CUPOLAMelting Plant Technology

Continuous Melting

Low Emissions

High Flexibility

Low Cost

• Melting

• Carburization

• Metallic charge

• Operational staff

• Maintenance

• Hot metal

High Flexibility

• Melting scrap contaminated by

– plastics or grease

– dirt or slag

• Melting of large amounts of

galvanized scrap

• Melt rate variable up to +/- 35 %

• Production of different iron grades

Low Emissions

• Dust and heavy metals

• Carbon dioxides

• Others

Applications

• Grey iron

• Ductile iron

• Compacted graphite iron

• Malleable iron

GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSECUPOLA MELTING

Standard layout

showing:

Bucket charging

Below charge

gas take off

Dry slag

granulation

Vertical

combustion

chamber

Hot blast

recuperator

Heat recovery

bundles

Baghouse

Exhaust fan and

stack

STORAGE AND BATCHINGCHARGING

Storage and Batching

A smooth melting process with little fluctuations in the

iron chemistry requires an accurate batching system.

State-of-the-art weighing technology and automatic cor-

rections based on the actual weights being charged

ensure superior process control. Nonmetallics are sto-

red in bins and charged by feeders. Metallics are

either dosed into weighing hoppers by a magnet or

a hopper / feeder arrangement

Funditubo,

Spain

30 tph

Charging yard

with non-metallics

storage bins and

one common fee-

ding belt

PSCIPCO, USA

70 tph

Automatic scrap

batching

Heavy duty

vibrating feeders

dosing into weig-

hing hoppers

Charging hoist

car with bucket

right above the

cupola

Charging

The charge bucket collects the charge while travelling

on the transfer car. The bucket is hoisted to the charging

platform and positioned above the cupola center. The

charge material drops evenly into the charge receiving

section of the cupola head through the slowly opening

bottom doors.

CUPOLA FURNACEIRON AND SLAG HANDLING

Cupola Furnace

Center charging ensures good distribution of the charge.

The gas charge below take off keeps the furnace head

smoke-free. The water-cooled cupola shell, together with

the water-cooled protruding copper tuyeres, makes a long

hot blast campaign possible.

The cupola features either a bare shell or a refractory

lined cupola shaft. Depending on operational require-

ments the slag is separated from the iron in the well or in

the external pressure siphon.

Hot Blast Generation

Hot blast is beneficial to the cupola operation as it saves

coke and silicon, achieves higher iron temperatures and

carbon pick-up. The cold blast is heated by the flue gas

from the top gas combustion. The heat exchanger bund-

les are placed in refractory lined boxes for easy removal.

The ductwork and the wind ring are insulated to minimize

heat loss.

Cupola head with

below charge top

gas take off

Atmospheric

siphon

Slag floating on

top being separa-

ted from the iron

Dry slag granulati-

on is an environ-

mental friendly

solution.

Lined cupola shaft

reduces heat loss

through the shell.

Wet bottom design

with atmospheric

siphon - only one

tap hole to maintain.

Bare shell reduces

refractory cost for

large furnaces.

Dry bottom design for

constant carbon pick-

up and highest stabili-

ty of the iron analysis.

Iron and Slag Handling

Slag is a valuable by-product. Dry granulation combines

simple operation with easy installation. Wet granulation

produces a well-defined granulated product. Iron storage in

holding furnaces ensures excellent temperature and chemi-

stry control while achieving higher availability.

Desulphurization with CaO or CaC2 decreases Mg con-

sumption during ductile iron treatment and enables the mel-

ting of CGI base iron.

Emission Control

The top gas is burnt, cooled and filtered. Thismethod combines low particulate emissions withsimple operation and low electric power con-sumption.

Wet gas cleaning systems generate a clean fuelgas, which can be exported. A spray coolerupstream the disintegrator ensures gas coolingand a droplet catcher downstream removes thewater. The combustion products have low sulp-hur and NOx emissions thus being beneficial tothe recuperator lifetime.

Environmental authorities from the US, Japan,Brasil and the EU have confirmed recently thatall emissions are well below the permitted limits.

Heat Recovery

Excess energy of the top gas combustion is utilizedthrough hot water, steam or thermal oil systems.

Automation Technology

KÜTTNER supplies innovative process automationand control systems. With the industrial InformationManagement System (iIM) the gap has beenclosed between production and the office world,enabling the provision and use of more reliableand sophisticated operational data.

ENERGY ANDENVIRONMENT

Process

visualization of

cupola furnace

and dry gas

cleaning system

Wet gas cleaning

Disintegrator,

scrubbing and con-

veying the top gas

FMGC, France

Dry gas cleaning

with thermal oil

cooler for a 25 tph

cupola

631

2e

The engineering company, which was foun-ded in 1949 by Dr. Carl Küttner, has evolvedinto a group of companies working worldwi-de in plant engineering and construction. Thecompany supplies and erects turnkey installa-tions for a wide range of process technolo-gies, including melting and material handlingin the iron, steel and foundry industries.

KÜTTNER is the leading supplier for Cupolatechnolgy worldwide. GHW, Germany,Sopame, France and former KÜTTNER-Modern LLC, USA are part of the KÜTTNER

group contributing with their specific knowhow and experience.

The services provided include developmentof new technologies, engineering anddesign, supply, installation and start-up ofplants complete with controls and data pro-cessing systems.

The KÜTTNER-Group works with more than400 employees worldwide and is represen-ted in the international markets through a net-work of agents and affiliated companies.

KÜTTNER GMBH & CO. KG

info@kuettner.de

www.kuettner.de

Küttner GmbH & Co. KG Phone +49 (0) 201 72 93-0

Fax +49 (0) 201 77 66 88

Alfredstr. 28, 45130 Essen