2022 Advanced Cupola Concepts Workshop

Pete Satre
Allied Mineral Products Inc., Melting Division Chair, Columbus, OH

David J. Kasun
P.E. Kuttner North America, Port Washington, WI

• Basic cupola theory introduction, general melting principles
• Cupola design variations, examples of cost saving and performance changes
  • Lined/unlined
  • hot/cold blast
  • above & below charge takeoff
  • spout designs
• Cupola zones (top gas, preheat, melting, combustion, well, tap and siphon)
• Coke combustion, Boudouaard reaction, gas chemistry, oxidizing-reducing atmospheres
• Mass energy balance principles
• Heat transfer in the cupola and charge material sizing
• Thermal efficiency, combustion air demand
• Effects of hot blast temperature, oxygen injection and humidity
• Tuyere arrangement, tuyere design, tuyere water cooling considerations (pressure, flow, instruments, leak detection methods)
• Iron dam height, slag layer depth and hearth pressure effects
• Cupola geometry considerations (blast ratio, preheat time, charge material sizing)
• Slag rate and fluxing
• Cupola computer simulation/modeling (KM16v3)

David J. Kasun
P.E. Kuttner North America, Port Washington, WI

• Charge makeup
• Basic properties of charge materials (surface area: mass, melting points, heats of fusion, slag generation)
• Thermochemical reactions
• Iron superheating and carbon pickup
• Slag chemistry, fluxing and slag rates
• Oxidation and reduction reactions, effects of gas chemistry on metallurgy
• Silicon losses/melt losses
• Well chemistry reactions
  • Carbon pickup
  • Silicon loss & recovery (FeO reactions)
  • Effect of slag layer on carbon pickup, temperature, FeO interactions
  • Well height/diameter - industry practices, effects & considerations

Metallics (Grade, specifications, physical and chemistry properties)

J.P. Kramer

AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham, AL

• Standard Metallic charge materials
• Alternative materials, key points for running trials
• Avoiding Issues with Charge Materials (dirt, contamination, etc.)

Foundry Coke
Steve Hay
Hay Melting Solutions LLC, South Lyon, MI

• Heating value, properties & characteristics
• Principle of physical and chemical properties in the cupola

Alloys
Brian Johnson, Hickman Williams & Co., Valparaiso, IN

• Natural (high purity)
• Briquetted materials (FeSi, SiC, FeMn, etc.)
• Injection grades (Carbon, FeSi, SiC)

Fluxes
Brian Johnson, Hickman Williams & Co. Valparaiso, IN

• Limestone/Dolomitic Limestone (properties, purity, sizing)
• Alternative fluxes (calcium carbide, fluorspar)

Questions and Open Discussion

Pour Haus
706 Humboldt Street
Tell City, IN 47586
(812) 547-2739

David J. Kasun
P.E. Kuttner North America, Port Washington, WI

Alex Croll
Waupaca Foundry Inc., Tell City, IN

• PPE for various jobs
• CO hazards/monitoring, meter types and locations
• Confined space
• Charge area
• Securing area during tap out, bottom drop, regular operation
• Furnace water leaks
• General water hazards
• General discussions/topics

Jim Wright
McWane Ductile, Coshocton, OH

• Start-up checklist, tools, safety equipment, PPE, procedures
• Bed coke selection
• Coke light off and measurement
• Safety tuyere operation, discharge and drop area preparation
• Charging, startup special charges
• Blast On
• Tap out procedures & safety (open vs. closed taphole)
• Preparation for extended campaigns
• What to do when problems occur
• Charge changes, blast and oxygen settings –associated issues, considerations & quantitative/qualitative results.

Lyle Heberling
Iron Casting Research Institute, Columbus, OH

• Chemistry Control, operator adjustments (blast, oxygen, charge recipe, spout additions)
• Iron and slag sampling and testing (chemistry and temperature)
• Cupola operation relationships to chemistry and temperature
  • High/low bed
  • Charge material weighing precision
  • Metallic and alloy quality and consistency
  • Weigh compensation
• Slag Control (basicity, color, testing, quantity)
• Optimizing costs, special charges, transition charges
• Least cost standard charge (consideration of hidden costs and melt losses)
• Record keeping, reporting
• Automation and data collection, reporting

Alex Croll
Waupaca Foundry Inc., Tell City, IN

• Lowest cost charge recipe calculations
• Metallurgical and chemistry calculations
• Melt loss calculations, methods to verify losses
• Oxidation loss calculations and optimization methods

Panel Discussion

• Operational tips and tricks and troubleshooting
• “Cupola 911”
• Chemistry issues, high C, low C
• Chemistry issues, high Si, low Si
• Chemistry issues, contamination
• Temperature control
• Leaking tuyeres or shell
• Hot spots on shell, well
• Blowing at taphole, high back pressure
• Options is taphole design
• Front spout measurement methods

Jim Frost
Reno Refractories, Morris, AL

Pete Satre
Allied Mineral Products, Inc., Columbus, OH

• Lining material selection – various zones of cupola
• Chemical, slag and temperature corrosion of linings
• Refractory properties and physical characteristics

Refractory – Complete Installation and Mid-Campaign Repairs

• Inspecting and removing old refractory
• Options and varieties of lining materials
• Taphole and separator repair
  • Setting elevations, setting the dam and slag notch, gauges
  • Dam height/slag notch control
• Optimizing refractory performance in each zone of the cupola.
• Dry-Out
• Extended campaign practices, issues, considerations & quantitative/qualitative results.

David J. Kasun
P.E. Kuttner North America, Port Washington, WI

• Oxy Fuel (NG) burners/Oxy Solid fuel burners
• Plasma superheating
• Alternative fuels (coke supplements)

• Waste Heat to Energy/Waste Heat Re-use technologies
  • Electric generation
  • Building heating/domestic hot water and process heating
  • Dehumidification and other process heat re-use
  • Carbon sequestration technologies
  • Incentive tax credits