Coke Bed Height Experimentation in the Attainment of Optimum Spout Temparature / Valentos, Alfredo D.

Include bibliographical references.

The cupola is fundamentally the most important unit in the equipment of a grey or malleable iron foundry. Poor cupola operation will result in poor iron, and good castings cannot be made from such materials. The preparation, height, and burning-in of the coke bed are among the most critical items in operation of cupola. The study aims to determine the proper coke bed height that will give an optimum spout temperature in the cupola operation. The researcher conducted an experiment in which the coke bed height was considered the independent variable while the volume of air supplied and the quality of foundry coke used were treated as dependent variables. The effect of the manipulation of the independent variable on the dependent variable, which is the spout temperature, was observed and then measured. The result of the study revealed that the coke bed height of 63 inches gave a good melting operation. Likewise, the height of 57 inches gave also good melting operation with corresponding spout temperature of 1520°C in the eleventh tap. Hence, the study concludes that coke bed height of 57 inches is sufficient to attain efficient operation and the critical coke bed height is 63 inches. Finally, the researcher recommends that further studies be conducted in relation to cupola operation by examining chemical and physical properties of foundry coke that might affect the quality of cast iron melting. It is also advisable to conduct shatter test to find out the strength of coke against impact and tumble test that indicates the strength or hardness of coke against tear and wear, and to consider the annual revenue of the Foundry Department.