OVERVIEW

Among high energy consuming industries, the iron and steel manufacturing sector accounts for a substantial portion of energy demand. The sector is currently responsible for about 8% of global final energy demand [IEA] and, as this industrial sector responds to increasing social and economic welfare needs, global energy demand for steel production technologies will significantly increase in the coming decades.

This is most notable with the increasing utilization of electric-arc (EAF) and basic oxygen furnaces (BOF). In 2022, estimates of the share of energy costs ranged from 10-18% of production costs for BOF steel and 9-16% for EAF steel. [SteelOrbis 2023]. This presents the opportunity to increase energy efficiency and productivity with continuing efforts to optimize the melt process with improving control of furnace parameters notably oxygen lance activation, foaming coal injection, and gas burners. An indispensable prerequisite for engaging these optimization steps is the rapid measurement and analysis of the furnace off-gas, in particular the CO2/CO ratio which correlates to energy consumption.

Off-gas measurements from the EAF or BOF melting processes are challenging with temperatures up to 1600°C and dust contents ranging to 50 g/m3. Traditional measurement methods prior to 2021 utilized intrusive water-cooled extraction probes or laser spectrometers both requiring high maintenance on cleaning or alignment. Neither method allows the determination of gas velocity, hence gas flow. Promecon GmbH has introduced its leading edge, patented McON IR digital technology that overcomes the drawbacks of extractive sampling and laser-based measurement technology. The McON IR sensors are non-intrusive thus they experience no wear, the sensors do not require calibration, and being digital they provide measurements that are reliable and drift-free.

In this informative webinar, Hans Georg Conrads, CEO of PROMECON, will present routes to measuring the off-gas velocity and composition of the EAF via the McON IR system. Specific topics to be addressed include:

• How accurate measurement of EAF or BOF gas flows and constituents enable closing of melting process mass and energy balances
• Data capture and process optimization
• EAF maintenance improvements
• Case studies where implementation of the McON IR system on a 100-ton EAF resulted in reduction to tap-to-tap time and energy savings of 10-15 kWh/ton

Presenters

Hans Georg Conrads | CEO | Promecon

Hans received a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from the RWTH in Aachen, Germany and subsequently he founded PROMECON.  He has invented numerous measurement systems for the power, cement and smelting industries, and today these measurement systems are installed in hundreds of plants around the world. Hans is the author of numerous patents and many conference papers on process measurement of gas and solid material flows.

John Evans | Moderator, Q&A Administrator | Krishnan & Associates