FLUID CLOSURE FOR AND METHOD OF PREVENTING FLOW THROUGH AN OPENING IN A FLUID AND PARTICULATE CONFINING AND CONVEYING STRUCTURE

摘要

FLUID CLOSURE FOR AND METHOD OF PREVENTING FLOW THROUGH AN OPENING IN A FLUID AND PARTICULATE CONFINING AND CONVEYING STRUCTURE A nozzle for generating a fluid curtain to prevent gases and particulate material from escaping to the atmosphere through a port in an off-gas hood for an oxygen steelmaking furnace. The nozzle includes a generally annular housing which is mounted on the hood, or a tubular extension thereof, so as to form a continuation of the port. An uninterrupted orifice is formed in a wall of the housing, the orifice being effective to direct fluid radially inwardly toward the center of said port and provide a continuous fluid curtain across the port when nitrogen under pressure is supplied to the nozzle housing. A pair of coaxial cylindrical partitions of different diameters and having circumferentially spaced apertures therethrough are mounted in the nozzle housing and provide discrete, tortuous flow paths in the housing for the nitrogen. The apertured partitions cause the nitrogen to be uniformly distributed in the housing and assure continuity of the fluid curtain.