Energy Balance of Steel Mills and
By Iwao HIGASHI*
I. Foreward
It has long been an established fuel economy policy
for integrated steel mills to try their best in utilizing
by-product gases derived from iron- and steelmaking,
while limiting purchase of fuels and electric power
from outside. Of a 5.5 million kcal energy consumed
per ton of crude steel at a typical steel mill today, 2.2
million kcal, or some 40%, is accounted for by the by-
product gases.
Since the 2nd Oil Crisis of 1979, oil injection has
been discontinued for many blast furnaces of Japan,
and the use of coke increased. The resulting rise in
by-product gas generated has reduced the purchase of
oil and LPG from outside, and an increased power
generation from the gas combustion has saved the
purchase of outside electric power. With the effect
of the stepped-up transition to coal multiplied by en-
ergy saving which has been strongly pursued since the
1st Oil Crisis of 1973, steel mills are pushing on the
so-called oil-less operation at an eye-opening speed:
within a few years many steel mills will turn them-
selves virtually into oil-less.
Also, self supplied electric power generated mainly
from by-product gas will be augmented by various
types of power generation systems employing BF top
pressure, coke sensible heat recovered from the coke
dry quenching system (CDQ), and other recovered
waste heat. This means that in the future almost all
electric power used at steel mills will be self-supplied
except a part of instantaneous peak power for rolling.
Further promotion of the use of by-product gases,
which is the key to oil saving efforts and electric pow-
er self-sufficiency at steel mills, requires expansion and
improvement of gas piping, burners and the combus-
tion control system for fuel conversion from oil and
LPG to gases, and modification for increasing the gas
combustion capacity of the boiler at the power station.
It also requires solution to many fundamental issues
including the acquisition of coking coal satisfactory in
quality and cost, a large-scale equipment investment
such as for facilities for receiving such coking coal, and
expansion or revamping of various major facilities
such as coke oven and blast furnace for maintaining
production at a level that meets steel demand, by all-
coke BF operation, and power generation facilities us-
ing by-product gases.
In the following the author will outline the efforts
so far made by the pertinent sectors of the industry
and would like to seek further understanding and
cooperation of all the parties concerned in future.
Originally published in Tekkokai, 30 (1980), No. 9, 28, in Japanese. English version received February 20, 1981.
**
Staff General Manager, Energy Control & Technlogy Dept., Technical Division, Kawasaki Steel Corporation, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100.
the Utilization of By-product Gases*
II. By-product Gases-Their utility growing im-
portance in energy balance-
1. Energy Balance of Steel Mills
Figure 1 shows the energy flow chart and energy
balance of an integrated steel mill from the receiving
of raw materials and ore preparation, iron-making,
steel-making, rolling, processing, heat treatment, an-
nealing, etc, to product shipment. Hatched portions
in the figure indicate the energy flow of coke oven
gas (COG), blast furnace gas (BFG), and BOF gas
(LDG).
For an easy understanding of the concept of energy
balance at a steel mill, values obtained from Kawasaki
Steel Corporation will be used hereafter as a typical
example for study instead of a nationwide mean value
calculated mathematically.
2. Review of the Growing Utility of By-product Gases
(1) Before the 1st Oil Crisis-By-product gases were
always regarded as valuable fuels because they were
derived from raw materials imported at a great ex-
pense; to this, a value as a clean, nonpolluting fuel
has now been added.
Many of the large-scale steel mills, which started
up toward the end of 1955 and thereafter, employed
a system in which a large thermal power station built
and operated jointly with the local electric power
company, the so-called the cooperative power station,
was to be fueled with BFG, thereby converting BFG
into electric power at a higher efficiency than ob-
tainable with the mills own small power stations. This
gave a bonus advantage to the steel mills, since the
wasteful gas discharge, which used to be unavoidable
at the time of supply excess of by-product gases due,
for example, to the temporary shutdown of the rolling
mill, was virtually eliminated, thanks to the coopera-
tive thermal power station's large gas receiving ca-
pacity.
Then, to meet the mounting need for environmen-
tal protection during the nation's high-rate economic
growth, coke oven gas, after desulfurization, became
to be used alone with BFG and LDG as clean fuels
because their off-gas was low in SO x and NO.
(2) After the 1st Oil Crisis-Appreciation of by-
product gases as oil replacing energy
In this period, the importance of by-product gases
as an oil replacing energy was clearly established. In
addition to the evaluation as a clean energy, by-prod-
uct gases have gained keener attention than before
as an oil replacing clean energy source in the iron-
and steelmaking process. For instance, more efforts
Technical Features ( 57)
(58) Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982

Fig. 1. Energy flow and energy balance in the Mizushima Works.


were directed to improving the LDG recovery rate
and to the development of the total energy optimum
utilization system, with the by-product gas utilization
as its nucleus, to be controlled from the steel mill en-
ergy center (Fig. 2).
(3) After the 2nd Oil Crisis-Evaluation of by-prod-
uct gases as fundamental materials for realizing
oil-less steel mill and improving electric power self-
sufficiency rate
The 2nd Oil Crisis and the trouble at the Three
Mile Island Nuclear Power Station were combined to
Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982 ( 59)
cause sharp rises in oil prices the world over and in
electric power prices in Japan as well as anxiety about
the future energy supply situation. Steel mills thus
felt all the more urgent needs of oil-less operations and
higher rate electric power self-sufficiency.
As it stands now, the central energy issue of steel
mills is to achieve efficient use of coking coal and to
obtain by-product gases-including the transition
from BF oil injection to the increased use of coke, the
resulting increase in by-product gases, replacement of
oil and LPG by the increased by-product gases, and
( 60 ) Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982

increased electric power generated by by-product content in coking coal and coking time, the unit
gases-, thus approaching the oil-less operation and generation (Nm3/t-coal Xkcal/Nm3) of COG varies.
electric power self-sufficiency by utilizing the effect of It also varies with unit coke consumption (coke rate in
energy saving that has been promoted for some time. BF : kg-coke/t-pig; hot metal ratio : t-pig/t-steel) at
Figure 3 introduces the recent results achieved and steel mills, but generation of more or less 1 million
future prospect envisaged for the oil-saving and elec- kcal/t-crude steel is attained. Crude gas thus ob-
tric power self-sufficiency by the Mizushima Works. tained is refined and desulfurized before it is used.
(2) COG has a high unit calorific value (kcal/
III. Utilization of By-Product Gases Nm3) and its waste gas volume after combustion is
close to that for oil combustion, thereby making COG
1. Generationand Propertiesof By-productGases a type of fuel that can be burnt like oil.
1. Properties of By-product Gases (3) As a target for an oil-less operation, efforts
Properties of by-product gases generated and used have been made for establishing all-coke operation at
at steel mills are generally as shown in Table 1, with large blast furnaces, but acquisition and receiving of
some variation depending on properties of coking coal coking coal and the need of increasing in the coke
and the operational conditions of coke oven, blast oven capacity will pose problems in future.
furnace and BOF. (2) Blast Furnace Gas (BFG)
2. General Description of Various By-product Gases This gas is obtained as a by-product when iron ore
(1) Coke Oven Gas (COG) is reduced into pig iron in the blast furnace by using
Coke oven gas is obtained from the volatile materi- coke and oil.
al of coking coal when the coal is dry-distilled into (1) Depending upon the BF fuel rate (coke rate +
metallurgical coke in the coke oven. oil rate), gas utilization rate and other operational
(1) Depending upon the volatile material (V.M.) conditions for BF, the unit generation of BFG (Nm3/
t-pig X kcal/Nm3) varies. It also varies with the hot
metal ratio at the steel mill, but generation of more
or less 1 million kcal/t-crude steel is attained. In the
so-called BF top gas pressure recovery power genera-
tion, power is generated by utilizing differences in
pressure and temperature, i.e., the enthalpy difference,
of BFG between its general use condition and its con-
ditions after passing through BF top and the 1st dust
collector. For instance, at the Mizushima Works,
about 24% of blast blowing power (210 X 103 kcal/t-
pig) to the blast furnace, amounting to 50 X 103 kcal/
t-pig=20 kWh/t-pig is recovered and used for power
generation.
(2) BFG is suitable for boiler fuel as it is low in
unit calorific heat. In various furnaces BFG is used
in a mixture with COG.
(3) The more the operation approaches an all-coke
operation, i.e., the more actively the BFG generation
function is pursued (namely, the lower the in-furnace
Note : Electric power self-sufficiency rate means the self-
supplied electric power generated by energy derived gas utilization rate), the more COG and BFG will be
from coking coal used at steel mills including by- generated for utilization in the steel mill, thereby con-
product gas combustion generation, power genera- tributing to the oil-saving and power self-sufficiency
tion using BF top pressure and other CDQ power of the steel-mill. Particularly, the higher the coke-
generation vs. the total power demand. to-oil transition rate (=increased coke (kg)/decreased
Fig. 3. Oil-saving efforts and electric power self-sufficiency oil (kg)) in the blast furnace, the larger the relative
rate at the Mizushima Works (recent results and generation of BFG in the increased by-product gases.
future prospect). Thus, more of the in-plant power stations or expan-

Table 1. Pro perties of by-product gases.


sion of gas combustion capacity of the cooperative
thermal power station will become necessary.
(3) BOF Gas (LDG)
(1) The main content of LDG is carbon monoxide
(CO) which is generated in the process of refining hot
metal in the BOF. Its unit recovery (Nm3/t-steel x
kcal/Nm3) varies depending upon (1) the type of re-
covery such as the one where LDG is burnt and re-
covered as steam in the radiation heat exchanger
boiler to be newly installed, (2) the gas dust collecting
system, (3) furnace types such as the top blowing or
the bottom blowing, and (4) the recovery timing con-
trol of gases generated in the refining process. The
No. 3 Q- BOP (bottom blowing type) of Chiba Works
holds the world record unit recovery of 265 x 103kcal/
t-steel.
(2) Since generation of LDG is of the batch type
accompanying the refining in the BOF, efforts have
been made to eliminate the demand and supply gap
of LDG by installing a gas holder with a capacity
larger than the generation volume as compared with
the cases of COG-holders and BFG-holders. Efforts
are also being made to expand the field of LDG use,
to prevent discharge and to increase recovery by ap-
plying techniques of intensified control of distribu-
tion and of mixing LDG with COG into a mixture gas
(M gas) having an equivalent A0I (to be explained
later) to other gases and proper alternate use of this
M gas with other M gas.
(4) Electric Furnace Gas
As a steel mill which has a ferroalloy plant, gas
generated in the ferroalloy-making electric furnace is
recovered to contribute to the oil-saving.
2. Features of By-product Gas Utilization after the Oil
Crisis
1. Expansion of By-product Gas Utilization for Replacing
Oil and LPG at Steel Mills
(1) Replacing Oil with COG and M gas for Oil-ex-
clusive Combustion
For instance, oil combustion employed in the past
for high productivity purposes at the preheating and
heating zones of the reheating furnace has been
changed into gas combustion. The calcining kiln etc.
for which gas combustion was considered difficult in
the past, is being changed to COG or M gas combus-
tion with optimum design and control of the gas com-
bustion air/fuel ratio and improvements on burners.
(2) Expansion of BFG and LDG Uses
BFG in the form of a mixture gas with COG was
used in the BF hot stove, reheating furnace, etc., and
BFG alone was supplied to power boilers designed
specifically for effective BFG combustion. If, how-
ever, the power company system to which the inplant
power station is connected satisfies the power demand
with lower cost hydraulic or nuclear power genera-
tion, it is more reasonable for the steel mill to direct
BFG to replace oil and LPG than to direct it to the
power station.
With the progress of the steam saving conducted in
parallel with the waste heat recovery for obtaining
steam, that part of BFG which was sent to the boiler
Transactions Is", Vol. 22, 1982 (61)
for making process steam in the past has become sur-
plus. The same applies to LDG which was used for
the generation of power and process steam. For this,
efforts are now being made to produce a mixture gas
of LDG with COG more actively than before and to
direct BFG and LDG for replacing oil and LPG.
2. Increase in Gases for Power Generation due to Pro-
gress in Energy Saving and All-cokeBF Operation, and
Improvement in Electric Power Self-sufficiency
In the preceding section it was mentioned that a
part of BFG and LDG for power generation was
customarily used to replace oil and LPG at steel mills,
but progress in energy saving and implementation of
all-coke BF operation has eventually resulted in an
increase in gases for power generation.
That is to say, because of the progress in oil-saving
at steel mills, the old pattern of allocating the fuel gas
for a certain plant, say, mill A, to other plant, say,
mill B, during the down-time of A so as to save oil at
B, has become obsolete because promotion of the oil-
less operation at B has made such need no longer ex-
isting. Consequently, all the gases will be directed
to power generation.
Since the all-coke BF operation increases not only
the volume itself of by-product gases but also the re-
lative quantity of BFG in the by-product gases, the
overall results will be an increase in gases for power
generation, in spite of the fact that more of a mixture
of BFG or LDG with COG is directed to uses other
than power generation as mentioned in the preced-
ing section. As this power generation by gases is
done with the in-house energy, it raises the power
self-sufficiency of the steel mill, thereby eventually
contributing to replacing oil as the power generating
fuel in Japan. For instance, power generation
using by-product gas combustion at the in-plant
power station of the Mizushima Works reached some
170 000 kW out of the total annual average power re-
quirement of about 300 000 kW.
3. Adjustment of Demand and SupplyBalance of By-prod-
uct Gases-Prevention of gas discharge and proper
operation of total optimizing distribution system
The current production technology unavoidably
Fig . 4. Conceptional diagram of a steelworks that operates
without oil.
( 62 ) Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982

develops a demand and supply gap of by-product has disappeared as a result of progress in the oil-sav-
gases between generation at iron- and steel-making ing as mentioned above, the demand and supply gap
processes and consumption at various processes such has to be solved all by the 2nd buffer of power genera-
as rolling. tion.
This demand and supply gap was solved in the past The power generation facility itself, however, has
by oil and LPG as the 1st buffer and then by power physical limits including that of gas combustion ca-
generation as the 2nd buffer. Now that the 1st buffer pacity, which limits naturally its capacity as a buffer.
 Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982 (63)

Also, it is natural that the gas-firing power gneration in several kinds, different types of gas piping and gas
at steel mills should be linked to the economical op- burners must be used according to the kind of gases;
eration of the power system of the electric power com- LDG is generated intermittently; and rolling mills are
pany, to which it is integrated in parallel. apt to stop their operation abruptly.
On the other hand, there are difficulties on the by- As mentioned above, there are many factors that
product gas side : as the by-product gases include disrupt the demand and supply balance of by-prod-
COG, BFG, and LDG, and the mixture gases come uct gases, and many restrictions are imposed on the
( 64 ) Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982
demand and supply adjustment. In the worst case,
gas discharge may occur. Even with such emergency
avoided, the actual state may not be one of the opti-
mum or the most effective from an overall viewpoint.
Efforts aimed at maintaining the optimum state
and complete elimination of gas discharge are being
made in the following way:
(1) Operation of Computerized Total Energy Opti-
mizing Distribution System from the Energy Center
At the energy center the following operations are
carried out : forecasting by-product gas generation by
the kind, demand for distributed gases by the kind,
levels of gas-holders, and generation and purchase of
power; calculating and exhibiting the total optimum
state, difference between the current state and the
optimum, actions to be taken by individual operators,
and state of approach to the optimum.
Figures 5 and 6 show a conceptional diagram of the
total energy distribution system from the energy cen-
Table 2. Comparison
where, AoI: A-zero Index
WI: Wobbe Index
Hi Calorific heat
Ti : Gas density
Ai : Air volume necessary for combustion
Q,i : Gas using flow rate
K: Proportionate constant of flow meter
h : Differential pressure of orifice flow meter
Note :
(1) WI (Wobbe Index) Equivalent
Normally when mixed gases are used, equalization of WI=
Hi/ used. As the heat flow measured by the orifice flow
meter is expressed by
Q,1H1=K~h / .Hi=K• H1
7j 'Vr1
when h valuesof mixedgasesare made equal,i.e., valuesof dif-
ferentialpressuremeasuredby orificeare made equal, the values
of input heat are equalized,resultingin the WI equivalentsup-
ply.
(2) AoI(A-zeroIndex)Equivalent
ter, and an example of the operation guidance display
(CRT) for the optimal energy distribution at the
Chiba Works.
(2) Accommodative Use of Gases by the AoI Equiv-
alent System
For the convenience of measuring and controlling
gas heat, steel mills used to produce and distribute
gases of prescribed Wobbe Index value. Recently a
new gas distribution system by the AoI Equivalent
system has been conceived to facilitate pooling and
accommodative use of LDG with other gases (Table
2). This system was put into use at the Mizushima
Works in October, 1980. It is expected that by con-
tributing to improvement of the demand and supply
balance control of by-product gases this new system
will further increase the recovery of LDG.
(3) Supply of By-product Gases to Third Parties
As seen earlier, gases for power generation will
gradually increase, and to combine with them inter-
of AoI equivalent with WI equivalent.
Ordinarily, distribution according to the above WI equivalent
poses no problem. However, as properties of mixed gases, COG-
and LPG-based gases and CO-based gas like LDG at steelworks,
are such that the air volume required for combustion for a given
input heat differs greatly even at an equalized WI, satisfactory
combustion of both types of gases in a single burner becomes dif-
ficult, because proper control of the air/fuel flow ratio at site is
difficult. Such a problem can be solved by the AoI equalization
system, because it allows to mix gases so that the air volume nec-
essary for combustion will become equal for each of the inlet gas
volumes measured by the orifice flow meter. As the air volume
required for the inlet gases is expressed by
Q,1A1
= K/=h Ai = K •A~/2-• h
~'ri
if the respective gases are made equal in A,J /ri, the value which
is called the AoI, they can be burnt without changing the air
rates set for the respective gases. If the h values of gases are made
equal, i.e., if the values of measured differentialpressure are made
equal, the required air volumes will be equal, and satisfactory
combustion can be maintained.
 Transactions ISIJ, Vol. 22, 1982 (65)

mittent gases fit for power generation, such as liber- process.

ated on downtime of the rolling mill, will also increase Thus, steelmill by-product gases can be a clean,
with progress in the oil-saving. On the other hand, oil-replacing energy as fuel, for electric power genera-
however, modification for increasing the gas reception tion and in chemical processes, contributing consider-
capacity of the cooperative power station does not al- ably to the society. Promotion of by-product gas
ways keep with it, or else, addition of the in-plant utilization, as mentioned earlier, requires (1) solution
power generating facilities may not be economical, of basic problems including acquisition of coking coal,
depending upon their additional scale. In such a large-scale equipment investments such as for coking
case, it will be more advantageous to the steel mill to coal receiving facilities, and expansion and modifica-
sell a part of by-product gases to other enterprises in tion of major facilities including coke oven and blast
the industrial complex for an effective use as a sub- furnace as well as by-product gas combustion generat-
stitute for oil and LPG. ing equipment, and (2) the resulting ancillary facility
investments for expansion or modification of piping,
Iv. Conclusion burners and control systems necessary for converting
For utilization of by-product gases of steel mills in the use of oil and LPG to that of by-product gases.
other fields, the use of LDG as a raw material for Cl It is strongly desired, therefore, that both (1) the
chemistry is envisaged, and there is a possibility that cooperation among industries concerned with coal
by-product gases will contribute to the society through utilization and appropriate guidance by governmental
supplying chemical products, in addition to their con- agencies for acquisition of coking coal and (2) the sup-
tribution to oil-saving and power self-sufficiency of port by the country in the field of finance and taxa-
steel mills. Steel-mills are already producing and tion systems through pertinent laws such as the Law
supplying to the society chemical products, such as concerning Promotion of Development and Introduc-
ammonium sulfate and phthalic acid anhydride, made tion of Petroleum Replacing Energy be given toward
from tar and gas oil obtained in the coke producing furthering the promotion of oil-saving in future.