Introduction to Iron Making and

Blast furnace Technology

PART 1
Introduction and development of Blast Furnace

 Iron and steel rapid growth in USA  19th century

 Furnace design and Engineering  1880 to 1950

 Introduction of Metallurgical thermodynamics  1930

 Major Breakthrough in 1950 in Japan  chilling of

Running blast furnace  by blowing cold N2 through
Tuyeres
Introduction and development of Blast Furnace

Stats for development upto 1950

1. More powerful blowing engine
2. Higher Blast Temperature
3. Bigger Furnace
4. Better charging equipment
5. Improved raw Material storage
6. Screening of raw Material to eliminate fines.
7. More efficient cleaning of Blast Furnace gas.
8. Use of Better refractories and improve design of Furnace lining
9. Versatile facility for handling iron.
10. Accurate and Quick measurement of composition and temperature.
Improvement in features
Double bell charging system around 1880
• Single/double bell charging system bell less top
• Gas Cleaning system
• dust catcher+wet scrubber+ electrostatic precipitator (1919)
• Improved life of lining by water cooling of lining includes
carbon hearth
• Casting of tapped molten iron
• pig casting machine (1896)
Development upto 1950
Development after 1950

 Use of prepared burden using sinter and pellets

 Properly sized and better quality coke.
 Injection of liquid , gaseous or pulverised solid hydrocarbons
through the tuyers
 Larger furnace volume
 Higher blast temperature
 O2 enrichment of air blast
 High top pressure operation
 Better burden distribution adoption of bell less charging system
 PLC system for process control.
Development after 1950
BLAST FURNACE
DEVELOPMENTS
 Development after 1950
INPUTS FOR BLAST FURNACE

1. Lump Iron ore (10 mm in size)

2. Iron ore fine (below 8 mm) in the form of sinter and pellet
3. Coke along with coal as injectant
4. Preheated blast
5. Flux (Limestone / Lime/ dolomite) independent or through sinter injection

OUTPUTS FOR BLAST FURNACE

1. Liquid Iron.
2. Slag
3. Top gas (CO2,CO, N2)
 A TYPICAL PARAMETER
LIST
Hot metal Production rate 8,000-10,000 tons/day

Fuel rate 450-470 kg/thm (270/275 kg

coke +175/225 kg coal)

Productivity levels 2.5-3.0 t/m3/d

Furnace availability 95-98%

Campaign Life 15-17 years

 IRON MAKING BLAST
FURNACE
 Daily consumption of a blast furnace (10,000 ton/day hot
metal)
 • 16,000 – 20,000 ton iron ore
 • 4,000 – 6,000 ton coke
 • 2,000 – 4,000 ton flux
 • 11,000 kNm3 compressed air
 • Generating
 • 4,000 – 5,000 ton slag
 • 15,000 kNm3 top gas
 Production of 1 ton hot metal
 • 1.6 – 2.0 ton iron ore
 • 0.4 – 0.6 ton coke
 • 0.2 – 0.4 ton flux
 • generate 0.4 – 0.5 ton slag
IRON MAKING BLAST FURNACE
IRON MAKING BLAST FURNACE

Skip Car : Conveys the raw material

to the blast furnace top.

Revolving Distributor : This can rotate

and distribute the charge material
uniformly in several layers. The
direction and speed can be changed.

Small Bell and Large Bell : These are

arrangement for charging of raw
materials. Raw material first arrive in
small bell followed by large bell and
small bell closed.
IRON MAKING BLAST FURNACE
Tuyere : Water cooled Cu based tuyers
are used apply hot blast in the furnace.

Bustle pipe : Pipes with refractory

lining, it supply hot blast from stoves
To blast furnace via tuyere.

Slag & Iron notch : Removing the slag

floating to the top of liquid metal.
After slag is removed the iron is
removed through iron notch.

Hearth : In hearth slag and hot metal

reside which are to be tapped.

Dean Man’s Zone: Some unburned coke

particles infront of tuyere region comes
down and reside amidst hearth.
 Burden Distribution
 Burden distribution plays a very important role in
improving the operation of blast furnaces. It determines
the rate of gas flow, solid gas contact, location and
configuration of cohesive zone (softening and melting
zone of burden) and characteristics of deadman zone,
thereby affecting the productivity, fuel consumption and
quality of hot metal.
 Optimum burden distribution in BF is must for achieving a
high driving rate, better gas utilization and thus low fuel
rate, smooth burden descent and low thermal load on the
wall without causing excessive build up.
 Burden Distribution
 Permeability of the individual layers of the burden depend on
shape, size range and void fraction of the particle in bed and can
be increased by suitable shape, close size range and minimizing
the fines.

 The permeability across the radius of furnace can be controlled

by proper burden distribution and selection of suitable coke base
etc.
Burden Distribution
Two bell charging

• This is a unique design in which large bell is

replaced by a distributor section with 2 hoppers.
• A rotating section is provided inside the furnace
top cone.
• greater charge distribution flexibility
• more operational safety and easy control over
varying charging particles
• less wearing parts: easy maintenance
BELL LESS TOP
• Initiated in Germany and Austria
• Layered Charging
• Reduced Segregation
• Reduced Blast furnace hanging and channelling
• Improves gas solid contact and productivity

V.R. Radhakrishnan, K Maruthy Ram, J. Process Control,

11(2001) 565-586.
BELL LESS TOP
BELL LESS TOP

©Industry.guru

Spot charging, Ring charging, Segment charging, Spiral charging is possible

Advantages

 Increased productivity, decreased coke rate, improved

furnace life .
 Reduced refractory erosion
 Improved wind acceptance and reduced hanging as well as
slips
 Improved efficiency of gas utilization and its indirect reduction
 Lower silicon content in hot metal and consistency in the hot
metal quality
 Reduced tuyere losses and minimization of scaffold formation
 Lower dust emission owing to uniform distribution of fines.
Blast Furnace Gas Cleaning system
 Why Gas Cleaning ?

Significant CO escape (20-30% by volume)

Calorific value of CO nearly 900 kcal/m3.

The quantity of gas produced depends upon the amount of fuel

burnt.

1 Ton coke burning = 4000 m3 of Effluent Gas.

1000 t of coke /day produces ~ 4 x 106 m3 of gas

total energy content = 3600 x 106 kcal which is nearly

equivalent to 500 t of coke.

 Gas Cleaning Steps

Coarse Cleaning
dust catchers ,cyclones Dust : 5-10 g/m3

Semi Fine cleaning

scrubbers, ventury washers,
cyclone separators Dust : 0·5-1·5 g/m3

Fine Cleaning
electrostatic precipitators ,high
speed rotary disintegrators Dust : 0.01 g/m3
 HOT Blast Stoves
DOME

SAFETY
LINING

BRICKS
C
H
HOT
BLAST
E
C
GAS
K
E
R GRID
GROG CHIMNEY
VALVE
COLD AIR COLUMN
Monday 26
, May 6
HOT Blast Stoves

Parameters Values
No of stoves 3/4
Maximum Dome temp 1450 0C
Hot Blast Temp. 1200-1250 0C Max.
Blast Volume 6125 Nm3 / Min. (Normal )
6600 Nm3/Minute Max.
Cold Blast Pressure 4.5 Kg/Cm2
Cold Blast Temp. 150 to 180 0C
Cold Blast Moisture 60 gm / Nm3 (Max.)
Cold Blast Oxygen 4% to 6 %
On gas 2-4 hours
On Blast 1-2 hours
HOT Blast Stoves
Parameters Values

Checker work area 41.15 Nm2 area

Checker work height 39.75 mtr.
Waste gas Temp. 400 0C (Max.)
Blast Time 45 min
Changeover time 15 min
CV of B.F Gas 875 Kcal / Nm3
Burner Ceramic
Stove Valve operation Hydraullic

Thermal Efficiency 75-90%

Checker High alumina bricks, semi

silica bricks
 HOT Blast Stoves

Stove can be ON BLAST and ON GAS

ON GAS : Clean blast furnace gas is heated in combustion

chamber and hot combustion products latter heat up the
checker bricks upto a certain temperature.

ON BLAST : After firing is stopped cold blast is passed

Through the checker which impart the heat stored in them
And thereby produce preheated blast.