System for elimination of accretions in air blowing tuyeres in Converters or pyrometallurgical furnaces

Abstract

A system for eliminating the formation of accretions inside the air blowing tuyeres of converters and pyrometallurgical furnaces in smelting and conversion processes consisting in an electrical signal generator, transducers that convert said electrical signals in mechanical waves placed on the outer end of air blowing tuyeres, coupling means between said system and the shell of the converter, air blowing means placed with the transducers to apply mechanical waves with the airflow into said converter or pyrometallurgical furnace, breaking and eliminating the accretions that form in said air blowing tuyere due to the field of mechanical waves that allows a higher reaction efficiency of the injected air, increasing the kinetics of chemical reactions.

We claims:  
     
         1 . A system that allows to eliminate accretions that form inside the air blowing tuyeres of converters or pyrometallurgical furnaces, well defined because it consists in: 
 a) An electric signal generator;    b) At least one transducer that converts said electrical signals into mechanical waves, placed on the outer end of at least one air blowing tuyere;    c) Coupling means between said system to the shell of a converter or pyrometallurgical furnace; and    d) Means for blowing air (an air blowing tuyere) placed around said transducer so as to apply mechanical waves with the airflow to the interior of said converter or pyrometallurgical furnace, breaking and eliminating the accretions that form in said air blowing tuyere.    
     
     
         2 . A system that allows to eliminate the accretions according to system  1 , well defined because: 
 a) Said air blowing tuyere is placed forming an angle equal to or less than 90° (α) with the transducer and the airflow entry to the interior of a converter or pyrometallurgical furnace; and    b) At least one transducer placed in the direction of the cross axis of the converter or pyrometallurgical furnace, and pointing towards the α angle of the air blowing tuyere, so as to apply mechanical waves that travel in a longitudinal direction with the airflow to the interior of said converter or pyrometallurgical furnace.    
     
     
         3 . A system that allows to eliminate the accretions according to system  1 , well defined because: 
 a) Said air blowing tuyere is placed so as to form a 180° angle in the direction of the airflow entry; and    b) At least one transducer placed transversally to said air blowing tuyere so as to apply mechanical waves that travel in a transversal direction with the airflow that enters said converter or pyrometallurgical furnace.    
     
     
         4 . A system that allows to eliminate the accretions according to system  1 , well defined because additionally it consists in 
 a) At least one resonant chamber surrounding said air blowing tuyere; and    b) At least one transducer placed coupled to said resonant chamber, to apply mechanical waves that contain a large number of components of different amplitudes that travel with the airflow to the interior of the converter or pyrometallurgical furnace; and    c) Said air blowing tuyere is placed so as to form a 180° angle in the direction of the airflow entry.    
     
     
         5 . A system of all previous claims, well defined because the mechanical waves are sonic waves.  
     
     
         6 . A system of  claim 1  to  4 , well defined because the mechanical waves are ultrasonic waves.  
     
     
         7 . A system of  claim 1  to  4 , well defined because the mechanical waves are infrasonic waves.  
     
     
         8 . A system of all previous claims, well defined because said pyrometallurgical converter is a Teniente Converter (CT).  
     
     
         9 . A system of  claim 1 , well defined because the field of mechanical waves allows higher reaction efficiency of injected air, increasing therefore the kinetics of the chemical reactions.