Multi-objective optimization and analysis of material and energy flows in a typical steel plant

Abstract

The integrated optimization and analysis of material and energy flows are effective ways to reduce energy consumption and costs in the iron and steel sector. There is still a lack of research on the multi-objective optimization of the integrated steel production process and the auxiliary energy process. To fill this gap, this paper presented a single- and multi-objective optimization model for material and energy scheduling and utilization of the steelworks. This model considered physical and chemical conversion mechanisms in the production process, as well as operating characteristics and production-consumption relations of equipment in the gas-steam-electricity network. The objective function was constructed using comprehensive energy consumption (CEC) and economic cost (EC), and fuzzy sets were used to find a compromise solution and the trade-off operation strategies between the two goals. The CEC and EC effectively dropped by 5.09% and 7.29%, respectively, in comparison to the actual enterprise value, through the optimization of the material ratio, product structure, energy utilization, and other parameters of the steelworks. Additionally, a quantitative analysis of the effects of variables such as the ratio of pellets, the ratio of scrap, the hot charging temperature of the slab, and the utilization of surplus gases was conducted.