[Blog 8] How does it look a blast furnace simulation? (Aspen Plus software)
The modelled blast furnace was divided in upper, mid and lower zone, with the latter including the raceways. Considering the whole blast furnace as the boundary, there are 10 inlet mass streams, three outlet mass streams and one outlet heat stream. The model calculates the mass flow of coke, air, hot metal, slag and BFG, and the composition of the two latter, as a function of the temperature of the thermal reserve zone, the chemical efficiency, the heat removed by the staves in the preparation and in the elaboration zone, and some other data.
The upper zone consists of a stoichiometric reactor where the hematite is reduced to magnetite and wüstite. The inlets are the iron ore, the coke, the gas ascending from the thermal reserve zone, and (if present) a gas injection for preheating. The outlets are the blast furnace gas, and the solids descending to the mid zone. The extent of the iron ore reduction depends on the chemical efficiency, which sets the oxidation state of the burden descending to the mid zone (i.e., to the thermal reserve zone). Moreover, the fraction of this reduction that takes place via H2 is set according to the energy balance in the preparation zone.
The mid zone uses a stoichiometric reaction to consider the indirect reduction of magnetite to wüstite, and of the wüstite to iron. The inlets are the solids descending from the upper part, the gas ascending from the lower part, and (if exists) a reducing gas injection (shaft injection). The outlets are the gas ascending to the upper zone, and the solids descending to the lower zone. The extent of the reduction is set according to the percentage of indirect reduction calculated by the extended operating line methodology. The fraction of this reduction taking place via H2 is set according to the chemical efficiency and the Chaudron diagram of the Fe-O-H system at the temperature of the thermal reserve zone.
The lower zone gathers five processes: the complete transfer of sulphur to the slag, the direct reduction of the remaining wüstite, the reduction of the accompanying elements (whose extent is given as a function of the desired hot metal composition), the carburization process (set according to the C content in hot metal), and the melting of slag and hot metal. The heats of carburization and melting are calculated separately, since Aspen Plus cannot deal with this type of thermodynamic processes. The inlets to these processes are the solids descending from the mid zone, and the ashes and sulfur from the combustion of coal in the raceways. The outlets are the CO produced in these processes (which will be mixed with the raceways gas and sent to the mid zone), the remaining carbon after carburization (which is sent to the raceways at 1200 °C for combustion), and the final hot metal and slag.
The raceways consist of the decomposition of the coal through a Yield reactor (considered as a non-conventional solid in Aspen Plus), and the calculation of the chemical equilibrium of the combustion by a Gibbs reactor. The inlets are the injections of the auxiliary reducing agents, the air, and the coke carbon not consumed in other processes. The outlet is the raceway gas (whose temperature corresponds to the adiabatic flame temperature), and the sulphur and ashes (diverted to the processes of the lower zone). The raceway gas is mixed with the CO produced in the lower zone, and then sent to the mid zone.
Project info
1 April 2021 – 30 June 2023
Total budget: 188,442.24 €
Spain
• University of Zaragoza
Japan
• Waseda University (Nakagaki Lab)
Austria
• K1-MET GmbH
General coordinator
M. Bailera (mbailera@unizar.es)
University of Zaragoza
Further information: cordis.europa.eu
[1] A review on CO2 mitigation in the Iron and Steel industry through Power to X processes. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, LM Romeo. Journal of CO2 Utilization, Volume 46, 1 April 2021, Pages 101456.
[2] CO2 recycling in the Iron and Steel Industry via Power-to-Gas and Oxy-Fuel Combustion. J Perpiñán, M Bailera, LM Romeo, B Peña, V Eveloy. Energies, Volume 14, 29 October 2021, Pages 7090.
[3] Revisiting the Rist diagram for predicting operating conditions in blast furnaces with multiple injections. M Bailera, T Nakagaki, R Kataoka. Open Research Europe, Volume 1:141, 29 November 2021.
[4] Synthetic natural gas production in a 1 kW reactor using Ni–Ce/Al2O3 and Ru–Ce/Al2O3: Kinetics, catalyst degradation and process design. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, A Alarcón, J Guilera, J Perpiñán, LM Romeo. Energy, Volume 256, 1 October 2022, Pages 124720.
[1] The global warming paradox of the colder winters
[2] Decarbonization of the industry: why electrification is not enough
[3] What is Power to Gas?
[4] How does it look a methanation plant? (laboratory at Unizar)
[5] Why the reutilization of CO2 must be smart?
[6] How does it work a Blast Furnace?
[7] Power to X routes for the decarbonization of ironmaking
[8] How does it look a blast furnace simulation? (Aspen Plus software)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 887077.
Project info
1 April 2021 – 30 June 2023
Total budget: 188,442.24 €
Spain
• University of Zaragoza Japan
• Waseda University (Nakagaki Lab) Austria
• K1-MET GmbH
General coordinator
M. Bailera (mbailera@unizar.es)
University of Zaragoza
Further information: cordis.europa.eu
[1] A review on CO2 mitigation in the Iron and Steel industry through Power to X processes. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, LM Romeo. Journal of CO2 Utilization, Volume 46, 1 April 2021, Pages 101456.
[2] CO2 recycling in the Iron and Steel Industry via Power-to-Gas and Oxy-Fuel Combustion. J Perpiñán, M Bailera, LM Romeo, B Peña, V Eveloy. Energies, Volume 14, 29 October 2021, Pages 7090.
[3] Revisiting the Rist diagram for predicting operating conditions in blast furnaces with multiple injections. M Bailera, T Nakagaki, R Kataoka. Open Research Europe, Volume 1:141, 29 November 2021.
[4] Synthetic natural gas production in a 1 kW reactor using Ni–Ce/Al2O3 and Ru–Ce/Al2O3: Kinetics, catalyst degradation and process design. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, A Alarcón, J Guilera, J Perpiñán, LM Romeo. Energy, Volume 256, 1 October 2022, Pages 124720.
[1] The global warming paradox of the colder winters
[2] Decarbonization of the industry: why electrification is not enough
[3] What is Power to Gas?
[4] How does it look a methanation plant? (laboratory at Unizar)
[5] Why the reutilization of CO2 must be smart?
[6] How does it work a Blast Furnace?
[7] Power to X routes for the decarbonization of ironmaking
[8] How does it look a blast furnace simulation? (Aspen Plus software)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 887077.