UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS
LABORATORY REPORT
METAL EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY
PDT 262
SEMESTER 2 (2016/2017)
PREPARED BY:
TITLE BLAST FURNACE SIMULATION
EXPERIMENT 4
GROUP A1
GROUP MEMBERS:
NAME MATRIC NUMBER
1) AIMADUDDIN BIN SALLEH 151353063
2) ALFRED LIEW YAH WOO 151353064
3)NUR NAEMAH BINTI MAT NAWI 151353110
4)NUR SYAHIRA BINTI SHAFIE 151353111
5)PIRIYADHARISANI A/P SINNA THAMBY 151353682
1) MDM NOORINA HIDAYU BINTI JAMIL
LECTURER 2) SIR MUHAMMAD QAUYUM ZAWAWI BIN
AHAMAD SUFFIN
TH
DATE OF SUBMISSION 18 MAY 2017
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 OBJECTIVE :
a) To focus on the combustion of the injected coal under blast furnace raceway conditions.
b) To investigate the combustion of coal.
c) To show that the combustion degree is promoted by small particle size and with the volatile matter
and decreases rapidly.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Figure : Blast Furnace Process
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial
metals, generally iron, but also others such as lead or copper.
In a blast furnace, fuel, ores, and flux (limestone) are continuously supplied through the top
of the furnace, while a hot blast of air (sometimes with oxygen enrichment) is blown into the
lower section of the furnace through a series of pipes called tuyeres, so that the chemical
reactions take place throughout the furnace as the material moves downward. The end
products are usually molten metal and slag phases tapped from the bottom, and flue gases
exiting from the top of the furnace. The downward flow of the ore and flux in contact with an
upflow of hot, carbon monoxide-rich combustion gases is a countercurrent exchange and
chemical reaction process.
In contrast, air furnaces (such as reverberatory furnaces) are naturally aspirated, usually by
the convection of hot gases in a chimney flue. According to this broad definition, bloomeries
for iron, blowing houses for tin, and smelt mills for lead would be classified as blast furnaces.
However, the term has usually been limited to those used for smelting iron ore to produce pig
iron, an intermediate material used in the production of commercial iron and steel, and the
shaft furnaces used in combination with sinter plants in base metals smelting
Blast Furnace Works
The purpose of a blast furnace is to chemically reduce and physically convert iron oxides into
liquid iron called "hot metal". The blast furnace is a huge, steel stack lined with refractory
brick, where iron ore, coke and limestone are dumped into the top, and preheated air is blown
into the bottom. The raw materials require 6 to 8 hours to descend to the bottom of the
furnace where they become the final product of liquid slag and liquid iron. These liquid
products are drained from the furnace at regular intervals. The hot air that was blown into the
bottom of the furnace ascends to the top in 6 to 8 seconds after going through numerous
chemical reactions. Once a blast furnace is started it will continuously run for four to ten
years with only short stops to perform planned maintenance.
CHAPTER 2
RAW MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
2.1 Raw materials
Raw Materials Function
Iron ore
- Main raw materials
- Iron ores such as haematite
contains iron oxide.
Coke
- Coking coal is turned into coke, an almost
pure form of carbon
- Used as the main fuel and reductant in a
blast furnace
- As a reducing agent in smelting iron ore
Limestone
- Limestone is calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
- Remove the impurities in the iron ore
- Reacts with the silica to form molten
calcium silicate
2.2 Equipment
Equipment Function
Blast Furnace
- The metallurgical furnace used for
smelting iron and steel
- Product of blast furnace is pig iron.
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Flow Chart of Blast Furnace Slag Production Process
Iron Ore Coke Limestone
Blast Furnace
Process
Hot Metal Liquid Blast Off-gas
Furnace Slag
Granulation Air-cooling Pelletizing
3.2 The Blast Furnace Process
Figure 1.0: Parts inside a blast furnace.
1. The iron ore, coke and limestone, (the charge), is conveyed to the top of the Furnace.
2. The charge is stored in bells until the timing is right for the charge to be dropped into the
furnace.
3. Hot air is then blown through pipes called Tuyeres, to fire the mixture.
4. The coke burns to increase the temperature in the furnace.
5. The limestone attracts the impurities in the iron ore and forms slag. This slag is lighter
than the molten iron and so floats on top of it.
6. As the furnace fills, the molten iron is tapped off. The slag is also tapped off at regular
intervals.
Most Iron is taken straight from the blast furnace to the steel mill, but some is poured into
buckets called pigs. This iron is called pig iron and is used to make cast iron.
3.3 The Charge
The Charge consists of 3 parts:
A) Iron Ore
The iron ore is first mined and then brought to the blast furnace. It contains impurities which
have to be removed. Haematite and Magnetite are the most common ores. It takes about two
tons of iron ore to produce one ton of iron, but this varies with different types of ores.
B) Coke
Coke is made by heating soft coal in the absence of air. As coke is burned in the blast furnace
it raises the temperature to about 2000°C which is enough to melt the iron ore. The carbon in
the coke chemically reacts with the oxygen in the iron ore to form carbon dioxide (CO2) and
Carbon Monoxide (CO), which escapes through the Gas Outlet.
C) Limestone
The Limestone is mined then crushed before being brought to the blast furnace. It combines
with the impurities in the iron ore to form slag. A material which removes unwanted
materials or cleans another material is called a flux.
3.4 Parameters used during simulation
Type of pig iron: Steel
Target (Composition):
Target Si Content (%): 1.25
Target Slag Basicity : 2.00
Process settings:
Working Volume (m3 ) : 2500
Type of pig iron (batches per hour) : 7
Temperature:
Hot metal : 1500°C
Top Gas : 263°C
Ambient : 25°C
Ore : 100°C
Gas Addition (%):
Oxygen Enrichment : 5%
Hydrogen : 35%
Carbon converts to Ethylene ratio : 0%
Direct Reduction Rate : 45%
Hot Blast Properties
Temperature (°C) : 1150°C
Temperature drop : 45.5°C
Pressure (kPa) : 130
Humidity (g/Nm3 ) : 12.5
Heat Loss Model
Free Heat Loss Heat Loss (%): 0
CHAPTER 4
RESULT AND DISSCUSION
4.0 Results
4.1 Discussion
From this experiment, we can discuss that the simulations were carried out under the
conditions of constant bosh gas flow rate, adiabatic flame temperature and hot metal
temperature. The simulation results showed that the temperature level in the stack part
was decreased with increase in the hydrogen injection ratio. This resulted in the lowering
of the top gas temperature and retarded the reduction of iron oxide especially one of
magnetite. The injection of the hydrogen remarkably decreased the coke rate.
The purpose of a blast furnace is to chemically reduce and physically convert iron
oxides into liquid iron called "hot metal". The blast furnace is a huge, steel stack lined
with refractory brick, where iron ore, coke and limestone are dumped into the top, and
preheated air is blown into the bottom. The raw materials require 6 to 8 hours to descend
to the bottom of the furnace where they become the final product of liquid slag and liquid
iron. These liquid products are drained from the furnace at regular intervals. The hot air
that was blown into the bottom of the furnace ascends to the top in 6 to 8 seconds after
going through numerous chemical reactions. Once a blast furnace is started it will
continuously run for four to ten years with only short stops to perform planned
maintenance
The converted reducing agent rate, that is sum of coke rate and six times (molecular
weight ratio of carbon to hydrogen gas) as hydrogen rate showed small change. Although
this decrease in coke rate deteriorated the permeability of the burden materials in the
furnace, pressure drop in the furnace was reduced. Since the molar flow rate of the
reducing gas was kept constant, the decrease in the gas density due to the increase in the
hydrogen content was mainly considered to lead the decrease in the pressure drop. The
water gas shift reaction played an important role in the generation of the field of gas
composition, thus this reaction has to be carefully discussed for further utilization of
hydrogen in blast furnace.
In this condition, coke rate, coal rate and fuel rate are 448.55kg/t HM, 107.67 kg/t
HM and 556.23 kg/t HM respectively. Blast furnace utilization coefficient and carbon
energy utilization coefficient are 2.47 and 61.19% respectively. So, the total of mass in
and mass out during blast furnace simulation are 3092.48kg/t HM and 3009.49kg/t HM
respectively. Then, the total of heat in and heat out are 10284428kg/t HM and NaNkg/t
HM respectively.
So the raw materials of blast furnace are iron ore and flux. Then the outcome of this
experiment are pig iron and slag. A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used
for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron, but also others such as lead or
copper.
CHAPTER
CONCLUSION
Conclusion :
If the oxygen to coal ratio is below stoichiometric (C/O < 0.5) the combustion of high volatile
coal is complete. Above this level uncombusted coal is blown into the blast furnace. The C/O
ratio 0.5 corresponds with injection rates of 175 kg/tHM high volatile coal. About 20% of the
high volatile coal injected above the level of 175 kg/tHM is blown uncombusted into the blast
furnace.Mid volatile coal combusts not so well. Starting at C/O > 0.4, corresponding with150
low volatile coal kg/tHM, uncombusted coal are blown into the blast furnace.About 35% of
the mid volatile coal injected above the injection rate of 150 kg/tHM is blown uncombusted
into the blast furnace.Low volatile coal combusts even worse.Neither oxygen enrichment or
the increase of the blast temperature promote the combustion. A smaller particle size has a
positive effect on the combustion.The main conclusion is: Up to a level of 250 kg coal/tHM it
is not likely to have problems with uncombusted coal.At coal injection levels of 250 kg/tHM
or higher not the coal combustion but the decrease of the coke rate will set the limit. The
decrease of the furnace permeability and the way to counteract this by means of the blast
furnace charging should receive the utmost attention.
