pa1778data.pdf

U.S. STEEL DUQUESNE WORKS
HAER No. PA-115
(Page 152)
delivery process consisted of its trestle supported suspension
bin system and automatic stockhouse equipment as well as upgraded
charging equipment at the top of the furnace which included a
three bell arrangement. Moreover, the computer controlled system
gave the appearance of independent operation.
The delivery of raw materials to the blast furnace top began
with their transfer in the stockhouse from bins hung from the
steel work of the trestle to two automatic conveying systems
leading to one of two 400 cu. ft. skip cars located in the center
of the furnace's skip pit. The skip pit divided the stockhouse
into two halves, north and south. The equipment located in the
north stockhouse filled the skip car positioned on the northern
most track of the inclined skip bridge. The skip car's southern
counterpart was filled by the equipment of the south stockhouse.
The arrangement of the equipment in each stockhouse represented a
mirror image of each other.
Coke was fed onto one of two 60" motor powered conveyor
belts located in the north or south stockhouse from four 46,000
cu. ft, capacity bins via feeder conveyors which were directly
attached to the coke bins at each of their bottom openings. Each
main coke conveyor belt, traveling toward the skip pit, carried
its material over a 230 ton per hour Hewitt-Robins vibrating
inclined screen where the coke breeze was separated out. The
screen delivered the main charge directly into a 6-ton weigh
hopper which weighed the coke before releasing the proper amount
into a chute leading to its respective skip car. An additional
46,000 cu. ft. coke bin, located directly above each vibrating
screen, was designed to provide the system with coke in case of a
failure with the conveying system.
Fluxing material from two north or south stockhouse 8,000
cu. ft. capacity bins were fed onto each of their own 48" motor
powered conveyors by feeder conveyors attached to their bottom
openings. The material traveled directly to a 30-ton weigh
hopper which weighed it before releasing the proper amount into a
chute leading to a skip car. Pellets from three 6,000 cu. ft.
capacity north or south stockhouse bins were delivered via each
of their own 48" conveyor belts to the waiting skip car in the
same manner as the fluxing material with the exception that an
additional ore bin was located directly above each miscellaneous
weigh hopper in case of conveyor failure. Sinter from each of
two north or south stockhouse 6,000 cu. ft. capacity sinter bins
was transmitted by feeder conveyor over a 22 6 ton per hour
vibrating screen where the sinter fines were separated out. Each
screen delivered the main charge onto a 48" wide motor powered
conveyor belt which delivered it to a sinter weigh hopper where
it was weighed and fed through a chute to a waiting skip car.