The electric arc furnace is a strategic tool in the melting process of steel from the recycling industry. Steel manufacturers turn to SCCM ALP in the permanent search for increased productivity but also for safety and durability over time for the equipment that makes it up (e.g. top of the vessel, vault and all tubular elements cooled with water).
Vessel Top
An electric arc furnace top vessel consists of 2 main parts:
- A steel vessel bottom lined with refractory material.
- The top of the tank equipped with tubular water-cooled panels
The top wall of the tank is equipped with a door for deslagging operations and openings for the passage of oxygen lances, oxyfuel burners or coal lances.
The design of a tank top must take into account :
- The geometrical constraints for the installation of this auxiliary equipment.
- The multiple stresses to which the cooled elements are exposed (high thermal loads, mechanical shocks with scrap metal, etc.).
- The safety of use, maintenance and replacement operations of the water-cooled panels
Our Achievements
Industeel (1)
Product :
Panel tank top
Issue :
Facilitate maintenance operations, increase the visibility and legibility of circuit connections (hoses and valves), make the uncooled connection between the top of the tank and the bottom of the tank more reliable
Solution :
Adapted cutting of the panels, complete 3D modelling of the top of the tank with its panels, tunnel and deslagging door, valves and hoses to optimise ergonomics and facilitate maintenance operations. Complete thermal and hydraulic study with consideration of water supply conditions
Market :
Steel industry
Industeel (2)
Product :
Panel tank top
Issue :
Facilitate maintenance operations, increase the visibility and legibility of circuit connections (hoses and valves), make the uncooled connection between the top of the tank and the bottom of the tank more reliable
Solution :
Adapted cutting of the panels, complete 3D modelling of the top of the tank with its panels, tunnel and deslagging door, valves and hoses to optimise ergonomics and facilitate maintenance operations. Complete thermal and hydraulic study with consideration of water supply conditions
Market :
Steel industry
Industeel (3)
Product :
Panel tank top
Issue :
Facilitate maintenance operations, increase the visibility and legibility of circuit connections (hoses and valves), make the uncooled connection between the top of the tank and the bottom of the tank more reliable
Solution :
Adapted cutting of the panels, complete 3D modelling of the top of the tank with its panels, tunnel and deslagging door, valves and hoses to optimise ergonomics and facilitate maintenance operations. Complete thermal and hydraulic study with consideration of water supply conditions
Market :
Steel industry
Water-cooled vault
A water–cooled arc furnace vault consists of two main subassemblies:
- A one-piece tubular screen or a set of water-cooled panels.
- A structure ensuring the functions of water supply and support of the water-cooled panels and accessories
The vault is also equipped with an opening to receive :
- A vault door and vault in the central part for the passage of the electrodes
- A water-cooled tubular elbow for the capture of fumes
- Miscellaneous accessories (water-cooled launders, pressure tap, etc.)
The design of a vault must take into account :
- The geometrical constraints for the installation of this auxiliary equipment.
- The multiple stresses to which the cooled elements are exposed (high thermal loads, mechanical shocks with scrap metal, etc.).
- The safety of use, maintenance and replacement operations of the water-cooled panels
Our Achievements
ARCELORMITTAL
Product :
Water-cooled vault
Issue :
Increase the life span, Facilitate maintenance and panel replacement operations
Solution :
Cutting of the panels adapted to the differences in thermal stress (hot spot zone), Radial cutting of the panels (preferred to angular cutting) to limit the number of accessories (elbows and caps) and therefore optimise the hydraulic characteristics, Connection in series of the elbow on vault with the least stressed panels, Optimisation of the attachments of the panels and the connections of the water circuits to facilitate the replacement of the panels, Complete thermal and hydraulic study with consideration of the water supply conditions
Market :
Steel industry
Industeel
Product :
Water-cooled vault
Issue :
Increased service life and sealing between elbow and vault
Solution :
New design: change from an arrangement with contiguous tubes to an arrangement with play between tubes to facilitate the hanging of slag projections, Elbow embarked on the vault and not suspended from the arms of the gantry, Implementation of an anti-wear hardfacing by Inconel 625 type welding located on areas identified during an assessment of an old vault, Complete thermal and hydraulic study taking into account the water supply conditions
Market :
Steel Industry
WINOA
Product :
Water-cooled vault
Issue :
Increase the service life, Ensure tightness between the elbow on the vault and the vault to improve the capture of fumes and the overall efficiency of the primary dust collector (limitation of parasitic air intakes), Facilitate maintenance operations
Solution :
New design: change from an arrangement with joined tubes to an arrangement with play between tubes to facilitate the hanging of slag projections, Elbow embarked on the vault and not suspended from the arms of the gantry, Modification and simplification of the water supply, Complete 3D modelling, On-site measurements of the hydraulic parameters (flow rate and head loss available), Complete thermal and hydraulic study with consideration of the water supply conditions
Market :
Steel industry
Water-cooled vault elbow
The elbow on vault is the first cooled fume collection element placed on an electric arc furnace. Given the high temperatures and the quantities of dust collected, the elbow on the roof is therefore exposed to very high stresses: erosion and thermal load.
This is composed of :
- A tubular casing
- A tubular screen at its outlet for the furnace tilts on the deslagging and casting sides
The design of an elbow on vault must take into account :
- The geometrical constraints for the installation of this auxiliary equipment…
- High levels of stress both in terms of erosion and thermal loading
- The distribution of the thermal loads between the lower and upper surfaces
- Deposit risks
Our Achievements
Ascoval
Product :
Water-cooled elbow
Issue :
Reliability and increased service life, Solve elbow exit deposit problems
Solution :
Taking into account the distribution of the thermal load in the definition of the water circuits, Modification of the elbow design to optimise the aeraulics and eliminate the deposit zones, Complete thermal and hydraulic study with consideration of the water supply conditions
Market :
Steel industry
WINOA
Product :
Water-cooled elbow
Issue :
Willingness for new installations with less dust adhesion
Solution :
New installations with a new geometry
Market :
Steel Industry
INDUSTEEL
Product :
Water-cooled elbow
Issue :
Increase the reliability and service life of the part
Solution :
Passage of adjoining tubes in spaced tube arrangement to improve the scrap between tubes.
Market :
Steel Industry
SCCM ALP integrates in its process
- Thermal and hydraulic studies taking into account the parameters measured on site
- The study or adaptation of the hydraulic circuits that supply water to cooled appliances
- A 3D design with the establishment of the complete plans of the devices
- Quality manufacturing with qualified operating procedures and specific assembly methods
- Verification of hydraulic parameters after manufacture on a SCCM ALP test bench
- Commissioning assistance with verification of operating parameters
- A follow-up of the installed devices
