furnace.

5. In Paragraph 3, The above-mentioned at least one structural component further includes a projection-groove coupling portion, and The above-described projection-groove coupling portion comprises a main projection portion located on one surface of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, a plurality of extended projection portions extending from both sides of the main projection portion in a direction orthogonal to the main projection portion, a main groove portion located on the inner surface of the outer block and receiving the main projection portion, and a plurality of extended groove portions connected to the main groove portion and receiving the plurality of extended projection portions, thereby forming an anode material firing furnace.

6. In Paragraph 2, The above-mentioned at least one structural component comprises an inner block made of ultra-high performance concrete and an outer block made of ceramic refractory, and The ultra-high performance concrete forming the inner block above is an anode material kiln containing steel fibers as reinforcing fibers.

7. In Paragraph 6, The above-mentioned at least one structural component further includes a projection-groove coupling portion, and The above-mentioned projection-groove coupling portion comprises a projection portion located on one surface of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, and a groove portion located on the inner surface of the outer block and receiving the projection portion, in an anode material firing furnace.

8. In Paragraph 6, The above-mentioned at least one structural component further includes a projection-groove coupling portion, and The above-described projection-groove coupling portion comprises a main projection portion located on one surface of the inner block and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the structural component, a plurality of extended projection portions extending from both sides of the main projection portion in a direction orthogonal to the main projection portion, a main groove portion located on the inner surface of the outer block and receiving the main projection portion, and a plurality of extended groove portions connected to the main groove portion and receiving the plurality of extended projection portions, thereby forming an anode material firing furnace.

9. In Paragraph 2, The above-mentioned at least one structural component comprises a main block made of ceramic refractory and at least one protective block made of ultra-high performance concrete, and The ultra-high performance concrete forming the above protective block is an anode material kiln containing glass fibers as reinforcing fibers.

10. In Paragraph 9, The above-mentioned at least one structural component further includes a projection-groove coupling portion, and The above-described protrusion-groove coupling portion comprises a plurality of protrusions located in either the main block or the protection block, and a plurality of grooves located in the other of the main block or the protection block, in an anode material firing furnace.

11. In Paragraph 10, Each of the above plurality of protrusions is parallel to the width direction of the structural part, and A cathode material firing furnace in which at least one of the main block and the protective block slides along the width direction so that the main block and the protective block are mutually assembled.

12. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 11, The above-mentioned at least one structural component is an anode material firing furnace that is a skid support.

13. A step of mixing crushed refractory raw materials, introducing the refractory raw materials into a first mold, high-pressure molding, drying, and firing to manufacture a ceramic refractory block; A step of manufacturing an ultra-high performance concrete block by mixing ultra-high performance concrete raw materials and water, pouring the ultra-high performance concrete raw materials into a second mold, and drying after molding; and A method for manufacturing structural components of an anode material kiln, comprising the step of assembling the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block.

14. In Paragraph 13, A method for manufacturing structural parts of an anode material kiln, wherein a concave structure is provided in either the first mold or the second mold, and a protruding structure is provided in the other, so that the ceramic refractory block and the ultra-high performance concrete block include a protrusion-groove joint.

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