Apparatus for insertion and extraction of fuel injection lances into and out of the tuyere stock of a furnace blast

Abstract

An apparatus for insertion and extraction of a fuel injection lance into and out of a tuyere stock ( 1 ) of a shaft furnace, in particular of a blast furnace, is proposed, the tuyere stock includes a lance sheath that defines an insertion/extraction axis and is mounted in coaxial extension of a lance channel through which an injection lance can be inserted into the tuyere stock where the proposed apparatus includes a linear guide, a carriage and a mounting support, the carriage is movably supported by the linear guide and cooperates with a connecting device for connecting an injection lance to the carriage such that the injection lance can be moved axially along a translation axis by the carriagee, where the linear guide includes a mechanism for linearly moving the carriage along a guide axis and a first coupling half for mounting the linear guide to the mounting support attached to the tuyere stock, the mounting support having a second coupling half cooperating with the first coupling half of the linear guide for removably attaching the linear guide to the tuyere stock, the mounting support and the coupling halves orienting an attached linear guide so that the guide axis of the linear guide in parallel to the insertion/extraction axis and so that the translation axis of an injection lance connected to the carriage is coaxial with the insertion/extraction axis.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for insertion and extraction of a fuel injection lance, in particular of an oxy-coal injection lance, into and out of a shaft furnace tuyere stock, in particular of a blast furnace tuyere stock, that comprises a lance sheath that defines an insertion/extraction axis and that is mounted in coaxial extension of a lance channel, through which an injection lance can be inserted, said apparatus comprising:
 a linear guide with a carriage movably supported by said linear guide, said carriage cooperating with a connecting device for connecting an injection lance to said carriage such that said carriage can move said injection lance axially along a translation axis, said linear guide comprising a mechanism for linearly moving said carriage along a guide axis and a first coupling half for mounting said linear guide to said tuyere stock; and   a mounting support having a second coupling half cooperating with said first coupling half of said linear guide for removably attaching said linear guide to said tuyere stock, wherein said second coupling half comprises an abutment and said first coupling half comprises a counter-abutment;   said first coupling half and said second coupling half further comprising a rapid action fastener for fastening together said abutment and said counter-abutment, wherein said abutments and said mounting support are configured to orient said linear guide so that said guide axis of said linear guide is parallel to said insertion/extraction axis and so that the translation axis of an injection lance, when connected to said carriage, is coaxial with said insertion/extraction axis when said coupling halves are engaged.   
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said mounting support is configured to support said linear guide in cantilevered manner when said coupling halves are engaged. 
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said mechanism comprises a spindle mounted rotatable about said guide axis in said linear guide and said carriage comprises a spindle nut arranged on said spindle for linearly moving said carriage by rotation of said spindle. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the mating of material of said spindle and said spindle nut and/or the lead angle of said spindle are chosen such that said mechanism is self-locking. 
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said mechanism comprises a chain drive or a belt drive or a rack-and-pinion gear arrangement configured for linearly moving said carriage and configured to be self-locking to avoid unwanted linear motion of said carriage along said guide axis. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said rapid action fastener comprises a lever-actuated fastening stirrup, which is arranged either on said first coupling half or on said second coupling half, and a hook, which is arranged on said second coupling half respectively on said first coupling half, said hook cooperating with said fastening stirrup for attaching said linear guide to said mounting support. 
     
     
         22 . Apparatus according to  claim 21 , further comprising a stud on said first coupling half or on said second coupling half and a claw on said second coupling half respectively on said first coupling half, said claw being configured to engage said stud so as to block said linear guide on said mounting support. 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said mounting support is fixed to a tuyere stock and wherein said abutment of said second coupling half is formed by an abutment plate that defines an abutment surface that is substantially perpendicular to said insertion/extraction axis defined by said lance sheath. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein said mounting support is removably fixed to said lance sheath of said tuyere stock. 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein said counter-abutment of said first coupling is a counter abutment plate that defines a counter-abutment surface that is substantially perpendicular to said guide axis. 
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , further comprising an injection lance having a connecting device that cooperates with said carriage and connects said injection lance to said carriage. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein said carriage comprises a first connecting portion and wherein said connecting device comprises a collar for radially and axially securing said injection lance and a second connecting portion connectable to said first connecting portion such that said injection lance can be moved axially along said translation axis by said carriage. 
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said linear guide comprises at least one elongated beam defining a linear track, said carriage being movably supported on said linear track of said beam. 
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein said linear guide is dimensioned such that the travel of said carriage is greater than the insertion depth of an injection lance. 
     
     
         30 . Tuyere stock of a blast furnace comprising an apparatus for insertion and extraction of a fuel injection lance into and out of said tuyere stock, said tuyere stock being equipped with a lance sheath and with a lance channel, through which an injection lance can be inserted, said lance sheath having an insertion/extraction axis and that is in coaxial extension of said lance channel, and said apparatus comprising:
 a linear guide with a carriage movably supported by said linear guide, said carriage being configured for connecting an injection lance to said carriage such that said carriage can move said injection lance axially along a translation axis, said linear guide comprising a mechanism for linearly moving said carriage along a guide axis and a first coupling half for mounting said linear guide to said tuyere stock; and   a mounting support fixed to said tuyere stock and having a second coupling half cooperating with said first coupling half of said linear guide for removably attaching said linear guide to said tuyere stock, wherein said second coupling half comprises an abutment and said first coupling half comprises a counter-abutment;   said first coupling half and said second coupling half further comprising a fastener for fastening together coupling halves   wherein said abutments and said mounting support are configured to orient said linear guide so that said guide axis of said linear guide is parallel to said insertion/extraction axis of said lance sheath and so that the translation axis of an injection lance, when connected to said carriage, is coaxial with said insertion/extraction axis when said coupling halves are engaged.   
     
     
         31 . The tuyere stock according to  claim 30 , further comprising an oxy-coal injection lance connected to said carriage. 
     
     
         32 . The tuyere stock according to  claim 30 , wherein said mounting support is removably fixed to said lance sheath of said tuyere stock and thereby fixed to said tuyere stock. 
     
     
         33 . The tuyere stock according to  claim 30 , wherein said fastener is configured as a rapid action and comprises a lever-actuated fastening stirrup, which is arranged either on said first coupling half or on said second coupling half, and a hook, which is arranged on said second coupling half respectively on said first coupling half, said hook cooperating with said fastening stirrup for rapidly attaching or detaching said linear guide to or from said mounting support and wherein said fastener further comprises a stud, which is arranged on said first coupling half or on said second coupling half, and a claw, which is arranged on said second coupling half respectively on said first coupling half, said claw being configured to engage said stud so as to block said linear guide on said mounting support. 
     
     
         34 . The tuyere stock according to  claim 30 , wherein said abutment of said second coupling half comprises an abutment plate that defines an abutment surface that is substantially perpendicular to said insertion/extraction axis defined by said lance sheath and wherein said counter-abutment of said first coupling comprises a counter-abutment plate that defines a counter-abutment surface that is substantially perpendicular to said guide axis.