1. Innovations for energy utilization in Iron & Steel plants
Presented by
Mainak Saha
Saumya Ranjan Jha
Sumit Katiyar
Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
NIT Durgapur
Guide: Dr. Amit Ganguly
Ministry of Steel Chair Professor (NIT Durgapur)
Govt of India

2. Primary Energy Mix data showing Coal as the majority shareholder as per 2013 statistics
Raw Coal Usage in various sectors of Industry for usage as source of energy

3. Role of coal in present scenario in Iron and steel plants
Coke(composition:Carbon content 80 – 90%, Volatile Content 1 – 5% and Sulfur Content 0.5 – 1.5%. ) is used widely as
main fuel for Blast furnace in ironmaking( ’’).
Pet coke in EAFs,coke breeze(<0.75’’)
Fuel in cupola(5’’x2’’)
Calcined pet coke in induction furnaces.
Its abrasive and this is determined by its M40 index(micum index)

4. Role of coal in present scenario in Iron and steel plants
Anthracite Coal – low cost per ton of fixed carbon, low sulfur content.
Metallurgical Coke – low cost per ton of fixed carbon, low sulfur content.
Calcined Pet Coke – high fixed carbon content but not normally used because of high price.
Synthetic Graphite – high fixed carbon content, low sulfur and gas levels but not normally used because of high price.

5. Report from Coal India limited
Coal Production
Grades
Fiscal
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Raw coal production Mill Te
% of Raw coal production
Non Coking Coal 1
408.56
90.3
413.50
89.4
443.67
89.8
484.93
90.0
499.49
90.1
Coking Coal 2
43.66
9.7
48.92
10.6
50.57
10.2
53.83
10.0
54.65
9.9
Total
452.21
100.0
462.42
494.24
538.75
554.14

6. INDIA’S COKING COAL PRODUCTION SCENARIO

7. Present Status and Future Projections from Ministry of Steel, Govt
Present Status and Future Projections from Ministry of Steel, Govt. of India
World Steel Production : 1527 MT
Indian Steel Production : 72 MT
World Ranking in Production : 4th
World Ranking in Consumption : 3rd
Projected Capacity by : 150 MT
Projected Capacity by : 200 MT
Projected Capacity by : 500 MT

8. SUPPLY SIDE PROBLEMS OF COKING COAL
The quality of coal is poor with high ash and moisture content.
Coking coal is very scarce, being imported
Coal mining suffers from multiple obstacles like environmental clearance, tribal resistance, Left wing extremism domination etc.
Poor technology is causing excessive wastages.

9. DEMAND SIDE PROBLEMS OF COKING COAL
Domestic demand is shrinking as their major buyers i.e. Power companies are suffering losses due to non recovery.
With amendment to Coal act there is an oversupply of coal in the market.
Dumping of steel in indian market by China has severely hurt Coal sector.

11. Report from Ministry of Coal, Govt of India

12. Major coking coal supplying countries to India

13. Coking Coal-future global scenario
Global metallurgical Coal Supplies are limitedƒ
Significant investment in Mines and Infrastructure will be required In traditional and emerging basins to ensure that adequate supplies will be available after 2017
ƒAfter 2020, supply will struggle to keep up with demand–prices will increase in real terms

14. Reduction of Coking coal consumption in Blast furnace
Pulverised Coal Injection(PCI): Mixing powdered coal with hot blast to lower the combustion temperature and also replacing expensive coking coal with cheaper non-coking coal.
Oxyfuel injection:
using oxygen enrichment in the air for combustion in the hot stoves offers three
Advantages:
First, the hot blast temperature may be increased due to higher flame temperature which reduces the blast furnace reductant consumption.
Secondly, the lower volume of flue gas reduces the loss of sensible heat via the flue gas.
Thirdly, COG or other higher value fuels may be used more effectively elsewhere.

15. Alternatives
Non-coking coal usage : RKDR/Corex/Hismelt,etc.(smelting Redn.)
Coal Gasification Based DR :
1. SAIL-CSIR Project (Dr AG as Coordinator in 1983: Iron & Steel International,London, Univ Of Miami Energy Conf., etc.)
2. MXCOL Process for Midrex(originally NG-based)
Iron Carbide Research(AG’s group)
4. Fine coal, both as energy and reducer, Injected into recirculating molten iron bath , for smelting of iron ore fines(AG, U of Minnesota clean coal project : Steel Research, Germany, 1992).

16. Carbon utilisation in direct smelting systems - Minnesota gas lift mechanism
Coal fines, injected directly into vigorously moving molten iron bath, along with iron ore and oxygen.
Serves 2 functions:
- coal fines undergo easy combustion
- Reduction of iron ore by coal fines
Not yet commercialised.

17. Iron Carbide process
Originally, a process developed in Chicago, USA as fluid bed process utilising iron ore fines and Natural Gas producing Fe3C.
Work done at MME dept involved theoretical analysis utilising coal gasification since natural gas allocation is a problem to steel sectors in India.
While the modelling showed its feasibility, hot model study(at pilot scale) is awaited for signal from CFRI, Dhanbad (CSIR).

18. advantages Bonus 6-7% carbon content, injectable. Foamy slag possible
No problems like Scrap, DRI.
Environmental friendly.
Not yet commercialised like in FINEX or FIOR.

20. DRI production over the years by different processes
process/percentage
2014
2015
2016
MIDREX
63.2
63.1
64.8
HYL/Energiron
16.2 16
17.4
Other Gas
0.7
0.3
Rotary Kiln/coal-based)
20.6
20.2
17.5

22. COG to produce DRI
COG(Coke oven gas) contains valuable components to be used for shaft furnace base on DRI.
The first one in India has been set up at JSPL, Angul.
Challenge: long chain and cyclic hydrocarbons in COG may be detrimental to the gasification process.

23. MXCOL Plant Air separation plant O2 Coal gasifier
Gas cleaning and conditioning
Syngas
coal
Gas heater
CO2 removal
Iron Oxide
Shaft furnace
Scrubber
DRI/HBI

24. MXCOL COG flow sheet COG preheater Coke oven gas O2 Thermal reactor
Air separation plant
Syngas
MIDREX shaft furnace
Gas heater
Iron oxide
DRI/HBI
Scrubber
CO2 removal

25. COREX-CEMENT-POWER PLANT COMPLEX
COAL
FLUX
OXYGEN
COREX coals should have at least 25% ash, 35% volatile matter, about 67% carbon
COREX
HOT METAL
SLAG
POWER
EXPORT GAS
POWER PLANT
CEMENT
POWER
POWER
SLAG CEMENT

26. Direction of project work
Utilisation of as much less energy as possible in steel plants else live with the reality.
Search for alternatives.

27. Energy consumption trends with technological advancement

28. Energy inputs and associated costs
Energy constitutes a significant portion of the cost of steel production, from 20% to 40% in some countries. Thus, improvements in energy efficiency result in reduced production costs and thereby improved competitiveness.
The energy efficiency of steelmaking facilities vary depending on production route, type of iron ore and coal used, the steel product mix, operation control technology, and material efficiency.
Energy is also consumed indirectly for the mining, preparation, and transportation of raw materials (about 8% of the total energy required to produce the steel - including raw material extraction and steel production processes.
About 50% of an integrated facility’s energy input comes from coal, 35% from electricity, 5% from natural gas and 5% from other gases

29. Hydrogen
as an alternative
source of energy

30. Pioneering work in Hydrogen recovery
In 2009, R & D dept of TATA Steel conducted a pilot trial on the H2H process, hydrogen-rich gas is produced by the thermo-chemical decomposition of water in the presence of catalytic fluxes. The hot slag plays two roles:
(1) It provides heat for the water decomposition reaction
(2) It prevents the reverse reaction between hydrogen and oxygen gases as the metal particles and suboxides present in the slag react with the oxygen.
The team opted for simulation of the conditions inside the H2H reactor, using computational fluid dynamic modelling tools, with the help of Tata Research Development and Design Centre, to simulate the rate and flow of products of various reactions inside the reactor.

31. Hydrogen Production Technologies
Reforming of Carbonaceous Sources
Pyrolysis of Biomass and reformation of bio-oil and gaseous products
Gasification of Renewable Biomass and its Reformation
Electrolysis of Water
Bio-Hydrogen Process
Thermochemical splitting of water

32. Advantages of using Hydrogen as fuel

33. Advantages of using Hydrogen as fuel
The success of the hydrogen harvesting process has several remarkable implications for the steel industry:
It creates a clean fuel source at a low cost by using waste heat and waste water.
Hydrogen fuel cells are a new product area with uses in transport and other industries.
The process has the potential of increasing revenue as well as added benefits in terms of carbon credits and patents.
The gas can be used as a fuel in drying furnaces, reheating furnaces, ladle pre-heaters, captive power plants, etc. With this, consumption of coal and other fossil fuels reduces and CO2 emissions can come down by about 25kg per tonne of steel.

34. PLASMA
as an alternative
source of energy

35. What is Plasma?
A plasma is a hot ionized gas consisting of approximately equal numbers of positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. The characteristics of plasmas are significantly different from those of ordinary neutral gases so that plasmas are considered a distinct "fourth state of matter."

36. Temperature at which gases significantly ionised: 5000 – 25000 K
Diatomic gases like H2, N2
Plasma subjection
Dissociated atoms
which are chemically more active than root diatomic molecules
Temperature at which gases significantly ionised:
5000 – K
This large temperature could be exploitable for carrying out smelting operations

37. High pressure radio frequency discharges
Iron & Steel industry
(based on)
Thermal Plasma category
(field strength to pressure ratio is small)
High pressure radio frequency discharges
High intensity arcs
shockwaves

38. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS USING RF PLASMA DEVICES:
In such conditions, thermodynamic equilibrium may not prevail causing other product formation not predicted in conventional routes.
Oxides predicted thermodynamically unreducible can be reduced to metal in plasma reactor.
Eg: Chromite ore Ferrochrome alloy
SSP (Sustained Shockwave Plasma) reactor
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS USING RF PLASMA DEVICES:
Material synthesis by sintering green refractory rods of Al2O3
Production of nitrides (AlN, Si3N4) & carbides (SiC)

39. Schematic of plasma powered reducer

40. Orbitting plasma for iron smelting
Attempts made at University Of Minnesota to utilise plasma produced through electrical shockwaves not only as a heat source but also as a thermodynamic & kinetic medium for smelting, using iron ore and coal fines.
Also for circulation, a magnetic system is utilized between cathodic and anodic segments.
(Ref. AG, U of M, steel times
international, London, 1986.)

41. Orbitting plasma for iron smelting

42. NATURAL GAS
as an alternative
source of energy

43. Availability of Natural Gas is a limitation

44. Availability of Natural Gas is a limitation
in Indian context

45. Availability of Natural Gas is a limitation
in Indian context

46. Natural gas application in iron carbide process
Utilising iron ore fines in fluid bed with natural gas
Iron carbide produced is A substitute material for charging into EAF (Chicago, USA)
However for Indian conditions, NG being not available and naphtha being not suitable, coal gasification has been resorted to in a conceptual project by Dr A.G. Group. (CFRI, Dhanbad under CSIR). (Presented at EEC, Venice 2016)

47. NUCLEAR ENERGY
as an alternative
source of energy

51. Schematic showing generation of electricity by Nuclear reactor

53. Unique features of fission energy & nuclear fuels
High energy density
Carbon free minimum volume of waste generation
High base load electricity and plant load factor
High capital cost but low maintenance costs
Produce new fuel/fissile material from fertile material, consuming fissile one
Radioactivity & health hazard

55. Sources
of energy
used for
Industry
and
manufacturing,
2010

56. Predicted Energy resource consumption

57. Conclusively,
Deeper investigative studies shall be undertaken to bring out ways and means of establishing areas of application in the ferrous sector, during the span of my research project.

58. Innovation in steel Technology to curb cost and elevate Efficiency
By-
Sumit Katiyar
Guided By-
Dr. Amit Ganguly

59. Introduction:
Iron and Steel Industry in India is on an upswing because of the strong global and domestic demand. India's rapid economic growth and soaring demand by sectors like infrastructure, real estate and automobiles, at home and abroad, has put Indian steel industry on the global map. According to the latest report by International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI), India is the 4th largest steel producer in the world.

60. The present scenario of the industry
India has one of the richest reserves of all the raw materials required for the industry, namely land, capital, cheap labour, iron ore, power, coal etc. Yet we are 4th in the world ranking for production of steel. We produced 66.8 million tonnes in , while China, at the top of the list, produced million tonnes. Our per capita consumption of steel in India (at 50 kg per annum) is well below the world average (at about 200 kg per annum) and much below that of the developed world (around 350 kg per annum).

61. Vision of the Steel Industry in India
The National Steel Policy – 2005 aims at increasing the total steel production of the country to 110 million tonnes per year (in ) from 38 million tonnes (in ). This was supposed to require a compounded annual growth of about 7.3%. The total production in 2010 was 66.8 million tonnes. The compounded annual growth from 2005 to 2010 has been more than 9% which is better than the expected growth. But most of these are a result of the brownfield expansion projects of the existing steel companies. But to continue with the same growth rate, we need new Greenfield projects.

62. As per report of Ministry of Steel ,India
National Steel policy setup a production target of 110 million tonnes. Domestic Demand of steels as tabulated follows:
Item
(Million tonnes)
(Million Tonnes)
Carbon steel
62.14
108.3
Alloy/Stainless steel
3.47
5.0
Total domestic demand
65.61
113.3
Export
3.34
2.0
Net production
62.27
115.3

63. India’s export of Iron and Steel

64. Imports: Category 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12*
Iron and steel are freely important as per extant policy.
Last five year’s import of total finished steel (alloy +non alloy)
is given below:-
Indian steel Industry :Imports( in million tonnes)
Category *
Total Finished steel (alloy +non alloy)
7.03
5.84
7.38
6.66
6.83
Source: Joint Plant Committee; *provisional

65. Industry structure Integrated producers Secondary producers
The Iron and steel Industry in India has two separate divisions:
Integrated producers
Secondary producers
Integrated Producers: Amongst the Integrated producers, the major producers include Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), who generate steel by converting iron ore.
Secondary Producers: The Secondary producers like Ispat
Industries, Lloyds steel and Essar Steel, create steel through the process of melting scrap iron. These are mainly small steel plants and produce steel in electric furnaces, using scrap and sponge iron. They produce both mild steel and alloy steel of given specifications.

66. Main Problems of steel Industries
Raw Materials Issues - depletion of iron ore and coal reserves
Iron Ore
Resources and Reserves of Iron Ore in India as on
(Million Tonnes)
Grade
Reserves
Remaining Resources
Total Resources
Haematite
8093.5
9788.6
Magnetite
21.8
Total
8115.3

67. B. Coals
As on , India has total coking coal reserves of billion tonnes, out of which billion tonnes is of proved category. Out of this, prime coking coal is only 4.61 billion tonnes. Majority of coking coal reserves in the country have high ash content, which is not suitable for steel industry.
As on , India has total non-coking coal reserves of billion tonnes, out of which billion tonnes is of proved category.
Coking coal quality problems, consequently, have forced the Indian blast furnace based steel makers to get increasingly dependent on imported coking coal and the high price of this critical raw material in the international market has sharply eroded their competitive position.

68. Infrastructure problem for steel industry and associated mining industry
Steel manufacturing involves bulk movement of raw materials and finished products over long distances and across the country. Movement of raw materials requires special attention as extraction of mineral resources is largely confined to remote and relatively inaccessible areas in the eastern and southern regions of India. Mining areas in general are characterized by poor transport and logistics network, power shortage and water scarcity. These infrastructural constraints continue to dent steel industry‘s competitiveness on account of higher transportation cost, higher tariffs, and long delays.

69. Process Routes of Production of Iron & Steel
Coke Oven - Blast Furnace (BF) -Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) using Coking Coal and Iron Ore (Lumps/Sinters) as basic inputs for production of steel flat & long products.
ii) COREX – Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) using non-coking coal and iron ore (lumps/pellets) as basic inputs for production of steel flat product.
iii) Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) – Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)using Natural Gas/Non coking Coal and iron ore (lumps/pellets) as basic inputs for steel production.
iv) Mini Blast Furnace (MBF) – Energy Optimizing Furnace (EOF) using coke and iron ore lumps and scrap as basic inputs for steel production.

70. vi) Stand-alone Electric Arc Furnaces using steel scrap and purchased sponge iron as basic inputs mainly for production of steel semis & long products.
vii) Standalone Electric Induction Furnaces using steel scrap and sponge iron as basic inputs mainly for production of steel semis & long products.
viii) Standalone Mini Blast Furnaces using mostly iron ore lumps and coke as basic inputs for pig iron and ductile iron spun pipe production.
ix) Stand alone Gas/Coal DRI Furnaces using iron ore lumps/pellets and Natural Gas/ Non Coking Coal as basic inputs for production of Direct Reduced Iron (Sponge iron).
x) Stand alone Rolling /Processing Mills using purchased/imported inputs for production of long & flat rolled steel products including coated sheet products.

71. A TYPICAL CASE STUDY FOR INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES LEADING TO PROFITABILITY
Improving operating parameters in EAF based on HBI utilization.
HBI (HOT BRIQUETTED IRON) Developed based on preventing DRI re-oxidation problems (spontaneous combustion resulting from high porosity of DRI).
The compact, dense material became a better charge material for substituting scrap (HBI) in EAF which was developed by collaboration of Industry named MIDREX, USA and UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH in whose team Dr. Amit Ganguly was one of the participants from UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH as a post-doc fellow.
While utilising HBI, a great deal optimisation had to be struck to improve consumption figures , through radical improvements in design and development.

72. HOT BRIQUETTING SYSTEM

73. Controlling HBI related factors to control Energy rise in EAF
Superior DR Technology
High Grade Iron Ores
Suitable Reductant
HBI of high DOM
Less Impurities
Optimum HBI Ratio
In Charge mixture
Continuous charging of HBI
Optimum Charge
Control of energy in HBI-EAF Route

74. Effect of continuous charging on HBI

76. EAF Steel Making Improvements

77. Future Plans for steel Plants
Iron-making process which does not require coking coal – Emerging Alternative Iron making processes
Conversion of non-metallurgical coal into coking variety
Improve washing to increase yield and reduce ash for coking and non coking coals
Beneficiation of lean / fine and friable iron ores and suitable agglomeration for iron making
Use of mine wastes
Recycling of Steel Plant wastes to reduce / conserve the raw material inputs
Refractory life of steelmaking furnace e.g. refractory quality, sintering characteristics, brick making, recycling etc.
Standardization and optimization of EAF with hot metal charge to improve overall performance of EAF

78. Re-use and recycling of LD slag
. New process/technology for ferro-alloy making to reduce the cost and CO2 emission
Co2 emission in integrated steel plant
unit
Co2 t/ton steel
Mining
0.2
Coking
0.1
Sintering
Iron making
Steel making
Continuous casting
Hot rolling
Total

79. Conclusion :
EAF has adopted HBI as feed constituent to supplement scrap when needed and to dilute residuals to enhance steel quality when required.
The rising trend in energy consumption generally confronting the steelmaker while utilizing HBI needs to be largely offset to make it a viable charge.