Continuous Pre-Reduction of Granular Material Using Siderurgical Furnace Gas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing industrial processes fail to utilize the reducing power of gases from siderurgical self-reduction furnaces for metal oxide reduction applications and do not effectively reuse the waste gases for other processes.
Innovation Solution
A process and system for continuous pre-reduction of a solid granular material using reducing gases from siderurgical self-reduction furnaces, where the gas is injected into a reactor in countercurrent with the material to create a favorable reducing atmosphere, and the exhaust gas is reused for post-combustion applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the reducing gases from siderurgical self-reduction furnaces are not utilized for metal oxide reduction, then the reducing power is wasted, but utilizing them requires additional equipment and process integration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the pre-reduction process with the existing siderurgical furnace system by injecting reducing gases directly into the reactor processing solid granular material. This merging of functions allows the waste reducing gases to be utilized for pre-reduction while maintaining the existing furnace infrastructure, thereby resolving the contradiction between energy utilization and process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reducing gases from the siderurgical furnace are given multiple uses: first for pre-reduction of solid granular material in the reactor, and then the remaining gases are used for post-combustion applications. This multi-functionality maximizes the utilization of the reducing power while avoiding waste, addressing the energy loss issue without requiring completely separate dedicated systems.
2Loss of energy
If waste gases are not reused for post-combustion, then energy is lost, but implementing gas reuse systems increases equipment complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous utilization of the reducing gases through a multi-stage process: the gases first perform pre-reduction in the reactor, then continue to the post-combustion section for energy recovery. This continuous action ensures that no energy is wasted while maintaining a streamlined process flow that minimizes additional equipment complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the reducing gases to perform multiple functions sequentially - pre-reduction followed by post-combustion energy recovery. The gases essentially serve themselves by performing useful work in both stages without requiring external intervention or complex control systems, thereby recovering energy while keeping the system relatively simple.
3Productivity
If pre-reduction is not performed continuously, then production efficiency is reduced, but continuous processing requires higher capital investment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing pre-reduction of the solid granular material before the main reduction process in the siderurgical furnace. The reducing gases are injected into the reactor to pre-reduce the material, which then enters the furnace already partially reduced. This preliminary action improves overall efficiency and productivity while using a relatively simple reactor design.
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
Efficiently utilizes the reducing potential of siderurgical self-reduction furnace gases for pre-reducing solid granular materials and recovers the remaining calorific value for further use, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing agglomerate fines.
Implementation Method 1
pre-reducing the solid granular material by means of injecting pre-reduction gas into the reactor
Implementation Method 2
utilize the waste gases in other processes, such as post-combustion and reuse of the remaining calorific value
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention relates to solid agglomerates for use in siderurgical reduction furnaces. In this context, the present invention provides a process for continuous pre-reduction of a solid granular material (10), comprising the steps of: (i) continuously feeding a solid granular material (10) into a reactor (20); and (ii) pre-reducing the solid granular material (10) by means of injecting pre-reduction gas (30) into the reactor (20) as the solid granular material (10) goes through the reactor (20), wherein the pre-reduction gas (30) comes from a siderurgical self-reduction furnace (40). The present invention further provides a system associated with the method described above.