CA2224716C - Method for an improved energy input into a scrap bulk - Google Patents

Method for an improved energy input into a scrap bulk Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2224716C
CA2224716C CA 2224716 CA2224716A CA2224716C CA 2224716 C CA2224716 C CA 2224716C CA 2224716 CA2224716 CA 2224716 CA 2224716 A CA2224716 A CA 2224716A CA 2224716 C CA2224716 C CA 2224716C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
oxygen
gas jet
scrap
channel
jet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
CA 2224716
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2224716A1 (en
Inventor
Daniel Deloche
Karl Brotzmann
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
Original Assignee
LAir Liquide SA a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from DE19521518A external-priority patent/DE19521518C2/en
Application filed by LAir Liquide SA a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude filed Critical LAir Liquide SA a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour lEtude et lExploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
Publication of CA2224716A1 publication Critical patent/CA2224716A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2224716C publication Critical patent/CA2224716C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C5/00Manufacture of carbon-steel, e.g. plain mild steel, medium carbon steel or cast steel or stainless steel
    • C21C5/52Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces
    • C21C5/5211Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces in an alternating current [AC] electric arc furnace
    • C21C5/5217Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces in an alternating current [AC] electric arc furnace equipped with burners or devices for injecting gas, i.e. oxygen, or pulverulent materials into the furnace
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C5/00Manufacture of carbon-steel, e.g. plain mild steel, medium carbon steel or cast steel or stainless steel
    • C21C5/56Manufacture of steel by other methods
    • C21C5/562Manufacture of steel by other methods starting from scrap
    • C21C5/565Preheating of scrap
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F27FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
    • F27BFURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • F27B3/00Hearth-type furnaces, e.g. of reverberatory type; Tank furnaces
    • F27B3/10Details, accessories, or equipment peculiar to hearth-type furnaces
    • F27B3/20Arrangements of heating devices
    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F27FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
    • F27BFURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • F27B3/00Hearth-type furnaces, e.g. of reverberatory type; Tank furnaces
    • F27B3/10Details, accessories, or equipment peculiar to hearth-type furnaces
    • F27B3/22Arrangements of air or gas supply devices
    • F27B3/225Oxygen blowing
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C5/00Manufacture of carbon-steel, e.g. plain mild steel, medium carbon steel or cast steel or stainless steel
    • C21C5/52Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces
    • C21C2005/5258Manufacture of steel in electric furnaces with crater formed by down-melting of scrap or charge through electrode or lance
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C2250/00Specific additives; Means for adding material different from burners or lances
    • C21C2250/02Hot oxygen
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/10Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions
    • Y02P10/143Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions of methane [CH4]
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02PCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/20Recycling

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Carbon Steel Or Casting Steel Manufacturing (AREA)
  • Furnace Details (AREA)
  • Waste-Gas Treatment And Other Accessory Devices For Furnaces (AREA)

Abstract

Method for improving the energy input during the heating and melting of a scrap bulk, in which a channel is burned into a scrap bulk and additional energy for the heating and melting of the scrap bulk is input through this channel, wherein said method is characterized in that the said channel is burned into the scrap bulk by means of a hot, oxygen-containing gas jet.

Description

METHOD FOR AN IMPROVEL E1~ERGY INPUT INTO A SCRAP BULK
The output-limiting step in the heating and melting of scrap is the transfer of energy to the scrap bulk. As a result, the melting phase may be supported, for example, by burners j 5 installed on the side walls in the case of electric arc furnaces. The transfer of heat into the scrap bulk by these burners, however, is limited since the conduction of heat through the large interstitial volume of the scrap charge is poor. The energy which can be introduced by burners is therefore limited to a max. 10% of the total energy required for scrap melting.
A known converter method for scrap melting provides for melting the scrap column from below by means of bottom nozzles that are operated with oxygen and finely divided coal.
This achieves an optimal transfer of the heat of the hot combustion gases to the scrap bulk. In a variant of this method, coke is charged at the bottom of the converter before the scrap is added and the coke is then burned using oxygen. In small converters it has proven possible to convert scrap to liquid steel with this method at a coke consumption of approximately 220 kg.
Additional energy is transferred to the scrap from above through combustion of the reaction gases using an oxygen jet.
In another method, a natural gas- or oil-oxygen burner is installed in the side wall immediately above the floor of the converter. This method does make possible melting of the scrap, but a considerable portion of the iron is oxidized, and the liquefied iron must be removed from the converter at a temperature just above the melting point in order to undergo post-treatment in a separate container.
European Patent 0 350 982 A11 discloses a method for improving the energy input during the heating and melting of a scrap bulk. In this method, a channel is burned into the scrap bulk by a burner having the form of a lance and an oxygen lance is then inserted into the channel. This lance insertion has proven to be impossible to execute in actual practice.
In summary, one should note that in all the heretofore known methods it has not been possible to achieve a substantial transfer of energy from the combustion of fossil fixels, whether l SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) coal, oil, or natural gas, into a scrap bulk w~thout ccrccn.it.mt strongly oea-srEing secondary reactions and with the required high thermal ei~ciency.
The object of the invention is the transfer of energy into a scrap bulk at high thermal efficiencies and without the appearance of perturbing secondary reactions.
Y
The aforesaid object is achieved by a method for improving the energy input during the ' heating and melting of a scrap bulk, in which a channel is burned into the scrap bulk and additional energy for the heating and melting of the scrap bulk is input through this channel, wherein said method is characterized in that the said channel is burned into the scrap bulk by means of a hot, oxygen-containing gas jet.
It has surprisingly been found that a hot, oxygen-containing gas jet can burn a channel into a scrap bulk within only a few minutes.
Thus, it has been possible, for example, with a central nozzle to burn a channel approximately 20 cm in diameter and 3 m deep within 3 minutes using a hot air jet of 2000 m'/hour and a draft temperature of 1400°C, an exit velocity from the hot air nozzle of 600 m/s, and the addition of 100 Nm'/hour natural gas.
A channel can be burned into the scrap bulk without the addition of fossil fuel using a hot, oxygen-containing gas jet alone. However, channel burning is preferably executed in the presence of fossil fuel. The fossil fuel can be present in the scrap bulk, but is preferably added to the gas jet. It should be understood that both variants, addition of fossil fuel to the scrap bulk and to the gas jet, are [simultaneously] possible.
Mainly natural gas, but also petroleum, coal, and coke will be used as the fossil fuel.
The quantity of fossil fuel addition is advantageously kept low enough that free oxygen will still be present in the gas jet. The free oxygen supports a more rapid formation of the opening in the scrap bulk. In addition, combustible substances, which are always present in a scrap bulk, will be burned within the scrap column, which leads to a particularly favorable energy utilization.
Natural gas is particularly preferred as the fossil fuel. At approximately 2800°C, dissociation into radicals takes place during combustion with oxygen. The gases diffuse into the scrap bulk and at the lower temperature release their recombination energy to the scrap.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) This reliably secures a particularly good e-.um gy rrars:cr. ~ he f ame tempera:ur~ should be as high as possible and is preferably at least 2500°C.
After an initial phase of approximately 1 to 2 minutes, the fossil fuel is most effectively a ' added so as to secure the latest possible reaction within the gas jet. Thus, for example, natural r 5 gas is appropriately added through a nozzle in such a manner that a weak swirling with the oxygen-containing gas jet occurs. In the case of coal, it may be preferable to use the coarsest possible fraction of finely divided coal, that is, to use coal particles in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm which then burn substantially only when they are within the channel created by the gas jet.
Hot air, oxygen-enriched hot air, and also pure oxygen can be used as the hot, oxygen-containing gas. In the case of oxygen-enrichment of the gas jet, oxygen enrichment up to 30%
is preferred. This can be increased, however, up to preferably 60% when cold oxygen is used for enrichment. Viewed from the perspective of the injection nozzles, it is significantly simpler to blow in hot air rather than oxygen. Hot air can be injected with ceramic nozzles, but oxygen, on the other hand, requires water-cooled nozzles.
To achieve the highest possible thermal efficiency it will be desirable to set the temperature of the oxygen-containing gas jet as high as possible. Temperatures between 1000°C and 1600°C have proven to be particularly advantageous in the case of hot air.
However, gas jets with higher.temperatures can also be used advantageously.
The gas jet preferably has a temperature of at least 500°C. Oxygen can be relatively unproblematically preheated up to 1200°C. The use of hot air as well as oxygen-enriched hot air offers two essential advantages over the injection of pure cold oxygen: due to the high velocity - a consequence of the hot air having a velocity more than twice as high as the speed of sound -and due to the higher quantity of gas, a substantially higher impulse is present than for the introduction of pure oxygen. This impulse supports the burning-in of the opening. While the free oxygen present greatly favors burning of the opening, the nitrogen present provides a certain protection from oxidation during melting.
Pure hot oxygen, however, can also be used. The speed of sound is higher at higher temperatures and is, for example, approximately 900 m/s for pure oxygen at 1200°C. Thus, a higher impulse is also attainable with hot oxygen.
j A practical problem at the beginning of channel burn-in is that a gas jet with the optimal high speed may be initially reflected by scrap pieces. It is therefore appropriate to operate for a short period of time, perhaps in the range of one or more minutes, at a substantially reduced SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) speed, for example, 10 to 30% of the sperJ of srund, aa3 Sown to approxinate:y I00 m/s. A
high fossil fuel addition is also recommended in the initial phase.
It should be stressed that a cold zone is formed directly in front of the gas injection nozzle. This may be due to a suctioning of the surrounding air. In any case, the scrap is not even oxidized.
After the first phase of an optimal channel formation, it is important to bring as much energy as possible into the channel. This is preferably achieved by the highest possible flame temperature, for example, by the use of natural gas and hot air with a flame temperature of 2800°C.
An important criterion is also the high velocity of the gas jet. The velocity of the gas jet should be at least 300 m/s. When using an oxygen gas jet, the velocity should be at least 500 m/s. The exit velocity of the gas jet is preferably 50 to 100% of the speed of sound. The speed of sound rises with temperature and at the aforementioned high temperatures is approximately 3 times higher than the speed of sound at room temperature.
An advantageous use of the method in accordance with the invention is to supply substantial quantities of additional energy to an electric arc furnace mainly during the scrap melting phase. Thus, for example, three hot draft injection nozzles with diameters of 80 mm were installed in a 100-ton electric arc fitrnace in the upper area of the side walls. These nozzles were operated at a hot draft flow of 2000 Nm'/h per nozzle and an oxygen enrichment of 30% during the melting and ensuing refining phase, wherein 300 Nm3/h oxygen was additionally added cold to the hot draft jet. The hot draft temperature was 1400°C. Fuel was added in the manner previously described, wherein after scrap melting essentially only gases formed by reaction were still suctioned in by the hot air jet and therefore no further addition of fuel into the hot draft jet was necessary. The nozzles were arranged in such a way that they blew into the space between the furnace wall and the electrodes, slanted downwards at an angle of approximately IO°. It is desirable that the jets be aligned so as to strike at a point at the bottom where the liquid steel will be formed most rapidly. If the jet strikes refractory material after burning through the scrap column, this material will be melted away in a short period of time. This is also true for the water-cooled side walls of electric arc furnaces.
In general, the gas introduction nozzles can be installed anywhere, but preferably are installed at least 30 cm above the bath surface - when using oxygen, at least 80 cm above the bath surface.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) The consumption of electric energy way re3a~~3 from 43J kWn :c 2~0 kWh in an electric arc furnace equipped with the device in accordance with the invention. The melting time of 58 minutes was simultaneously reduced to 42 minutes.
' Another suitable embodiment consists of the use in the channel of two hot draft jets blowing in opposite directions, instead of one nozzle, with the result that three injection sites in the side wall will yield a total of six injection jets.
The method in accordance with the invention is not only suitable for use in electric arc furnaces. A scrap charge can also be melted using the method in accordance with the invention without the additional use of other energy sources. Fossil energy sources must then be introduced into the scrap bulk in suitable form, for example, by charging with the scrap at approximately 100 kg coal per ton. A portion of the coal can be blown in through nozzles as soon as a liquid sump has been formed. After melting the jet will act, in the known manner, as a post-combustion jet for additional energy input in order to reach the necessary tapping temperature.
The hot air is advantageously produced using a device developed specifically for this purpose, the so-called pebble heater as described in PCT WO 93/923585. The pebble heater is advantageously mounted directly on the container in the vicinity of the injection nozzles.
SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims (12)

CLAIMS:
1. Method for improving the energy input in the heating and melting of a scrap bulk, in which a channel is burned into a scrap bulk and additional energy for the heating and melting of the scrap bulk is input through this channel, characterized in that the channel is burned into the scrap bulk by means of a hot oxygen-containing gas jet, and in that the temperature of said gas jet is at least 500°C, and the velocity of said gas jet is at least 300 m/s.
2. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the channel is burned into the scrap bulk in the presence of fossil fuel.
3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that fossil fuel is added to the gas jet.
4. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a hot air jet is used as the gas jet.
5. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by the use as the gas jet of a hot air jet enriched up to 30% oxygen.
6. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized by the use as the gas jet of a hot air jet enriched with cold oxygen up to 60%.
7. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the temperature of the gas jet is comprised between 1000°C to 1600°C.
8. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the exit velocity of the gas jet is 50 to 100% of the speed of sound.
9. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the velocity of the oxygen gas jet is at least 500 m/s.
10. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the method further comprises an initial phase wherein the velocity of the gas jet is 10 to 30% of the speed of sound.
11. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the fossil fuel is natural gas, which essentially burns only when in the channel by adding the natural gas through a nozzle in such a manner that a weak swirling with the oxygen-containing gas jet occurs.
12. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the fossil fuel is coal, which essentially burns only when in the channel by using coal particles in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm.
CA 2224716 1995-06-13 1996-06-11 Method for an improved energy input into a scrap bulk Expired - Lifetime CA2224716C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19521518.4 1995-06-13
DE19521518A DE19521518C2 (en) 1995-06-13 1995-06-13 Process for improving the energy supply in a scrap heap
PCT/EP1996/002525 WO1996041896A1 (en) 1995-06-13 1996-06-11 Method for an improved energy input into a scrap bulk

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2224716A1 CA2224716A1 (en) 1996-12-27
CA2224716C true CA2224716C (en) 2007-02-06

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CA 2224716 Expired - Lifetime CA2224716C (en) 1995-06-13 1996-06-11 Method for an improved energy input into a scrap bulk

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CA2224716A1 (en) 1996-12-27

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Effective date: 20160613