Top Submerged Lance Wear Compensation via Adjustable Pipes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Top submerged lances in molten bath pyrometallurgical operations face frequent interruptions due to rapid wear and burn-back of the outer pipe, leading to significant non-processing time and cost penalties, as the optimal mixing chamber length is compromised as the lance wears down.
Innovation Solution
A top submerged lance design with concentric pipes and a drive system allowing for adjustable longitudinal movement between the inner and outer pipes, maintaining a constant mixing chamber length despite wear and burn-back, ensuring optimal pyrometallurgical conditions by compensating for the outer pipe's wear through precise relative positioning and controlled movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the outer pipe of the TSL lance is submerged in the molten slag bath for top submerged injection, then the lance can effectively inject oxygen-containing gas and fuel into the molten bath, but the outer pipe undergoes rapid wear and burn-back, requiring frequent interruptions for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The lance is divided into modular sections (outer pipe, inner pipe, mixing chamber) that can be independently replaced. When the outer pipe wears or burns back, only that specific section needs to be replaced rather than the entire lance, minimizing interruptions to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lance design accommodates dynamic changes in the outer pipe length due to wear and burn-back. The modular construction allows the lance configuration to be adjusted and replenished during operation, maintaining functional integrity despite continuous exposure to harsh molten slag conditions.
2Manufacturing precision
If the outer pipe wears and burns back, then the mixing chamber length changes from the optimal design value, but frequent lance replacements cause significant non-processing time and cost penalties
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the lance into replaceable modules, the invention allows maintenance of only the worn outer pipe section while preserving the inner pipe and mixing chamber. This selective replacement approach maintains the optimal mixing chamber length geometry and significantly reduces the time lost to replacements compared to replacing entire lances.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design enables discarding only the worn outer pipe section while recovering and reusing the inner pipe and mixing chamber components. This selective discarding minimizes material waste and reduces replacement frequency, thereby reducing downtime and maintaining manufacturing precision of the mixing chamber.
3Productivity
If the lance is designed with a fixed mixing chamber length, then the pyrometallurgical operation can proceed efficiently, but wear and burn-back inevitably compromise the optimal mixing chamber length over time
Solution Approach 1:
The lance design transitions from a static, fixed-length structure to a dynamic system where the outer pipe can be replenished to maintain the original mixing chamber length. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to wear and burn-back conditions, preserving the optimal mixing chamber dimensions and processing efficiency over extended operational periods.
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 design minimizes the frequency of lance replacements and interruptions, maintaining optimal operating conditions and reducing processing downtime by ensuring a consistent mixing chamber length, thus enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
protected by a coating of solidified slag formed and maintained on the outer surface of the outer pipe
Implementation Method 2
The vanes impart a strong swirling action to an air or oxygen-enriched blast along that annulus and serve to enhance the cooling effect
Implementation Method 3
any cooling of the lance by the gases passing through it
Implementation Method 4
enables fuel/reductant and oxygen-containing gas to be injected separately through the lance so as to mix at the outlet ends of the inner and outer pipes and generate a combustion zone
Data Source
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AI summary
A lance for conducting a pyrometallurgical operation by top submerged lancing (TSL) injection, has inner and outer substantially concentric pipes. The lower end of the inner or at least a next innermost pipe is set at a level relative to the lower end of the outer pipe required for the pyrometallurgical operation. The relative positions of the inner and outer pipes are longitudinally adjustable to enable the length of the mixing chamber to be maintained at a desired setting during a period of use to compensate for the lower end of the outer pipe wearing and burning back.