ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

BY:-MUKESH.J.CHOUDHARI 3RD SEMESTER(D.M.E.) ROLL NO:-19

An electric arc furnace (EAF) is a furnace that heats charged material by means of an electric arc An electric arc furnace is heated upto 1800degree celcious by electricity that is generated through electrodes. This furnace is used for high melting point alloys such as iron and steel This method is mainly used to recycle steel

THE HISTORY OF ARC FURNACE

1ST FURNACE WAS MADE IN 1907 BY A FRENCHMAN PAUL HEROULT THE 1ST COMMERCIAL USE OF ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE WAS STARTED IN USA THE COST OF ESTABLISHING WAS LESS AND MINI MILL STARTED FLOURISHING THROUGHOUT EUROPE

TYPES OF ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

VARIOUS ARE AVAILABLE WHICH CAN CARRY FROM 1 TON TO 400 TON OF MELTING WORKS THE ROD PENETRATED IN FURNACE CAN BE 2 OR 3 THE ROOF CAN BE FIXED OR TILTING WITH THE FURNACE

CONSTRUCTION
An electric arc furnace used for steelmaking consists of a refractorylined vessel, usually water-cooled in larger sizes, covered with a retractable roof, and through which one or more graphite electrodes enter the furnace. The furnace is primarily split into three sections: the shell, which consists of the sidewalls and lower steel 'bowl'; the hearth, which consists of the refractory that lines the lower bowl; the roof, which may be refractory-lined or water-cooled, and can be shaped as a section of a sphere, or as a frustum (conical section). The roof also supports the refractory delta in its centre, through which one or more graphite electrodes enter.

 The hearth may be hemispherical in shape, or in an eccentric bottom tapping furnace A typical alternating current furnace has three electrodes. Electrodes are round in section, and typically in segments with threaded couplings, so that as the electrodes wear, new segments can be added The furnace is built on a tilting platform so that the liquid steel can be poured into another vessel for transport. The operation of tilting the furnace to pour molten steel is called "tapping To produce a ton of steel in an electric arc furnace requires approximately 400 kilowatt-hours per short ton of electricity, or about 440kWh per metric tonne; the theoretical minimum amount of energy required to melt a tonne of scrap steel is 300kWh (melting point 1520C/2768F).

 Scrap metal is delivered to a scrap bay, located next to the melt shop The scrap is loaded into large buckets called baskets, with 'clamshell' doors for a base The scrap basket is then taken to the melt shop, the roof is swung off the furnace, and the furnace is charged with scrap from the basket

After charging, the roof is swung back over the furnace and meltdown commences. The electrodes are lowered onto the scrap, an arc is struck and the electrodes are then set to bore into the layer of shred at the top of the furnace

ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

Advantages of electric arc furnace for steelmaking

The primary benefit of this is the large reduction in specific energy (energy per unit weight) required to produce the steel Another benefit is flexibility EAFs can be rapidly started and stopped, allowing the steel mill to vary production according to demand

Environmental issues
Although the modern electric arc furnace is a highly efficient recycler of steel scrap, operation of an arc furnace shop can have adverse environmental effects. Much of the capital cost of a new installation will be devoted to systems intended to reduce these effects, which include: enclosures to reduce high sound levels Dust collector for furnace off-gas Slag production Cooling water demand Heavy truck traffic for scrap, materials handling, and products Environmental effects of electricity generation Because of the very dynamic quality of the arc furnace load, power systems may require technical measures to maintain the quality of power for other customers; flicker and harmonic distortion are common sideeffects of arc furnace operation on a power system.

 TRUCK TRAFFIC & SOUND POLLUTION HIGH WATER DEMAND

 INSPITE OF THIS DRAWBACKS ARC FURNACE PROOVES TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN RECYCLING STEEL HENCE IT IS ONE OF THE MOST USED FURNACE

THANK YOU