Ladle Metal Recovery via On-Line Falling and Heat Utilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In iron and steel production, stir refining processes lead to excessive metal adherence to ladles, causing operational inefficiencies and ineffective heat utilization, as existing metal removal methods require unnecessary ladle transportation and maintenance, especially when combined with heat loss.
Innovation Solution
A method where metal adhering to a ladle is allowed to fall into the ladle on-line after molten metal is poured into a refining furnace, enabling continuous ladle use and utilizing heat effectively by melting and recovering the adherent metal as a material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If metal removal is performed in the ladle maintenance plant, then metal can be recovered as a material, but operational efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary repeated ladle transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The method performs preliminary action by making metal fall into the ladle on-line immediately after pouring into the refining furnace, before the ladle would otherwise need to be transported to the maintenance plant. This preliminary metal collection eliminates the need for subsequent transportation and maintenance visits for metal removal, thereby maintaining operational efficiency while achieving metal recovery.
2Loss of substance
If metal removal is performed in the ladle maintenance plant, then metal can be recovered as a material, but heat utilization becomes ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The method ensures continuity of useful action by keeping the ladle in continuous operation within the production line. The ladle returns directly to the melting furnace after metal falls into it, maintaining continuous heat cycles and avoiding the energy loss associated with transporting cooled ladles to and from the maintenance plant. This continuous operation preserves thermal energy effectively.
3Manufacturing precision
If stir refining is carried out, then metal quality improves, but metal adherence to ladle increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The method extracts the adhered metal from the ladle surface by making it fall into the ladle on-line. This extraction occurs at the optimal moment when the ladle is still hot and the metal is easily detached, separating the adhered metal from the ladle refractory without requiring maintenance plant intervention. The extracted metal is then recovered and reused.
4Loss of substance
If ladle is transported to ladle maintenance plant, then metal can be removed, but ladle becomes stand by reducing availability
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by collecting adhered metal directly in the ladle during its normal operational cycle. The ladle serves its primary function of transporting and refining metal while simultaneously collecting adhered metal through the on-line falling mechanism. This eliminates the need to take the ladle out of service for metal removal, maintaining full ladle availability for production.
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 approach avoids operational inefficiencies during stir refining, enhances heat utilization, and reduces the need for unnecessary ladle transportation and maintenance, particularly beneficial in stainless steel production where more metal adheres due to higher temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
having the metal adhering to the ladle fall into the ladle on-line
Implementation Method 2
pouring the molten metal from the melting furnace into the ladle into which the metal has fallen, to melt the metal and recover the metal as a material
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
After molten metal has been poured from a ladle 6 into a converter, metal 6b adhering to the ladle 6 is dropped into the ladle 6 on-line, and molten metal is poured from an electric furnace into the ladle 6 into which the metal 6b has been dropped. As a result, the metal 6b is melted and is recovered as a material.