Tuyere Stock Assemblies for Blast Furnaces
Tuyere Stock Assemblies are critical components in blast furnace operations, designed to deliver hot blast air directly into the furnace. The blast furnace produces hot metal (liquid iron) by processing a combination of iron ore lump, sinter, pellets, coke, and injected fuel. This is achieved by injecting high-temperature, enriched air through the furnace’s tuyeres, ensuring optimal combustion and chemical reactions within the furnace.
Role of Bustle Pipe and Tuyere Stocks
The bustle pipe is a large-diameter, refractory-lined circular header that surrounds the blast furnace above the mantle level. Its function is to uniformly distribute hot blast air heated up to 1250°C or more from the hot stoves to the bottom of the furnace via multiple tuyeres. The tuyere stocks act as a conduit between the bustle pipe and the tuyeres, ensuring a steady and controlled supply of hot blast air into the furnace’s hearth wall.
Engineering and Components of Tuyere Stocks
Tuyere Stocks are typically fabricated from pressure vessel-grade steel or alloy steel plates, providing the strength required for high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. They are internally insulated with cast able refractory materials to maintain thermal efficiency and protect the steel structure.
Each Tuyere Stock Assembly is a complex system consisting of
- Goose-neck
- Bellows Type Expansion Joint
- Elbow
- Peep Hole
- Blowpipe
- Fixing Arrangement
- Tensioning Device
The bellows expansion joint is specifically designed to handle angular rotations up to 3 degrees, accommodating the relative movements caused by thermal expansion. The blowpipe features a spherical nose, allowing flexibility and alignment with the tuyere, ensuring a secure connection that can handle varying fuel injection methods.
Reliability and Safety in Blast Furnace Operations
A failure in any part of the Tuyere Stock Assembly can directly impact iron production, causing significant downtime, financial losses, and posing safety risks to operational and maintenance personnel. To prevent such risks, stringent quality control is applied during every phase from design and engineering to manufacturing and refractory application.
LSI-Mech Engineers – Trusted Provider of Tuyere Stock Assemblies
At LSI – Mech Engineers Private Limited, we leverage over two decades of expertise in supplying Tuyere Stock Assemblies to mini, medium, and large blast furnaces worldwide. Our collaboration with leading technology providers in the iron and steel industry has enabled us to deliver over 500 Tuyere Stock Assemblies globally. As a renowned manufacturer of Bellows Type Expansion Joints, we are the preferred partner for customized and robust tuyere stock solutions.
Each assembly is meticulously designed to accommodate the necessary relative movements between the hot blast system and the furnace, with all components securely connected through flanged joints for easy installation and maintenance.
