Multi-profile Thermal Lance for Fusion Cutting Energy Concentration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal lances are inefficient in terms of heating capacity and flexibility, with energy loss due to melting at high temperatures and lack of control over oxygen streams, requiring external fixing elements and resulting in incomplete combustion and material loss.
Innovation Solution
A thermal lance design featuring multiple tubular profiles with varying cross-sections and numerous cavities to concentrate energy and allow flexible operation with different oxygen streams, integrated fixing, and a high-temperature-resistant coating for sustained combustion, enabling efficient cutting and piercing with reduced material loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a standard thermal lance with three inner bodies is used, then the lance structure is simple, but energy is lost in melting the lance itself rather than performing work
Solution Approach 1:
The lance is divided into multiple tubular profiles (at least four) with varying cross-sections, creating a segmented structure that allows optimized material distribution and combustion control, reducing energy waste while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the lance have different cross-sectional properties and material compositions, allowing each region to be optimized for its specific function (combustion, structural support, flexibility), improving overall energy efficiency
2Adaptability or versatility
If a thermal lance with rigid structure is used, then manufacturing is easier, but flexibility and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lance incorporates varying cross-sectional dimensions along its length, creating a dynamic structure that provides both rigidity where needed and flexibility in other sections, allowing the lance to adapt to different operational requirements while remaining manufacturable
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional parameters of the tubular profiles are varied along the lance length, optimizing the balance between structural strength and flexibility, and enabling adaptation to different working conditions without requiring complete redesign
3Productivity
If a thermal lance with uniform cross-section is used, then manufacturing is simpler, but heating capacity and energy concentration are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The lance is segmented into multiple tubular profiles with different cross-sections, allowing each segment to contribute differently to heat generation and concentration, thereby increasing cutting speed and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The lance structure transitions from a uniform one-dimensional configuration to a multi-dimensional structure with varying cross-sections, enabling enhanced energy concentration and heating capacity through spatial optimization
4Loss of substance
If a thermal lance without integrated fixing is used, then assembly is easier, but external fixing elements are required causing material loss
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing elements are merged with the lance structure itself, eliminating the need for separate external fixing components and preventing material loss associated with detached parts, while the integrated design maintains structural integrity
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 design enhances heating capacity, flexibility, and energy concentration, reducing cutting time by 50% and oxygen usage, while preventing material loss through complete consumption and minimizing polluting emissions.
Implementation Method 1
consumable devices that can be consumed by exothermic reaction which are used for piercing and opening tapping passages
Implementation Method 2
thermal lances reach temperatures in the order of 3,500°C to 5,530°C, and thermal lance consumption times are in the order of 0.2 to 5 meters per minute
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a thermal lance (1) having suitable flexibility and concentrated effective heating capacity for the fusion cutting and/or piercing of any type of material, for example, for piercing and opening tapping passages in melting furnaces that use plugs made of clay or mixtures of, inter alia, alumina, silica and carbon. The thermal lance comprises at least four tubular profiles, one arranged externally and three arranged internally, and more than seventeen cavities housed inside said lance, where at least two of said four tubular profiles have different cross-sections, where each tubular profile is arranged in a contiguous manner in relation to the other tubular profiles, and where each tubular profile is selected from tubular profiles having a circular, square, triangular, hexagonal, oval, or multi-point star-shaped cross-section. The invention also relates to the use of the thermal lance for the fusion cutting and/or piercing of any type of material.