Methods of extending a blast-furnace campaign

As before, the main trends in blast-furnace smelting in the Twenty-First Century are decreasing coke consumption, increasing furnace productivity, and lengthening of the furnace campaign. In the last few decades, the focus has increasingly been on extending the campaign through various technical, technological, and organizational measures. This article surveys the work done in these areas and analyzes the results of research performed by the world’s largest producers of pig iron.     

Improving blast-furnace heating

The possibility of raising the blast temperature by gas combustion in the air-supply line is considered. The prospect of replacing regenerative air heaters with recuperative heaters is discussed.     

Automatic welding of elements of a blast-furnace shell

Donbassdomnaremont Trust. Translated from Metallurg. No. 12, p. 29, December, 1989.     

Using a multifuel gas generator in blast-furnace shops

The use of pulverized coal in Russian blast furnaces is analyzed. It is shown that the rates of pulverized- coal injection are considerably less than for the world’s best furnaces. The factors hindering such developments in Russia are presented. Measures intended to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions in hot-metal production (the ULCOS program) are analyzed. The introduction of multifuel gas generators of bubbling type in blast-furnace shops is proposed. The hot reducing gases produced in this system will then be injected in the blast furnaces. The operational parameters of a 1033-m³ blast furnace with the injection of hot reducing gases at rates up to 400 m³/t of hot metal are calculated. The injection of hot reducing gases at a rate of 400 m³/t would save coke at a rate of 100–120 kg/t of hot metal. With gas injection at a rate of 700 m³/t, the expected coke savings are as much as 200 kg/t of hot metal. The creation of a consortium of leading steelmakers to develop this technology to the point of industrial trials is recommended.