Furnace | Blast furnace process in Steel Production

 What is Furnace?

A furnace is a device utilised for the combustion of fuel, primarily employed to generate valuable heat. It plays a crucial role in warming rooms during winter and meets the heating demands of refineries and steel industries. Its widespread usage is attributed to its effectiveness in providing essential warmth and facilitating industrial processes.

Steel production is at its top level. In Uganda approximately 585,000 tonnes per annum steel is produced. Steel making is done by using two methods first is blast furnace and another is Electric Arc.


Blast Furnace


Blast Furnace:

A blast furnace stands as a specialized metallurgical furnace employed in the smelting process to yield various industrial metals, typically pig iron and occasionally others like lead or copper. The term "blast" pertains to the delivery of combustion air at pressures exceeding atmospheric levels.

Blast Furnace Process Steel Production:

Within the blast furnace, initially, a continuous supply of fuel (coke), ores, and flux (limestone) is introduced from the furnace's top.

Simultaneously, a hot blast of air, occasionally enriched with oxygen, is forcefully blown into the lower section through a network of pipes known as tuyeres.

This strategic arrangement ensures that chemical reactions occur throughout the furnace as materials descend.

The ultimate outcomes comprise molten metal and slag phases, drawn from the bottom, and waste gases (flue gas) discharged from the furnace's top.

The process involves a counter-current exchange and chemical reaction, where the downward flow of ore, in conjunction with the flux, interacts with an upflow of carbon monoxide-rich combustion gases.

 

C_Steelt=α0+α1GDP+α2Popt+α3C_Steelt1+α4NX_Steelt+α5Govt   ………..1

Equation (1) expresses the Aggregate Consumption of steel at time 't' (C_steelt) as a linear combination involving the Gross Domestic Product (GDPt), Population (Popt), Aggregate Consumption of steel at the previous time step (C_steelt−1), Net export of steel (NX_steelt), and Government expenditure (Govt).

1.             C_Otherst=β01CPIt2GDP_pct3NX_Others ............................2 

Equation (2) articulates the aggregate consumption of alternative goods at time 't' (C_othert) as a linear function, incorporating the Consumer Price Index (CPIt) as a representative measure for inflation, Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP_pct) serving as a proxy for income, and the Net export of other goods (NX_othert).

2.        Inv_Steelt01R_intt2Total_Invt−1    …………………….3

In Equation (3), it is demonstrated that the aggregate investment in the steel sector at time’t’ (Inv_steelt) is modeled as a linear relationship involving the real interest rate (R_intt) and the total investment at the preceding time point, denoted as Total_Invt−1.

 GDPt=C_Steelt+C_Otherst+Govt+Total_Invt+NX_Otherst+NX_Steelt …………………4

Equation (4) embodies an identity and serves as the overarching equilibrium condition within the Keynesian framework. This expression posits that the economy's production level (GDPt) is intricately influenced by various factors, including the Aggregate Consumption of steel (C_steelt), Aggregate Consumption of other goods (C_othert), Government expenditure (Govt), Total investment across all economic sectors (Total_Invt), Net export of other goods (NX_othert), and Net export of steel (NX_steelt). In essence, it encapsulates the interplay of these components in determining the overall economic output.

 

Prod_Steelt=C_Steelt+NX_Steelt     ………………………5                                                            

Equation (5) functions as an identity, portraying the equilibrium condition for steel production (Prod_steelt). This equilibrium is contingent upon two key elements: the aggregate consumption of steel (C_steelt) and the net export of steel (NX_steelt). Essentially, it articulates the balance between these factors in determining the overall production level of steel.

Also read:

·        Tool Steel Properties & Application

·        Mild Steel Products & Properties | Uses

·        Types of Steels | Steel Properties | Grades

·        Alloy Steel Grades |Composition | Application & Uses

·        Carbon Steel Properties & Uses |Composition

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