Metal making lance tip assembly

Abstract

A metal making lance tip assembly including a tip face member having a plurality of outlets, a plurality of nozzles corresponding in number and in communication with the tip face member outlets, and a coolant flow baffle member for directing coolant flow around the nozzles. The lance tip assembly further includes both a generally centrally disposed coolant fluid diverting protrusion and a plurality of radial vanes at the inner surface of the lance tip face member, which vanes preferably extend essentially the entire axial distance between the inner surface of the lance tip face member and a lower surface of the coolant flow baffle member and essentially the entire radial distance from the central protrusion to an annular coolant fluid return passageway.

1 . A metal making lance tip assembly comprising:
 a tip face member having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one active material discharge outlet;   at least one nozzle for delivering active material to a furnace vessel through said at least one active material discharge outlet;   a coolant fluid baffle member for directing coolant flow around said at least one nozzle;   a coolant fluid diverting protrusion provided on said inner surface of said tip face member; and   a plurality of vanes provided on said inner surface of said tip face member, said vanes extending essentially the entire axial distance between said inner surface of said lance tip face member and a lower surface of said coolant fluid flow baffle member and essentially the entire radial distance from said protrusion to a coolant fluid return passageway.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising an active material well having at least one active material receiving inlet in communication with said at least one nozzle. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 2  further comprising a post having an upper end connected to said active material well and a lower end connected to said coolant fluid diverting protrusion for providing structural support to said tip face member during operation of said assembly. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said vanes have a height “H” and an average thickness “T” and wherein a beneficial cooling reinforcement ratio is attained when T/H is approximately 0.3 at any point along the radial extent of said vanes. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1  further comprising a recess formed in said outer surface of said lance tip face member in general alignment with said protrusion, wherein “D” is the diameter of a circle defined by the foremost projection of said outer surface circumscribing said recess, wherein “d” is the depth of said recess from the foremost projection of said outer surface to the deepest point of said recess, and wherein a beneficial dimple profile ratio is attained when D/d is approximately equal to 2.7. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said vanes have a height “H” and a thickness “T”, wherein a beneficial cooling reinforcement ratio is attained when T/H is approximately 0.3 at any point along the radial extent of said vanes; said assembly further comprising a recess formed in said outer surface of said lance tip face member in general alignment with said protrusion, wherein “D” is the diameter of a circle defined by the foremost projection of said outer surface circumscribing said recess, wherein “d” is the depth of said recess from the foremost projection of said outer surface to the deepest point of said recess, and wherein a beneficial dimple profile ratio is attained when D/d is approximately equal to 2.7. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly  claim 1  wherein said protrusion is substantially conical and wherein a circumferential wall of said protrusion diverges from a central longitudinal axis of the assembly at an angle of between about 20°-50°. 
   
   
       8 . A metal making lance tip assembly comprising:
 a tip face member having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one active material discharge outlet;   at least one nozzle for delivering active material to a furnace vessel through said at least one active material discharge outlet;   a coolant fluid baffle member for directing coolant flow around said at least one nozzle; and   a plurality of vanes provided on said inner surface of said tip face member, wherein said vanes have a height “H” and an average thickness “T” and wherein a beneficial cooling reinforcement ratio is attained when T/H is approximately 0.3 at any point along the radial extent of said vanes.   
   
   
       9 . A metal making lance tip assembly comprising:
 a tip face member having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one active material discharge outlet;   at least one nozzle for delivering active material to a furnace vessel through said at least one active material discharge outlet;   a coolant fluid baffle member for directing coolant flow around said at least one nozzle; and   a recess formed in said outer surface of said lance tip face member, wherein “D” is the diameter of a circle defined by the foremost projection of said outer surface circumscribing said recess, wherein “d” is the depth of said recess from the foremost projection of said outer surface to the deepest point of said recess, and wherein a beneficial dimple profile ratio is attained when D/d is approximately equal to 2.7.   
   
   
       10 . A metal making lance tip assembly comprising:
 a tip face member having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one active material discharge outlet;   at least one nozzle for delivering active material to a furnace vessel through said at least one active material discharge outlet;   a coolant fluid baffle member for directing coolant flow around said at least one nozzle;   a plurality of vanes provided on said inner surface of said tip face member, wherein said vanes have a height “H” and an average thickness “T” and wherein a beneficial cooling reinforcement ratio is attained when T/H is approximately 0.3 at any point along the radial extent of said vanes; and   a recess formed in said outer surface of said lance tip face member, wherein “D” is the diameter of a circle defined by the foremost projection of said outer surface circumscribing said recess, wherein “d” is the depth of said recess from the foremost projection of said outer surface to the deepest point of said recess, and wherein a beneficial dimple profile ratio is attained when D/d is approximately equal to 2.7.   
   
   
       11 . A metal making lance tip assembly comprising:
 a tip face member having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one active material discharge outlet;   at least one nozzle for delivering active material to a furnace vessel through said at least one active material discharge outlet;   a coolant fluid baffle member for directing coolant flow around said at least one nozzle; and   a coolant fluid diverting protrusion provided on said inner surface of said tip face member, wherein said protrusion is substantially conical and wherein a circumferential wall of said protrusion diverges from a central longitudinal axis of the assembly at an angle of between about 20°-50°.