Improved EAF Process Control Using On-Line Offgas Analysis
The OFFGAS project has been focused on investigating the potential for process optimization and efficiency increases in the electric steelmaking process regarding oxygen injection and energy transfer to scrap and melt at the EAF. A special emphasize has been put onto the application of permanent off-gas analysis systems installed at the furnaces investigated. The investigations were carried out by a consortium of research institutes (RWTH, BFI, CSM, CRM) and industrial partners (DEWG, TKN, MH, ORI, TENOVA) representing in total five electric steel making plants with a wide range of produced steel grades and EAF technology.
The off-gas analysis systems in combination with process and energy models allow for a continuous on-line monitoring and control of the EAF melting process and provide an important tool for the steel plant workers in order to optimize the EAF process with respect to optimal efficiency of oxygen lancing, carbon injection and addition, energy transfer either from the arc and from the gas phase to the melted pool (post-combustion, scrap preheating). The technical objective, to significantly increase the availability and applicability of the off-gas signals for on-line assessment and control of post-combustion and for comprehensive EAF energy monitoring, has been achieved. Additionally, EAF process models that were up to now mainly used for off-line process assessment of various aspects of EAF steel making, have been tested, developed and applied for on-line EAF process and energy control.
Final Report
The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) under grant agreement n° RFSR-CT-2006–00004.