Blast furnace stove operating principle In furnace technology, the hot-blast stove that heats air for a blast furnace works on which underlying heat-recovery principle?

Introduction / Context:
Blast furnace stoves (often called Cowper stoves) preheat the combustion air (“hot blast”) by cyclically storing and releasing heat. Understanding whether this is regenerative or recuperative heat recovery is foundational in furnace technology and energy efficiency.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The stove alternates between a “heating” (on-gas) period and a “blowing” (on-blast) period.
• Checker bricks inside the stove act as a thermal storage medium.
• We compare regenerative versus recuperative principles.

Concept / Approach:
A regenerative system stores heat in a solid matrix during one part of the cycle and then releases that stored heat to a different fluid stream during the next part. In contrast, a recuperative system exchanges heat continuously across a separating wall without storage. Blast furnace stoves clearly follow the former: they heat checkerwork with flue gas, then pass cold air through the hot checkerwork to deliver a high-temperature blast.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Operating diagrams of Cowper stoves show burner/flue routing in one phase and hot-blast routing in the next, with the same checker pack serving as a temporary heat reservoir, confirming regeneration.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “air preheating” in general with recuperation; many air preheaters are recuperative, but the stove’s checkerwork makes it regenerative.

Final Answer:
regenerative