Results from the continuous operation of a bell-less rotary charging apparatus on a blast furnace for 6.5 years

Results are reported from the industrial operation of a bell-less rotary charging apparatus (BRCA), developed by the company TOTEM, on blast furnace No. 2 at the JSPL plant of the Jindal Corporation in India over a period of 6.5 years. Use of the BRCA has demonstrated the great effectiveness of rotary blastfurnace charging, with the furnace having set Indian records for unit productivity (72–73 tons/m³ hearth) and coke rate (330–340 kg/ton pig iron) while smelting a high-alumina raw material with a PCF consumption of 175–185 kg/ton pig. The cost of maintenance of the BRCA is minimal, it mainly involving replacement of the original gas-sealing valves every two years. The high operational reliability of the charging apparatus is proven by the fact that no repairs or replacement of its main components have been needed on BF-2 at the JSPL plant for 6.5 years.