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Shaft furnace

Process Description

Aluminum shaft furnaces are suitable for the high melting performance required of Class 3 scrap containing up to 10% organic impurities. The specific energy requirement is 370 - 450 kWh/t. The melt is preheated in the shaft and the energy introduced using burner systems. 

Aluminum shaft furnace

Gas Application

Combustion with oxygen (oxyfuel) instead of with air as an oxidising agent reduces fuel consumption and increases process efficiency. 

Advantages of Oxyfuel burner systems at a glance:

  • Higher combustion efficiency
  • Higher melting rate
  • Faster heating-up times
  • Lower fuel consumption
  • Higher processing temperatures possible
  • Faster reaction speeds
  • Lower exhaust gas levels
  • Less dust
  • Lower emissions
  • Lower production costs

Application of Oxipyr-Burner technology in 15t shaft furnaces:

The table shows application possibilities for shaft furnaces and the increase in performance and potential energy savings typically associated with the use of Oxipyr burner technology in shaft furnaces.  

                                  air burner air/oxygen burner oxygen burner + hot air blower
Smelting output [t/h] 1,4 2,1 3,5
Smelting output [%] 100 150 250
Natural gas consumption [Nm³/t] 100 45 43
Oxygen consumption [Nm³/t]   0 75 86
Energy costs [€/t Al] 15,40 18,40 19,80
Production capacity [t/a] 10080 15000 25200
Dross volume [%] 100 71 45
aluminum yield [t/a]   150 554
Savings [€/t] 0 12,35 29,35

Messer Solution

In addition to the gases required for your process, Messer offers a variety of equipment for its optimisation under the brand names Oxipyr and Oxijet. 

In order to select the optimum system, experts from Messer first carry out a comprehensive process analysis. Following calculations and basic engineering, suggestions are made for optimisation and further procedures.

Oxipyr flame inside aluminum shaft furnace

Oxipyr – Burner Technology

The characteristics of the burner types are multi-faceted and range from low to high momentum burners, oxyfuel to oxygen/air mixing burners and burners for different fuels or fuel combinations. The systems are controlled manually, semi- or fully automatically following compositions or temperature.   

Oxipyr

Fuel

  

Burner protection

Flame

Burner Technology

gas

liquid

solid

low NOx

refractory material

traversing devices

cooling

monitoring

ignition

Oxipyr – P

X

 

 

 

X

X

X

X

X

Oxipyr – F

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Oxipyr – Flex

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Oxipyr – Air

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Oxipyr – SVNR

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

X

X

 

Oxipyr- IPC (internal post-combustion) 

The combustion ratio of fuel and oxidising agent is selectively altered, with the oxygen flow regulated as a function of exhaust gas parameters. As a result, through the post-combustion of pollutants in the exhaust gas, high-quality fuels can be relieved especially of the burden of volatile organic components (VOC). Messer developed the Oxipyr-IPC process for this purpose. When using the Oxipyr-IPC process, oxygen and fuel requirements are controlled automatically.  Oxygen is always supplied via Oxipyr burners; with Oxijet oxygen lances used for certain types of furnace. 

Advantages:

  • Lower fuel consumption
  • Reduces post-combustion burden
  • Reduction in production costs