Method and arrangement for controlling a burner of a suspension smelting furnace

1. A method for controlling a burner of a suspension smelting furnace, wherein the burner is arranged at a top of a structure of a reaction shaft of the suspension smelting furnace and wherein the burner comprises:

a reaction gas feeding device, and a fine solids feeding device,

wherein the reaction gas feeding device substantially surrounds the fine solids feeding device so that an annular reaction gas channel is formed between the reaction gas feeding device and the fine solids feeding device, wherein the annular reaction gas channel has an annular reaction gas outlet opening,

wherein the fine solids feeding device has an annular fine solids channel having a fine solids outlet opening,

wherein the fine solids feeding device has an upstream end pivotably connected to the reaction gas feeding device, and

wherein the burner comprises at least one first mechanical actuator configured to center the fine solids feeding device in the annular reaction gas outlet opening,

the method comprising the steps of:

arranging at least two imaging apparatuses symmetrically with respect to a center line A of the burner,

producing images of a cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening with said at least two imaging apparatuses,

receiving images of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening from said at least two imaging apparatuses with a processing device,

performing an analyzing action of the images of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening by comparing the images of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening with a threshold image representing the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening,

producing and sending a control signal to said at least one first mechanical actuator based on said analyzing action,

receiving said control signal by said at least one first mechanical actuator, and

performing a centering action to center the fine solids feeding device in the annular reaction gas outlet opening with said at least one first mechanical actuator in response to receiving the control signal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one first mechanical actuator comprises at least one of an electric motor, a servo motor, a hydraulic motor, a magnetic motor, or a pneumatic motor and at least one of a mechanical screw, a mechanical shaft, or a rod driven by said at least one of the electric motor, the servo motor, the hydraulic motor, the magnetic motor, or the pneumatic motor.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprises the steps of:

providing a movable sleeve around the fine solids feeding device at the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the reaction gas channel,

providing at least one second actuator configured to move the movable sleeve along and with respect to the fine solids feeding device to change an area of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the reaction gas channel, and

changing the area of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the reaction gas channel by moving the movable sleeve along and with respect to the fine solids feeding device.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the step of providing at least one second mechanical actuator comprises providing at least one of an electric motor, a servo motor, a hydraulic motor, a magnetic motor, or a pneumatic motor and at least one of a mechanical screw, a mechanical shaft, or a rod driven by said at least one of the electric motor, the servo motor, the hydraulic motor, the magnetic motor, and a or the pneumatic motor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of configuring said at least one first mechanical actuator to tilt the fine solids feeding device with respect to the center line A of the burner.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of configuring the first mechanical actuator to tilt the fine solids feeding device with respect to the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the annular reaction gas channel of the reaction gas feeding device of the burner.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the burner comprises a dispersion gas feeding device, and

the fine solids feeding device surrounds the dispersion gas feeding device so that the annular fine solids channel is formed between the fine solids feeding device and the dispersion gas feeding device, and the annular fine solids channel is annular and the fine solids outlet opening is annular.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the burner is a concentrate or a matte burner.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the suspension smelting furnace is a flash smelting furnace or a flash converting furnace.

10. An arrangement for controlling a burner of a suspension smelting furnace wherein the burner is arranged at the top structure of a reaction shaft of the suspension smelting furnace and wherein the burner comprises:

a reaction gas feeding device, and a fine solids feeding device,

wherein the reaction gas feeding device substantially surrounds the fine solids feeding device so that an annular reaction gas channel is formed between the reaction gas feeding device and the fine solids feeding device, wherein the annular reaction gas channel has an annular reaction gas outlet opening,

wherein the fine solids feeding device has a fine solids channel having a fine solids outlet opening,

wherein the fine solids feeding device has an upstream end pivotably connected to the reaction gas feeding device,

wherein the burner comprises at least one first mechanical actuator configured to center the fine solids feeding device in the annular reaction gas outlet opening,

wherein

at least two imaging apparatuses are symmetrically arranged with respect to a center line of the burner,

said at least two imaging apparatuses being configured to produce images of a cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening,

a processing device is configured to receive images from said at least two imaging apparatuses and configured to:

perform an analyzing action of the images of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening by comparing the images of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening with a threshold image representing the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening; and

produce and send a control signal and provide the control signal to said at least one first mechanical actuator based on said analyzing action, and

said at least one first mechanical actuator being responsive to receiving the control signal and being configured to perform a centering action to center the fine solids channel in the annular reaction gas outlet opening.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein:

a movable sleeve is arranged substantially around the fine solids feeding device at the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the reaction gas channel, and

at least one second actuator is configured to move the movable sleeve along and with respect to the fine solids channel to change the area of the cross section of the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the reaction gas channel.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein:

the second mechanical actuators comprise at least one of an electric motor, a servo motor, a hydraulic motor, a magnetic motor, or a pneumatic motor and at least one of a mechanical screw, a mechanical shaft, or a rod driven by said at least one of the electric motor, the servo motor, the hydraulic motor, the magnetic motor, and a or the pneumatic motor.

13. The arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein:

said at least one first mechanical actuator comprises at least one of an electric motor, a servo motor, a hydraulic motor, a magnetic motor, or a pneumatic motor and at least one of a mechanical screw, a mechanical shaft, or a rod driven by said at least one of the electric motor, the servo motor, the hydraulic motor, the magnetic motor, or the pneumatic motor.

14. The arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein:

said at least one first mechanical actuator being solely configured to tilt the fine solids feeding device with respect to the center line of the burner.

15. The arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein:

said at least one first mechanical actuator being solely configured to tilt the fine solids feeding device with respect to the annular reaction gas outlet opening of the annular reaction gas channel of the reaction gas feeding device of the burner.

16. The arrangement according claim 10 , wherein:

the burner comprises a dispersion gas feeding device, and

the fine solids feeding device substantially surrounds the dispersion gas feeding device so that the fine solids channel is formed between the fine solids feeding device and the dispersion gas feeding device, and the fine solids channel is annular and the fine solids outlet opening is annular.

17. The arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein the burner is a concentrate or a matte burner.

18. The arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein the suspension smelting furnace is a flash smelting furnace or a flash converting furnace.