Claims
- 1. The method of heating flat strip stock comprising the steps of:
- supporting the stock in a furnace chamber below combustion chamber means and separated therefrom by an array of flat refractory plates lying in a common plane, said plates having a plurality of apertures therethrough of substantially equal size perpendicular to said common plane and distributed substantially evenly across said plates;
- producing essentially complete combustion in the combustion chamber means for heating the array of plates to radiance at a temperature above approximately 1200.degree. F.;
- directing a flow of combustion products from said combustion chamber means through the apertures in the plates as uniform, discrete jets;
- producing a pressure drop across said plates of sufficient magnitude that the jets are turbulent after emerging from the apertures in the plates;
- positioning the stock in the furnace chamber such that a horizontal surface thereof confronts the plates, said horizontal surface being positioned in the zone of maximum turbulence of said jets; and
- continuously advancing the flat strip stock through the furnace chamber whereby said stock is heated simultaneously by convection from direct contact with said turbulent jets and by radiation from said plates, said convection and said radiation each contributing a substantial fraction of the total heat transferred to the stock.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said combustion producing step comprises the step of producing essentially complete combustion for heating the array of plates to radiance at a temperature in the range of 1500.degree. F. to 2000.degree. F. and wherein the heat transfer contributions of said turbulent jets and said radiation are substantially equal.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the flow of combustion products through said apertures is characterized by a Reynolds number not less than 2000.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said horizontal surface of the stock to be heated is positioned in a plane displaced from the confronting surfaces of the plates by a distance which exceeds the diameter of individual apertures in the plates by a factor of not less than 10 or more than 15.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein said horizontal surface of the stock to be heated is positioned in a plane displaced from the confronting surfaces of the plates by a distance which exceeds the diameter of individual apertures in the plates by a factor of not less than 10 or more than 15.
- 6. A furnace for heating; metal stock comprising:
- an elongated furnace chamber for receiving stock to be heated, said stock having a substantially planar surface;
- means for continuously advancing the stock through said chamber;
- an array of combustion chambers positioned above said furnace chamber for directing products of combustion thereinto;
- a flat, heat radiative plate interposed between each said combustion chamber and said furnace chamber, said plates lying in a common plane confronting the flat surface of the stock to be heated and having a plurality of openings perpendicularly therethrough, the openings being of substantially equal size and evenly distributed over the surface of said plates, said plates positioned closely adjacent each other for sealing said combustion chambers from said furnace chamber so products of combustion enter said furnace chamber from said combustion chambers only through said openings;
- forced combustion means associated with said combustion chambers for producing essentially complete combustion within said combustion chambers and for producing a pressure drop across each said plate sufficient to expel turbulent jets of combustion products therefrom through said openings; and
- means for supporting the stock to be heated within said furnace chamber so that the upper planar surface of such stock will be in the zone of maximum turbulence of the jets of combustion products issuing from said openings and will be heated by convection from direct contact with said jets and by radiation from said plates in a manner such that both the convective and radiant contributions are substantial.
- 7. The furnace of claim 6 wherein said supporting means positions said surface to be heated in a plane displaced from the confronting surfaces of said array of plates by a distance which exceeds the diameter of individual openings in said plates by a factor of not less than 10 or more than 15.
- 8. The furnace of claim 7 wherein said forced combustion means comprises a combustion system for heating said heat radiative plate to a temperature in the range of 1200.degree. F. to 2400.degree. F. and for producing jets of combustion products characterized by a Reynolds number not substantially less than 2000.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 882,166, filed Mar. 1, 1978, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 751,410, filed Dec. 16, 1976, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
1709526 |
Dumbleton |
Apr 1929 |
|
2673728 |
Grosskloss |
Mar 1954 |
|
3150864 |
Fetner et al. |
Sep 1964 |
|
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
882166 |
Mar 1978 |
|
Parent |
751410 |
Dec 1976 |
|