INVESTIGATING PULVERIZED COAL COMBUSTION IN BLAST-FURNACE HEARTH WITH OXYGEN ENRICHED BLAST

Calculations based on blast furnace trials have shown that pulverised coal can replace up to 30-50% coke in a blast furnace with oxygen enriched blast without impairing productivity or hot metal quality. It was also found that with blast oxygen enrichment to 26% and injection of 100 kg pulverised coal per hot metal the pulverised fuel combustion zone becomes up to 250 mm shorter with scope for a further increase in pulverised fuel consumption. For modern blast furnaces, technology for a pulverised coal injection rate of 150-200 kg t-1 hot metal with blast enrichment to 25-27% oxygen should be developed.