Design features of thermal furnace with a drum mechanism for blanks transportation

One of the most energy-intensive industries is ferrous metallurgy. The metallurgical sector in industrially developed countries is reducing its specific energy consumption per one ton of products by approximately 1.0 - 1.5 % per annum. In Russia, obsolete technology is the main reason for the high-energy intensity of industrial product. Energy saving in industrial production is associated with production technology and the scope of fuel and energy resources consumption. Therefore, ways to improve energy efficiency focus on reducing energy consumption of any kind during a specific process in a specific process or thermal unit. Ensuring the economical operation of furnace units requires detailed preliminary and verification analyses, upgrading and introduction of state-of-the-art equipment. The study presents a flow diagram and features of thermal operation of a new drum-type chamber furnace for heating metal products for quenching. The technical parameters of the furnace, the results of the thermo-technical analysis, the heat balance and the specific fuel consumption as applicable to the created design are also presented. The flow diagram of the furnace has significant advantages in terms of the energy efficiency of fuel as compared to the roller and conveyor methods of metal transportation. Placing blanks on the drum significantly reduces the complexity of their transportation. Thanks to its small length the proposed design is compact and easy to place in a workshop. The use of a recuperative fuel burning device allows the efficient use of the heat of waste gases in the heating process. The proposed design and method of products transportation in the furnace working space can be used for the heat treatment of bars, pipes, strips, as well as rolled steel of various shapes. © 2021 National University of Science and Technology MISIS. All rights reserved.