Electrical Engineers Help Power the Steel Industry
12/12/2012 - Electricity is the main power source behind the steel industry. In fact, a single steel plant can consume as much electricity as a large city. But there are people behind that power. These are electrical engineers.
Electricity is the main power source behind the steel industry. In fact, a single steel plant can consume as much electricity as a large city. But there are people behind that power. These are electrical engineers.
According to TATA Steel Europe’s website, “Electrical engineers are critical to the support and continuous improvement of the electrical systems and equipment that supply energy to and control the manufacturing plant processes. They are responsible for the installations, commissioning, maintenance and breakdown support on a vast range of equipment, from high-voltage circuit distribution and protection equipment to AC and DC machines and control systems within their work areas.”
Electrical engineers are also responsible for ensuring the safety of machines, not only when they are in normal operations, but also when they are shut down for maintenance. These engineers must know how to fully isolate power from the machines prior to any work being done on them.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent statistics show that there were just over 301,000 electrical and electronics engineers in the United States. Many work for companies that make medical machines, communications equipment or electronics. The steel industry needs these individuals as well — not just in the NAFTA region, but all over the world.
For instance, ArcelorMittal Steel USA is cutting energy consumption at its Indiana Harbor plant in East Chicago, Ill., by reusing heat to make electricity. This plant, with the largest blast furnace in the United States, began saving US$100 million a year in 2012 by creating an extra 75 MW of emissions-free electricity. A recovery boiler utilizes the wasted blast furnace gas to generate 350,000 pounds per hour of steam, which is then used to drive existing turbo-generators on the site. The electricity will actually be used in place of the power generated by the local power plants, which are primarily coal-fired…
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