Rotating Portal Cooling Guide for Tipping Melting Furnaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling water systems for melting furnaces face instability and risk of damage due to high pressures and tilting movements, leading to potential downtime and costs from hose tears and limited space constraints.

Innovation Solution

A rotating portal system for guiding cooling water supply and return lines, allowing for adjustable and stable cooling water distribution through rotatable and scissor-like folding pipe sections connected via sealed swivel joints, ensuring secure and twist-free operation during furnace tilting and pivoting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the nominal diameter of cooling water hoses is increased to supply larger amounts of cooling water, then the cooling water supply capacity is improved, but the hoses risk tearing off at connection points due to their own weight and water filling during furnace movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling water supply capacityVSAvoidhose connection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling water supply system is divided into multiple separate hoses instead of using a single large-diameter hose. This segmentation reduces the weight and water-filled mass of each individual hose, preventing tearing at connection points while maintaining adequate cooling water supply capacity through the combined flow of multiple hoses

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs flexible hoses with adequate length and routing that can dynamically accommodate the tilting and pivoting movements of the furnace. The hoses are arranged to follow the movement paths of the furnace components, reducing stress and preventing disconnection during operational movements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Quantity of substance

If the number of cooling water hoses is increased to supply larger amounts of cooling water, then the cooling water supply capacity is improved, but the available space below the tilting platform becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling water supply capacityVSAvoidavailable space below tilting platform
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling water hoses are routed in three-dimensional space, utilizing vertical and lateral dimensions in addition to horizontal placement. The hoses are arranged to pass through and along structural elements of the tilting platform, effectively using available volume rather than just surface area, thereby accommodating multiple hoses within the limited space below the platform

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If hose connections are used for cooling water supply, then the system can accommodate furnace movements, but the hoses tend to tear off at high pressures and cooling water flow rates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccommodation of furnace movementsVSAvoidhose connection stability under pressure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses flexible hoses with reinforced construction that can bend and flex to accommodate furnace movements while maintaining integrity under high pressure. The hoses are designed with appropriate wall thickness and reinforcement to withstand the cooling water pressure and flow rates without tearing at connection points

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The hoses are pre-routed and pre-tensioned during installation to account for expected furnace movements and pressure loads. Connection points are secured with appropriate clamps and fittings before operation, ensuring that the hoses are properly positioned and secured to prevent tearing during high-pressure operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2630429B1Cooling-water guide for a melting furnace that can be tipped and that has a furnace cover that can be raised and pivoted
Publication Date: 2014.11.05 SMS GROUP GMBH
  • EP2630429B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2630429B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2630429B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a cooling-water guide for a melting furnace for melting metals, in particular steel, consisting of cooling-water feed lines and cooling-water return lines. The furnace has a furnace vessel that can be tipped by means of a tipping platform and that can be covered by means of a furnace cover that can be raised and pivoted. The cooling-water feed lines and the cooling-water return lines are guided in a pivot portal and comprise feed pipe sections and return pipe sections, which are connected to each other by means of sealed rotational pipe joints in such a way that said pipe sections can follow the tipping motion of the tipping platform and the pivoting motion of the furnace cover.