Rotary hearth furnace and method of reducing metal oxide in a rotary hearth furnace

摘要

A furnace comprising a cylindrical chamber into which pellets comprising metal oxide and carbon are introduced; a belt for transporting the pellets around the axis of the chamber in a first direction; one or more burners capable of introducing a mixture of fuel and oxidant into the furnace wherein the mixture travels axially in the direction opposite to the first direction wherein the furnace has a heating zone and a reducing zone; and, wherein the of burner(s) are placed such that a substantial majority of the fuel is introduced in the reducing zone with the remainder introduced into the heating zone.