GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC KHAIRAGARH

Branch – Metallurgical engineering

Topic – Cupola furnace

Guided by Presented by
Aleena Anthony
Mahesh Kumar Dewangan
. 6th semester (Apr-May 2023)
INTRODUCTION

• Melting scrap metal or pig iron (over 90%) for casting.

• Economical process for production of gray , nodular and some malleable cast iron .
• Used for melting some copper base alloys and making steel .
• Obtained in different size and operated for as long as needed.
 PRINCIPLE

The cupola furnace works on a simple principal that combustion of coke

generates carbon dioxide and heat and this causes the iron to melt.

CONSTRUCTION
1. A cupola is a cylindrical shell constructed from boiler plate (6 to 10 mm thick) , is open at both its top and bottom and is
lined with fire brick and clay.
2. At bottom it is supported by cast iron leg and the bottom opening is closed by cast iron door .
3. The bottom opening door swings out of the way after the melting operation is over And thus the contents left in the cupola
drops down through opening.
4. Air from the blowers come through the blast pipe and enters the wind Box with surrounds the cupola and supplies airto
the Tuyeres.
5. Tuyeres - : it extends through the Steel shell and refractory world to the combustion zone and supply a necessary for
combustion.
: Total cross sectional area of tuyeres Is about 1/5 th to 1/6th of the cross sectional area of the cupola.
: it has dimensions 50 mm ×150 mm or 100 mm × 300 mm .
: cupola with diameter up to 75 cm have 2 to 3 tuyeres where as larger once aRe fitted
with 8 ,10 or even more tuyeres and are fitted in one or more number of rows.
: Auxiliary tuyeres are sometimes provided to rise melting efficiency.
: Volume metre to measure the volume of air passing through the combustion zone (12 to
16 in. for small and medium gauge and 16 to 35 in. for large).
: Cupola using 10 to one ratio of iron to coke consumes 800-900 cubic metres of air to
melt 1 ton of iron.
6. Tap hole to remove molten metal and lit fire in cupola.

7. opposite to talk whole a little higher is the slag hole.

8. Top has a spark arrester or metal shield or remains open.

9. Charging door and platform to feed the charge.

10. Capacities vary form 1 to 15 tons of melted iron per heat.

11. Small cupolas having a capacity of 1/2 to 1 ton are better called cupolettes.(height 2.5 to
4 m and tilted to horizontal position)
12. Height commonly 6 metres and dia 75 cm to 2.5 m .

13. It can be fitted with collector,filter and precipitator to minimise atmospheric pollution.
OPERATION

1. Preparation of Cupola ( including repairing)

2. Lightening the fire in the Coke bed
3. Charging of copula
4. Melting
5. Slagging and metal tapping
6. Dropping down the cupola bottom
ZONES OF CUPOLA

• Well – it is a sort of well of molten metal, the molten metal before tapping is stored here.
• Combustion zone- it is situated 15 cm to 30 cm above the top of tuyeres (1550-1850°C). All the oxygen in the
blast is consumed here a lot of heat is liberated and supply from here to other zone.

C+O2 →CO2+heat(14452BTU heat per pound of C in coke at 60°F)

2Mn+O2 →MnO2+heat
Si+O2 →SiO2 +heat

• Reducing zone- it extends from the top of combustion zone to the top of Coke bed. It protects the metal
charge from oxidation (1200°C)

CO2+C→2CO-heat(2910BTU per pound TC in the CO at60°F)

• Melting zone- it starts from the first layer of the metal charge above the Coke bed and extends to a height of
90 cm or less. Metal melts and tackles down through the Coke bed to the well zone(1600°C)

3Fe+2CO→Fe3C+CO2
• Preheating zone- starts from above the melting zone and extends up to the bottom
of the charging door (1100°C).

• Stack zone- it expands from above the preheating zone to where the cupola shell
end. Star gases will normally contain 12% CO2 and co each and the rest is 76%
nitrogen
ADVANTAGES OF CUPOLA

• Simple design
• Easy construction
• Cheap as compared to other furnaces
• Easy to operate and maintain in good condition
• Less floor space required
• Can be operated for many hours

LIMITATION OF CUPOLA
• Change in final analysis of molten iron.
• Close temperature control is difficult to maintain.