The vertical cooling furnace is the core cooling device of the sensible heat vertical recovery process of sinter, and whether the furnace structure is reasonable or not has an important impact on the efficient heat exchange between high-temperature sinter and cooling air. On the basis of a brief description of the process, the optimization measures taken in the industrial test process of vertical cooling furnace structure are introduced from such aspects as distribution method, furnace size, discharge device and air distribution system. Then, some new ideas for optimizing the structure of the vertical cooling furnace are summarized from such perspectives as promoting the "bulk flow" flow of sinter, graded cooling of sinter particle size, and strengthening the air supply in the central area of the sinter layer. It is necessary to ensure the uniformity of the distribution of high-temperature sinter and cooling air in the furnace, and to ensure the smooth downward movement of sinter in the furnace.