Energy balance analysis for Erdemir blast furnace number one

Abstract

Eregˇli Iron and Steel Works (Erdemir) began its activities on May 15, 1965 with an annual production capacity of 450,000 tons and has made important contributions to the Turkish economy ever since. Today, with a total amount of crude steel production exceeding three million tons, it is the largest integrated iron and steel factory and the sole producer of flat steel in the country. Erdemir produces hot and cold rolled coils, zinc, tin, and chromium plated steel. There are two blast furnaces in Erdemir. The blast furnace No. 1, Ayşe, started operations in 1965. Having been modernized three times in the years 1971, 1977, and 1986, it has been re-lined (the renewal of refractory bricks) in the year 1998. The diameter of its reservoir is 8.99 m with a working volume of 1505.0 m 3. The daily production capacity is 3000 tons amounting to 1,065,000 tons annually tons. The blast furnace No. 2, Zübeyde, started its operations in 1978. It has been modernized twice in the years 1987 and 1995 and has been re-lined in October 2000. It is of top pressure type and has oxygen injection. The diameter of its reservoir is 9.70 m with the working volume being 1707.7 m 3. The daily production capacity is 4000 tons with the annual being 1,420,000 tons. The iron production process consumes 50% of the total energy and comprises a significant portion of total costs in the integrated steel works. Iron (Fe) production is made by the reduction of hematite (Fe 2O 3) and magnetite (Fe 3O 4) with coke in the blast furnace. This can be analyzed as two separate areas, namely the furnace and stoves. The necessary carbon and high temperature required by the reduction process makes the furnaces an energy balance center. In this study, the limits of the Blast Furnace No. 1 in Erdemir have been chosen as the control volume in which the stoves have not been included. By the identification of the energy sources that move in and out of the control volume, the energy output sources have been fractioned and categorized. For the implementation of the method, also known as the balance analysis has been chosen and the model presented in the “Japanese Steel Making Handbook” has been taken as a reference.