Blast Furnace Plant Research Articles

BN fiber aerogels with high solar reflectivity and thermal insulation for green buildings

There exists more than one-third of the stock of buildings that do not meet energy-saving building standards, so there is an urgent need for breakthroughs in the field of green buildings. Herein, we successfully prepared boron nitride (BN) fiber aerogels by sol-gel, freeze-drying and high-temperature pyrolysis. When the molar ratio of C3N6H6 to H3BO3 was 1:2 and the roasting temperature was 1000 °C, the BN fiber aerogel was produced with high specific surface area (257.690 m2/g) and high porosity (99 %). BN fiber aerogels, with their low thermal conductivity (0.043 W/(m·K)) and stable mechanical properties (no change after 45 cycles at 30 % strain), offered possibilities for thermal insulation in green buildings. Its hydrophobic properties protect the wall from the natural environment. In particular, it had a solar reflectivity of 98.6 %, which exceeds most reflective coating materials, enabling the cooling of green construction on hot summer days. The high-temperature resistance of BN fiber aerogels could be applied in special environments such as blast furnace plants and thermoelectric power plants.

Nutrient-doped synthetic silicates for enhanced weathering, remineralization and fertilization on agricultural lands of global cold regions- A perspective on the research ahead.

There is now a dire demand for negative emissions technologies (which sequester CO2 from the atmosphere) that can be rapidly deployed, are scalable, and are demonstrably safe and effective. Enhanced weathering of silicate minerals has demonstrated a significant potential for CO2 capture and sequestration by the formation of pedogenic carbonates in soils, subsoils, and sediments. This technique has also been shown to deliver fruitful results in terms of improving soil health, and in turn plant health, through remineralization. The silicate minerals that possess the highest weathering rates (e.g., wollastonite), are relatively rare in nature, whereas the abundant ones (e.g., anorthite and forsterite) have a slower pace of weathering, especially in colder and drier climates such as found in the extensive agricultural lands of Western Canada and the Western United States. Herein, we offer a perspective on the opportunities for computational studies targeting atomic-scale interaction of CO2 with silicates and synthesis of fast-weathering silicates (such as larnite and bredigite), whose composition can be tuned to also support soil fertilization and remineralization, and whose production must be integrated with green and carbon-neutral technologies to ensure net-negative life cycle emissions.

Discrete element simulation of the charge in the hopper of a blast furnace, calibrating the parameters through an optimization algorithm

The purpose of this study is to simulate the distribution of a coarse granular material discharged in a hopper via a conveyor belt. This simulation is intended to be a model calibration for an optimization that will be later performed to obtain a proper material distribution device. From the hopper, the material is discharged in a blast furnace. Hence, achieving an adequate distribution in the hopper is crucial, since that distribution is directly linked to how the material spreads in the blast furnace, and this heavily influences the efficiency of the whole steel-making process. The apparatus is modeled by online three dimensional Computer-Aided Design software Onshape. Rocky DEM, a Computer-Aided Engineering software based on Discrete Element Method, is used to simulate the charge. The parameters of the numerical model are calibrated through an optimization algorithm. This phase is realized thanks to the optimization platform modeFRONTIER, using an algorithm that exploits meta-models to reduce the computational time of the optimization. By comparing the simulated results with the visual data obtained from blast furnace plant, the goal is to validate the model and to better understand the behavior of the whole charging process.

Analisis Risiko Kerja pada Area Hot Metal Treatment Plant Divisi Blast Furnace dengan Metode Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA)

This study aims to determine the value of the risk of work hazard potential and the level of risk of potential occupational hazards in the blast furnace division of hot metal treatment plant which is currently in the commissioning stage. This study uses an approach with the HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) method to determine the value of the risk of potential occupational hazards and the level of risk of potential occupational hazards. The results obtained by using HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) obtained 26 risks classified by potential hazards, namely nine risks included in the high category (H), seven risks moderate category (M) and the remaining ten risks involved in the low category ( L). The recommendation that can give is to carry out detailed mitigation of the risk of high (H) and moderate (M) categories until the risk level falls to the risk of the low (L) category before the blast furnace plant is fully operating.

Automated information system for analysis and prediction of production situations in blast furnace plant

Advances in modern science and technology are inherently connected with the development, implementation, and widespread use of computer systems based on mathematical modeling. Algorithms and computer systems are gaining practical significance solving a range of process tasks in metallurgy of MES-level (Manufacturing Execution Systems - systems controlling industrial process) of modern automated information systems at the largest iron and steel enterprises in Russia. This fact determines the necessity to develop information-modeling systems based on mathematical models that will take into account the physics of the process, the basics of heat and mass exchange, the laws of energy conservation, and also the peculiarities of the impact of technological and standard characteristics of raw materials on the manufacturing process data. Special attention in this set of operations for metallurgic production is devoted to blast-furnace production, as it consumes the greatest amount of energy, up to 50% of the fuel used in ferrous metallurgy. The paper deals with the requirements, structure and architecture of BF Process Engineer's Automated Workstation (AWS), a computer decision support system of MES Level implemented in the ICS of the Blast Furnace Plant at Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. It presents a brief description of main model subsystems as well as assumptions made in the process of mathematical modelling. Application of the developed system allows the engineering and process staff to analyze online production situations in the blast furnace plant, to solve a number of process tasks related to control of heat, gas dynamics and slag conditions of blast-furnace smelting as well as to calculate the optimal composition of blast-furnace slag, which eventually results in increasing technical and economic performance of blast-furnace production.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAM SYSTEM SOFTWARE AT BLAST FURNACE PLANT

The requirements, structure and architecture of an automated workplace «The technologist of domain shop», computer system of support of decision-making of the MES-level, introduced in CAM system at blast furnace plant of OJSC «Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Work» are considered. The short description of the basic modeling subsystems, and also the assumptions accepted in the course of mathematical modeling is presented. The use of the developed system allows the engineering-technological personnel operatively to carry out the analysis of industrial situations of blast-furnace shop, to decide a number of technological problems of management of thermal, gas dynamic and slag modes of blast-furnace smelting, and also to make calculation of optimum structure iron-ore materials, that finally provides the increase of technical and economic indicators of work of blast-furnace manufacture.

LOGICAL BASIS OF RECOGNITION OF DEVIATIONS FOR BTAST-FURNACE PRODUCTION FROM NORMAL

Developed logical basis for assessing the normal course of the blast furnace and the recognition types of deviations from the normal mode of operation: peripheral, central (axial) of the gas flow, hot and cold running, tight travel furnace top and bottom of suspension in a blast furnace charge. To assess the normal course of the blast furnace and the types of deviations from normal generalized experience of specialists blast furnace plant JSC “Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works”. Using the proposed method should be used in computer systems to support decision-making in the management of the blast furnace in real time.

THE OPTIMIZATION OF NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION IN A BLAST FURNACE WHEN CHANGING THE PARAMETERS OF MELTING

This paper presents a model of distribution optimization of energy resources in a blast furnace subject to the changes in parameters of melting. This optimization model can predict the injected fuel parameters in individual blast furnaces in various technological situations of a blast-furnace plant. The usage of the developed module in a modern blast furnace information-modeling system allows solving operational management tasks of blast furnace technology, enhancing the efficiency of decision-making engineering staff in terms of changes in volume of energy resources, instability, composition and the quality of melted iron ore and market conditions.

The Implication of Taiwan's Ore Tramp Carrier Cargo on the Blast Furnace Plant

The article used a fuzzy time series model to analyze the relationship between the Taiwans ore tramp carrier cargo and the blast furnace plant in Taiwan. Finally, the proposed fuzzy time series model is applied to an empirical study in Taiwan. The results show that the proposed fuzzy time series forecast model produces a lower forecast error. That indicates it is an appropriate forecast tool.

Investment decision in integrated steel plants under uncertainty

Steel is an alloy composed of iron and carbon for which there are two main large-scale production processes: using iron ore and coal as raw materials through a method known as integrated plants with blast furnaces and using iron scrap melted in electrical furnaces, also known as mini-mills or semi-integrated plants. The production in integrated plants typically implies greater investment, but is more cost-competitive as it provides greater economies of scale. The disadvantage of this method is that the furnaces basically need to work almost continuously through their life span, thus reducing the flexibility of production adjustment to market demands. To attenuate this problem, huge investments in lamination assets are commonly made, generating the possibility of production diversification and valuable switch options. This work values an output switch option in a hypothetical integrated steel plant composed of a blast furnace and a hot laminator. Results show that this option can generate a significant increase in the NPV of blast furnace plants. Results also emphasize the importance of correctly choosing the stochastic process for the underlying uncertainty and the effect it may have on the switch option value.

Contributions of participatory ergonomics to the improvement of safety culture in an industrial context

This paper presents the results of an ergonomic intervention conducted within a blast furnace plant. As part of its risk prevention program, the company decided to set up an action plan, in a participatory manner, by setting up working groups to solve health & safety issues. This field mission involved 230 employees, 80 of whom participated actively by being incorporated into working groups. After four months of intervention, a questionnaire survey has been conducted among employees to study the effects of participation on the safety climate. The results seem promising and show that the benefits of participation are numerous: a more positive safety climate associated to safer attitudes and behaviors. However, rather than just participation, it seems to be the employee involvement in the working groups and the satisfaction they derive from their participation that guarantee these positive results. Hence, participatory ergonomics seems to be an effective way to decrease the number of unsafe behaviors at work, provided that the type of participation has been previously well defined and organized according to the specific context of each organization.

Influence of raw material particle size on quality of pellets

Pellet plant (4·2 MPta capacity) of JSW Steel Ltd imports iron ore fines from different mines to produce pellets for its Corex and Blast Furnace plants. The pelletisation process involves drying the ore fines to reduce the moisture content to less than 1%, grinding in open circuit ball mills to get required fineness. To produce good quality of pellets certain additives are important and limestone is employed for modifying the pellet basicity. Iron ore fines of −10 mm size and limestone are ground together in a ball mill to get sufficient fineness for the balling process. However, as limestone is harder than iron ore fines the + 100 mesh size limestone particles is higher than required and not all the limestone is fully consumed in the reaction for melt formation. Microstructural studies were conducted under a Leica DMRX polarized microscope at different level fineness (−325# − 56, 58 and 60%) to investigate its effect on the pellet quality. The cold crushing strength of the pellet improved from 203 to 220 kg p−1 with increase in fineness. With increase in percentage of −325# particle size in the ground product RDI of the pellet decreased from 13·8 to 11·9% with increased melt formation from 5 to 9%. With increase in fineness −325# from 56 to 60% the 150 to 500 μm size pores decreased from 51·8 to 13·6%.

Experience of preparing and using water-free tap-hole mixes in OAO MMK

In the OAO MMK blast furnace plant water-free tap-hole mixes have been introduced with a carbon-containing concentrate, with a ferrosilicon nitride tap-hole product from Spetsremstroi OOO, and a Chinese product. In the first (traditional) composition instead of the coke portion there is use of a carbon-containing concentrate (CCC). Presence of silicon carbide and carbon in the CCC promotes and increase in the slag and iron resistance of the tap-hole mix. Testing a mix of the second composition has shown that in a number of parameters it is at the level of imported mixes and even surpasses them, only being inferior in specific consumption.

Energy and exergy system analysis of thermal improvements of blast-furnace plants

The blast-furnace process dominating in the production of steel all over the world is still continuously improved due to its effectiveness (exergy efficiency is about 70%). The thermal improvement consist in an increase of the temperature of the blast and its oxygen enrichment, as well as the injection of cheaper auxiliary fuels. The main aim is to save coke because its consumption is the predominating item of the input energy both in the blast-furnace plant and in ironworks. Besides coke also other energy carriers undergo changes, like the consumption of blast, production of the chemical energy of blast-furnace gas, its consumption in Cowper-stoves and by other consumers, as well as the production of electricity in the recovery turbine. These changes affect the whole energy management of ironworks due to the close connections between energy and technological processes. That means the production of steam, electricity, compressed air, tonnage oxygen, industrial water, feed water undergo changes as well. In order to determine the system changes inside the ironworks a mathematical model of the energy management of the industrial plant was applied. The results of calculations of the supply of energy carriers to ironworks can then be used to determine the cumulative energy and exergy consumption basing on average values of cumulative energy and exergy indices concerning the whole country. Such a model was also used in the system analysis of exergy losses. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influence of blast-furnace process thermal parameters on energy and exergy characteristics and exergy losses

The technology ‘blast furnace—converter’ dominates at present in the production of steel all over the world. Therefore, the blast-furnace process is continuously being improved, among others, by raising the thermal parameters, such as temperature and oxygen-enrichment of the blast, as well as the addition of auxiliary fuels. The changes in the consumption of coke go together with changes in the consumption of blast, the production of top-gas and its consumption in Cowper stoves, as well as the production of electricity in the recovery turbogenerator utilizing the waste exergy of the top-gas due to raised pressure. Related to a unit of pig iron production, these values are called energy (exergy) characteristics of the blast-furnace plant. They serve as a quantity measure of the thermal improvement of the blast-furnace process. This paper presents an algorithm of the process exergy analysis of simulative investigations of the influence of increased thermal parameters on the thermodynamic perfection of the process and the blast-furnace plant. This algorithm bases on the theoretical empirical balance method of the ‘input–output’ type. By means of this algorithm the influence of increased thermal parameters of the process not only on the saving of coke but also of the blast can be determined, as well as of the production and composition of top-gas, the consumption of top-gas in the Cowper stoves and the production of electric energy in the recovery turbine. The blast-furnace process displays a high exergy efficiency, whereas the process of compressing and preheating the blast is characterized by rather high exergy losses due to the application of the combustion process. It has been shown that the internal exergy losses in the blast furnace are comparable with the exergy losses in the processes of compressing and preheating of the blast. Calculations were carried out for a modern Polish blast furnace with a volume of 3200 m3. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pyrene biotransformation products as biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in terrestrial isopoda: Concentration‐response relationship, and field study in a contaminated forest

In this study, biotransformation products of pyrene were measured in the hepatopancreas of terrestrial isopods as biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure. These products--pyrene-1-glucoside, pyrene-1-sulfate, an unknown pyrene conjugate, and 1-hydroxypyrene--were quantitated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. In a controlled exposure experiment, a linear relationship was established between pyrene exposure and pyrene metabolite concentrations in the hepatopancreas of Porcellio scaber Latr. To this end, isopods of the species P. scaber were exposed to a range of pyrene concentrations spiked to their food. A linear response was found for all pyrene conjugates in the range 0.67 to 67 microg/g of pyrene (dry wt). Hepatopancreatic pyrene metabolite concentrations were also measured in isopods (P. scaber and Oniscus asellus L.) from PAH-contaminated field sites. The sites and the inhabiting isopods were located in a gradient of atmospheric PAH deposition caused by a nearby blast furnace plant. The highest levels of conjugated 1-hydroxypyrene in the hepatopancreas were 3.8 pmol/g fresh weight (pyrene-1-glucoside) and 2.8 pmol/g fresh weight (pyrene-1-sulfate) (expressed on whole-body basis). The levels of the pyrene metabolites correlate with reported pyrene concentrations in spite of these sites. As pyrene is one of the most predominant PAHs, analysis of its metabolites provides a good tool for environmental risk assessment of ecosystems with regard to PAH exposure, bioavailability, and biotransformation.

Forecasting of the energy effects of injecting plastic wastes into the blast furnace in comparison with other auxiliary fuels

The main aim of rationalizing the energy management of a blast-furnace plant is to save coke. In general practice coke is replaced by injecting cheaper auxiliary fuels (among others hydrocarbon plastic wastes). The paper gives a short account about such attempts carried out so far in some countries. The energy effects of injecting plastic wastes into the blast furnace have been analyzed and compared with the injection of pulverized coal, natural gas and coke-oven gas.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in earthworms and isopods from contaminated forest soils

Individuals of the isopod species Porcellio scaber, Oniscus asellus and Philoscia muscorum and the earthworm species Lumbricus rubellus were collected at i0 sites with increasing distance from a blast furnace plant. PAH concentrations in the species decreased with increasing distance from the blast furnace plant. Each of the species contained a specific profile of PAHs. Animal concentrations correlated better with PAH levels in humus and fragmentation material than with levels in litter and mineral soil, which is consistent with the feeding behaviour of the animals. Biota-to-soil accumulation factors differed between the species and for the isopod species were negatively correlated with the octanol-water partition coefficient. This deviates from what is expected on the basis of the equilibrium partitioning theory. Possible non-equilibrium conditions are discussed. Cluster analysis of the PAH profiles observed in this study in conjunction with other terrestrial data from the literature, showed the presence of three main groups. One contained the profiles typical for atmospheric PAHs; the second cluster contained samples from earthworms, fragmentation, humus and mineral soil; the third contained litter and isopod profiles.

Enrichment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in forest soils near a blast furnace plant

Four different layers of soil were sampled at ten sites at increasing distances from a blast furnace plant. PAH 7 concentrations decreased exponentially from moderately contaminated to background values. For each compound it was possible to distinguish between the source-related part, decreasing with increasing distance from the plant, and the background contribution. The relative contribution of PAHs differed between the source and the background profiles. PAH concentrations were found to be elevated upto a distance of 2 km from the boundary of the plant. The different layers of soil revealed a relative enrichment of PAHs with ageing of organic matter. This effect, which increased with the molecular weight of the compound, was used to estimate the half-life of PAHs in forest soil. Estimated DT 50s ranged from 2 to 4 months for fluorene upto 1.9 to 3.4 years for benzo[b]fluoranthene.

95/05119 Modernization of the blast-furnace plant at the East-Slovak Iron Works (VSZ) in Kosice

95/05119 Modernization of the blast-furnace plant at the East-Slovak Iron Works (VSZ) in Kosice