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Over the past two years, Rio Tinto KennecottRio Tinto Kennecott (RTK) has focused on analyzing and improving the Flash Smelting FurnaceFlash smelting furnace (FSF) concentrateConcentrate burner’s performancePerformance. The FSF reaction shaft has experienced non-uniform heat loads, inconsistent refractory wearRefractory wear, and uneven accretionAccretion. Wear patterns on the air slide, feed inlet chute, and disperser suggest uneven concentrateConcentrate feed presentation and air distributionDistribution in the windbox. In 2023, RTK conducted tests to confirm feed distributionDistribution into the concentrateConcentrate burner and assess sidewall wear beneath the reaction shaft. The results showed a 1.5% deviation across burner quadrants and high refractory wearRefractory wear, justifying feed and air system modifications. In July 2024, RTK implemented extensive feed system upgradesFeed system upgrades, including a new feed bin chute, Metso-style air slide, feed inlet chute, and Metso disperser. Despite successful installation, operational challenges such as blower outages, output limitations, and plenum backpressurePlenum backpressure issues emerged. This paper presents operational data from these efforts, emphasizing improvements in FSF feed system performancePerformance and assessing the impact of recent air slide and disperser upgrades on furnace efficiencyFurnace efficiency and component lifespan.

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Optimizing Feed System Performance in Rio Tinto Kennecott Flash Smelting: Challenges and Solutions

  • 会议论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年

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  • Aibyek Khamkhash,
  • Suresh Krishnamurthy,
  • Leandro Meneses,
  • Ram Muthuraman,
  • David Manczak

摘要

Over the past two years, Rio Tinto KennecottRio Tinto Kennecott (RTK) has focused on analyzing and improving the Flash Smelting FurnaceFlash smelting furnace (FSF) concentrateConcentrate burner’s performancePerformance. The FSF reaction shaft has experienced non-uniform heat loads, inconsistent refractory wearRefractory wear, and uneven accretionAccretion. Wear patterns on the air slide, feed inlet chute, and disperser suggest uneven concentrateConcentrate feed presentation and air distributionDistribution in the windbox. In 2023, RTK conducted tests to confirm feed distributionDistribution into the concentrateConcentrate burner and assess sidewall wear beneath the reaction shaft. The results showed a 1.5% deviation across burner quadrants and high refractory wearRefractory wear, justifying feed and air system modifications. In July 2024, RTK implemented extensive feed system upgradesFeed system upgrades, including a new feed bin chute, Metso-style air slide, feed inlet chute, and Metso disperser. Despite successful installation, operational challenges such as blower outages, output limitations, and plenum backpressurePlenum backpressure issues emerged. This paper presents operational data from these efforts, emphasizing improvements in FSF feed system performancePerformance and assessing the impact of recent air slide and disperser upgrades on furnace efficiencyFurnace efficiency and component lifespan.