Govajdia furnace - Hunedoara, Transilvania

Govajdia furnace - Hunedoara - details and images

In the early nineteenth century (1810) in Govajdia, Hunedoara county, inaugurated the most modern furnace for melting iron ore in Europe at that time, the molten iron stand here today at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The old furnace was declared a monument of industrial architecture.

The building of the furnace Govăjdia growth was driven by market demand for metal Transylvania, a market located in the eastern part of the Habsburg Empire. Insufficient production of pig iron furnace Topliţa near the Govăjdiei to supply raw material to loosen the iron workshops, was decisive.

Furnace Construction began in 1806 in place of an old city forges Govăjdia called Limpertul-old, who was demolished. Although construction was completed in 1810, when he sat on the frontispiece a plaque with the inscription: Augusto Imperator -1810 Extractum Francisco, has been depending on only in April 1813 with the completion of its annexes, the total cost of construction amounted to HUF 98 728 and 50 kreutzers.

Initial plans were not kept, but the documents of the time the furnace dimensions are:

· Overall height - 9.50 m;
· Based crucible diameter - 1.10 m;
· Belly diameter - 1.14 m;
· Neck diameter - 1.05 m;
· Based belly height - 3,15 m;
· Height air holes in the base - 0.47 0.53 m respectively;
· Useful volume - 20.02 m3;
· Crucible was closed with gas capture.

Charging the furnace is made via a bridge that connected silos supply of raw materials (iron ore, limestone, coal, charcoal) to load the furnace mouth. The air breathed was provided by two blowers - who are serving 7-8 bellows breaths per minute, each operated by a hydraulic wheel.

The first operation of the furnace campaign was very short, 5-7 months, given the crucible due to wear and that production of iron was made to ensure the needs of the surrounding shops, for a period of ca. three years. After restoring the crucible, the furnace was put into operation in 1814, but with a lower production due to lack of charcoal.

Documents of the time record the quality of iron ore available to the blast furnace, resulting in removal of 40-42%, and the charcoal made from beechwood. Although these results were not as significant as those obtained from Topliţa nearby furnace. This is due to structural damage to the blowers supplying air less and less pressure to be added to workers' lack of experience. Due to poor results in the period 1821-1837 the furnace was turned off. Following damage from the blast furnace Topliţa January 15, 1837, when it was completely destroyed, there was a shortage in the area of iron, both foundry and for raising. Thesaurariatul decided to Govăjdia recovery furnace and has allocated 40 529 forints.

The furnace was rebuilt with:
• A useful volume of 26.48 m3;
· Water supply system for the furnace and annex halls;
· New and blower wheels Debreczeny type;

The furnace is reinstated on 15 November 1838. It's remarkable special interest granted by the factory management to modernize the production process and in particular to reduce consumption of charcoal. To this end they started to preheat the blast air, putting into operation on 25 August 1840 a Calder-type air preheater (334) weighing 37 tons, brought from Rhonitz - Silesia.

To improve the transport of iron ore at the mouth of the furnace was installed in 1841 the first railway narrow, 246.8 m long with cast iron rail on Govăjdia. Between 1850 and until 1918, has undergone several improvements furnace during construction repairs were made.

Important steps on the furnace operation during this period were:
· 1850-1860 - stagnation frequent lack of charcoal;
· 1871 - 5605 T peak production;
· 1879 - thin-walled furnace rebuild and free cell. Replace preheater
Calder Wasseralfingen two type heaters (area 134 m2) with the following
blast air temperature rises to 200-300 ° C;
· 1881-1886 - productions between 4600-5700 T / year;
· 1887-1888 - off the furnace due to economic crisis;
· 1889 - 8800 T peak production;
· 1901 - blower wheel hydraulic actuators have been replaced with a turbine type
Francis (50CP at 90-130 rpm);
· 1903 - Overhaul, due to the increase in volume 49.39 m3;
· 1914-1916 - was replaced with one type preheater Wasserlfingern Cowper;

Since 1906 the furnace passes Hunedoara Iron Works property. After taking in Hunedoara Works in 1919 by the Romanian state, the furnace stopped working until 1924.

The first tests using ore roasting furnace gas was started in 1840, but the quantity of blast furnace gas shortage has led to the abandonment of the facility. At that time the idea was a priority in the blast air heating furnace, where gas is consumed product. The problem roasting iron ore was resumed in 1895 when he built a toaster ore, running on solid fuel - charcoal fines. In 1897 they built the three Toasters for iron ore and in 1904 was put into operation ore fifth toaster. Entire amount was used to mine ore Ghelar. In 1872, the blast near the village Nădrab in the area where the ore from the mine Ghelar send, the station was put into operation the ore crushing and screening.

Pig iron production technology in that period led to significant loss of iron through its involvement in the slag during the evacuation. To be able to recover and recirculate in the iron furnace load at startup to build a blast furnace slag crushing station with pestle stamps. Separation is made iron pellets by washing with water. In 1838 listed as a crushing type according steamp with 12 arrows. In the monograph of 1872 is indicated as being a function of slag with a smashing 6 arrows *.

In 1883 they started to slag wet granulation. Liquid slag was discharged from the furnace directly into a granular chute through which water circulates. Slag was driven by water and iron pellets were recovered in the decanter. Wet Granulation a very acute problem and solved today, reducing transport costs, stockpiles and subsequent crushing of slag (slag driven water jet were discharged directly into the river).

Govăjdia is known not only as a workshop production of raw iron fusion, but also as a place to pour parts for general use, both for the local market and for incoming orders from other regions. Near the furnace was held a well-developed industry that use foundry iron furnace produced. Remelting pig iron was made into a cupola built in 1839. Preheated air blowing in the furnace allowed to pre-air cupola. It was commissioned in 1840 a type preheater Gabrolli, this has made it possible to increase production of iron castings, dramatically reducing the consumption of charcoal. Sector castings using cubiloul for iron smelting and worked until 1886. Attempts to produce enameled cast iron pots for domestic use, if requested by the market in Transylvania, did not succeed. Iron produced from blast furnace Govăjdia have low phosphorus, which gave him no good properties for casting thin-walled parts.

During the economic crisis in 1886, was demolished cubiloul was then rebuilt in 1894, with the following dimensions: height 4.0 m, 0.65 m diameter crucible, the crucible height of 1.10 m. To increase sustainability in the operation of cubiloului refractory lining, it has openings with brick. Charcoal, a relatively expensive fuel during this period when forests were depleted due to deforestation, was gradually replaced by coke.

Note that even today one can see fragments of the railway built by the Austrians at Govajdia also been preserved well enough to Govajdie furnace, situated in a very picturesque area, representing an interesting tourist attraction.

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