Top-Blown Coherent Jet Copper Refining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional copper anode refining processes using submerged tuyeres face operational difficulties, high costs, and excessive NOx formation, with inefficiencies in sulfur and oxygen impurity removal.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of coherent gas streams injected via top-blown coherent jet devices, which deliver oxidizing and reducing gases at supersonic speeds with a flame envelope, maintaining axial velocity and momentum to effectively refine molten copper without the need for submerged tuyeres, thereby reducing NOx emissions and extending furnace lining life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If submerged tuyeres are used for gas injection, then gas delivery to copper melt is achieved, but furnace refractory wear increases and operational reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional gas injection approach by switching from bottom-blown submerged tuyeres to top-blown coherent gas streams. This reversal eliminates direct contact between corrosive gases and furnace refractory, preventing refractory wear while maintaining effective gas delivery to the copper melt for sulfur and oxygen removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the gas injection function from submerged tuyeres and implements it through top-blown coherent gas streams. This separation removes the harmful interaction between injection gases and furnace refractory, eliminating the root cause of refractory wear and tuyere reliability issues.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If submerged tuyeres are used for oxidant and reductant gas injection, then copper refining is achieved, but NOx formation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reverses the gas injection direction from bottom-blown to top-blown coherent streams. This inversion changes the combustion dynamics, allowing oxidant and reductant gases to mix and react above the melt surface where NOx formation is minimized, while still achieving effective refining through coherent jet penetration and turbulence-induced mixing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of gas injection by using supersonic coherent gas streams with specific velocity and pressure characteristics. These parameter changes enable effective refining through enhanced gas-melt interaction while controlling combustion conditions to minimize NOx formation.
3Productivity
If high velocity gas streams are used, then refining efficiency increases, but gas stream penetration depth must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes supersonic gas stream parameters with high velocity and coherent flow characteristics. These parameter changes enable the gas streams to penetrate deeply into the copper melt while maintaining high refining efficiency, as the supersonic coherent jets retain their momentum and directional integrity over longer distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic coherent gas streams that maintain their velocity and coherence through the melt. The supersonic nature of these streams creates a dynamic penetration effect where the gas jets sustain their momentum and penetrate deeply into the copper melt, achieving both high refining efficiency and deep penetration.
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
This method enhances refining efficiency, reduces NOx emissions, and lowers operational costs by maintaining high velocity gas streams that penetrate deeply into the copper melt, achieving lower sulfur and oxygen impurity levels while extending furnace vessel life.
Implementation Method 1
an oxidation process to oxidize sulfur to sulfur dioxide which desolubilizes out of the bath
Implementation Method 2
a reduction process to remove dissolved oxygen present after the oxidation step
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A method and system for the copper anode refining is provided in which coherent jet technology is employed to heat the molten blister copper and/or melt scrap copper charges using a melting flame, oxidize the sulfur in the molten blister copper, and reduce the oxygen in the molten blister copper using top-blown coherent jet gas streams from one or more multi-functional, coherent jet lance assemblies. The present system and method employs a microprocessor-based controller operatively controlling the flow of an oxygen-containing gas, an inert gas, a reducing agent and a fuel to the coherent jet lance. The disclosed copper anode refining system and method greatly improves copper production while lowering oxidation /reduction cycle times and minimizing NOx emissions.