[0001] The present invention relates to a heating furnace, particularly a furnace for heating
a steel prior to the hot working of the steel. The present invention relates, more
particularly, to a walking beam type heating furnace and a pusher type heating furnace
for heating the steel prior to the hot working of the steel, preferably an electromagnetic
steel.
[0002] As is well known, while slabs are being introduced in a walking beam type heating
furnace, conveyed to the discharging direction of the furnace, and heated to a required
temperature for hot working and metallurgical processing, the steel material is alternately
placed on a group of stationary skid beams and a group of movable skid beams. The
movable skid beams are moved in one cycle along the lifting, forward moving, lowering
and returning paths, and thus forward the slabs in the walking beam type heating furnace.
The movable skid beams being lifted receive the slabs on the stationary skid beams.
When the movable skid beams are lowered, the slabs are placed back on the stationary
skid beams. The movable skid beams and the stationary skid beams, which are immovable,
are constructed by welding water- cooled metallic skids on water-cooled metallic tubes
which extend in the longitudinal direction of the furnace, and by lining the entire
outer circumference of the water-cooled metallic tubes with a refractory material
layer. The water- cooled, metallic skids are spaced from each other by a predetermined
gap. The water-cooled metallic tubes are supported by water-cooled posts, these posts
being covered by a refractory material and protruding through the hearth of the walking
beam type heating furnace. The water-cooled posts, which support the stationary skid
beams, stand vertically on the hearth and are stationary with respect to the hearth,
while the water-cooled posts, which support the movable skid beams, protrude through
slots in the hearth and are connected to a driving device located below the hearth.
The hearth portions through which the posts supporting the movable beams protrude
are provided with a bank formed on the hearth around each of these posts, so as to
prevent the influx of molten slag or scale into the slots (c.f. Japanese Published
Utility Model Applications Nos. 47-2739 and 49-15).
[0003] If molten slag or scale flows into the slots, the lifting, lowering, forward moving
and returning movements of the water-cooled posts become impossible. Since slabs of
electromagnetic steel have a high silicon content and are heated to a high temperature,
for example above 1250°C, slag or scale is dropped from the slabs of the electromagnetic
steel. Consequently, the technique of formation of the bank mentioned above is advisable
for heating the electromagnetic steel. However, in the conventional walking beam type
heating furnaces there is the problem of accumulation of the molten slag or scale
at the space between the banks, which problem is explained hereinafter in connection
with the explanation of the water- cooled posts of the conventional walking beam type
furnaces.
[0004] As is well known, the charging and discharging of slabs are performed by pushing
the slabs from the charging side to the discharging side of the pusher type heating
furnace. The heating zone of the furnace is provided with water cooled skid tubes
to allow the slabs to be conveyed and suppprted. In the soaking zone of the pusher
type heating furnace the slabs are pushed into contact with the refractory hearth,
thereby allowing removal of so-called skid marks. The structure of the water-cooled
metallic tubes, water-cooled posts and metallic skids of pusher type heating furnaces
is the same as in the walking beam type heating furnaces. However, no gap is formed
between the metallic skids in the pusher type heating furnace, because any gap acts
as a resistance during the sliding movement of the steel sections, i.e. the steel
slabs.
[0005] The number of the above mentioned water- cooled posts of the walking beam and the
pusher type heating furnaces is desirably as small as possible for the following reasons:
When the number of water-cooled posts is large, and further the heating temperature
of the slabs is high, for example in the heating of electromagnetic steel, fuel consumption
must be great enough to compensate for the heat withdrawal caused by the cooling water
in the water-cooled posts. When the heat insulating function of all of the water-cooled
posts is increased so as to avoid high fuel consumption, the installation cost becomes
very great. In summary, from the point of view of heating energy, installation and
maintainance costs, the number of water cooled posts should be as small as possible.
[0006] In the walking beam type heating furnaces, the following special problem arises.
Each of the driven water-cooled posts of the walking beam type heating furnaces protrudes
through the slot mentioned above, and a water-cooled sealing box is fitted below the
slot so as to prevent influx of the air through the slot into the interior of the
walking beam type heating furnaces. The withdrawal of heat by the water in the water-
cooled sealing box is more serious than that by the cooling water of the water-cooled
posts.
[0007] As is well known, the known water-cooled posts' of the walking beam and pusher type
heating furnaces are tubes which directly support the skid tubes. If the water-cooled
posts are reduced to a certain number, the supporting force of the water-cooled posts
is decreased correspondingly to the reduced number. It was believed in the art of
slab heating furnaces that the force required for supporting the skid beams is provided
by a certain number of the water- cooled posts, which number could not be reduced.
[0008] Furthermore, in the walking beam type heating furnaces the distance between a water-
cooled post and an adjacent bank is small. This is because the number of the water-cooled
posts is large, as explained above. Accumulation of molten slag or scale occurs at
the space between the water-cooled post and the banks, with the result that the molten
slag or scale overflows the banks into the slots. Accordingly, the walking beam type
heating furnaces provided with the banks involve the problem of molten slag or scale
accumulation, which should be eliminated.
[0009] In US-A-3 089 687 is described a walking beam furnace for moving work to be heated
through the furnace. This furnace is so designed that the work supporting and moving
members are periodically rotated so that they will be kept straight, and will wear
evenly, thus prolonging their life and efficiency.
[0010] US-A-3 345 050 discloses continuous or pusher type furnaces, in which steel slabs,
blooms, billets, ingots, or other forms of metal articles are heated to rolling, forging
or other desired temperature. One row, or more, of such articles is supported on water-cooled
skid rails extending between the charging end of the furnace and a refractory soaking
or discharge hearth located adjacent to the opposite end of the furnace. In order
to reduce the cooling effect of the skid rails on the engaged body portions of the
metal articles, novel means are combined with the skid rails to arrest or diminish
the thermal conductivity between such rails and the bodies of the articles supported
thereby.
[0011] The object of the DE-C-563976 is supporting pillars for cantlever pusher type heating
furnace-skid tubes, characterized by a water-cooled post (a, i) supported on the furnace
plate. The part of the post extending from the furnace bottom into the inner furnace
is at its lower end surrounded by a loose, easily replaceable insulating material,
e.g. sand, and at its upper part by a solid insulating substance, e.g. refractory
stone which is supported by notches fixed at the post above the replaceable insulating
material.
[0012] Finally, the invention described in DE-B-1758 288 is related to a walking beam type
heating furnace to perform heat treatment measures, especially on slabs and billets
and similar with cooled stationary beams extending in the longitudinal direction of
the furnace, and parallel to these cooled walking beams which are rigidly connected
to a walking beam frame situated below the furnace bottom.
[0013] The known devices, however, do not yet completely satisfy the requirements, especially
as to the necessary number of posts and the flow of the molten slag or scale.
[0014] It is an object of the present invention to reduce the number of water-cooled posts
supporting water-cooled metallic skid tubes of skid beams of heating furnaces as compared
to the prior art, the reduction of the number of posts being achieved by the provision
of heads of such posts, the shape and structure of these posts being so skillfully
designed that the reduction of the number of posts can be achieved even with skid
beams having the same cross section as in the prior art.
[0015] It is another object of the present invention to ensure a smooth flow of the molten
slag or scale on the hearth of a walking beam type heating furnace.
[0016] It is a further object of the present invention to effectively protect the post heads
from great heat in walking beam pusher type heating furnaces, thereby allowing the
post heads to stably support the skid tubes over a long period of time.
[0017] It is yet a further object of the present invention to facilitate maintenance of
a walking beam type heating furnace and a pusher type heating furnace.
[0018] A heating furnace according to the present invention comprises skid tubes of water-cooled
skid beams and water-cooled posts for supporting the water-cooled skid beams, and
is characterized in that
a) a post head having a trough-shaped receiving portion for supporting the skid tube
is stationarily located on each of said water- cooled posts at the upper portion thereof;
b) the post head has a length greater than the outer diameter of said water-cooled
post provided with said post head;
c) the skid tubes are mounted on one of said trough-shaped receiving portions with
a highly heat-conductive material in between;
d) a bracket is rigidly secured to the lower side of each of said skid tubes and extends
in the longitudinal direction of said skid tubes, and said post head is connected
to said bracket by means of a pin; and
e) the portion of said post head in which said water-cooled skid tube is secured has
a small thickness and, further, a highly heat-insulating refractory material is mounted
on said thin portion of the post head.
[0019] The present invention is hereinafter explained with regard to embodiments of the
walking beam type heating furnace. However, it will be obvious to the persons skilled
in the art to which the present invention pertains, that the skid beams and the watercooled
posts explained in these embodiments can be used in the pusher type heating furnaces.
[0020] The post head is provided with a trough-shaped receiving portion for a skid tube
of a water-cooled skid beam and has a length greater than the outer diameter of the
water- cooled post.
[0021] The skid tubes of the water-cooled skid beams are metallic and cooling water flows
through them. The skid tubes and the water cooled posts constitute continuous beams
having a number of fulcrums. In these continuous beams, the bending moment (M,) at
each fulcrum is from 1.4 to 2 times the bending moment (m,) at the center between
every two fulcrums (Mi = (1.4 - 2)m
j). In addition, the cross section of the skid tubes is usually determined by the bending
moment (M,) at each fulcrum. The present invention involves the concept of supplementing
the force for supporting each of the skid tubes in the proximity of the fulcrums by
means of the strength of each post head. This concept leads to the determination of
the cross section of the skid tubes based on the bending moment (m
j at the center between the fulcrums, not by the bending moment (M,) at the fulcrums,
with the result that the cross section of the skid tubes can be from 1/1.4 to 1/2
times that in the prior art. On the other hand, when the cross section of the skid
tubes of the present- invention is equal to that of the prior art, the moment (m
i), and hence the distance between the fulcrums according to the present invention,
can be greater than in the prior art. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the number
of the water-cooled posts as compared to the prior art, because of the trough-shaped
receiving portion of the post head according to the present invention. When the length
(I) of the trough-shaped receiving portion is from 2 to 5 times the outer diameter
(d) of the water-cooled posts, the number of posts can be reduced to one half or less
the number of posts having an outer diameter (d) equal to the length (I). The skid
tubes and the water-cooled posts are provided with a covering of a refractory material
resistant to the molten slag or scale at the outer circumference thereof.
[0022] The skid tubes are mounted on one of the trough-shaped receiving portions with a
highly heat-conductive material in between. The highly heat-conductive material may
be compactly filled between the skid tubes and the trough-shaped receiving portions.
The highly heat-conductive material is used in the present invention for the following
reasons: In order to exert the cooling effect of the skid tubes on the post heads,
and hence to protect the post heads by cooling, the skid tubes and the post heads
are desirably in contact with each other. The heat conduction between the so contacted
skid tubes and post heads would be high if a metallic contact were realized between
them. However, it is in practice difficult to achieve a completely metallic contact
between the skid tubes and the post heads due to the working accuracy of these tubes
and post heads. Minute clearances are, therefore, locally formed between these tubes
and post heads, and a heat-insulating layer is unavoidably formed due to gases in
the clearances. In order to prevent the formation of the insulating layer, and hence
to enhance the thermal conduction between the skid tubes and the post heads, the highly
heat-conductive material is placed in between. The amount of the highly heat-conductive
material compactly filled between the skid tubes and the trough-shaped receiving portions
may be small. It is possible to effectively prevent a reduction of strength of the
post heads because the cooling effect of the skid tubes satisfactorily extends to
the post heads.
[0023] In the heating furnace of the present invention, a bracket is rigidly secured to
the lower side of each of the skid tubes and extends in the longitudinal direction
of the skid tubes, and the post head is connected to the bracket by means of a pin.
The skid tubes can be readily exchanged by removing the pin from the bracket and the
trough-shaped receiving portion and then withdrawing the skid tubes from the receiving
portion.
[0024] The pin-securing portion of the post head has a small thickness and is in the form
of a thin neck. A highly heat-insulating refractory layer which is covered by the
refractory covering at the outermost part of the water-cooled posts is formed on the
neck portion. The thin neck portion is liable to have such a structure that it is
difficult to accomodate therein a water cooling system. The structure of the neck
portion is, therefore, not highly resistant to heat. Since the neck portion is thin,
the thickness of the heat-insulating refractory layer is large. The thick and highly
heat-insulating refractory layer can effectively protect the neck portion from a high-
temperature heat in a heating furnace.
[0025] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the water-cooled posts are arranged
in a zigzag pattern as seen in a plan view. In a walking beam type heating furnace
the water- cooled posts, the posts of the stationary skid beams and the posts of the
movable skid beams, which are surrounded by banks for preventing the influx of molten
slag or scale, are alternately arranged in a zigzag pattern. In this embodiment no
water-cooled posts are positioned between the banks of the walking beam type heating
furnace, and the distance between a water-cooled post and an adjacent bank is large.
Consequently, the flowability of the molten slag or scale is considerably increased
over the flowability in conventional walking beam type heating furnaces.
[0026] The linear arrangement of the posts in conventional heating furnaces can also be
adopted in the furnaces of the present invention. However, when the zigzag arrangement
is used in the walking beam type heating furnace as described above, the advantage
of a small number of posts as well as the advantage of considerable enhancement of
the flowability of the molten slag or scale on the hearth are achieved.
[0027] Preferable embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter explained with reference
to the drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 illustrates an arrangement of skid beams in a walking beam type heating furnace;
Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view along line X-X in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a skid beam and a water cooled post, where the outermost
refractory covering has not yet been formed on the beam and post;
Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view along line A-A in Fig. 3, but with refractory layers
formed on the skid beam and the water-cooled post;
Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement of the water-cooled posts of the
stationary skid beams and banks, and;
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5.
[0028] In a walking beam type heating furnace 1 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the movable
(driven) skid beams 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the stationary skid beams 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
are arranged in parallel and alternately in the furnace 1, and run from a charging
opening 11 to a discharging opening 12 of the furnace. Not shown axial flow burners
are located on the furnace roof above the beams 2 through 10. Side burners 16 are
located on the furnace side walls 13 and 14 below the beams 2 to 10 in such a manner
that the axis 15 of the flame is horizontal. The side burners 16 are alternately positioned
on the side wall 13 and the side wall 14. The axial flow burners and side burners
are arranged in each of a preheating zone Za, a heating zone Zb and a soaking zone
Zc.
[0029] In the walking beam furnace, particularly as used for such high temperature heating
as in the heating of an electromagnetic steel, the hearth 18 is provided with extraction
slots 21 for the molten slag or scale in both borders of the hearth along the side
walls 13 and 14. In addition, the hearth 18 has gentle slopes which descend from the
top at the center of the hearth to both borders along the side walls 13 and 14. The
molten slag or scale, which falls down from the slab 17 to the hearth 18, is therefore
caused to flow into the extraction slots 21. Slag or scale melting burners 23 located
on the side walls enhance the flowability of the molten slag or scale on the hearth
18. The skid beams 2 to 10 are supported by water-cooled posts 19 and 24, which are
described in detail below. A bank 30 is formed on the hearth 18 so that the inner
wall of the bank 30 surrounds each of the slots 20 through which the water-cooled
posts 19 for supporting the movable skid beams protrude. The banks 30 prevent the
influx of the molten slag or scale into the slots 20. A beveled body 48 is rigidly
secured to each of the water-cooled posts 19 and prevents the flow of the molten slag
or scale along the posts 19 into the slots 20 and the dropping of the molten slag
or scale directly into the slots 20.
[0030] In Figs. 3 and 4 the structure of the skid tubes and water-cooled posts is illustrated
in detail. In Figs. 3 and 4, reference numeral 31 indicates a skid tube having a rectangular
cross section and reference numeral 32 indicates a skid rail. A core tube 34 is accomodated
in a water-cooled post 19 (24) to water-cool the post 19 (24). A metallic post head
35 is provided on the water-cooled post 19 (24) and supports the skid tubes 31. The
post head 35 has a trough-shaped cross section and the length (I) of the trough-shaped
post head is greater than the outer diameter (d) of the water- cooled posts 19 (24)
which are made of metallic tubes. Accordingly, the supporting force of the skid tubes
at a fulcrum portion is greater in the supporting system of I > d than in the supporting
system of I = d and, therefore, the distance between the fulcrums is shorter in the
former supporting system than in the latter supporting system. In an example of the
length (I) of the trough-shaped post head, the length is 2.5 times the outer diameter
(d), i.e. I = 2.5 d. In this example the number of water cooled posts is approximately
one half of that in a walking beam type heating furnace where I is equal to d.
[0031] Quantitatively speaking with regard to a particular conventional walking beam type
heating furnace, the number of stationary skid beams is five and each of the stationary
skid beams is supported by sixteen water-cooled posts. The total number of the water-cooled
posts for supporting the stationary skid beams is, therefore, eighty. On the other
hand the number of movable skid beams is four and each of the movable skid beams is
supported by sixteen water cooled posts which are driven so as to realize the movement
of the movable skid beams. The total number of the driven water- cooled posts is,
therefore, sixty-four.
[0032] According to the present invention, the number of water-cooled posts necessary for
supporting one stationary skid beam of similar capacity to the particular furnace
mentioned above is decreased from the sixteen mentioned above to nine. In addition,
the number of water- cooled posts for supporting one movable skid beam is decreased
from the sixteen mentioned above to eight. The total number of the water cooled posts
is, therefore, decreased from 144 in the particular conventional walking beam type
heating furnace mentioned above to 72 in the comparable furnace according to the present
invention.
[0033] Returning to Figs. 3 and 4, a bracket 37 is fixed to the lower surface of the skid
tube 31 along the longitudinal direction of the skid tube. A trough-shaped upper receiving
portion 36 of the post head 35 is contiguous to a lower neck portion 40 thereof. The
bracket 37 is secured to the post head by a pin connection through a positioning pin
and a nut 38. Since the pin and nut are removable, the skid tubes 31 can be easily
disassembled from the post head, if necessary.
[0034] A highly heat-conductive material 39, for example SiC, is filled between the skid
tube 31 and the inner surface of the post head 35. The skid tube 31 is welded to the
circumference of the trough-shaped receiving portion 36 by a weld 41.
[0035] A cooling effect extends from the skid tube 31 and water-cooled post 19 (24) to the
post head 40. However, the cooling effect extended from the skid tube 31 and the water
cooled post 19 (24) is least at the thin neck portion 40. Therefore, the thin neck
portion 40 is subjected to external high temperature heat and is likely to lose its
supporting function due to buckling. Consequently, a thick refractory layer 42, which
is highly heat-insulating is formed on the neck portion 40. The refractory layer 42
may be ceramic fiber layers. Stainless sheets 43 are applied on the refractory layer
42.
[0036] Stud pins 45 shown in Fig. 4 are rigidly secured to the water cooled posts 19 (24)
and the skid tube 31. A refractory layer 46 covers all of the members of the skid
tubes and the water cooled posts, so as to protect these members from the molten slag
or scale which is generated by the melting of scale from the material being heated.
The material of the refractory layer 46 is selected from such groups of materials
as ceramic refractories which are not eroded by the molten slag or scale.
[0037] As will be understood from the explanation with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the water
cooled posts according to the present invention greatly contribute to the operation
of a walking beam type heating furnace and rqduction of the heat withdrawal as compared
with the prior art, because the load supporting system is realized by greatly increasing
the distance between the fulcrums as compared with the prior art.
[0038] As seen in the plan view of Fig. 6, the banks 30 and the posts 24 of stationary skid
beams are arranged in a zigzag pattern, while the conventional skid beam arrangement
pattern is linear, as seen in Fig. 5. Referring to Fig. 6, there are no water-cooled
posts between the adjacent banks 30 and, therefore, the free space in between, having
a distance (L), is large as compared to the free space in the arrangement in Fig.
5. In addition, the free space between an adjacent post and bank, having a distance
(L') is also large. As a result of this large free space, the flowability of molten
slag or scale on the hearth is considerably enhanced and therefore the flow of molten
slag or scale into the slots 20 due to the accumulation of molten slag or scale on
the hearth is not likely to occur.
[0039] When the water-cooled posts of movable skid beams are extremely difficult to drive
for the required conveying of steel sections due to the influx of molten slag or scale
into the slots, the operation of the furnace must be interrupted so as to withdraw
the molten slag or scale from the furnace. According to the present invention, particularly
the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6, the number of such interruptions of furnace
operation is low. Consequently, compared to the prior art, in the present invention
the heat loss due to interruption of the furnace operation is low and hence the degree
by which the furnace is cooled is decreased. As a result, the amount of fuel necessary
to heat the steel is less than in the prior art and, in addition, the maintenance
costs involved in the withdrawal of the molten slag or scale from the furnace are
low.
1. Four de réchauffage comprenant des tubes de ripage de poutres de ripage refroidies
à l'eau, et des colonnes refroidies à l'eau pour supporter ces poutres de ripage refroidies
à l'eau, caractérisé en ce que:
a) une tête de colonne présentant une partie de réception en forme de gorge pour supporter
le tube de ripage est agencée de manière fixe sur chacune des colonnes refroidies
à l'eau, à leur partie supérieure;
b) le tête de colonne présente une longueur supérieure au diamètre externe de la colonne
refroidie à l'eau, pourvue de cette tête de colonne;
c) les tubes de ripage sont montés sur l'une des parties de réception susdites en
forme de gorge, avec interposition d'une matière très conductrice de la chaleur;
d) un support est relié de manière fixe au côté inférieur de chacun des tubes de ripage
et s'étend suivant la direction longitudinale de ces tubes de ripage, la tête de colonne
étant reliée au support grâce à une broche; et
e) la partie de la tête de colonne, dans laquelle le tube de ripage refroidi à l'eau
est fixé, présente une faible épaisseur, et en outre une matière réfractaire très
isolante du point de vue thermique est montée sur cette partie mince de la tête de
colonne.
2. Four de réchauffage suivant la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que la longueur
de la tête de colonne est de 2 à 5 fois le diamètre externe de la colonne refroidie
à l'eau.
3. Four de réchauffage suivant la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que les colonnes
refroidies à l'eau sont agencées suivant un dessin en zig-zag, lorsqu'on les regarde
en plan, le four de réchauffage étant un four de réchauffage du type à balanciers
comprenant des poutres de ripage refroidies à l'eau, fixes et mobiles, en ce que chacune
de ces colonnes refroidies à l'eau, qui supportent les tubes de ripage mobiles refroidis
à l'eau, est entourée par un talus, et en ce que ces colonnes refroidies à l'eau et
les colonnes susdites refroidies à l'eau, destinées à supporter les tubes de ripage
fixes, refroidis à l'eau, sont agencés de manière alternée suivant un dessin en zig-zag.
4. Four de réchauffage suivant l'une des revendications 1 à 3, caractérisé en ce que
le four de réchauffage est un four de réchauffage du type poussant.