The vertical arc furnace changes the tradition of rotating furnace lid to add scrap into the inside furnace totally. It overcomes the shortages of traditional arc furnace mentioned before and changes people’s traditional concept on arc furnace. The way of adding scrap is using professional charge basket or belt conveyor to add scrap from top into the closed shaft. Preheating scrap is added into trough in the bottom shaft. The trough is moved by vibrating-type cart. Specialized four-axis type actuator is adopted to add scraps in the trough into the inside furnace from the flank furnace body continuously. Thus, discontinuous charging is changed to continuous charging into the shaft. The whole molten pool operation of electric arc furnace is realized.

High temperature flue gas enters into the feed throat from furnace side going through gas duct to shaft. Flue gas moves reversely with scrap steel. After preheating scrap, flue gas is discharged into gas duct from the top shaft. Flue gas enters into dedusting system through settling chamber. The vertical shaft electric arc furnace not only absorbs part of good ideas of Consteel furnace and vertical furnace but also overcomes shortages. For example: It absorbs the idea of vibrating feed of Consteel. But high temperature flue gas of Consteel can only pass from the surface scrap, which is limited to preheat scrap steel. Besides, the conveyor belt of scrap steel is so long (45-60m, generally) that takes up big area of the workshop. We adopted the idea of shaft preheating scrap. Meanwhile, we had a deeply discussion and research on the problems appearing during the operation of shaft furnace for a long time, such as scrap steel bonded, hanging, leaking water, too much height of shaft, increasing the cost of workshop, etc. We developed and designed new furnace with proprietary intellectual property rights of our company.

Outstanding merits of shaft arc furnace

1) Scrap entered from top into shaft in batches. High temperature flue gas and scrap flowed reversely. Effect of scrap preheating is obvious. Due to the reduction of the weight of each batch of scrap steel and the reduction of scrap’s standing time on shaft finger. The possibility of bonded scrap steel is eliminated. Meanwhile, shock of scrap steel on finger is reduced.

2) Lower fingers in the furnace can lift to avoid the damage caused by the falling of scrap steel.

3) The charging basket enters closed chamber firstly before it enters into shaft. Scrap steel is added into shaft in fully sealed condition. So, when adding scrap, escape of fume and dust is avoided. It is very helpful to environmental protection.

4) Vibrating continuous feed and 50% of remaining steel capacity is adopted to ensure the condition of molten pool. Electric arc doesn’t contact with materials of steel. Electric arc is stable. Fluctuation and flicker of voltage is sharply reduced. Noise is very low.

5) Because there is no direct contact between electric arc and scrap steel, volatile substance is reduced. The amount of dust is reduced because of filtration of scrap to flue gas. It lays the foundation of dedusting system.

6) De to reduction of volatile substance and the control of foaming slag, the iron recovery is increased 1.5-2.0%.

7) The rotary operation of furnace lid is not to reduce subsidiary operation time. Radiation heat of rotating furnace lid is avoided.

8) High impedance technology is adopted to improve the secondary voltage and to reduce the secondary current. Consumption of effective power is reduced 6-8%. Weight of short net system is effectively relieved.

9) Device configuration is concise and reasonable. It overcomes the shortages such as taking up large area, too much height of shaft plant. Thus, the cost of investment is lowered.

main technical parameters

power consumption  tap-to-tap cycle is shortened

electrode consumption      scrap steel yield