Development of Cycloid-Shaped Roll Charging Chute for Sintering Process for Energy Decarbonization and Productivity Improvement in Steel Plants

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The global steel industry is rapidly transitioning towards energy decarbonization to address the climate crisis. Sintering is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions from steel mills. Traditional sintering processes use straight inclined chutes to feed raw materials into the sinter machine. However, this design suffers from insufficient horizontal momentum, resulting in poor segregation of the layered materials. This study proposes an improved charging chute design profile that uses a cycloid curve and rolls to enhance segregation, thus reducing coal consumption and increasing productivity. To achieve this, we first modeled a charging chute using the cycloid curve. Secondly, building upon the cycloid concept, we created a roll-type chute by strategically placing rollers along the cycloid trajectory. Finally, the cycloid roll-type charging chute, integrating the cycloid trajectory with the roll-shaped charging chute, was simulated. Pilot tests comparing the cycloid roll-type and straight chute models demonstrated a significant increase in dispersion for the cycloid roll-type design, with a 65% improvement in the Strand-ward segregation (Sw) index compared to the straight chute. Furthermore, actual filed implementation in a sintering process achieved a 2.9% increase in operational productivity and a 6% reduction in fuel consumption. This study is significant not only for proposing an optimal chute design, but also for successfully implementing it in a full-scale steel mill, contributing to a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon reduction in steel mills.