AISTech 2019 — Proceedings of the Iron & Steel Technology Conference

6–9 May 2019, Pittsburgh, Pa., USA

DOI 10.1000.377.061

A Holistic Approach to Ironmaking Digitalization

Dieter Bettinger1, Harald Fritschek1, Martin Schaler1, Thomas Kronberger1, Richard Wollhofen1
1
Primetals Technologies Austria GmbH
Turmstrasse 44
4031 Linz, Austria
Phone: +43 732 6592 4770

Keywords: blast furnace, sinter, pelletizing, process optimization, process models, expert system, closed loop operation,
holistic ironmaking, data mining, smart factory, through process optimization

INTRODUCTION
Up until recently, ironmaking process optimization systems focused on the production processes of stand-alone operations
such as individual sinter plants, pelletizing plants and blast furnaces.
This control has been based on locally-stored recent – and therefore limited – data. Process models convert data into usable
information, expert systems judge the process conditions and derive required actions by rule-based decision support systems
to achieve a standardized operation strategy. A holistic ironmaking concept offers a wider view, covering the interaction and
coordination of the related plants in order to aim at the plant-wide optimum. The three key pillars of the holistic ironmaking
concept are ironmaking optimization, the through process optimization and iron & steelmaking plant process simulation
systems such as m.simtop.
These systems provide a digital assistant to supervise the overall plant and to offer decision support to meet the required KPIs
of (for example) productivity, cost and quality. While the ironmaking simulation system is targeted to support long-term
planning and raw material purchasing, the focus of this paper is on the functionality of the other two systems, their interaction
with the local automation systems in the individual plants and in particular the required data basis – including information
about the material flows throughout the yards: Together with the individual process optimization systems, the holistic
ironmaking concept offers an increased degree of transparency and standardization in order to orchestrate the ironmaking
plants closer to the optimal operational setpoint.

HOLISTIC IRONMAKING CONCEPT

While the process control systems provide the reliable backbone for the operation of a plant, process optimization systems
extract the relevant information out of the heap of data, structure these and support the decision making process in order to
keep the individual plants close to the optimal operational point. Due to the complex nature of the related processes, rule
based expert systems have been proven to be the suitable approach to accomplish a standardized operation. Systems based on
this conception have successfully been applied in many ironmaking facilities.
Once the local optimization is accomplished with process optimization systems in place at every individual plant, the next
step is to reach for a global optimization of all ironmaking plants: Ironmaking optimization applies a similar concept as for
the individual plants, to coordinate the operation of the multitude of different ironmaking plants in a defined, traceable way:
• Ironmaking optimization further facilitates the online-data exchange between the respective up- and downstream
plants that supports not only a better mutual understanding, but also a better coordination of these plants.
• Tracking the material flows, including material properties and quality information, from sinter- and coke plant
throughout the material yard to the blast furnace requires a significant effort regarding instrumentation and system-
integration.
• Such an interplant-tracking of material flows has a direct impact on the potential functionality of a TPO: The
material flow genealogy throughout the ironmaking plants provides an important basis for improvement decisions
beyond plant borders.

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 • The through process optimization system (TPO) for ironmaking provides a data warehouse of structured data and
KPIs describing the process performance. Furthermore the target parameters and control loop efficiencies of all
underlying systems are monitored and supervised with Statistical Process Control.

Figure 1. Overview of the Holistic Ironmaking Concept

The main functionalities and the corresponding cycle times of the constituting systems of the holistic ironmaking concept are
illustrated in Figure 2. Naturally, a sound integration of all automation levels is important for the usability of the system:

Figure 2. Functionality and typical cycle times of the different automation levels involved

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 • While the Process Control “Level 1 (L1)” handles the short term actions,
• the Process Optimization System responsible for the overall plant coordination has significantly longer cycle times
in the range, typically from a minute to a shift.
• Ironmaking optimization coordinates the different plants, where the typical process time is in the range from hours
up to about one week. This does not mean, that short time events are not handled instantaneously, but the typical
interactions between the plants are smoothened by buffers, since a quick modification of the central process
parameters (like e.g. the production rate) is not favorable for any of the ironmaking plants.
• The iron & steelmaking plant process simulation system is dedicated for the long term planning and raw material
purchasing, with typical consideration periods of one shift to several years.
• The TPO collects all relevant data from the systems involved in process control and optimization.

IRONMAKING OPTIMIZATION
Ironmaking optimization is targeted to standardize the coordination of the ironmaking plants and structure the data exchange
between them.
Ironmaking optimization coordinates the standardized operation of the ironmaking plants on the basis of defined rules of an
expert system. Typically, the requirements of the respective downstream plant are used to provide the setpoints for
production and quality parameters for the upstream plants – based on the current operational situation and boundary
conditions of the upstream plants. This system can be implemented stepwise, e.g. by focusing on the coordination of the blast
furnaces with the sinter plant, or on the coordination of the blast furnaces with steelmaking.
Reliable data over the individual processes is the base for ironmaking optimization, leading either to advisory suggestion or
to closed loop actions based on a set of rules [1,2]. Figure 3 below shows examples for the efficient coordination of resources
for iron- and steelmaking plants. The functionality and benefit of Ironmaking optimization has been discussed in detail in
previous publications [3].

Figure 3. Stoves Coordination and Oxygen Assignment – Efficient Usage of Resources

In the following paragraphs, we describe specific ironmaking optimization features which fall into one of the above
mentioned categories – already implemented and representing a base for the Holistic Ironmaking.

LOCAL MATERIAL TRACKING WITH VERY HIGH RESOLUTION

The higher the resolution of the tracking information, the higher the costs for equipment and software systems. One installed
example of such a tracking system for raw material handling has a resolution of 1 second. A resolution of 1 second means
that the minimum quantity of material transported through the plant is the amount which is moved in one second. Expressing

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it in kilograms / pounds depends on the individual speeds of the belts. The system described in the following paragraphs
consists of basic automation features, data acquisition and archiving functionalities, process models and a planning tool. It is
connected online to external (management) systems for fetching and providing data.
Only a well-coordinated automation system interacting with different automation layers allows such high resolution tracking.
The system detects the start, end or reroute of the material transports and records these events along with the weight
information. Certain events trigger the storage of intermediate values for a transport. The final “transport finished” event
leads to a summary calculation for a transport of material from location A to B.
Due to the high resolution, the load on the belts is well known. This information is used for decision making in case of
interruptions or disturbances. A further example for the usage of high resolution data is monitoring the composition of
blending beds. The mixture of fine ores and additives stacked on the blending bed is used as the main material for the sinter
process. Usually three to five different raw materials are stacked at once to the blending bed, each of them is tracked
separately. An accuracy of material composition changes within 0.5 m / 1.6 feet can be reached for stacking with normal belt
speeds. The material tracking data, together with the chemical analyses, are the base for the operational reports, which are
used in the planning system and the raw material distribution model. The operational report, as well as the actual blending
results for the planning tool, are connected to the individual raw material analyses. Therefore, the average mixed analyses for
the whole blending bed are computed on time. With a resolution of 10 m / 30 ft, these results are available from the raw
material blending bed model. Besides the chemical calculation, it offers also a 3-dimensional shape based on the physical
properties of the stacked raw materials, provided by an external system. Figure 4 shows the 3D shape, the chemical
composition over the bed length and 2-dimensional cuts.

Figure 4. Raw Material Blending Bed User Interface

During reclaiming from the blending bed, information about the chemical composition is transmitted to the sinter plant
process optimization system for every 10 meters movement of the reclaimer.
Another module of this system is the stockyard management. In addition to the transports tracked by the above described
system, inventory messages are received from an external management system. In case sinter is transported to a stockyard,
the system already calculates an average chemical analysis based on the input weights and samples, although the chemical
analyses are received hours after transports are finished. The possible modes of stacking and reclaiming sinter to / from the
stockyard are considered in the average analyses calculations. A transport of stock-sinter to blast furnace bunkers is followed
by the transmission of the calculated mixed analyses for sinter. In such a way, the most accurate blast furnace burden
calculation is ensured.

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 LOCAL MATERIAL TRACKING WITH NORMAL RESOLUTION
Another optimization system was installed without modification of the underlying basic automation system. A raw material
handling and optimization system was used for data recording, based on existing signals of material movements. Basically
start signals for routes, flap positions, material assignments to bunkers and measurements from weighing devices were used.
This module of the raw material handling and optimization system has a configurable route setup in a database table. It
evaluates the signals with a cycle time of 10 seconds and the algorithm for each route is the same. Compared to the system
described in the previous section, the efforts and costs were low. Nevertheless, the results exceeded the expectations.
A stockyard management is part of this system as well. Transports from / to a stockyard are derived from the material
tracking system, movements between piles on the yard and physical relocations performed by diggers or similar machines
without automatic signals have been entered manually into the system. Additionally, an interface to an external management
system, providing data for external transports by trucks, is part of the system.

Figure 5. Stockyard Management User Interface

MATERIAL TRACKING WITH INTERACTION OF PLANTS

In a specific case, the system receives iron ore analyses by an electronic information system in advance, before the material
actually arrives. As soon as the iron ore fines are discharged at the raw material handling yard, the proper analysis is assigned
to this material. Additionally, the new material is tracked along its way through raw material handling until it arrives at the
respective bunkers in the sinter raw material dosing plant. At this point, the local process optimization system takes control.
By knowing the current bunker levels and the point in time, when the new material arrives, a tracking of the material through
the bunker can be performed. When the new material is discharged to the sinter dosing belt, the system triggers an Expert
System suggestion which requests a new sinter calculation to consider the now modified analysis of the material. Operators
can accept this suggestion and review the results before executing the new recipe setpoints through the basic automation
system.
A similar approach can be followed to connect local process optimization systems at the sinter plant and at the blast furnace.
The sinter plant system is aware of the chemistry of the produced sinter and the time, when this sinter leaves the plant. This
information is tracked between different plants. As soon as a significant change in sinter chemistry is detected, the system
will inform the local process optimization system at the blast furnace. The local system receives information about which
material is filled in which bunker at which point in time. This enables the local system to react adequately, i.e. before the
sinter is sent to the furnace top hoppers, the blast furnace expert system suggests a new burden calculation. Accepting this
suggestion triggers the burden calculation, the results can be reviewed by the operators before the new charging setpoints are
transferred to the process control system.
For blast furnace optimization, the system may also include pulverized coal tracking. Typically, several coal types are
blended at a pulverized coal injection (PCI) plant. The raw coal mixtures are tracked together with their calculated analyses

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by the local PCI automation system and are additionally made available for higher level system. As soon as a new mixture is
injected into the furnace, its analysis is used by the relevant blast furnace process models automatically.
Changing the mixture, or using another mixture already prepared in a bunker, due to the requirements of the blast furnace
process is finally closing the loop. In one of our installations, a certain deviation of the hot metal thermal level from the
setpoint leads to a manual modification of the coal mixture, consisting of two raw coals with significantly different coal-coke
exchange factors. Setting up rules based on these manually executed procedures in the expert system could be the next step.

THROUGH PROCESS OPTIMIZATION SYSTEM (TPO)

The TPO emerged from purely quality data focused systems in the downstream plant areas of integrated iron and steelmaking
plants. However the general concepts and functionality of these systems can easily be expanded and converted to the
requirements of the ironmaking area. Through process optimization for ironmaking features similar functionality (see Figure
6) as the system for the steel plant, casting and rolling mills – however the focus is on productivity as well as energy and
material cost efficiency rather than on product quality [4].

Through Process
Optimization System

Figure 6. Overview of Through-Process Optimization

The TPO provides structured information – minimizing the effort has received a sound basis for the further analysis of stored
data.
The interplant-tracking of material as described in the previous sections is not a precondition for the installation of TPO.
However, if available, it allows for investigating the genealogy of the intermediate products – only the resolution is lower
compared to the product data of the downstream plant due to the characteristics of the ironmaking processes.
The TPO interacts with the local ironmaking process optimization systems of the individual aggregates as illustrated in
Figure 2. In order to maximize the benefits from TPO, the plant-wide and local optimization systems have to be well-
integrated [5,6]. Each side has to provide interfaces to exchange data and to trigger calculations.
Important features of the local optimization systems are tracking and combing tasks properly. The raw material, product and
byproducts have to be tracked through the plant. Measurement data have to be assigned at the right time. Most important,
measurement data for material tracking tasks are usually chemical and physical analyses, which may be determined in an on-
site laboratory, as well as can be received from raw material suppliers. The general categories of input and output data are
shown in Figure 7. Collecting, validating, combing, assigning and structuring the data properly is the basis for getting
reasonable results by data analysis [7].

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 Figure 7. Through Process Optimization – Input and Output Data Categories

STATISTIC-PROCESS CONTROL (SPC)

SPC is a reliable and proven tool to provide statistical evidence that a production process stays within its predefined
operational range and therefore behaves in a controlled way. There are significant advantages of having this statistical
process control applied to quality assurance processes, since sooner or later statistical significant deviations of process values
will have an impact on the product quality. In general, SPC aims on sampling data, which is meant to be stable over a long
period of time in order to allow for the reliable detection of an undesired process dynamic. TPO can follow up single process
criteria but also combined calculated performance indicators and KPIs, and offers SPC charts for selectable material/product-
related measurements or process data.

Figure 8 SPC Standard Diagram

Figure 8 shows a typical SPC control chart with a list of subgroups at the top of the window. The chart shows which
subgroup has exceeded the upper or lower control limit (indicated here with red and blue lines, respectively). SPC can be
used to track the product quality as well as the proper functioning of control loops and by that can lead to improved process
control.

THROUGH PROCESS OPTIMIZATION: ANALYSIS & TRACKING

The Analysis & Tracking System connects process tracking information from individual plants and integrates this
information into a single display. This gives operators the chance to analyze their processes beyond the individual aggregate
borders.

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Figure 9 shows a typical screenshot from the human-machine interface (HMI) of this system. On the left hand side, one can
see the individual plant parts/sections along the ironmaking process chain. In this specific case, the process chain starts with
material dosing in the sinter plant and ends at the bosh section in the blast furnace.
For each part, a certain set of trends is defined, which displays relevant process data for the specific area. E.g., moisture
measurement and water addition figures can be found in a trend associated with the mixer in the sinter plant; burn through
point data are linked to the sinter strand; and blast conditions and pulverized coal injection (PCI) data are found in the tuyeres
area. Additionally, it is possible to modify existing trends and to add additional information in the form of further trends to
each section. Users are able to display the specific trend in the display area of the HMI, which is found on the right hand part
of the screen.
The main feature of this application becomes apparent, when trends from different areas are shown at the same time. In the
background, the system keeps track of all the time-differences between the different sections and corrects the timelines of the
individual trends accordingly. This enables the user to analyze the process conditions and material properties throughout the
whole ironmaking process chain. E.g., when the material has 10 minutes of transport time from the mixer to the sinter strand,
the trends from the mixer are shifted by 10 minutes. Now, the operator can see on time how a certain change of the burden
preparation conditions, like an increased water addition, has an influence on the resulting burn-through point of the mix.
Within the application, it is possible to define a primary area/section within the process chain, which is then taken as the
starting point of the analysis. All trends from the other areas are displayed relative to this primary area.

Figure 9. Holistic Optimization System – Process Analysis Beyond Conventional Aggregate Borders

SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK

In this paper, we presented the Holistic Ironmaking concept, including databases, fed by various individual local process
optimization systems. We have presented several examples of how such a superordinate system can provide major benefits to
plant operators and process engineers in terms of data analytics, improved process planning, plant-wide process analysis and
– last but not least – standardized and improved coordination of local process optimization systems.
Holistic Ironmaking gives benefits for improving logistics as well as technological processes. This further results in higher
quality and less cost. The general concept for developing new operational rules and setpoints, based on the identification of
critical process parameters with data analytics for blast furnace process optimization is outlined in Figure 10.

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 Figure 10. Identification of New Blast Furnace Operational Rules and Setpoints with Data Analytics
The following ideas are ready for implementation with actual available process optimization systems: An increasing fines
screening at the blast furnace can trigger a reaction of the return fines control part of the sinter process optimization system.
The excessive fines formation would be detected by observing the bunker levels under consideration of the actual burden
recipe. If the operating practice does not allow an interaction with the sinter process, other actions depending on the plant-
specific preconditions are possible. Another suggested action could be to change the blending bed composition. A
combination of both countermeasures, based on plant-specific rules is possible while aiming for less logistical efforts and for
avoiding transports of fines to stockyards.
A limit violation for a certain element in the hot metal can trigger a burden change in a first step. Implementing actions at the
beginning of the chain can be done in a second step. Changing the additive rates in the sinter plant or modifying the raw mix
composition in a selective way will lead to the desired result. With Holistic Ironmaking, predefined rules could be executed
and trigger the sinter calculation / raw material composition model of the sinter process optimization / raw material handling
and optimization system on time.

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