Detachable Door Hatch Valve Assembly for Shaft Furnace Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hatch and valve arrangements for shaft furnaces, such as blast furnaces, require interventions that are time-consuming and hazardous due to the need for personnel to access confined spaces within the housing for repairs or replacements, leading to production losses and risks of incorrect manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A hatch and valve arrangement where the actuator and bearing are mounted on a detachable door, allowing the modules to be removed transversely or radially from the housing for replacement or repair outside, eliminating the need for internal intervention and improving working conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the bearing and actuator are directly fixed on the housing, then the structure is compact and simple, but the intervention time increases and production loss increases due to the need for personnel to access confined spaces within the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the housing structure into modular sections with detachable doors. The bearing and actuator are mounted on a specific module that can be independently accessed by removing the door, allowing maintenance personnel to intervene quickly without accessing confined internal spaces. This segmentation enables the bearing module to be serviced separately from the rest of the housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable door acts as an intermediary element between the external environment and the bearing/actuator assembly. By providing this removable access interface, the patent enables quick intervention on the bearing and actuator without requiring personnel to enter confined spaces within the housing, thus reducing intervention time while maintaining structural integrity during operation.
2Ease of repair
If personnel access confined spaces within the housing for repairs, then interventions can be performed, but working conditions deteriorate due to heat, blast furnace gases, and confined space hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing and actuator assembly from the confined housing interior by mounting them on a module accessible through a detachable door. This allows maintenance personnel to perform repairs on the bearing and actuator from the external environment, completely avoiding exposure to heat and blast furnace gases that persist inside the housing even during temporary shutdowns.
Solution Approach 2:
The detachable door serves as an intermediary that separates the maintenance operation from the hazardous environment. By providing an external access point, it enables personnel to service the bearing and actuator without entering the confined, hot, and gaseous environment inside the housing, thus eliminating exposure to harmful factors while maintaining full intervention capability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the hatch or valve are integral with the shafts inside the housing, then the structure is unified, but the ease of replacement decreases as personnel must work in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the housing into modular sections with detachable doors, allowing the bearing and actuator to be accessed and replaced through an external interface. While the internal integration of hatches and valves with shafts is maintained for structural unity, the modular door design enables easy removal and replacement of components without requiring personnel to work in confined spaces, thus combining structural integrity with maintenance ease.
4Ease of repair
If interventions are performed inside the housing, then repairs can be made, but production shutdown is required leading to loss of productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the bearing and actuator servicing operations from the confined housing interior by providing external access through a detachable door. This enables maintenance personnel to perform repairs and replacements without requiring a complete production shutdown, as the intervention can be conducted from the external environment while the furnace remains operational or with minimal interruption, thus maintaining productivity while ensuring repair capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A hatch and valve arrangement for a charging installation for a shaft furnace, such as a blast furnace, said arrangement comprising a housing (1), inside which is located at least one hatch (21) and/or a valve (31), caused to pivot by an actuator (25, 35) located outside the housing and connected to the hatch or valve by a linking shaft guided in a bearing that is fixed with respect to the housing. The bearing (24, 34) and the actuator (25, 35) are mounted on a detachable door (26, 36) that seals an opening (13, 15) made in the wall of the housing (1) and whose dimensions are determined such that the hatch or the valve can be withdrawn transversely to the axis of the housing through said opening.