Technical-&-Economic, Financial and Environmental Feasibility Studies of Energy-Saving Activities Carried out to Use the Loop Air Heater for the Metallurgy Waste Recycling Technology

Abstract

Technical-&-economic, financial and environmental feasibility studies of energy-saving activities were carried out to use the loop air heater for the metallurgy waste recycling technology developed by the State Company “UkrScience and Technology Center “Energosteel”. The developed and improved Waelz-process allows us to remedy many deficiencies peculiar for similar foreign technologies. In particular, high-priority problems dealing with the exhaust flue gas heat recovery are solved using the loop air heater with the subsequent gas cleaning. The use of the loop air heater will lift the technology developed by the “UkrScience and Technology Center “Energosteel” to a new plane of competitiveness. The main specific feature of this technology is the use of the air heater with the original structure designed for the heat recovery of flue gases and heating the air that is redelivered to the flow process. According to the technology, the Waelz-process requires a hot air and its heating by the air heater eliminates the need for the natural gas firing. The computations done show that the use of the original structure of the air heater for the heat recovery of flue gases and air heating is an urgent energy-saving technological measure. The natural gas saving is an important environmental and economic aspect because the national conception of the “Clean World for Future Generations” anticipates the dividend payment for the CO2 emission reduction.