Side-Submerged Lance Segmentation for Clog-Free Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing side-blowing lance for submerged combustion smelting metallurgical furnaces faces issues such as clogged pulverized coal channels, reduced cooling efficiency, and the need to lower the molten bath level during lance replacement, leading to decreased production efficiency and furnace damage.

Innovation Solution

A lance design featuring an outer injection pipe with a self-locking mechanism and a blocking member for unclogging and maintenance, allowing for in-situ clearing of clogs and independent replacement of the inner injection pipe without lowering the molten bath level, ensuring continuous operation and improved cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If the lance is replaced by lowering the liquid level, then the lance can be replaced, but production efficiency is reduced due to interrupting operation and liquid level adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelance replacementVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The lance is divided into multiple separable components: an outer injection pipe and an inner injection pipe that can be independently removed. This segmentation allows the inner pipe to be replaced without removing the entire lance assembly, enabling maintenance without interrupting furnace operation or adjusting liquid level, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of repair and productivity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner injection pipe is extracted as a separate removable component from the outer injection pipe. This extraction design allows the inner pipe to be taken out for cleaning or replacement while the outer pipe remains in position, enabling maintenance operations without stopping production and without needing to lower the liquid level, thereby maintaining productivity while improving ease of repair

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the existing lance is used to transport pulverized coal, then pulverized coal can be supplied, but the pulverized coal channel becomes clogged easily

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel transport capabilityVSAvoidchannel clogging
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The injection system is segmented into an outer injection pipe for combustion-supporting gas and an inner injection pipe for pulverized coal. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each channel and enables easy removal of the inner pipe for unclogging operations, maintaining fuel transport capability while reducing clogging issues through simplified maintenance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The inner injection pipe is designed as a replaceable component that can be easily removed and replaced when clogged. This approach treats the inner pipe as a consumable part that can be quickly swapped out, ensuring continuous operation with minimal downtime and maintaining reliability while preserving adaptability for different fuel types

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the lance pressure is reduced for pulverized coal transport, then pulverized coal can be transported, but cooling effect is poor reducing service life and causing severe scouring

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepulverized coal transportVSAvoidlance service life
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The lance is segmented into pressure zones: the outer injection pipe maintains high pressure for effective cooling and is structurally reinforced, while the inner injection pipe operates at lower pressure for pulverized coal transport. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both pulverized coal transport capability and adequate cooling effect, extending lance service life by protecting the high-pressure cooling structure from the erosive effects of low-pressure coal injection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3438590B1Lance for side-submerged combustion smelting metallurgical furnace and metallurgical furnace having lance
Publication Date: 2021.10.27 CHINA ENFI ENG CORP
  • EP3438590B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3438590B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3438590B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A lance (100) for a side-submerged combustion smelting metallurgical furnace and a metallurgical furnace (1000) having the lance. The lance (100) includes: an outer injection pipe (10), the outer injection pipe (10) internally defining a combustion-supporting gas inlet (11), a combustion-supporting gas outlet (12), and an insertion port (13); an insertion self-locking member (20) having a self-locking and closing function, the insertion self-locking member (20) being mounted at the insertion port (13) of the outer injection pipe; an inner injection pipe (30), the inner injection pipe (30) having a medium inlet (31), a medium injection port (32), and a medium clearing port (33), the inner injection pipe (30) being detachably inserted into the insertion self-locking member (20), an end of the inner injection pipe (30) provided with the medium injection port (32) extending into the outer injection pipe (10) via the insertion port (13), and the insertion self-locking member (20) being self-locked and closed to block off the insertion port (13) when the inner injection pipe (30) is disengaged from the insertion self-locking member (20); and a blocking member (40), the blocking member (40) being mounted to the inner injection pipe (30) to open or close the medium clearing port (33). The lance not only facilitates clearing of pulverized coal clogging the inner injection pipe (30), thus allowing the inner injection pipe (30) to be unclogged in time, but also obviates the need to lower a liquid level of a molten bath when the inner injection pipe is detached for maintenance, thereby effectively ensuring normal operation of the metallurgical furnace and increasing yield.