TECHNOLOGY

STANDARDS / BEST PRACTICE

Domain
CTO

BF

SP/BP
-

Standard
Best Practice

BP

Number
-

018

Release Date
29.06.2009

Field of Application:

Release
.

00

Application Date
12.07.2009

Blast Furnace

Title:

BF stove gas consumption minimization

1
2

Objectives for hot blast and hot stoves

Optimization of gas mix composition and excess air
control

Energy savings by facility improvements

Reference values

Savings

6
If Best Practice; Site(s) benchmarked:

Edited by:
Approved by:

JL Lebonvallet;
JL Bouteille

Modifications:

Comments:

Distribution List:
PG; CTO Network; KMP 2009 Peer group

0) Executive summary
Page 1 sur 9

Date:

7/7/09

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

The hot stoves heat up the cold blast to a high temperature for use into the
BF.
This high temperature of hot blast has for impact
- A strong decrease of fuel rate, an increase in bf productivity
- Combined with oxygen it allows a high injection rate of PCI
( pulverized coal)or natural gas and then a supplementary decrease
of BF coke rate.
The hot stoves uses as fuel a mix gas from BFG ( blast furnace gas)as main
component enriched with COG ( coke oven gas) , BOFG( basic oxygen
furnace) or Natural gas.
COG, BOF, Nat gas amount can be decreased by
- Oxygen enrichment of air
- Preheating of air and gas by a heat recovery system from hot
stoves fumes or others waste fumes.
Energy savings can be obtained by a good control of combustion, reliability of
facility, and by installation of a heat recovery system.
For example a blast temperature of 1250C can be obtained with only BFG
utilization and a global heat efficiency of 92%.
For these reasons all plants should look for:
- A good control of stoves process
- The construction or the upgrade of hot stoves for high blast
temperature (1250C)
- The equipment in a heat recovery system.
Energy savings can be obtained by a good control of combustion, reliability of
facility, and by installation of a heat recovery system.
For 1 Mt/Y of HM production, annual savings should be roughly of 1,8 MUS$
per year
1) Objectives for hot blast and hot stoves and basic ideas for energy
savings
1-1 The hot stove utilization gives hot blast with high temperature at input of
BF. Bench temperatures are higher than 1250C.
This high temperature of blast has for impact
- A strong decrease of fuel rate, an increase in bf productivity
- Combined with oxygen in blast, it allows a high injection rate of PCI
( pulverized coal) or of natural gas and then gives a supplementary
decrease of BF coke rate.

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

1-2 The energy needed is factor of

- The quantity of total blast ( cold blast+oxygen+added moisture) :
decrease of moisture is a favorable factor.
- The hot blast temperature at bustle main has to be maximized for
global energy savings when including the coke rate effect. The
addition of cold blast has to be incorporated in the efficiency survey:
usually addition of cold blast increases global COG/BOF/Natural
gas consumption and decreases stoves efficiency through higher
fumes temperature.
- The stove global heat efficiency including combustion efficiency,
heat losses, heat recovery from fumes. The excess air control, the
full combustion of CO, and a efficient heat recovery are main factors
for energy savings.
- The management of heating sequences alternated with blast
sequences at the stoves. This can also have a positive impact on
energy efficiency, as well as the proper definition of the heating
curves
1-3 Recommendations
- Total blast volume should be minimized to bench values according
to BF targeted operation.( use of Mathematical Model of BF from
RD)
- Plants should have a precise measurement system of hot stove gas
consumption and blast temperature level.
- Plants should have a maintenance program for: hot stoves, heat
recovery system, and measurement system in order to keep best
performance for these facilities.
- Plants should have a local determination of minimal energy
consumption of hot stoves adapted to BF operation and a SOP to
control that no large deviation in stove consumptions occurs.
2) Optimization of gas mix composition and excess air control
The hot stoves use, as fuel, a mix gas from BFG as main component
enriched with COG, BOFG or Natural gas.
2-1 Control of air factor
Total gas consumption can be decreased by controlling the excess air factor.
The target oxygen content in fumes is typically lower than 1%. The CO
content in fumes is then lower than 0.2% when hot stoves internal
conditions are good. 1% of oxygen is equivalent to approx 10% excess
air
Note Stoves heating should be stopped when CO content is over 3% in
fumes for safety reasons.
2-2

O2 enrichment

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

COG, BOF, and Nat gas utilization is frequently limited to obtain a flame
temperature of 1400-1430 C. This limit has for target to limit Nox
formation. Nox has for impact emissions in environment and stress
corrosion of steel shell. COG, BOFG, Nat gas utilization can be
decreased by a good control of excess air factor.
COG, BOF, Nat gas amount can be decreased by:
-

Oxygen enrichment of air: cost analysis has to be done. The

savings are related mainly on marginal cost of oxygen. We have to
remind that oxygen production requires a high amount of energy as
it is made from electricity (power plant yield X oxygen plant yield).
More than 70% of the O2 production cost is the electricity part.

2-3 Preheating system

-

Preheating of air and gas by a heat recovery system from hot

stoves or others waste fumes. An efficient heat recovery system
allows preheating gas and combustion air and decreases the rich
gas consumption down to zero.

See figure below which illustrates the Required Fuel for Excess Air and
Preheated Air Operation
Note: this is a general diagram ( to be fitted for hot stoves specific
domain)

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

Different technologies exist for air and gas preheating from waste gas
energy recovery. Most frequent system has a primary exchanger
fumes-hot fluid, a loop of hot fluid, and 2 secondary exchangers hot
fluid-air and hot fluid-gas.
Typical values are:
The fumes temperature decreases from 300C down to 150-180C,
the air temperature is increased up to 150C-300C
the gas mix temperature is increased up to 150C: then the gas is dry
that gives better reliability of gas control, and burner life time is
increased.
Main problem to solve is to avoid dust deposit in gas exchanger.
Removable parts are recommended for easy cleaning and exchange.

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

Safety SOP( standard of operations) are recommended for the heat

recovery system because of:
High gas volumes,
Leakages risks through by pass, valves
Risk of over pressure in vessels
Stoppage start-up operations.

3) Energy savings by facilities improvement

Hot stoves could have defects that increase energy consumption
3-1 Design problems for burners, deteriorated burners
Main problems is : low combustion efficiency when gas and air are not
well mixed, unstable flame if the burner is not adapted to the type of
burnt gas, ..
If maintenance program cannot solve the problem only reline of burner
can correct.
3-2 Gas leakages between burner shaft and checkers shaft: only internal
burner type stove has this problem.
Part of the gas is not burnt and goes directly into the fumes. CO increase
in fumes is a typical indicator for such problem
Design of refractory wall should be adapted. Cracks in wall refractory
should be repaired.
3-3 By pass of gas through checkers when checkers arrangement is
disturbed: only reline of hot stove can correct this problem.

4) Bench references
4-1 Evaluation of the main factors affecting heat consumption in hot stoves:
Recommended estimation methodology is to use AM standard models:
1) For a given fuel rate and given bf input condition AM RD MMBF model
gives blast volume as output. Minimal cold blast is obtained for low fuel
rates.
2) Heat consumption will be calculated by AM RD stove model (under
elaboration)
4-2 Rules of thumb for evaluation
1) Cold blast is strongly related to oxygen use and to total equivalent
fuel rate
Cold blast Nm3/t hm = ( 0.52 x coke equivalent ( GTB) oxygen
Nm3/t( GTB) hm)/0.21
2) Heat consumption in stove with heat recovery

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

Heat consumption GJ/t hm= (cold blast +Oxygen+ total moisture g/ NM3
x cold blast x 22.4/ 18000)/7100
3) Heat consumption with no heat recovery = heat consumption with heat
recovery x 1.05
4) Energy from COG+Nat gas+BOF gas with heat recovery= 5% of heat
consumption with heat recovery
5) Energy from COG+Nat gas+BOF gas with no heat recovery= 10-15%
of heat consumption with no heat recovery
6) When operational values are different by +- 5% from recommended
indicators, measurement system and facility condition should be
checked.
5) Savings from top gas energy recovery.
Savings are related to local energy price. The following examples do not
include the impact on CO2 credits savings
5-1 Savings from BF gas maximum utilization.
If 1% of rich gas can be replaced by BFG, the savings come mainly from
the difference in gas prices.
Assumptions : Hot stove Heat consumption 1.7 Gj/t hm
Difference COG price- BFG price = 8-6.7 =1.3 USD/GJ
Savings: no significant savings of energy
Money savings: 0.017 GJ/t hm x 1.3 USD/GJ= 0.021 USD/t hm
For 1 Mt/y HM production: Annual savings: 21 KUSD/y
In general, the saved rich gas can be used elsewhere in the plant, in
substitution to Natural Gas.
5-2 Savings from excess air and combustion control
3-5% of rich gas could be saved.
Assumptions: Hot stove Heat consumption 1.7 Gj/t hm
COG price 8 USD/GJ
Energy savings 4% x1.7 GJ/t hm = 0.068 GJ/t hm
Money savings 0.068 GJ/t hm X 8 USD/GJ = 0.54 USD/t hm
For 1 Mt/y HM production: Annual savings: 540 KUSD/y
5-3Savings from heat recovery

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

Heat recovery system saves 10% of fuel energy mainly from rich gas
Assumptions: Hot stove Heat consumption 1.7 Gj/t hm
COG price 8 USD/GJ
BFG price 6.7 USD/GJ
Energy savings 1.7*0.1= 0.17 Gj/t hm from which 80% from rich gas and
20% BFG
Savings in rich gas

Energy 0.17*0.8= 0.136 GJ,

Savings 0.136*8 USD/GJ = 1.1 USD/t hm

Savings in rich BFG

Energy 0.17*0.2= 0.034 GJ,

Savings 0.034*6.7 USD/GJ= 0.23 USD/t hm

Total Savings = 1.1+0.2= 1.3 USD/t hm

For 1 Mt/y HM production: Annual savings: 1300 KUSD/y
Cost savings can be much higher for some plants when initial COG/Nat
gas consumption is higher of if heat recovery can increase blast
temperature and decrease coke rate.
Note on values of gas assumption for the examples savings:
Economic value of BF gas is linked to electricity price, according to the
following formula:
1 GJ of BFG = 0.3 * 277.78* KWh elec
0.3 is electricity yield when BFG is used in power plant, 277.78 is
transformation factor 1GJ = 277.78 KWh ( = 1000000 KJ /3600 s/h)
With an assumption of 80 USD/MWh, it means that 1GJ of BFG has a
value of 1 GJ*0.3*277.78 KWh/GJ/1000 KWh/MWh*80 USD/MWh = 6.7
USD/GJ
Natural gas price is taken as 10 USD/ GJ
Economic value of BOF or COG is often taken as 80% of Nat gas price
COG/ BOF gas price = 8 USD/GJ
Annex:
Rule of thumb for blast volume: blast volume calculated from coke rate
versus estimation: red points are full coke operation (source EBFC table)

TECHNOLOGY
CTO-BF-BP-0018.00; Potential energy recovery from BF top gas
08.07.2009; 9 Pages

Rule of thumb of energy consumption: dry gas volume x LCV index

versus consumption indication (source EBFC 08 table)