ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT BY MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL

A case study of reheating furnaces in the steel industry

AndersMlirtensson
DepartmentofEnvironmentalandEnergySystemsStudies
Lund University
S-22362 Lund
Sweden
ABSTRACT
The aimofthis paper is to analyze the possibilities for energy al10ws complexalgorithms to be implemented for measurement
efficiencyimprovements throughutilizationofmeasurementand andcontrol
2
purposes.
automatic control; this includes both direct fuel savings and Investmentsin informationtechnologyareconsideredascost-
indirect savingsdue to product quality improvements. Focus is effective in manyindustrial areas; in energyintensiveindustries
onenergyuseinsteelreheatingfurnaces forrollingmil1s. thereductionofcostsforenergyuse has beenoneofthedriving
The demands on the reheating process and the operational forces for such investments. However, there are reasons to
conditions that are essential for its control are described. An assume that there is a further potential for energy efficiency
analysis is madeofpossiblereductions in energyuse as aresult improvements as a consequence of increased utilization of
ofimprovedcontrol. measurement and control; this includes both direct fuel and
Asurvey is includedoffurnacecontrol systemsin steel plants; electricity savings and indirect energy use reductions due to
suchequipment has been designed and implemented in orderto product quality improvements (2). It is therefore ofinterest to
optimizethe reheating process. Reports ofachieved savings are analyze the relation between use ofinformation technology and
presented,anddemandsonmeasurementandcontrol systemsfor energyefficiencyin industrialenergyservices.
successful implementationarediscussed. Several ways can be seen to improve energy efficiency by
Economicanalyses, in termsoflife cycle costs and estimated using information technology: process design, exergy loss
savings, are made for three levels ofmeasurement and control analysis, and measurement and control applied to existing
systems. Reductions in energy use ofup to 20 percent can be processes (add-on technology). This paper analyzes the add-on
expected for the type of process studied, as a result of approachusingsteel reheatingfurnacesasacasestudy.
investmentsin information technology; it is alsoconcluded that Thesteelindustry is a large userofenergy: in Sweden it used
such investmentsarecost-effective.
21 TWh (72.10
12
Btu) in 1989 ofwhich furnaces, mainly for
rolling mills, used 15 percent. Hot rolling is a step in the
traditional steelmaking process which provides one way of
INTRODUCTION forming steel; it general1y requires reheating ofthe cast steel.
Conversionand useofenergyarecreatingacceleratingproblems;
Newsteelmakingtechniquesareevolvingwhichmaychangethe
traditional production path and eventually make reheating
carbon dioxide releases being but one ofthe issues. It is now
obsolete. However, this change should be seen as a possibility
important to tum to an end-use perspective: how can energy be
used more efficiently to provide the services that we need?
for the future, leaving 10- 15 years ofenergy use in existing
Research has pointed to possibilities for energy efficiency
furnaces. Hence, it is interesting to analyze the possibilities for
efficiencyenhancements.
improvements (I). This paperdeals with onesuch opportunity:
the possibilities which may be provided by information
technology1 to use energy more efficiently in one industrial
process. FURNACES IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY
Informationtechnology hasdevelopeddramaticallyduringthe
In a hot rolling mill the cast steel items in various forms and
latest twodecades. The processing powerofelectronic devices
dimensions- slabs, bil1ets, and blooms- are heated to
hasincreasedordersofmagnitude:evenmicrocomputercapacity
temperaturesaround 1200C,suitablefor the plasticdeformation
in the rolling process.
IInformation technology is here defined as systems consisting of
electronic equipment, methods, and programs aimed to retrieve, process,
store, and output data originating from, or used to describe, physical or
tcchnical processes. Of particular interest is information collected from
mcasurementsofphysical variables,suchas: temperature,energynow,mass 2Mcasurementandcontrol herereferto aclassofinformationtcchnology
now, electric cument, or mechanical force. Such information may be used for (automatic)controloftechnical processes. Measurementofphysical
processed to aid the analysis ofindustrial processes, and hence conclusions values, such as temperature, is usually an intrinsic pan ofcontrol systems
may be drawn about energy use, efficiency, and possibilities for butcanalsobeusedseparatelytoprovideinfonnationaboutaprocess.
improvements.
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Table I.Furnace energy use in Sweden, 1989. Source: Jemkontoret,
Stockholm,Sweden.
Fuel Energy use
a
[GWh) ([10
9
Btu))
aI 1680(5732)
Propane 1272(4340)
Naturalgas 48(164)
Cokeovengas 400(1365)
Electricity(induction) 405 (1382)
TOfAL 3805(12983)
aValues includeasmall portion for smith shopsand other hOI steel work:.
In Sweden, reheating furnaces used around 3TWh(10.10
12
Btu)ofenergy in 1989. Heattreatment fwnaces usedadditionally
0.5 TWh (1.7.10
12
Btu). About 90% was supplied as fuels,
Table 1. In this paper attention is mainly paid to the energy
effici ency3 of fuel fired reheating furnaces. There are about
twenty hotrolling mills in Sweden. Each ofthese millshaveone
orseveralfwnaces. Sizesrange between 10-300tonneslhour'.
Thereheatingprocess
Reheating is acontinuous process where the stockis charged at
the furnace entrance, heated, and discharged. Energy is
transferred to the itemsduringtheir traverse through the furnace
bymeansofconvectionand radiation
5
from the hot burnergases
and the fwnace walls.
Stock charging temperature may range between 10-800C.
The target temperatureforreheating is governed by thedemands
oftherolling process. Important factorsare: theexpectedrolling
speed, the steel composition and the dimension of the stock.
Quality aspects pose constraints on surface temperatures and
temperaturegradients.
Energy has beenused in thesteel processstagesprecedingthe
rolling. The material may be degraded by reheating, leading to
material losses, which should be noted when the furnace
efficiencyis calculated. Theenergywasted in lost metal includes
energy for ironorerefinement, reduction,and conversion
6
. Thus
theqULJljry ofthe reheatingis importantalsofrom an energypoint
ofview.
Designandoperationoffurnaces andefficientenergyuse
Many design features affect the energy efficiency: dimensions,
numberofzones, wall and roofinsulation, and skid design. The
numberofzones and the insulation betweenzones influenceboth
the efficiency and the possibilities for an effective temperature
control with individual zonevalues.
Operational practicesare important for theenergyefficiency.
Conditions may vary from mill to mill but also for the normal
operationofeach furnace. The ideal situation would be to run a
furnaceatconstantnominal speedwithonetypeofobjectsofthe
same dimension. However, a number of deviations and
disturbancesoccur:
3Herefurnace efliciency is definedas increaseofsteel healcontent, when
heating rrom lOoe to 1200
o
e,divided by fuel energy (latent plus sensible
heat). Hence,the furnaceefficiency definition isconnccled toaspecific lask,
and would generally bedifferent forothersteel temperatures.
4Reheating furnace size is usually expressedas thecapacity tosupply the
rolling mill with sufficiently hot steel, in LOnnes per hour. A tonne equals
1000 kilograms.
5Radiation contributes with more than 90% of the heat transfer at
aboveapproximately 700C.
Thecalculation will be differentfor steel made from scrap iron. This is
accounted for in thecalculationsofpossible savings laterin thepaper.
Items with different material composition, dimensiolls, and
charging temperatures may reside in the furnace simul-
taneously.
Delaysintherolling mill maytemporarilystoporslowdown
the transportationin the furnace.
Variationsin fuel availabilityandcompositionmayoccur.
Furnacesand burnersaredegraded by time.
Stockitem heatcontentsis seldomknown.
Energy use for an average production situationis shownas a
Sankey-diagram, Figure I, for a pusher type furnace fot cold
charging(3). The furnace is equipped with arecuperator.
producedin the skid coolingsystemis used in otherpans'ofthe
plant. The efficiency for this furnace is around 46% or 59%
including the steam heat. Losses occur through roof,
walls, and openings.
Preheated
Oxidation
air

Heatfromfuel
100%
(508)
Steam
13%
(65)
Fur-
nace
losses
20%
(102)
Wasle
gas
losses
Figure 1. Sankey diagram for a pusher type reheating with
coldcharging(3). Numbersin parenthesisshow specificenergy:use in
kWh/tonne steel for an average production hour. Heat ofsteellis the
heatadded tothe steel, Le., net value. .
A large amountofparameters affect the energyeffiCiehcyof
the furnace and thequalityoftheheating,makingoptimal rlJanual
control an overwhelming task. Even skilled operatorsgenerally
tend to run the process with large safety margins to ascertain
required target temperature. This practice often leads to excess
useofenergyand toqualityproblemsduetooverheating.
POSSIBILITIES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVEMENT BY MEASUREMENT AND
CONTROL
Experiencefrom utilizationofinformation technologyshowsthat
process operation may be improved in terms of, for example,
energyefficiency. We assumethat thisappliesalso in thecaseof
reheatingfurnaces.
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Themeasurementproblems
Measurements serve to provide information from the process
both for monitoring and forconrrol. Knowledge ofvalues for a
numberofvariables areessential for an efficientoperation ofa
furnace:
Furnacegasandwalltemperatures,
Stock temperatures,
Fuelandcombustionair flows,
Oxygencontentofexhaustgas,
Positionofeachstockitemin the furnace.
The temperature of each stock item and the temperature
disrribution within the items should be available. However, the
furnace environmentposesproblems: sensorsplaceddirectlyon
the stock are not feasible; indirect measurements by radiation
pyrometers are disturbed by side radiation. Instead, a model
describingthe heatingprocesscan be usedon-linetoestimatethe
surface and inner temperatures ofthe items
7
. Furnace and gas
temperatures, fuel flow rates, stockdata, and stationarydata for
the furnace serveas inputtothe model.
Controlauthority
Thepurposeoffurnaceconrrolis togoverntheheatproductionto
give the stock the correct temperature. The control variables
available are burner fuel and air flows ormore indirectly zone
temperature set-points for burnerregulators. In somecases it is
also possible to adjust the throughput rate, when this does not
interferewiththerollingmilloperation(4).
Maximum burnercapacity and consrraints on heat flow per
unitofstocksurfaceareotherfactors which mustbeconsidered.
Directfuel usereductionsthrou2h optimizationof
combustionefficiency
Precise conrrol ofthe combustion process is essential both for
fuel economy and for reduction of pollutant emissions to the
atmosphere(5, 6).
Accuratecombustionconrrol includes the ability to keep the
flue gas oxygen value close to optimum. Adaptation to varying
loadconditionsis essential(7).
Improvedcombustionconrrolenablesa lowerand morestable
excessair factor. A simplesteady-statesensitivityanalysisofthe
possible fuel saving has been made for the pusher furnace
describedabove,keepingall factorsconstantexcepttheexcessair
factor, Figure2.
Directfuel usereductions through optimizationoffurnace
heatingprofile
Each type of steel should be heated according to a specific
temperature-timerelation in ordertoarriveat the required final
temperature with prescribed limitations for surface temperature
and internal temperature gradient. Still there is somedegree of
freedom to choose temperature-time relations- heating
curves- which give more orless energy efficient heating. To
increase the energy efficiency, the heating should take place as
late as possible, i.e., as far away as possible from the furnace
charging side. This tends to lowerthe exhaust gas temperature
(8, 9).
7Model description of aprocess is necessaryalsofor the implementation
ofcontrolslralegies. Modelscan begiven variousdegreesofdetaildepending
on the purpose. Complex off-line models can be used in the design stage
sincecalculation time is notcritical.
Percentfuel saving
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
1.2
2
1.1
o
1.05 1.1 1.15 1.2 1.25 1.3 1.35 1.4
Excessairfactor
Figure 2. Specific fuel use reductions as a function ofdecreased
excess air factor. The diagram assumes steady-state conditions and
shows the possiblereductions whenthe excessairfactorisdecreased
from 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 respectively. Recuperatorefficiency is 0.4.
Calculations from (3).
Atmanualoperation it isoften found thata highertemperature
than necessaryis maintainedin the first zoneofthe furnace (9).
Thismay bedueto the uncertainty,experienced by theoperator,
offuture heating requirements for each item, together with the
higherconrrol authority in thefrrst zones.
By means of the furnace energy balance it is possible to
analyze the effect on the fuel consumption when the exhaust
temperatureis lowered,Figure3.Obviously,thepossiblesaving
is lesswhenacenrral recuperatoris used, due tothedecreasein
airpreheatingcapacity.
Relative fuel consumption
1.1
No recuperator...
1.05
.... ,
1
60 650 800 850 900
11=0.4 ......
0.95
0.9
0.85
Exhaustgastemperature[0C]
Figure 3. Relative specific fuel consumption as a function of
variation in exhaust gas temperature for the studied pusher furnace.
Temperaturedeviations from thestartvalue800"Carcconsidered.The
recuperatorefficiency is considered to be constant over the studied
temperaturerange(3).
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Proceedings from the 14th National Industrial Energy Technology Conference, Houston, TX, April 22-23, 1992
Directfuel usereductions improvementof
temperatureaccuracY
Toavoid unsufficient heating ofthe stock, due to variations in
discharge temperatures at manual control,operators tend to use
unnecessarilyhigh furnace temperatures(10).Thismayresultin
excess stock temperature directly leading to lower energy
efficiency. Bycomputercontrol it is possibleto achievea more
accuratefinal temperatureofthereheatedstockitems.
Assuming that the furnace thennal efficiencyisconstant, we
getaconservativeestimateofachieved fuel usereductionswhen
stock excess heatis reduced. If, for example, the average stock
temperature is decreased from 1250cto the target I200C- a
differenceoffourpercent- thefuel consumptionwilldecrease
byaboutfourpercents.
Directfuel usereductionsthroughadaptationoftheheating
toproductionrate
During a delay or at reduced throughput rates, the furnace
temperature rises which leads to increased energy losses and
excessheatingofthe stock. Atmanualoperation it is customary
not to change the temperature set-pointsduring a shonerdelay.
Despite the control action by burnertemperatureregulators, the
heatofthefurnacedoesnotdecreasesufficientlyand hencefuel
is wasted. Byautomaticcontrol it would bepossibleto calculate
and apply lowertemperatureset-pointsduringdelaysandperiods
ofreduced speed. Thiswould lead to less fuel useand eliminate
the riskofoverheating.
Schupe (11) has analyzed the possible savings with the
described type ofautomatic control as comparedtopractice for
manualcontrol,Figure4.
nominal values
savings in fuel in %
waste gas temperature I air preheating
15 ,-----------j--
10
8001 550C
700 1450C
600 1350C

o
o 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
time-of-flight factor or furnace capacity in %
Figure 4. Possible fuel savings due to computer control of heat
productionatdecreased furnaceproduction. It is assumed thatwithout
processcontrol the furnace isoperated atconstantfurnace temperature
regardless of production rate. The temperature values, e.g.,
Iooon50Cdenote recuperatorwastegas input/preheatedcombustion
airoutputtemperatures. Source: (II).Redrawn,withpermission, from
SCANHEATING - Proceedjnl:s ofthe International Conference on
Process Cootrol and Enerl:Y Sayjnl:s jn Reheatjnl: Furnaces, Lulell,
Sweden, June 12-14, 1985.
8Constant furnace production rate is assumed. Heat contents ofstock is
approximatelyproportionat to temperature. As constantthennal efficiency is
assumed the fuel consumption is linearlydependenton stockheat.
Indirecteffectson efficiency
When investing in a sophisticated computercontrol system for
reheatingfurnaces theeconomical benefitcomestoa largeextent
from thequalityimprovements,such asreducedscalefonnation,
less decarburization, less surface melting, and reduced
geometricaldistortion(bendingetc). These improvementslead to
less material waste and less returns and remakes
9
, indirectly
reducingtheenergydemand.
Reductionofscaleformation
The fonnation of scale is governed by the temperature, the
compositionofthe furnaceatmosphere,and thetimeofresidence
in the furnace (12, 13, 14). Improved control of the furnace
atmospherewouldenablea lowerandmorestableoxygencontent
and hencereductionofmetallossthroughscalefonnation.
Thescaleconstitutesa lossofvaluablesteel,generallyaround
I % ofthe weight.Toproduce thisamount,energyhas beenused
in several steps: ore excavation and refinement, reduction,
conversion, casting, and reheating. Reduction ofscale metal
losses can be seen as a reduction ofthe total energy used to
produceacertainquantityofsteel. A qualityimprovementofthe
reheating process due to automatic furnace control hence
contributes totheenergyefficiencyand should beaccounted for
in the samemannerasdirectfuel savings.A calculation has been
Reduction of energy use [%]
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
Steelmaking:
50% scrap base;! _
100% ore based
0.5
100% scrap based
- -- _.- --

o 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Reduction of scale formation [%)
FigureS. ReductionoflQlill energy use expressed as percentage of
energy use versus reduction ofscale metal loss perunit of
producedsteel.Totalenergyuse refers to productionofhot rolledsteel
from ore and scrap in varying proportions. Total energy use for ore
based productionisnominally5000kWh/tonne (17 MBtu/tOnne)10 and
forscrapbased 1300kWh/tonne
ll
(4.4 MBtu/tonne)(15). Reductions
in scale loss are calculated from a nominal value of 10 kg/tonne.
Nominal furnaceenergyuseis 450kWh/tonne (1.54MBtu!tonne).The
increased furnace fuel consumptiondue to decreased energyinput from
scaleformation is takeninto account (3).
9Dependingon the typeofdegradation,remakesare returned tooneofthe
earlierstages in the production chain. Hence, energy needed for subsequent
processstagesisaddedtothe totalenergyusefor theproduct.
10
1MBtuequals lOll Btu.
lIThe reference gives the values 5150 kWh/ton ore based and 1330
kWh/tonnescrapbased forSSAB,Sweden, production in 1986.
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Proceedings from the 14th National Industrial Energy Technology Conference, Houston, TX, April 22-23, 1992
made ofthe decrease in total energy use corresponding to a
reduction in scale metal loss, per unit ofsteel produced. For
comparison with direct energy use reduction levels, the total
energyusedecreasehasbeenexpressed in percentageoffurnace
nominal energyuse,Figure5, (3).
IMPLEMENTED CONTROL SYSTEMS AND
RESULTS
Systems for furnace measurement and control have been
developedfor manyyearsbyresearch institutes, steelworks, and
computercompanies. One ofthe first fuel optimizing systems
was developed and installed at Hoogovens sleel plant in The
Netherlands(10).
Automaticfurnacecontrol systemlevels
Eight furnace control system types have been included in this
comparativestudy,Table2. All involveprocesscomputerswhich
implementrealtimecontrolofthe heat production.Theircommon
purposeis tooptimizethefuel useformaximumefficiencywhile
fulfilling the quality requirements for the heated stock.
Combustion control systems are not included in this survey.
Thoseareimportantbutlesscomplexsystemsusuallyinstalledas
standard components. However, they are essential both for
energyefficiencyand productqualityand are therefore included
in the economicanalysisbelow.
Tofacilitatecomparisonofthesystemsregardingperformance
and economy,adivision intothreecategoriesismade:
LevelA, burnerautomaticcontrolsystems,
LevelB, furnace operationoptimizingcontrolsystemswithout
feedbackcontrol,includingburnercontrolsystems(Level A),
Level C,as LevelB butextended withfeedbackviamodel.
The three levels are illustrated in the principle diagrams of
Figures 6-8.
Zone
temperature
set-point ,------,
(manual
setting)
Zone
temperature
sensor
I

I

Figure6. Principlediagram showingacontrol system ofLevel Afor
one control zone. The flow control block contains both fuel and air
controllers. The number ofburners controlled by one flow control
block may vary from one and up in different plants. The numberof
flowcontrollerspertemperaturecontrolJermay also vary.
In Level A systemseach furnace control zone temperature is
set manually. Each zone control block includes temperature
sensor, temperature controller, and flow controllers, Figure 6.
Flow controllers comprise flow sensors, controllers, and
actuatorsgoverningvalvesand/orfuel pumps.
Heat pro-
Zonetemp.
set-point
duction
Zone 1
Product
Heat pro- Furnace
Mill pace heat I---..-j duction
Zone2 Tracking control
Heatpro-
duction
Zonen
Figure 7. Principle diagram showing a Level B furnace control
system. The central optimizing control processor determines the
individual temperatures for each zone based on information on the
itemsthatreside inthe furnace and the currentdrop-outinterval. Each
zone controller block contains a Level A type zone heat production
controller,Figure6.
Level B systems include an optimizing computer which
controlseachfurnacecontrol zone,Figure7. Inputdataare stock
data from production control computer and/or operator, stock
positionalinformation,androllingmilldelaydata.
Control variables are the zone temperature set-points for the
temperature regulators. Alsothe speedofthestocktransportation
may becontrolled within limits set byfurnacecapacityand mill
demand. Hence, a Level B system is working in open control
mode on the fuel optimizing level, but it includes a Level A
systemwhich,in tum,containsseveralclosed loops.
Zonetemp.
Heatpro-
set-point
duction
Zone 1
Product Heat pro-
Mill pace
duction
Zone 2
Tracking
Stock Heat pro-
optimal duction
heating Zone n
lapse
Stock
temp.
predictor
Figure 8. Principle diagram showing a Level C furnace control
system.
InLevelC systemsa feedback loop is added,madeup from a
model based stock temperature calculation function and a
correctionvaluecalculationblock,Figure8. Thecorrectionvalue
is computed from a prestored "ideal" heating lapse which is
compared with the calculated actual temperature ofeach stock
item. Furnacegasand wall temperaturemeasurements, stockand
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Proceedings from the 14th National Industrial Energy Technology Conference, Houston, TX, April 22-23, 1992
furnace thermal data, and furnace geometrical data are used as
inputs for thestocktemperaturecalculation.
Table2. Results from operationofinstalled fuel optimizingsystems.
Savings include only direct fuel use reductions. Scale reductions are
mentioned for severalsystems butno ligures have been found except
for systemsoftype 2 and 8. System levels are described in the text.
Numbers in parenthesis, following system type number, are
references.
System type
number
(reference)
System level Fuelsaving
[%]
Sealereduction
[%]
1(20) B upto 15 ?
2(9) C 6.5-9 10
3(21) C 6-15
a
?
4 (22) C 4-11 ?
5(II) C approx 10 ?
6(8) C 6-15 ?
7(23) C 12-17 ?
8(20) C 5-20 10-35
aValuesup to 25% havebeenreponedforearly installations(10).
Comparisonofresultsfrom installedcontrolsystems
Reports on fuel savings and reductions ofscale are found in
Table2. UnfortunatelyonlyonereportofasystemoftypeB has
beenfound; hence,cautionshouldbetaken in evaluation.Results
reported from installationsare hard to compare:conditionsdiffer
fromsite to site; sizesoffurnaces and types,productmix, typeof
fuels, and other parameters may be different. Number of
installations vary for the different system types and data for
comparison with manual controlis relatively sparse. Moreover,
the manual control practices deviate both between plants and
within thesame plant. ThereforeTable2 shouldonly be seenas
an indicationofobtainedsavings.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Inorderto makeacost-benefitanalysisthethreefurnacecontrol
systems levels described above are used. Costs and possible
energysavingsforthe threesystem levels areindicated inTable
3. Energy use reductions are estimates based on the above
analysis and on the results reported in the survey ofinstalled
systems. These results show that reductions up to 20% may be
achieved even withoutconsidering indirecteffects. In this cost-
benefitanalysis we onlyconsiderdirect fuel reductions. Further
benefitswill appearbothfroman energyandeconomicalpointof
view ifindirect effects are accounted for. Hence, energy use
reductions in the whole steel production chain due to reduced
scalelosseswill contributein thebenefitanalysisas wellasother
qualityimprovements. An extendedeconomiccalculationalsohas
to includegainsfrom possibilitiesto meetdemandsonproduction
flexibility and product quality, which are facilitated by
measurementandcontrol.
In the following analysis, includingonlydirecteffects, costs
areestimatedconsideringthe typeoftechnologyinvolved: micro-
and minicomputers, sensors,actuators,communicationand other
VO equipment and softwarecosts. Operationalcostsare mainly
service and maintenance costs ofthe measurement and control
system(includingsensors).
Systemlevel
A B
Energyuse reduction[%I
ICbase [10
3
US$]
2-5
85-175
5-15
175-350
10+20
I

Operation[103 US$!year] 10-25 35-50 50PO
Costs are assumed to be dependent on furnace size:: Initial
costs are calculated as ICbase + ICsize*size, where IChase is
found in Table3, ICsize is assumed to be US$ 175 (I()()(jl SEK)
foreachsize unit (tonnes/hour) for levelsBandC,and 350
for level A. Operational costs are assumed to be equal:for all
sizes. Further, the nominal furnace energy use is assumep to be
450 kWh/tonne (1.54,10
6
Btu/tonne) with an annual operation
timeof7500hours.
A measure of the costs for the control systems may be
achieved bycalculating theannualizedlifecyclecosts(AI..1CC)12.
ThecontinuationoftheanalysisrelatestheALec tothe
energy reductions by using the Cost ofSaved Energy!(CSE)
measure. CSEhas been calculated forthethreesystemlevFlsand
for various furnace sizes, Figure9. Results are shown a life
time of 5 years with discount rate 15%. The fuel Pl1ice 3.5
cents/kWh (1.0 cents/kBtu or0.20 SEK/kWh) is indicated for
comparison.
Thefollowingconclusionscanbedrawn:
Furnace production magnitude is very important for tile cost-
effectivenessofasystem. .
Theestimatedcostand energyreductionsgive aconsicjerable
spanin theobtained values.
Even in the "worstcase":i.e. highestcoste.stimate c?Tbined
with lowest saving estimate, cost-effectIve solutioIns are
obtainedalreadyatfurnace sizesof30tonnes/hourforeveIB
orC systemsandat40tonnes/hourforlevel A systemsj
Forlargerfurnace sizesthecostofsavedenergyisverY; low.
DISCUSSION
Implementation andoperationofIT:Contributionstothe
result '
The above analysis and the reported results suggest that
use reductions upto20% maybeachieved by and
control. The wide range of possible savings, stanin$ from
around 5%,seemsto bedue more to differences betweenplants
than between systems, considering systems ofLevel B:and C
(16, 17). Examplesofplantdifferencesare:
12A description ofthe economic measures used in this paperis found in
(18).
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ESL-IE-92-04-45
Proceedings from the 14th National Industrial Energy Technology Conference, Houston, TX, April 22-23, 1992
(a) CSEfor furnace sizesup 10 50 lonnes/hour.
[cents/kWh)
12 A
A
Life time 5years
Discount rate 15%
A
C
B
A
C
20 30 40
B
10
2
6
4
1----1IIIII-.-HI--III-IB-:=------.,I11--"----------
8
10
[cents/kWh]
Furnaceproduclion [lonnes/hour]
(b) CSEfor furnace sizes50 tonnes/hourto 250
tonnes/hour
3.5
Life time 5years
3
Discountrate 15%
A
25
2 B
1.5 C A
A
B
A
B A
0.5
iJli
o.I--l-L15-.JOLLJ'-----L.I..L1---"00..L---l--'-L-'-15...J.0L...J.-.L-L.L-.l200 250
Furnaceproduction[lonnes/hour]
Figure9 (a) and (b). CostofSaved Energy for the control system
levels A, B, and C. Values are given for smaller fumaces up 10 50
tonnes/hour(a)andlargerfumaces (b). Discountrate 15% and lifetime
5years. Tintedareasindicatethe rangeofpossiblevaluesdue ~ range
of estimated system costs and performance. Energy pnce 3.5
cents/kWh (1.0 cents/kBtu) is indicated for comparison. This
correspondsapproximatelyto 1991 heavyoil and propaneprices.The
diagramshowsthatevenforthe "worstcase"calculationstheCSEfalls
below the assumed energy cost at fumace sizes above around 30
IOnnes!hour.
Production mixandgeneral productioncontrol:a flexibleand
varied production requires largeroperatorskills and makes
automatic control more favourable. Production may include
mixed hot and cold charging and variations in target
temperatures.
Furnacedesigndeterminescontrollabilitybothformanualand
automaticcontrol:mostimportantis thedivision intothermally
insulated zones.
Existing manual operating practices: a knowledgeable and
skilled personnelmayoperatea furnacequitewenmakingthe
relativegainofautomaticcontrolsmaller.
Possibilities toestablish direct communication with process
controlandothercomputers.
Given the same preconditions, investment in a sophisticated
furnace control system may prove more orless economically
feasibledueto:
Analysis in order to integrate the control system into the
particularplantmayhavebeenmoreorlesssuccessful
t3
.
Acceptance by personnel: the users of the system play an
important role for the operation. The design of the user
interfacecontributeshere: attractiveinformationpresentation,
easeofuse,andpossibilities forinteraction.
Follow-upandcontinuingtuningandrefinementofthesystem
(17).
Potentia! forefficiencyimprovement
Theanalysisabovehasshownthatthe fuel costreductionsalone
easily justify the investments for furnace sizes above 50
tonneslhour. Costs may have been a constraining factor for
investments in smallerplants. However, there isa trend towards
lowerpricesofcomputerequipment.Althoughthecomputercost
is only a part ofthe total system cost- process knowledge,
analysis methods,and programdevelopmentforming thebulkof
the cost- this trend will certainly make the investment more
attractive. Even more important is the growing need to increase
productqualityand productionflexibility, whichwillbeadriving
force forinvestmentsin advanCedcontrolsystemsforfurnacesof
all sizes.
Thetypeofinformationtechnologydescribedin thispaperhas
been shown to be a valuable tool todecreaseenergy use and at
the same time improve product quality. Operation of steel
furnaces both in Sweden and othercountries, e.l!.. in Eastern
Europeandin manydevelopingcountries,arelikelytogain from
extended use ofmeasurement and control, properly adapted to
eachspecificplant.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author is grateful to ProfessorThomas B. Johansson and
Professor Gustaf Olsson, both at Lund University, for their
valuableadviceandideas. Special thanksaredirectedto MrTor
Rundstrom,SSAB,OxelOsund, forhis helpful information.
The work has been financed by the Swedish National Board
forIndustrialandTechnicalDevelopment(NUTEK).
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