Enhancement of the thermal insulation insert in a blast furnace tuyere for natural gas injection through flange openings

Abstract

Based on mathematical modeling of the thermal and stress states of tuyere components, this study developed a protective design for the thermal insulation insert within the blast channel against natural gas combustion. The proposed solution involves shielding the insert with a perforated, truncated cone made of heat-resistant steel that is fixed to the tuyere flange inside the blast channel. The cone geometric parameters were determined to reduce the insert temperature and thermal stresses and minimize heat loss to the cooling water. These improvements were made while maintaining the same thermophysical parameters of the gas-air mixture as in the previous design, which used a heat-resistant ring to protect the flange-side face of the insert.