Refractory Applicator with Cooling Shroud for Hot Vessels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for applying refractory materials to metallurgical vessels are limited in their ability to provide continuous, uniform coatings on hot or cold surfaces, especially in maintaining linings against corrosive materials like molten slags and metals, and often require frequent reapplication.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a spinner head applicator that applies wet mixed refractory material in a radial direction using pressurized air, allowing for continuous coating on 360 degrees, with a cooling shroud to manage temperature and a mechanical or manual system for positioning, enabling application on both hot and cold surfaces, including metallurgical vessels and snorkel tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If refractory material is applied to hot surfaces (up to 1500°C), then the lining can be applied directly to operating vessels, but the applicator housing would overheat and fail
Solution Approach 1:
A water-cooled shroud acts as an intermediary protective layer between the hot refractory material environment and the applicator housing. The shroud captures cooling water, distributes it along the housing surface, and allows evaporative and convective cooling to maintain housing temperature below failure thresholds while enabling operation in high-temperature zones up to 1500°C
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system utilizes phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through evaporation and boiling on the housing surface. This phase change absorbs large amounts of latent heat, efficiently removing thermal energy from the housing and maintaining structural integrity in high-temperature environments
2Productivity
If a spinner head rotates at high speed to apply material continuously, then uniform coating is achieved, but the complexity of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spinner head rotation is achieved through pneumatic power transmission. Compressed air is supplied through an air line to a pneumatic motor or turbine coupled to the spinner head, eliminating the need for complex mechanical drive systems with belts, gears, or electric motors. This pneumatic actuation provides reliable high-speed rotation for continuous uniform coating while minimizing mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing pressurized air supply that is already part of the refractory material delivery system. The same compressed air infrastructure that propels the material slurry is also utilized to power the spinner head rotation, eliminating the need for separate power transmission systems and reducing overall apparatus complexity
3Manufacturing precision
If the applicator remains stationary to maintain precision, then coating accuracy is improved, but the ability to coat large surface areas efficiently is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static applicator to a dynamic one with controlled motion capabilities. The applicator can be precisely positioned and moved along the vessel surface using positioning mechanisms, while the spinner head maintains rotation for uniform coating. This dynamic positioning allows the applicator to cover large surface areas efficiently while maintaining coating precision through controlled movement rather than remaining completely stationary
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
The solution provides a durable refractory lining that resists corrosion, extends the campaign length of metallurgical vessels by maintaining the lining's integrity against acid and basic slags, and reduces the frequency of reapplication, with the ability to coat surfaces from 13°C to 1500°C, ensuring consistent performance and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
The pressurized air passes along the housing and exits the shroud so as to cool the housing below the temperature of the vessel
Implementation Method 2
pressurized air supplied to the applicator which rotates an air rotor which in turn rotates the spinner head of the applicator such that refractory material exits the spinner head in a radial direction
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for the applying of refractory material in 360 degrees while the apparatus is raised or lowered vertically or inserted and retracted horizontally can apply a layer of material continuously on the interior surface of a hot vessel. Wet mixed refractory material is supplied to an applicator and pressurized air is supplied to the applicator so as to rotate a spinner head on the applicator. The apparatus includes a shroud around the housing of the applicator which conveys the pressurized air around the housing to cool the housing below the temperature of the vessel. Also described is a method of applying refractory material by a spinner head on the applicator in the form of a spray to hot metallurgical vessels such as the snorkel tubes of vacuum degassers and ladles.