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Nucor-Yamato Steel
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Table 1
Definition of Energy Balance
Tons
Metric tons
136 tons
92.0
92.0
125 tons
312 kWh/ton
Charge coke
2,000 pounds/heat
907 kg/heat
Injected coke
3,500 pounds/heat
1,588 kg/heat
Slag volume
8.86 tons
Slag FeO%
30.0
30.0
Natural gas
300 scf/ton
1,430 scf/ton
Charged scrap
Yield (%)
Steel
Electricity
Oxygen
Authors
Andr Pujadas and John McCauley, Nucor-Yamato Steel, Blytheville, Ark.; and Massimo Iacuzzi, MORE srl, Gemona del Friuli, Italy
104
Table 2
Heat transfer to bath is at 100 percent
efficiency for slag formation and oxidation of carbon, silicon and manganese.
Electrode consumption is constant at
3.01 pounds/ton (1.37 kg/ton).
As input energy, the gross heating value
for the combustion of coke was used.
Table 2 shows the scrap mix and slag analysis used in the energy balance.
Energy Input
Electrical energy to each furnace is provided
via transformers rated at 90 MVA, 1,100 volts.
Depending on the scrap mix, the appropriate
power program is selected, thereby dictating
the voltage levels, impedance setpoints, stability ranges and electrical power input for the
different stages (bore-in, melting, refining,
end of heat) of the meltdown cycle. For the
data presented in this paper, operations were
at 980 volts with an additional 1.5 ohm series
reactor in the circuit for the first 6,000 kWh
(maximum) of both charges. Electrical energy
input averages 312 kWh/ton.
Table 4 shows the various energy inputs for
the EAFs. When calculating coke oxidation,
the 0.050 percent of carbon that remains in
the steel (152 pounds/heat or 69 kg/heat)
and the remaining 350 pounds/hour (158
kg/hour of CO in the offgas, 48 pounds/heat
or 22 kg/heat) for the tap-tap time (37.0 minutes) was treated as losses to the overall coke
oxidation.
About 2.0 percent of turnings oil burning
energy (10 kWh/ton) was accounted for as
energy input. Assuming that 80.0 percent of
the FeO is made in the furnace, the formation
of FeO from the oxidation of iron accounts
for 16 kWh/ton of the total 50 kWh/ton of
energy generated from the refining reactions
(metal oxidation) in the steel, the largest contributor. For the other metal oxidation reactions, data from the slag analysis presented in
Table 2 was used in conjunction with the
assumptions that 90.0 percent of the MnO
and Cr2O3 was made in the furnace, 60.0 percent of the Al2O3 was made in the furnace,
and scrap P reacts to produce P2O5. Reactions
Element
Scrap Mix
CaO
32
Shredded
36.9
SiO2
15
#2 HMS
27
FeO
30
#1 HMS
11.9
Cr2O3
Pig iron
5.8
MnO
Home scrap
6.8
MgO
11
Turning
5.5
Al2O3
#2 Bundle
3.4
P2O5
Pit scrap
2.7
Table 3
Gross Heating Values at 3,000F (1,648C)
Reaction
Energy
Unit
1.
C + O2 = CO2
4.13
kWh/C-lb
2.
Si + O2 = SIO2
3.93
kWh/Si-lb
3.
Al + O2 = Al2O3
3.91
kWh/Al-lb
4.
CO + O2 = CO2
3.02
kWh/C-lb
5.
C + O2 = CO
1.11
kWh/C-lb
6.
Mn + O2 = MnO
0.89
kWh/Mn-lb
3.06
kWh/P-lb
5/4
7.
P+
O2 = (P2O5)
8.
Cr + O2 = (Cr2O3)
1.42
kWh/Cr-lb
9.
Fe + O2 = FeO
0.61
kWh/Fe-lb
10.
0.29
kWh/CH4-cft
11.
0.26
kWh/CaO-lb
12.
6.02
kWh/P2O8-lb
Table 4
Energy Inputs
Energy input
kWh/ton
Description of coke
kWh/ton
Electricity
312
Charge coke
Coke oxidation
207
Inject coke
Gas oxidation
88
Electrode oxidation
12
Metal oxidation
50
Scrap carbon
39
Slag formation
11
Total
10
Total
58
104
214
678
July 2004
105
Figure 1
Electricity
Coke oxidation
Gas oxidation
Metal oxidation
Slag formation
Energy Output
Energy output into the steel was calculated for
an average tap temperature of 2,970F
(1,632C). Energy retained in the slag was
approximately 51 kWh/metric ton, at a temperature of 3,070F (1,688C) and 8,036 kg
(8.86 tons) of slag generated per heat.
Losses to the offgas are highly dependent
on the efficiency of energy transfer to the steel
and the rate of energy input. Higher energy
input rates demand higher energy transfer
efficiency. As burner efficiencies and heat
transfer to scrap metal decrease over the meltdown period, the gases leaving the furnace
become hotter; hence, the sensible heat load
in the gases will increase. Of greater concern
should be the CO remaining in the offgas that
has not been oxidized in the furnace, as this
Table 5
Energy Outputs at Nucor-Yamato Steel
Heat balance output
kWh/ton
Steel
320.2
187
Furnace shell
61.4
Slag
46.5
41.5
21.2
Total
678
Figure 2
Steel
Furnace shell
Slag
106
Figure 3
water for the More Modules that
were not considered, an oversimplified model of radiate heat losses and
radiation losses when the roof is
open.
107
Figure 4
(a)
(b)
Oxygen and carbon injectors: (a) Module inside view, (b) Module
Module in burner mode.
Burner Energy
The furnace is charged twice, the first charge
being 90 tons at an average melting power of
79 MW; the second charge of 46 tons is at an
average melting power of 80 MW. Varying
burner profiles are employed depending on
Figure 5
Oxygen Injection
108
Figure 6
Modules. The Module injection units, excluding the two PTI burners, consumes 785 scfO2/ton (22.8 Nm3-O2/ton). This includes the
oxygen required for combustion of gas and
oxygen that is injected toward the end of each
charge. On average, 360 scf-O2/ton (10.1
Nm3-O2/ton) of the total 785 scf/ton (22.6
Nm3-O2/ton) of oxygen is used by the
Modules for injection oxygen.
The total oxygen usage over the entire heat
is 1,430 scf-O2/ton (44.6 Nm3-O2/ton). The
implementation of the Modules has allowed
multiple points of injection, much more effective penetration into the bath and uniform
distribution of lancing oxygen. With just a few
points of injection, potential problems
include limitations on the amount of oxygen
that can be injected, localized overoxidation
and splashing.
The installation of the MORE Modules has
permitted the complete removal of all lances
the BSE consumable lance manipulator at
the slag door, and more recently the Berry
lances. The Modules are designed with no
moving parts, consumable pipes or tips. The
maintenance costs are much lower, with the
availability and reliability higher when compared to the previous lance manipulator. The
slag door remains closed for the entire melting period, thereby reducing the amount of
ingress air and decreasing the offgas system
evacuation requirements. Other positive factors are the energy savings gained with less
ingress air and the possible reduction in NOx.
Ingress air contains 78.1 percent nitrogen;
therefore, the greater the volume of ingress
air, the greater the volume of nitrogen, which
will require a greater amount of energy to
heat up from ambient to offgas temperature.
Figure 6 shows the injectors section layout.
The OxygenJet injector is located above the
CarbonJet injector at 3 feet 6 inches above
the metal bath at an angle of inclination 43
below the horizontal. When operated in the
supersonic mode, it allows decarburization
and deals with any high carbon melt-ins. The
CarbonJet is at a much shallower angle of 27;
hence, during operation, the O2 stream
impinges the CarbonJet stream above the
steel bath, allowing complete combustion of
the injected carbon and providing a favorable environment for the conversion of CO
to CO2.
These angles of inclination affect bath penetration an important factor in ensuring
that reactions are taking place in the steel
bath. Lance flowrates and lane angles control
the position and magnitude of the splash.
Finding the optimum angle that is not too
steep and not too shallow is necessary to avoid
turbulent slag splashing, increased refractory
wear and clearing of the slag layer, which
109
Table 6
Comparison of Operational Results on EAFs at Nucor-Yamato Steel
Unit
Sept. 2000
Mar. 2001
EAF #1
Sept. 2002
Sept. 2003
Aug. 1999
Feb. 2000
Scrap buckets
no.
Charge weight
tons
mtons
142.4
129.2
136.0
123.4
142.4
129.2
136.0
123.4
Heat size
tons
mtons
123.6
112.1
125.4
113.8
124.3
112.8
125.1
113.4
86.7
92.2
90.1
92.0
Active power
MW
77.8
78.0
74.7
79.0
Power-on time
min.
32.3
30.9
33.8
30.0
min.
7.6
7.0
8.3
7.0
min.
39.9
37.9
42.1
37.0
kWh/ton
kWh/mton
294
324
286.76
316.1
295.5
325.8
286.72
316.1
kWh/ton
kWh/mton
339
373.8
311.0
342.9
338.5
373.2
311.7
343.6
lbs/ton
kg/mton
3.44
1.72
3.12
1.55
3.50
1.75
2.90
1.46
Total oxygen
scf/ton
Nm3/mton
1370
42.8
1430
44.64
1136
35.5
1480
46.2
scf/ton
Nm3/mton
266
8.3
300
9.37
220
6.8
313
9.76
lbs/heat
kg/heat
1325
601
3511
1593
878
398
3502
1588
ton/hour
mton/hour
185.1
167.9
198.5
180.0
175.8
159.5
202.8
184.0
Yield
Electrode
EAF #2
Sept. 2002
Sept. 2003
Operational Results
Table 6 shows some of the operational results
on both electric arc furnaces at NucorYamato. On EAF No. 1, the data compares the
period from September 2000 to March 2001
(without MORE Modules) to the period from
September 2002 to September 2003 (with
MORE Modules). On EAF No. 2, the data
compares the period from August 1999 to
February 2000 (without MORE Modules) to
the period from September 2002 to
September 2003 (with MORE Modules).
Conclusion
Optimizing energy utilization in the furnace
requires detailed analysis and understanding
of all the reactions taking place at every phase
of the steelmaking process. Only then can
operators achieve the right balance of electrical and chemical inputs in the right quantities
and at the right times.
A heat and mass balance is a necessary analytical tool that provides an overall view of
energy inputs and outputs. It has resulted in
improved operating efficiencies, more consistent practices, better results and enhanced
process knowledge. Nucor-Yamatos ability to
July 2004
111