CUPOLA FURNACE

For many years, the cupola was the primary method of melting used in iron
foundries. The cupola furnace has several unique characteristics which are
responsible for its widespread use as a melting unit for cast iron.

Cupola furnace is employed for melting scrap metal or pig iron for production
of various cast irons. It is also used for production of nodular and malleable
cast iron. It is available in good varying sizes. The main considerations in
selection of cupolas are melting capacity, diameter of shell without lining or
with lining, spark arrester.

Shape
A typical cupola melting furnace consists of a water-cooled vertical cylinder which
is lined with refractory material.
Construction
The construction of a conventional cupola consists of a vertical steel shell
which is lined with a refractory brick.
The charge is introduced into the furnace body by means of an opening
approximately half way up the vertical shaft.
The charge consists of alternate layers of the metal to be melted, coke fuel
and limestone flux.
The fuel is burnt in air which is introduced through tuyeres positioned above
the hearth. The hot gases generated in the lower part of the shaft ascend
and preheat the descending charge.
The different steps involved in cupola operation are:
(1) Preparation of cupola ( including repairs)
(2) Lighting the fire into the coke bed
(3) Charging of cupola
(4) Melting
(5) Slagging and metal tapping
(6) Dropping down the cupola bottom
2.7.1 Zones of Cupola
The different zones of cupola are marked in fig. and they are explained as under.
(i) Well: It is a sort of well of molten iron. The molten iron collects in this zone
before being tapped. The well is situated between the tapered rammed sand
bottom and the bottom of the tuyeres.
(ii) Superheating Combustion or Oxidizing Zone: All the oxygen in the air
blast is consumed here owing to the (actual) combustion taking place in this zone.
Thus, a lot of heat is supplied from here to other zones. Oxidation of Mn and Si
evolve still more heat.
The chemical reactions which occur in this zone are:
C + O2 (from air) = CO2 + Heat ...(1)
2Mn + O2 (from air) = MnO2 + Heat ...(2)
Si + O2 (from air) = SiO2 + Heat ...(3)
The temperature of combustion zone varries from 1550C to 1850C.
(iii) Reducing Zone or Protective Zone: It extends from the top of combustion
zone to the top of coke bed. It protects from oxidation. The metal charge above
and that dropping through it. An endothermic reaction takes place in this zone, in
which some of hot CO2 moving upward through hot coke gets reduced.
CO2 + C(Coke) = 2CO Heat ...(4)
This reduces the heat in the reducing zone and it has a temperature only of the
order of
1200C.
(iv) Melting Zone: Iron melts in this zone. The temperature in the melting zone is
around
or above 1600C. As per the following reaction taking place in this zone, the
molten
iron picks up carbon.
3Fe + 2CO = Fe3C + CO2 ...(5)
(v) Preheating Zone: Preheating zone starts from above the melting zone and
extends up
to the bottom of the charging door. This contain cupola charge as alternate layers
of
coke, limestone and metal. Gases like CO2, CO, N2 rising upwards from combustion
and reducing zones preheated the cupola charge to about 1100C. Thus preheated
charge gradually moves down in the melting zone.
(vi) Stack Zone: Stack zone extends from above the preheating zone to where
the cupola
shell ends and spark arrester is attached. Hot gases from cupola pass through the
stack
zone and escape to atmosphere. Stack gases (i.e. gases passing through stack
zone)
will normally contain about equal amounts of CO 2 and CO which is 12% each and
rest
76% is Nitrogen.
Induction furnace
Induction furnaces are widely used for melting non-ferrous and ferrous alloys.
There are two types of induction furnaces: coreless induction furnaces and channel
induction furnaces:
Coreless induction furnace

Coreless induction furnace consists of: a water cooled helical coil made of a copper
tube, a crucible installed within the coil and supporting shell equipped with
trunnions on which the furnace may tilt.
Alternating current passing through the coil induces alternating currents in the
metal charge loaded to the crucible. These induced currents heat the charge.
When the charge is molten, electromagnetic field produced by the coil interacts
with the electromagnetic field produced by the induced current. The resulted force
causes stirring effect helping homogenizing the melt composition and the
temperature.
The frequency of the alternating current used in induction furnaces may vary from
the line frequency (50Hz or 60Hz) to high frequency 10,000Hz
Channel induction furnace
Channel type induction furnace consists of a steel shell lined with refractory
materials and an inductor attached to the shell. There is a channel connecting the
main body with the inductor.
The inductor of the channel furnace works as a transformer. It has a ring-like iron
core with a water- or air-cooled coil as a primary coil and a loop of the melt,
circulating in the channel, as a secondary coil. Melt circulation has a stirring effect.
Channel induction furnaces work at line frequency currents.
Channel induction furnaces are commonly used as holding furnaces (furnace for
maintaining a molten metal, poured from a melting furnace, at a proper
temperature).
Channel furnaces are also used for melting low melting point alloys and iron. For
two or three shift operation channel furnaces are more economical than coreless
furnaces.
Channel furnaces of ratings up to the 10s of MW and up to capacities of thousands
of tonnes have been used for melting and superheating iron.
Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is a steel making furnace, in which steel scrap is
heated and melted by heat of electric arcs striking between the furnace electrodes
and the metal bath.
Two kinds of electric current may be used in Electric Arc Furnaces: direct (DC) and
Alternating (AC).
Three-phase AC Electric Arc Furnaces with graphite electrodes are commonly
used in steel making.
The main advantage of the Electric Arc Furnaces over the Basic Oxygen Furnaces
is their capability to treat charges containing up to 100% of scrap. About 33% of
the crude steel in the world is made in the Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF).
Capacity of Electric Arc Furnace may reach 400 t.
Structure of an Electric Arc Furnace

The scheme of a Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) is presented in the picture. The
furnace consists of a spherical hearth (bottom), cylindrical shell and a swinging
water-cooled dome-shaped roof. The roof has three holes for consumable graphite
electrodes held by a clamping mechanism. The mechanism provides independent
lifting and lowering of each electrode. The water-cooled electrode holders serve
also as contacts for transmitting electric current supplied by water-cooled cables
(tubes). The electrode and the scrap form the star connection of three-phase
current, in which the scrap is common junction. The furnace is mounted on a tilting
mechanism for tapping the molten steel through a tap hole with a pour spout
located on the back side of the shell. The charge door, through which the slag
components and alloying additives are charged, is located on the front side of the
furnace shell. The charge door is also used for removing the slag (de-slagging).
The scrap is charged commonly from the furnace top. The roof with the electrodes
is swung aside before the scrap charging. The scrap arranged in the charge basket
is transferred to the furnace by a crane and then dropped into the shell.
Refractory lining of an Electric Arc Furnace
Refractory linings of Electric Arc Furnaces are made generally of resin-bonded
magnesia-carbon bricks. Fused magnesite grains and flack graphite are used as
raw materials.
When the bricks are heated the bonding material is coked and turns into a carbon
network binding the refractory grains, preventing wetting by the slag and
protecting the lining the from erosion and chemical attack of the molten metal and
slag.
Melting
Melting process starts at low voltage (short arc) between the electrodes and the
scrap. The arc during this period is unstable. In order to improve the arc stability
small pieces of the scrap are placed in the upper layer of the charge. The
electrodes descend melting the charge and penetrating into the scrap forming
bores. The molten metal flows down to the furnace bottom. When the electrodes
reach the liquid bath the arc becomes stable and the voltage may be increased
(long arc). The electrodes are lifting together with the melt level. Most of scrap
(85%) melt during this period. Temperature of the arc reaches 6300F (3500C).