Single-Piece Steel Anchor for Refractory Lining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Steel anchors used in refractory linings of industrial furnaces soften and deform at high temperatures, leading to reduced anchoring effectiveness and potential dislodgment of the refractory material.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece steel anchor design featuring interconnected legs bent apart to form an eyelet, allowing the refractory material to harden within, thereby enhancing anchoring security, with optional thermal expansion gaps created by coatings or melting caps to mitigate thermal stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional steel anchors are used in refractory linings, then anchoring is provided during installation, but at high temperatures the anchors soften and deform reducing their safety function
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is divided into functionally distinct segments: a base portion for wall attachment, a shaft portion for structural continuity, and a front portion with interconnected legs forming an eyelet for refractory material anchoring. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function, with the front portion design specifically addressing high-temperature performance by creating a geometry that resists thermal deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying solely on the steel anchor's structural integrity at high temperatures, the invention inverts the approach by having the refractory material itself provide the anchoring function. The interconnected legs form an eyelet that allows molten or plastic refractory material to flow through and harden, transforming the anchor from a load-bearing structural element at high temperature to a positioning element that relies on the hardened refractory for its anchoring function.
2Reliability
If the anchor legs are bent apart to form an eyelet, then refractory material can harden within to strengthen anchoring, but the anchor structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the anchoring function with the refractory material itself. The eyelet formed by the interconnected legs serves dual purposes: it provides a geometric structure for the anchor and simultaneously creates a cavity that will be filled and strengthened by the hardened refractory material. This merging eliminates the need for separate anchoring mechanisms within the refractory lining.
Solution Approach 2:
The front portion with interconnected legs serves multiple functions: it maintains anchor geometry during installation, provides a template for refractory material placement, creates a cavity for material hardening, and forms a reinforced anchoring structure when combined with the hardened refractory. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components.
3Reliability
If thermal expansion gaps are created using coatings or melting caps, then thermal stress on the anchor is reduced, but the anchor design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The melting cap serves as a temporary, consumable component that performs its function during the heating-up phase and then disappears. It provides thermal expansion gap management during the critical initial heating period when thermal stresses are highest, then melts away to leave no residue that could interfere with anchor performance at operating temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transitions of the melting cap material (from solid to liquid) to create thermal expansion gaps. As the cap melts during the heating-up phase, it expands and provides the necessary clearance for thermal expansion, then completely transitions to liquid phase and drains away, leaving no permanent structural modification to the anchor itself.
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 anchor securely holds the refractory lining at high temperatures, resisting dislodgment and maintaining anchoring functionality by hardening the refractory material within the eyelet, while thermal management features reduce stress on the anchor.
Implementation Method 1
the lining material, such as concrete, easily passes through the eyelet opening. If the lining material hardens, it also hardens in the eyelet and strengthens the anchor's securing function for the entire lining material.
Implementation Method 2
the front area of the anchor and the eyelet formed is coated with organic material which melts, burns, softens, shrinks, sublimates, vaporizes or carbonizes at the operating temperatures. This coating forms an expansion gap at operating temperatures, which allows thermal changes in the armature and enables the armature to move slightly.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to single-piece steel anchors 1, 2 for anchoring unformed fireproof building materials, particularly in industrial furnaces. The anchor 1, 2 comprises two limbs 7, 8; 11, 12, which are connected to each other in the front region and which are bent apart in opposite directions and form an eye in which the building materials to be anchored harden.