Furnace Taphole
Water-cooled copper taphole blocks provide an effective means of extending the refractory life of tapholes, both for metal and/or slag tapping. Tenova Pyromet offers copper taphole blocks which are part of an integrated design solution for the entire taphole area, including the tap blocks and its surrounding refractory.
Overview
Water-cooled taphole blocks have been proven to be an effective solution for applications where metal and/or slag are aggressive to the refractory, or where they operate at several hundred degrees of superheat. Most importantly, they provide an effective means of extending the life of taphole refractories and assist in promoting the formation of a protective frozen slag layer. Tenova Pyromet has designed water-cooled copper blocks which are successfully operating on metal, matte, and slag tapholes for several processes, including nickel, copper, titanium dioxide, platinum group metals (PGMs) and mineral wool.
Technical Data
The taphole region of a furnace is critical for the successful operation of the furnace, as it provides the means by which to remove the products from the furnace in a manner that does not compromise the integrity of the furnace or the quality of the products. However, the tapholes are the most vulnerable area of the furnace, as they are subject to severe operating conditions. Water-cooled copper tap-hole blocks provide an effective means of extending the life of tap-hole refractories, as the lower temperature of the refractory material inhibits wear and other damage and promotes the formation of a protective frozen slag layer in slag tapholes. The integration of the copper and refractory elements in the design facilitates not only longer campaign lives, but also easier, quicker, and safer maintenance activities on the tapholes when required.
Innovation
Tenova Pyromet’s copper blocks form an integral part of the lining, by providing mechanical support to the refractory, facilitating rapid replacement of tapping channel bricks without disturbing the surrounding lining.
Tenova Pyromet designs and produces copper taphole blocks on metal, matte, and slag tapholes for several processes, including nickel, titanium dioxide, platinum group metals, and mineral wool.
Features & Benefits
The main benefits of Tenova Pyromet’s water-cooled furnace tapholes include:
- Providing an effective means of extending the life of taphole refractories.
- Promotes the formation of a protective frozen slag layer.
- Provides mechanical support to the refractory, facilitating replacement of tapping channel bricks without disturbing the surrounding lining.
- Facilitates more effective tapping machine interfacing and operation for taphole opening and closing, also extending taphole life.
- Taphole designs, specifically matte and metal tapholes, can be integrated with Tenova’s MEGTEC ® non-explosive cooling media system to further improve safety in taphole operations.
Tenova taphole designs use FEA and CFD techniques to predict and optimize wear patterns and thermal performance.
Safety
Safety is at the core of Tenova Pyromet designs. Tenova Pyromet’s water-cooled copper tapholes ensure that the positioning of the water channels is optimized to prevent leaks although the copper is not in direct contact with the molten fluids during normal operation.
Related Solutions
