Modern BF plant and process 1_ Plant layout Furnace details Lec-6

Constructional features of the furnace

Important components of a
modern BF furnace:
1. BF furnace proper
2. Gag cleaning device
3. Air preheating device
4. Raw material storage and
heating
5. Liquid product disposal
6. Process control unit

Schematic arrangement for various sections of a blast furnace plant

The furnace interior is broadly divided
into:
-stack, whose slopes outwards going
downward
-belly, the cylindrical portion below the
stack
-bosh, below the belly and sloping
inwards going downwards
-hearth, below the bosh and toyere
region by the cylindrical portion
2000 t/day- 2000 m3 effective inner volume
Hearth dia, m 8-9
Bosh dia, m 9-10
Hearth height, m 3-3.5
Bosh height, m 3-4
Stockline dia, m 5.5-6.5
Stack height, m 18-20
Total height, m 30-32
Useful vol, m 1400-1600 m3
Blast furnace reactions
The major reactions are classified as
follows:
-removal of moisture from the raw
materials
-reduction of iron oxide by CO
-gasification of carbon by CO2
-dissociation of CaCO3
-reduction of iron oxide by carbon
-reduction of some other oxides of ore
by carbon
-combustion of coal and coke in front of
tuyeres

The output from the furnace are:

-molten metal
-molten slag
-gas at a temperature of around 2000C,
containing CO, CO2, N2, moisture and
some dust particle
Reactions in the lower zone

- 3 to 5 meter extend from the toyere level

- Molten metal temperature 1400-14500C

The final temperature of Fe is about 1350-14500C and that of slag about 50-1000C
higher
Reactions in the middle zone
Temperatures of the solids and gas are near identical (800-10000C), known as
isothermal or thermal reserve zone
Most of the wustite indirect reduction occurs
Another reaction occurs in the middle zone known as water-gas shift reaction
CO + H2O = CO2 + H2
Occupy 50-60 percent of the furnace volume

Reactions in the upper zone

Preheating and preparation zone
Temperature falls from 800-10000C to 100-2500C

It takes about 6-8 hours for the burden to descend from the top to the tuyere level
Size of blast furnace

Posco in South Korea increased the hearth diameter from 9.2 to 13.2 m in 2000

At present, there are about 700 blast furnaces in operation globally

Average production rate 668,000 tonnes/ furnace or 1830 tonnes per day/furnace

Blast furnace size (working volume)

Boshan No. 3 in China 4000 m3

POSCO’s Gwangyang No. 5 in South Korea 3950 m3
China Steel’s Kaoshung No. 4 in Taiwan 3000 m3
Tata Steel’s G Furnace 2300 m3
Performance of blast furnace
Blast furnace refractory lining
Lining life was 4-6 years 1960
Lining life is 15-20 years

The major causes of failure of the lining are the following:

-CO attack
-action of alkali and other vapour
-high temperature
-abrasion by moving solid charges
-attack by molten slag and metal
-furnace design and operation
Refractories used in BF

Upper stack- ordinary fire-clay bricks containing 40-45% Al2O3

Lower stack, Belly and bosh- high duty fire-clay bricks containing
above 60%
Bosh region- silicon carbide brick
Hearth- carbon
For a longer lining life, extensive water cooling is needed

Box coolers of cast iron with steel tubes for stack region
Box cooler of copper with copper tubes are used belly and bosh region (stave
coolers are now popular)

Forced air or water is passed through the pipe in the carbon lining in hearth

A major problem inserting pipe in lining is the deposition of insoluble salt in the
inside wall of the tube

In order to avoid this problem, only demineralized or cooled water should be

used
Charging of solid materials from the top
Hot blast stoves

Tall cylinder of 20-36 m H, 6-8 m D

Heating – 2-4 hrs, cooling 1-2 hrs