Development of a Comprehensive Blast Furnace Package
THE PROBLEM
The driving forces for technological improvements are particularly strong in the iron making process, since the extraction of iron from ore is capital and energy intensive. A blast furnace represents the predominant iron-producing process in North America. Due to difficulty in measurements, advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation has been recognized as a powerful technology for improving the blast furnace to address critical issues such as:
- Furnace campaign life and productivity
- Energy efficiency and fuel utilization
- Pollutant emission
THE PROJECT
A consortium has been formed to develop comprehensive CFD models for the simulations of the blast furnace hearth, pulverized coal injection and coke combustion, and gas and burden distributions. These models have been validated using measurement data from lab experiments and real blast furnace operations. They have been used to (1) gain fundamental insights, (2) investigate the impact of key operation and design parameters, and (3) develop strategies for process optimization. The CFD simulation has been integrated with virtual reality visualizations to create a virtual blast furnace for training.
THE OUTCOME
- This extensive research has made significant impacts such as:
- Over $20 million in savings and cost avoidances
- Guidance for design, optimization, and trouble- shooting
- A virtual blast furnace used for training worldwide
- Copyrighted CFD and VR software packages
- International awards
Gas distribution through the cohesive zone
Blast Furnace Video
Click below to see a 2D video of the Blast Furnace.
If your network blocks youtube please click here.
Blast Furnace Video (3D Anaglyph)
If you have 3D glasses (red/cyan), click below to see the 3D version.
If your network blocks youtube please click here.
Blast Furnace Video (YouTube 3D)
For advanced 3D options, click below to use YouTube 3D to view the blast furnace. Click the embedded “3D” button for options. (iPhone/iPad not yet supported)
Blast Furnace Shaft Simulator
Faculty Collaborator: Dr. Chenn Q. Zhou
