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Wheeling-Pittsburgh to Reduce Coke Usage with Blast Furnace Innovation
05/27/2004 -
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Wheeling-Pittsburgh to Reduce Coke Usage with Blast Furnace Innovation
May 27, 2004 — Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. began using a new metallic heat exchanger on its No. 1 Blast Furnace on April 12.
Hot blast for blast furnaces is normally preheated in refractory stoves, using blast furnace gas as a fuel source. With Wheeling-Pittsburgh’s new process innovation, a portion of the blast is heated in the new metallic heat exchanger. The corresponding reduction in air flow through the refractory stoves allows the blast from the stoves to increase in temperature, resulting in an overall increase in hot blast temperature to the furnace. |
The device, which pre-heats blast gas used for the blast furnace, is expected to reduce the consumption of coke by about 3,000 tons per month. The $4 million heat exchanger is expected to pay for itself in coke savings within the first two months of operation.
"The heat exchanger uses surplus blast furnace gas to increase the temperature of the blast gas to the furnace by 350 degrees," said Harry Page, Vice President of Engineering, Technology and Metallurgy. "While it is a fairly simple concept, it has never been used in the steel industry before and will result in a reduction in our coke usage at a time when coke is selling at record high prices."
The concept for the metallic heat exchanger, which is a first-of-its-kind application in the steel industry, was developed internally by the company's blast furnace operations department.
"The concept was initiated within blast furnace operations and further developed in cooperation with our engineering group," said Page. "Installation was completed within five months of project approval, which is a remarkable accomplishment."
Aker Kvaerner E&C developed the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel concept into a final design. Alstom provided the heat exchanger and Chapman Corp. performed the installation.
Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. is a metal products company with 3,100 employees in facilities located in Steubenville, Mingo Junction, Yorkville, and Martins Ferry, Ohio; Beech Bottom and Follansbee, W.Va.; and Allenport, Pa. The company's Wheeling Corrugating Division has 12 plants located throughout the United States.
