Importance

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Abstract

Chimney-like cooling passages that have opposite outlet and inlet end regions open to ambient air also have central regions that extend through heated components of industrial furnaces. The passages preferably are defined by conduits that are oriented and configured in a manner that enables thermally induced flows of ambient air to self establish through the conduits to cool the furnace components once the furnace components become heated. The passages function like chimneys, with each having its outlet located higher than its inlet so that ambient air will effectively rise as it flows from the inlet to the outlet. The passages may provide increases in cross-sectional area somewhere along their lengths so that heated ambient air expanding in the passages is encouraged to discharge from the less restrictive, larger area outlets rather than from the smaller area inlets. If the passages are defined by conduits formed from high heat resistant metal such as stainless steel, and if the conduits have central regions that are embedded in furnace components formed from cast refractory materials, end regions of the conduits may be connected to a framework that supports the cast refractory components, whereby the conduits serve both to cool and to mount the cast refractory components on the framework.

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First Claim