The Influence of Oxy-Acetylene Gun Position on the Agitation of Furnace Slag, TFe Content and Furnace Temperature
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of different oxy-acetylene torch (OAT) gun positions on the agitation of furnace slag, TFe content and furnace temperature. An experimental platform was established to collect and analyze the results from different OAT torch positions at different burner heights. The results were compared and analyzed to reveal their effects on the operation parameters of the furnace. It was found that the TFe content was least affected by the position of the OAT torch gun. However, the furnace temperature and the agitation of the furnace slag were found to be largely affected by the different gun positions. The results of this study can be used as an aid in determining the best OAT torch gun position in order to obtain optimum operating parameters for the furnace.
1. Introduction
The oxy-acetylene torch (OAT) has been used in a variety of industrial applications, such as furnace operation, welding and brazing, exothermic cutting and aluminate melting. The roles of the OAT torch and its appropriate gun position largely depend on the material and gas requirements for the task at hand. The degree of agitation the furnace slag receives during the operation is an important operation parameter that can greatly affect the quality of the final product. The use of proper OAT gun positions can therefore be of great help in obtaining the desired degree of slag agitation and obtaining the proper furnace temperature. Several studies have been conducted in order to examine the influence of the OAT gun position on furnace temperature, slag agitation and other operation parameters. In this paper, an experimental platform was designed in order to obtain a better understanding of the influence of the OAT gun position on slag agitation, TFe content and furnace temperature.
2. Methods
2.1 Experimental Platform Setup
In the present study, an experimental platform was designed and constructed in order to observe the phenomena of the influence of the OAT gun position on the agitation of furnace slag, TFe content and furnace temperature. The experimental platform was composed of a furnace, an oxygen/acetylene process pipe, a control system, a stainless steel mixing chamber, a control panel and a closed-circuit TV monitoring system. A total of 7 OAT guns were set up in 7 different positions at different burner heights. The OAT guns were all adjusted to provide a flame with a maximum of 4 cm diameter at the base. During the experiment, the furnace temperature, slag agitation and TFe content were all monitored and recorded.
2.2 Experiment Procedure
The experiment was conducted in three stages: pre-experiment preparation, experiment preparation and actual experiment procedure. During the pre-experiment preparation stage, the furnace was heated to the desired temperature and the oxygen and acetylene gases were connected to the OAT guns. The OAT guns were then adjusted to provide a flame with a maximum of 4 cm diameter at the base. The experiment preparation stage involved the preparation of the furnace slag which was done by adding a certain amount of melted aluminum and a specified amount of iron oxide to the furnace slag. This slurry was then mixed and heated to a certain temperature before being placed into the stainless steel mixing chamber. After the slurry was poured into the chamber, the actual experiment procedure began with the OAT guns being adjusted to the different angles and heights as per the experiment requirements. The furnace temperature, slag agitation and TFe content were then monitored and recorded during the experiment.
3. Results and Discussion
Fig.1 shows the variation of the furnace temperature as the OAT gun was adjusted from a low-position to a high-position. As can be seen from the figure, the furnace temperature was lower when the OAT gun was in a higher position (with the gun nozzle positioned between 25 and 45 degrees from the horizontal).
Fig.2 shows the variation of the slag agitation with the different OAT gun positions. As can be seen from the figure, the slag agitation was strongest when the OAT gun was in a low-position (with the gun nozzle pointed downward) and was weakest when the OAT gun was in a high-position.
Fig.3 shows the variation of the TFe content with the different OAT gun positions. As can be seen from the figure, the TFe content was least affected by the different OAT gun positions and the highest TFe content was observed when the OAT gun was in a high-position.
4. Conclusion
Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that the position of the OAT torch gun has an impact on the furnace temperature and the agitation of the furnace slag. The TFe content, however, was found to be least affected by the different gun positions. This study can be used as an aid in determining the best OAT torch gun position for furnace operations in order to obtain optimum operation parameters.
