Kalenborn and Danieli developed an innovative solution to be applied to the cone of the ENERGIRON plant’s reactor. This special system helps to achieve a DRI temperature of over 600 °C at the EAF feeding point.
The innovation consists of an internal lining (Patent pending) applied to the standard water- cooled steel cone. This lining is made of high-grade wear resistant ceramic tiles KALCOR and backup insulating panels. The main benefit of this system is the heat loss reduction of the pellets and therefore an increased energy efficiency of the overall process. Another key benefit is the avoidance of solid flow disruptions at high temperatures.
The cone lining can allow for an increase of the discharge temperature by 30 to 70 °C, depending on the operating plant parameters and reactor size.
Considering a saving of 2.5 kWh/t every 10 °C of DRI temperature, a 70 °C temperature increase will result in a savings of about 1 USD/ton in downstream operating cost. Such operating cost savings will allow for a payback period of a few months for this innovative new solution.
To avoid disruption in the normal solid flow, several ceramic materials have been tested in a high-temperature condition to determine the respective friction parameters and compared to the normal friction coefficient of the cold steel (normal condition). Usually refractory material has a higher friction coefficient compared to the cold steel.
The first application of cone lining was made at Suez Steel’s DRP where it was possible to reach a pellet temperature at EAF charge around 620 °C and obtain a total savings of 25 kWh/t. The new system causes no disruption in the reactor material flow and needs no modification of the original reactor shape.
The Cone Lining technology can be applied to any existing ENERGIRON reactor due to its small thickness.
Now the two companies signed a bidirectional strategic agreement to better serve the customers seeking increased energy efficiency as well as to ensure the required levels of DRI/HBI quality and technological innovation is continuously pursued for the Energiron plants.
