A selection of plant sections has just been supplied to RHI for a special project.

This project concerns a modification or partial rebuild of a production line for refractory bricks. The bricks are impregnated with carboniferous material and thus achieve their special thermal and mechanical characteristics. The bricks are used, for instance, in converter ovens in the input sections for scrap metal and oxygen.

Included in the scope of delivery are a conditioning unit, a cooling unit and the pressure shock-resistant housing for the vacuum impregnator.

Conditioning and cooling units

The conditioning and cooling units are thermoprocessing sections, which are fitted directly to the housing of the impregnator. The conditioning unit either heats up or cools down the bricks to a defined required temperature before they are fed into the impregnator. The cooling unit has similar dimensions as the conditioning unit, is fitted downstream of the impregnator and cools down the bricks after impregnation.

The units that transport the bricks through the conditioning unit, impregnator and cooling unit as well as the loading and unloading equipment were all also designed and developed by Münstermann. The roller conveyors are easy to see, over which the pallets, loaded with bricks, are transported later through the unit.

With regard to the use of the impregnating material on the conveyor much emphasis was put on the resistance to dirt, simplicity of cleaning and problem-free servicing. In addition gentle power drive systems have been installed so that the bricks do not fall over on start-up.

Housing

The design and development of the impregnator housing was a special challenge. The housing is welded gas-tight and is pressure shock-resistant to a pressure of 6 bar. Additionally four Q-pipes are fitted inside the housing. Hot flame gases are cooled down here in a special stainless steel mesh filter basket by an energy transfer system to an extremely low temperature and the flame is extinguished.

Clean air and energy efficiency

In addition to the previously described plant sections Münstermann also supplied a regenerative thermal oxidation (RTO) unit for the impregnation. The afterburning is designed in such a way that part of the energy expended during the production process is recovered and can be used again.

For Münstermann the project with RHI that has been described was particularly exciting and in many respects new technical ground has been broken. Especially the considerable demands of pressure and tightness have been challenging. Together with our customer RHI we accepted the challenge and are delighted with the first production of bricks.