Direct Reduction Facility Using Ore Heat to Warm Hydrogen
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for direct reduction of metal oxide materials into reduced metal materials face challenges in achieving energy efficiency, particularly in using hydrogen as a reducing agent, which requires high reaction temperatures and involves significant energy consumption, often relying on fossil fuels and lacking effective control over production processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and configuration that utilize hydrogen produced by fossil-free and renewable energy sources, where the metal oxide material is pre-heated to a high temperature and combined with a hydrogen-containing reducing agent in a counter-current moving bed reactor, allowing for efficient chemical reaction at reduced temperatures through heat recovery and controlled thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high reaction temperature is used for direct reduction of metal oxide material by hydrogen, then the chemical reaction efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The metal oxide material is pre-heated to high temperature (1000-1500°C) in a metal oxide material provider unit before entering the direct reduction facility. This preliminary heating action stores thermal energy in the material, which is then used to maintain reaction temperature during reduction, eliminating the need for continuous external heating and significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining high reaction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the thermal energy stored in the pre-heated metal oxide material to heat the hydrogen-containing reducing agent to the required reaction temperature. The material essentially heats itself and the reducing agent through its own stored thermal energy, creating a self-sustaining thermal process that minimizes external energy input
2Object-generated harmful factors
If hydrogen is used as reducing agent for direct reduction, then the production becomes CO2-free, but the process requires high energy input and fossil fuel dependency
Solution Approach 1:
The metal oxide material is pre-heated to high temperature before reduction, storing thermal energy that eliminates the need for continuous external heating during the CO2-free hydrogen reduction process. This preliminary energy storage action makes the sustainable hydrogen-based reduction process energy-efficient and economically viable
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the thermal energy parameter of the metal oxide material by heating it to 1000-1500°C in the provider unit. This parameter change transforms the material into a thermal energy carrier that can sustain the reduction process without additional fossil fuel input, making the CO2-free process energetically self-sufficient
3Loss of energy
If thermal energy is stored in metal oxide material, then external heating requirements are reduced, but the metal oxide material provider unit complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal oxide material provider unit is designed to perform multiple functions: heating the metal oxide material to high temperature, storing the thermal energy in the material, and transporting the pre-heated material to the direct reduction facility. By combining these functions into a single multi-functional unit, the overall system complexity is managed while achieving significant energy efficiency improvements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves a substantially fully metallized reduced metal material with over 90% reduction efficiency, reduces hydrogen accumulation, and enables energy-efficient production with minimal external thermal input, utilizing heat recovery to power high-temperature electrolysis units.
Implementation Method 1
reducing the metal oxide material by using the first thermal energy of the metal oxide material to heat or further heat the introduced hydrogen containing reducing agent toward a required reaction temperature
Implementation Method 2
feeding a high-temperature water steam of the high-temperature exit gas to a high-temperature electrolysis unit configured to produce a hydrogen
Implementation Method 3
providing a chemical reaction between the hydrogen containing reducing agent and the metal oxide material
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns a metal material production configuration (1) and a method of direct reduction of a metal oxide material (5) holding a first thermal energy into a direct reduced metal material (16) by means of a metal material production configuration (1).The method comprises charging the metal oxide material (5), holding the first thermal energy, into a direct reduction facility (7); introducing a hydrogen, holding a second thermal energy, into the direct reduction facility (7).The invention involves reducing the metal oxide material (5) by using the first thermal energy of the metal oxide material (5) to heat or further heat the introduced hydrogen containing reducing agent (8) toward a required reaction temperature for providing a chemical reaction. A high-temperature exit gas (12) is removed from the direct reduction facility and fed to a high-temperature electrolysis unit (21) configured to produce the hydrogen.