| CPC F27B 1/28 (2013.01) [C21B 13/02 (2013.01); F27D 21/0014 (2013.01); G01K 13/024 (2021.01); H01J 49/0422 (2013.01); F27D 2021/0007 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |

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1. An apparatus for the direct reduction of metal ore, the apparatus comprising:
a vertical shaft furnace for the direct reduction of metal ore, the vertical shaft furnace having a metal ore reduction zone in an upper region of the vertical shaft furnace and a cooling zone in a lower region of the vertical shaft furnace;
at least one probe for sampling gas from within the reduction zone of said vertical shaft furnace;
the at least one probe being disposed vertically within the reduction zone and extending through the entire reduction zone;
the probe comprising a plurality of sampling pipes, each sampling pipe having an upper portion and an end portion, the sampling pipes being disposed within at least one support pipe;
wherein the plurality of sampling pipes are concentrically nested, wherein a first sampling pipe of the plurality of sampling pipes has a first length and each subsequent one of the plurality of sampling pipes being concentrically nested within a previous one of the sampling pipes and being longer than the previous sampling pipe so as to have an end portion protruding from the previous sampling pipe.
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