Arcuate Half-Pipe Furnace Cooling Assemblies for Reduced Erosion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling elements for electric arc furnaces have sharp, angular designs that disrupt fluid flow and are limited in material selection, leading to reduced operational life and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of arcuately-shaped cooling assemblies and heat exchange systems using aluminum bronze alloys with extruded piping, featuring angled mounting ends and smooth fluid conduits to enhance fluid flow and material flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional mitered pieces are used to create serpentine water flow, then cooling elements can be fabricated with simple angular designs, but the sharp angular nature disrupts fluid flow and reduces operational life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sharp angular mitered pieces with arcuately-shaped cooling assemblies that have smooth curved transitions. The body includes a first mounting end with a first radius of curvature and a second mounting end with a second radius of curvature, creating a serpentine path without abrupt angle changes. This curvature design maintains ease of fabrication through standard bending and forming processes while eliminating flow disruption, thereby extending operational life by preventing erosion and corrosion at sharp corners.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional cooling elements with fixed designs are used, then manufacturing processes are standardized, but material selection is limited and design customization is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling assembly is divided into separable components including a body with mounting ends, allowing different materials to be used in different sections. The body can be fabricated from materials optimized for heat resistance while mounting ends use materials optimized for attachment. This segmentation enables customized material selection for each component while maintaining standardized manufacturing processes for assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables variation of geometric parameters including radius of curvature, mounting end dimensions, and body thickness to optimize performance for different applications. These parameter changes allow customization of the cooling assembly for specific furnace conditions, heat flux requirements, and spatial constraints while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing and installation procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances operational life and efficiency of electric arc furnaces by improving thermal conductivity, reducing corrosion and erosion, and allowing for wider material selection and design customization.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid conduit is defined between the inner surface and the surface for a cooling fluid to flow therethrough
Implementation Method 2
the body is arcuately-shaped with a concave inner surface and convex outer surface
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling assembly for cooling exhaust gases emitted from a steel-making furnace includes a body having a cross-sectional shape with a thickness defined between an outer surface and an inner surface thereof. The body includes a first mounting end having a first length and a second mounting end having a second length, the second length being different from the first length. The body is arcuately-shaped with a concave inner surface and convex outer surface, and the second mounting end is spaced from the first mounting end. A fluid conduit is defined between the inner surface and the surface for a cooling fluid to flow therethrough.