Method of reagent injection using a heat pipe

Abstract

A method of injecting at least one reagent into a high temperature material includes providing a heat pipe assembly, permitting gravity flow of the liquid working substance from a condenser to an evaporator of the heat pipe assembly through a discrete impermeable liquid return passage therebetween, providing a reagent delivery conduit through the evaporator and emerging at a leading end thereof, conveying the reagent through the reagent delivery conduit and injecting the reagent into the high temperature material. The evaporator of the heat pipe assembly comprises a flow modifier therein adapted to cause swirling of a working substance flow in the evaporator. The condenser is cooled to condense the vaporized working substance received from the evaporator.

1 . A method of injecting at least one reagent into a high temperature material, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a heat pipe assembly having an evaporator and a heat extracting condenser in fluid flow communication therewith, the evaporator comprising a flow modifier therein adapted to cause swirling of a working substance flow in the evaporator, and the condenser being cooled to condense the vaporized working substance received from the evaporator;    providing a discrete, impermeable liquid return passage between the condenser and a leading end of the evaporator;    permitting the flow, by gravity, of the liquid working substance from the condenser to the evaporator through the liquid return passage;    providing a reagent delivery conduit passing through the evaporator and emerging at the leading end thereof; and    conveying the reagent through the reagent delivery conduit and injecting the reagent into the high temperature material.    
   
   
       2 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising selecting an alkali metal as the working substance.  
   
   
       3 . The method as defined in  claim 2 , further comprising selecting one of sodium and potassium as the alkali metal for use as the working substance.  
   
   
       4 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the heat pipe assembly is one of a lance and a tuyere and the reagent includes at least one gas, the method further comprising injecting said at least one gas into melts.  
   
   
       5 . The method as defined in  claim 4 , further comprising injecting said at least one gas into said melts from any one of a variety of heights above a surface of said melt, up to and including submerged injection.  
   
   
       6 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising using the heat pipe assembly as a burner, the at least one reagent including a combustible and a oxidant.  
   
   
       7 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising using the reagent to cool the condenser, thereby pre-heating the reagent with energy extracted from the evaporator.  
   
   
       8 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising cooling the condenser using multiple cooling circuits therein, and providing one of the reagent and a supplemental coolant within each of said multiple cooling circuits.  
   
   
       9 . The method as defined in  claim 8 , further comprising selecting the supplemental coolant from one of air, water and oil.  
   
   
       10 . The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising selecting sulphur as the working substance.