DESIGN AND MODELLING OF CUPOLA

DONE BY

DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION ENGINEERING

VIDYA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
THALAKKOTTUKARA, THRISSUR- 680 501

CEASE JUNIOR
FIJO GEORGE
FOUZIYA C M
HAREESH MOHANAN
JESBIN JOSE
JIBIN JOSEPH

CONTENTS

OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT
INTRODUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CUPOLA OPERATIONS
ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
DESIGN
FABRICATION DETAILS
BIBLIOGRAPHY

OBJECTIVE OF PROJECT
TO DESIGN AND FABRICATE A MODEL
OF SIZE 2 CUPOLA IN THE RATIO 1:2

FURNACES
FURNACES ARE OF TWO TYPES
1. BLAST FURNACES
2. FOUNDRY FURNACES

Blast furnaces performs basic melting operations i.e.

melting of metal ores.
Foundry furnaces are used to casting purposes.
Heat in a remelting furnace is created by
1. Combustion of fuel
2. Electric arc
3. Electric resistance

HISTORY OF CUPOLA

DEVELOPMENT OF BLAST
FURNACE FOR THE
REDUCTION OF IRON ORE
GAVE BIRTH TO IRON
FOUNDING
AS TIME WENT ON REMELTING
OF PIG IRON FOR MAKING
GRAY IRON CASTINGS - WHICH
LEAD TO THE EVOLUTION OF
CUPOLA
CUPOLA PLAYED A MAJOR
ROLE IN THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
FIG SHOWS STATITICS OF
FURNACES IN THE PERIOD
1962-63 IN U.S AND CANADA

3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

CUPOLA
ELECTRIC ARC
INDUCTION

CONSTRUCTIONAL FEATURES

CUPOLA OPERATIONS

PREPARATION OF CUPOLA
LIGHTING THE FIRE IN THE COKE BED
CHARGING OF CUPOLA
MELTING
SLAGGING AND METAL TAPPING
DROPPING DOWN THE BOTTOM

PREPARATION OF CUPOLA
The bottom door is dropped down and
cleaned
Damaged firebricks are replaced
Repairing and patching of refractory lining
Ramming of sand bed
Drop door is closed ,when the furnace is
reconditioned

LIGHTING THE FIRE IN THE COKE BED

Cupola is started 3hr before the molten
metal is to be poured
Soft and dry pieces of wood is placed over
the sand bed
Coke is placed over the wooden pieces
Air enters through the tuyeres
Electric spark igniters and gas torches are
also used for ignition

CHARGING OF CUPOLA
Charged from the charge door
Alternate layers of Limestone (flux), Iorn,
Coke (fuel) up to charge door
Sodium carbonate ,calcium carbide etc
also used as flux
A metal charge would have pig iron, scrap
iron, returns etc

MELTING
Soaking period of 30-60 minutes to
preheat
Blast is turned on
Molten metal accumulated at bottom

SLAGGING AND METAL TAPPING

Slag hole is opened, slag spouted is
collected in a container
As air blast continues, melting progresses
and the molten iron is tapped for pouring
into the molds

DROPPING DOWN THE BOTTOM

All the contents are allowed to melt till one
or two charges are left above the coke bed
Blast is shut off, the drop door is opened
and remains in the cupola is removed

ZONES

WELL
COMBUSTION ZONE
REDUCING ZONE
MELTING ZONE
PREHEATING ZONE
STACK ZONE

COMBUSTION ZONE
15-30 cm above the tuyeres
1550-1850 c
C+O2CO2+heat
2Mn+o2Mno2+heat
Si+O2SiO2+heat
0

REDUCTION ZONE
Top of combustion zone to the top of the
coke bed
CO2+C2CO-Heat

MELTING ZONE
It starts from first layer of metal charge to a
ht of 90 cm
3Fe+2COFe3C+CO2
1600c

PREHEATING ZONE

From Melting zone to the bottom of

charging of the charge door
1100c

Stack zone
From preheating zone to the cupola shell
ends.
Hot gases passes escape through the
stack

ADVANTAGES
SIMPLE DESIGN AND EASIER CONSTUCTION
LOW COST OF MELTING
SIMPLE TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN IN GOOD
CONDITION
ECONOMY IN OPERATION AND MAINTANENCE
LESS FLOOR REQUIREMENTS
COULD BE CONTINOIUSLY MELTED
ADEQUATE TEMPERTURE CONTROL
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION CONTROL
EFFICIENCY OF CUPOLA VARIES FROM 30 TO 50%.

LIMITATIONS
SINCE MOLTEN IRON AND COKE ARE
IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER,
CERTAIN ELEMENTS LIKE Si, Mn ARE
LOST AND OTHERS LIKE SULPHUR
ARE PICKED UP. THIS CHANGES THE
FINAL ANALYSIS OF MOLTEN METAL.
CLOSE TEMPERATURE CONTROL IS
DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

COST EFFECTIVE
PORTABILITY
EASY TO HANDLE
ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE WORKING
CONDITIONS

DESIGN
USING THE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
WE ARE AIMING TO DESIGN AND
FABRICATE THE CUPOLA OF SIZE 2 IN
THE RATIO 1:2.

CUPOLA SIZE

REDUCED
DIMENSIONS

SHELL DIAMETER

36

18

DIAMETER INSIDE LINING 27

13.5

MELTING RATE TONNES/HR (IRON TO

COKE RATIO 10:1)

2.75

1.375

BED COKE HEIGHT ABOVE TUYERES

(in)

36-42

18

COKE AND IRON CHARGES (lbs)

45 & 450

22.5 & 225

FLUX (lbs)

4.5

Cfm AIR THROUGH TUYERES

1290

645

WIND BOX PRESSURE (oz)

12

TOTAL AREA OF TUYERES (sq)

118

60

Height of the cupola

Length of the wind box
Height of the wind box from the
sand bottom
No: of tuyeres
Wind box dia
Slag hole height

210cm
30cm
30cm

Tap hole height

Charging door area
Charging door height
Charging platform height
Base platform length

8cm
20*20=400cm2
120cm
160cm
60cm

6
60cm
20cm

FABRICATION DETAILS
MATERIALS REQUIRED

QTY OF GI SHEET
QTY OF 8mm dia iron rod
OTY of hollow pipe
QTY of 25*25*6 angle iron
QTY of 6*3 ms flat
QTY of 50*8 ms rectangular pipe

5 sq.metres
21 metres
6.5 metres
1 metre
10 metres
4 metres

MODELLING DETAILS
First of all, we have constructed the
structure or the base to be which the
sheets have to be rolled and the legs.

 After the construction of the base we have

gas welded the sheets, tuyeres, wind box,
spark arrester

 Then we coated primer to it. And the

charging platform is done with the ladder.

 Then we fabricated the inside surface of

the cupola and the painting is done.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PHILIP C ROSENTHAL. RICHARD W

HEINE, CARL R LOPER, PRINCIPLES
OF METAL CASTING, TATA McGraw
HILL EDITION
Dr. O P KHANNA, FOUNDRY
TECHNOLOGY, DHANPAT RAI
PUBLICATIONS.