INTRODUCATION OF BLAST FURNACE

Why this type furnace is called blast furnace because hot air blast
into furnace, a blast furnace is a tall stack about 30m (100ft) height
and 30-35 ft in diameter at the widest part. It is made up of two
frustums of cones with their bases together. The blast furnace
divides into three part, top zone (stack), middle zone (Bosh), and
lower zone (Hearth). It is really supported by heavily braced steel
ring, which are supported by cast iron pillars

The ore, the fuel and the flux are charged into the furnace form
the top in the required proportions and the air is blown in near the
bottom through a number of symmetrically the charge and the gases
formed are removed from the top. The furnace is always kept nearly
filled with the charge. In the blast furnace the raw material (Iron
Ore, lime stone and sinter are burnt with coke at high temperature
(max. 16500 C) for getting liquid Iron (pig Iron) by reduction
process.

PRINCIPLE OF BLASTE FURNACE

Blast furnace operation is based on counter current principle:-

In the Blast furnace solid charge materials like iron

ore (or agglomerated ore), coke and lime stone are charged in the
vertical shaft of the furnace at the top and hot air blast is blown
through tuyeres located at the bottom level.
In the blast furnace pig iron is manufactured by smelting iron
ore by using:-

1. A hard porous fuel like coke which serves the double

purpose of supplying heat for the operation and as reducing
agent.
2. A suitable flux like lime stone in order to combine the
gauge of the ore with ash of the fuel to form a suitable slag
3.A blast of are supplies the necessary oxygen for the
combustion of the fuel

TYPES OF BLAST FURNACE:

1. Paul-wurth/CRM Top
2. NKK`s four Bell Top
3. Top with Bells and Valve seals
4. Top with only valve seal (No Bell)
RAW MATERIEL AND CHARGE MATERIAL:-

Blast furnace raw material have charged in character greatly in the

last two or three decades. Formerly they used to be raw iron ores,
lime stone and coke. They are being increasing replaced by pre-
fluxed sinters and pellets and liquid and gaseous fuels.

The raw material required for iron making are as follow

1. Iron ore
2. Coking coal or coke
3. Lime stone
 4. Dolomite
5. Manganese ore

1. Iron ore: Iron is one of the most widely distributed

and abundant metals, constituting about 4.65% of the
earth`s crust. It is found in the native state in meteoritic
masses usually associated with nickle and cobalt.

Types of iron ore:-

Several iron bearing minerals occur in nature
but the following have been used.
Hematite’s (Fe2O3):-
The oretical percentage of iron is 70; this is also
known as red ore and varies in colour blush grey to dark red. Its specific
gravity varies from 4.9 to 5.3.

Magnetite’s (Fe3O4):-
Also known as black ore. Theoretical percentage of
Fe in magnetite’s is 72.4% and its specific gravity varies from 5.1 to 5.2.
Its colour is steel gray. It is very hard and difficulty reducible and is
magnetic in nature.

Coke:-
The function of coke in the blast furnace is fivefold namely,

1. It is as a fuel by providing for thermal requirements in the furnace

2. Its provides CO for the reaction of iron oxides
3. It reduces the oxide of metalloids, such as Mn,Si and other it present.
4. It carburizes the iron and lowers its melting point.
5. Its provides permeability.

Flux (Limestone and Dolomite):-

The ore, as they occur in nature contains large amount of
unwanted and wet less materials knows as gangue. There are generally
infusible and in order to make them fusible some substance are added
during smelting. These substances combine with gangue to produce
low melting slag. The substance which helps in lowering the melting
point of impurities is known as fluxes

Ore, fuel and flux required for production of one ton pig iron;

Material Quantity in tones

Iron ore …………………………………………..1.7- 1.8

coke…………………………………………………0.8-.09
Limestone………………………………………..4-0.5
Manganese ore……………………………….about 50kg
Air…………………………………………………..4.5

FURNACE CONSTRUCTION

The Blast Furnace Divided Mainly Three

Zone
Stack Zone: -
Extends to the top of the furnace. The
furnace top i.e. the bell, the charging arrangement, the gas off
takes etc. is mounted on the top of the stock. The stock is a
welded steel plate construction lined from inside to thickness of
about a meter of hard firebrick.

Bosh Zone: -
The top of bosh has the maximum dia. of
the furnace and it is the zone of intense heat. It is a stadium-type
(bricks stacked cut) construction with steel reinforcement.

Hearth Zone: -
The hearth which is the lowest cylindrical
portion of the furnace. It is receptacle to collect the liquid slag
and metal and is also referred to as a crucible. It is on deep and
strong concrete foundation. Foundation: -

It is a massive reinforced concrete, practically

embedded below the ground level. It should be sufficiently
strong to stand 2000t/day furnace. It may be about 15m
dia and 6-8m thick upon which is placed the furnace
bottom consisting of about 4-5m of thickness.

FURNACE DETAILS:-

Capacity of the blast furnace is depend upon the furnace

construction. Details of the 4 MT hot metal production blast
furnaces.

Stack dia (throat)………………………………………7300mm

 Bosh dia……………………………………………………10900mm

Hearth dia…………………………………………………9750mm

Stack Height………………………………………………2300mm

Bosh Height………………………………………………3000mm

Hearth Height…………………………………………...3800mm

Total overall

Full Height………………………………………………..30350mm

Useful Height……………………………………………29700mm

Total useful Volume………………………………….2000mm3

No. of Tuyers……………………………………………24

No. of tapping hole……………………………………2

No. of hot Stoves……………………………………….4

No. of off takes………………………………………….4

Tuyer and Bustle Pipe: -

Immediately above the
hearth are located the tuyers through which hot air blast is
blown for fuel combustion. The number of tuyers varies with
the size of the furnace (generally 10-20).
Air from hot blast
stoves is supplied to a huge circular pipe encircling the
furnace at the bosh level. This is called the bustle pipe.

Tap Hole and Cinder Notch: -

Near the bottom of the crucible
is the tap hole from which molten pig iron is run into sand
laddles. Just below the ring of tuyer
is a cinder notch which the slag accumulated between the
tapping of the iron is flushed off.

Off Takes and Down Comer: -

There are four exhaust pipe
which are connected to the furnace top evently at four
points. This rise vertically up above the furnace top and then
join to a bigger pipe known as the down comer which
delivers the gas to the gas cleaning system i.e. the dust
catcher.

Bledder: -
A bledder valve safely device which opens
automatically or is opened to release extra pressure
development inside of the furnace.

Hot Blast Stove:-

The blast required for running blast furnace

is first heated in what are commonly known as hot blast
stoves. The main function of Cowper stove is to heat the
blast. The modern hot blast stoves, of which there are
 several designs consist essentially of a tall cylindrical
shell, formed by steel plates riveted together with a
dome shaped top.
Air blast is preheated to a
temperature of 700-13000 C in Cowper regenerator
stoves. A set three or four regenerators is provided for
each furnace. The stove is about 6-9m in dia. and 30-
35m height Special thin walled bricks are used to
construct the checker work in the stove. During
working one stove is to on blast heating it. While the
remaining two or three are on gas that is getting
themselves heated by burning the cleaned blast furnace
gas.

Bell and Hopper: -

A bell and hopper or the cup and cone

arrangement, as is called, is commonly used on blast
furnace for charging the solid charge. In spite of
development of newer designs the two bell
arrangement still continues to be in use. For the new
blast furnace the bell-less charging system is being
preferred.

Top Charging System: -

The furnace top is complicated
design because it includes charging system and gas outlet
assembly along with safely devices. Rountil recently double
bell charging system adopted. The most popular design is
making revolving top. In this the material are first charged in
the small bell hopper i.e. on the small bell which is then
lowered to allow the material to drop on the lower on the
big bell. The big bell is remaining closed while the small one
is being lowered and then the air is closed and the big bell is
lowered to drop the charge inside the furnace. This will
practically prevents the furnace exhaust gases from escaping
into the atmosphere while charging.

Blast furnace Refractories: -

A blast furnace is lined with
fire bricks, but the quality of the fire bricks varies according
to the position which they occupy in the furnace. The correct
selection of the refractory materials is of supreme
importance, as the life of the furnace depends on the
endurance of the lining. The thickness of lining depends on
size of furnace.

The chief causes of failure of the lining are: -

1. Carbon monoxide attack.
2. Action of alkali vapours.
3. Action of other volatile matters.
4. Abrasion by solid, liquid and gases.
5. Temperature.
6. Action of molten metal.
 7. Action of limy and
alkaline slag’s.

Stack lining: -
A 35-40% Al2O3 fire bricks with a close
texture is usually preferred for the stack. A 60% Al2O3 bricks
have been recommended for the lower part of the stack.

Bosh lining: -
The majority of bosh linings are of high
duty or super duty fire bricks with 45-65% Al2O3, laid in the
conventional banded bosh construction with copper cooling
plates.

The Hearth: -
Carbon bricks are generally used it posses
several properties.

1. High refractoriness
2. High thermal conductivity
3. High abrasion resistance

Advantages of Carbon lining

1. Increases overall campaign life of the furnace.
2. More uniform wear of the lining.
3. Clean surface in contact with slag and metal.

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
The Blast system starts with the turbo blower which blow
the air, under pressure, down the cold blast main and into
the bottom of the bottom of the stove which is on blast.

The cold air passes up through the checker chamber

absorbing heat from the hot refractory checker bricks.

Then now heated air passes down through the combution

chamber and exists into the hot desired hot blast
temperature.

The hot blast passes through the hot blast main to the circle
main or bustle pipe which encircles the blast furnace then
the tuyers which are equi-spaced around the circumference
of the furnace.

The burns coke in front of the tuyers with a calculated flame

temperature of 19500C.

The gaseous product of this combustion is a mixture of CO,

H2 and N2.

As the gas passes up the furnace, it gives up its heat to the

descending solids

The gases exit the blast furnace through the uptakes leading
from the top cone to the down comer, pass down the down
comer and through the gas cleaning system

Reaction in Blast furnace:-

UPPER STACK ZONE
Reduction of Oxides
3Fe2O3 + CO=2Fe3O4+CO2
Fe3O4 + CO=3FeO+CO2
FeO +CO=Fe+CO2
Decomposition of Hydrates
Water-Gas shift Reaction
CO+H2O=CO2+H2
Carbon
Decomposition of Carbonates

MIDDLE STACK ZONE

Direct/Indirect Reaction
FeO+CO=Fe+CO2
CO2+C=2CO
FeO+C=Fe+CO
FeO is the Iron Oxide
throughout this region Gas Utilization

LOWER STACK ZONE

Calcinations of limestone
Reduction of various elements
Reduction of unreduced Iron
Reduction of Si, Mn, P, Zn etc
Formation/melting of Slag, final reduction of FeO
and melting of Fe

COMBUTION ZONE
 Burning and Combustion of Coke
C+O2=CO2 (direct reduction)
CO2+C=2CO (solution less reaction)
Complete reduction of Iron Oxide
Coke and Hydrocarbons are
Oxidized Large evolution of Heat

HEARTH

Saturation of Carbon with Iron

Final reduction of P, Mn, Si, and S
Reaction impurities reach their final
concentration Drop of metal and Slag bring heat down
into the Hearth.