Inductively Heated Coke Bed for Slag Reduction and Degassing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to completely remove heavy-metal oxides, particularly chromium, vanadium, and other metal oxides from metal-oxide-containing slags and glass melts to below detection limits, and do not effectively degas melts, especially at high temperatures and low viscosities, which is necessary for producing colorless glass and ensuring melt quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the charging of solid particles or melts onto an inductively heated bed of lumpy coke, which achieves high temperatures and a high redox potential, allowing for the reduction of metal oxides and degassing of melts, with controlled redox potential and temperature adjustments using gas supply and induction heating, enabling the removal of heavy-metal oxides to below detection limits and complete degassing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional carbon carriers are burned to heat the bed, then heating is achieved, but temperatures are substantially lower than with inductive heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical combustion system with an electromagnetic induction heating system. Induction coils generate electromagnetic fields that directly induce currents in the carbon carriers, heating them to substantially higher temperatures without combustion. This substitution resolves the contradiction by achieving both higher temperatures and improved energy efficiency, as inductive heating avoids the energy losses associated with combustion and thermal transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating parameter from chemical combustion to electromagnetic induction, fundamentally altering how thermal energy is generated and transferred. This parameter change enables temperatures to reach levels substantially higher than conventional burning while improving overall energy efficiency by eliminating combustion inefficiencies and direct thermal transfer losses.
2Quantity of substance
If the redox potential is reduced by burning carbon carriers, then less noble metals remain in the melt, but noble metals cannot be reduced to below detection limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the redox potential control mechanism from chemical combustion to electromagnetic induction heating. By maintaining high temperatures through induction without combustion, the system achieves a high redox potential that enables complete reduction of even noble metal oxides (such as chromium and vanadium) to below detection limits, while still allowing selective reduction of less noble metals when desired.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the redox potential by controlling the induction heating parameters and carbon carrier characteristics. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize reduction conditions for different metal oxides, achieving complete reduction of noble metals while enabling selective retention of less noble metals in the melt when economically desirable.
3Quantity of substance
If melts are charged onto a glowing coke bed, then reduction of metal oxides occurs, but degassing is insufficient at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates local quality variations in the bed structure with zones of different permeability and reaction intensity. The lumpy carbon carriers create channels and voids that facilitate gas escape, while maintaining sufficient contact area for complete reduction. This local structural differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of complete metal oxide reduction and effective degassing, even at high temperatures where gas solubility is reduced.
4Temperature
If combustion is used to heat the bed, then energy is supplied, but thermal equilibrium with combustion products reduces redox potential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the combustion-based heating system with electromagnetic induction heating, eliminating thermal equilibrium with combustion products (CO, CO2). Induction heating directly energizes the carbon carriers through electromagnetic fields, maintaining a high redox potential by preventing the formation of equilibrium combustion gases. This substitution simultaneously achieves high temperatures and stable high redox potential, resolving the contradiction between temperature supply and redox stability.
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 effectively reduces heavy-metal oxides to below detection limits and completely degases melts, achieving high temperatures and efficient reduction of chromium and vanadium, while ensuring the formation of usable products like zinc oxide, with improved energy efficiency and reduced refractory issues.
Implementation Method 1
a tubular or channel-shaped housing for the reception of coke and a heating means surrounding said housing and including at least one induction coil
Implementation Method 2
the respective melting procedure will immediately occur simultaneously causing the desired reduction of metal oxides
Implementation Method 3
the same naturally applies to the charging of already melted material, whereby reactions as are observed only in thin-layer reactors are, at the same time, rendered feasible due to the fact that, because of the envelopment of the lumpy coke, the in-situ formed melt, or the charged melt, will enter into contact with the glowing coke in relatively thin layers
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for reducing metal-oxidic slags or glasses and/or degassing mineral melts, solid particles and/or melts are charged onto an at least partially inductively heated bed or column containing lumpy coke, and the reduced and/or degassed melt running off is collected. The device for reducing metal-oxidic slags or glasses and/or degassing mineral melts, which includes a charging opening (1) for solid or molten material and a tap opening (12) for the treated melt, is characterized by a tubular or channel-shaped housing (3) for the reception of lumpy coke (6), and a heating means surrounding the housing and including at least one induction coil (7, 8, 9).