Blast Furnace

Productivity
Blast furnace Productivity (Growth of
Blast Furnace)
Height (m) Productivity (THM/day) Hearth Diameter (m)
15.3 25 0.9
20.3 450 4.5
24 1200 6.5
29.4 4000 9.75
31.45 6000 11.2
36 ~10000 14

From 1860 to 1980

A. Babich, D. Senk, H.W. Gudenau, K. Th, Mavrommatis, Ironmaking, RWTH Aachen,

Aachen, 2009, p. 402.
Blast furnace Productivity
• Productivity = gas generated at tuyeres in unit
time that required to produce a unit of iron)

Productivity, P (THM/day) = Q/K

Q : Coke burned, tons/day

K : Coke consumed, tons/THM
Blast furnace Productivity
Heat requirement and tuyere gas has significant impact on productivity

Productivity, P (THM/day) =

Productivity, P (THM/day) =
Blast furnace Productivity
B.P.I = Blast furnace productivity Index

B.P.I = (actual production /production target) ×100

Coke rate target (K):

K= 200 + 0.20 B (B = net burden weight)
Blast furnace Productivity
K = 470 + 0.164 B + 0.249 Z -1.006 S – 1.142 P – 0.093 t b

Standard Deviation : 28.5 Kg/THM

K : Coke rate, Kg/THM (87.5%)

B : net burden, Kg/THM.
Z : limestone charged, Kg/THM
S : % of sinter based on gross burden weight
P : % of pellet based on gross burden weight
tb : hot blast temperature (°C)
Blast furnace Productivity
Coke throughput : Coke burning rate x effective hearth area

A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1981.
Blast furnace Productivity

Other Indices for Blast furnace performance :

1) THM/m2.24h used mostly in Europe and America

2) Volume efficiency THM/m3.24h used in America and

Soviet Union.

3) Furnace volume utilization coefficient (KIPO),

m3/THM.24h used in Soviet Union.
 Blast furnace Productivity
• Productivity increases with increase coke throughput and decrease coke
rate.

1. Increased oxygen supply

COKE THROUGHPUT (increased blast volume,
oxygenated humidified blast,
high top pressure).
2. Reduced slag volume, viscosity

• Increased oxygen enhances coke burning rate.

• Higher blast volume is effective if the permeability is sufficient and charge, gas
distribution is uniform. (Strength, blending of ore are effective).
• Humidified Blast increases coke burning rate. Reduction in flame temperature
is compensated by increase in blast temperature.
Blast furnace Productivity : Importance of
Hydrogen
• Hydrogen has high gasifying intensity.
• Efficient burden decent
• High heat transfer co-efficient
• Extension of combustion zone, retains thermal state of blast furnace.
• Lower density and viscosity of hydrogen, pressure drop occurs, enhances
blast rate
Blast furnace Productivity

1. Preparation of charge
COKE RATE materials
2. Enhancement in blast
temperature
3. Modification of blast
4. Super (Metallized) Burden
5. Fuel additives
 Effect of oil injection
• Oil addition reduces flame temperature.

• 1 kg C (by normal air)  5.376 Nm3 (Volume of gas),

2300 Kcal/kg (heat of combustion)

• 1 kg Oil (by normal air)  5.86 Nm3 (Volume of gas),

1466 Kcal/kg (heat of combustion)

• Thermal capacity of gas : volume × mean heat capacity / Nm3. °C × (tf-900 °C )

A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1984.
 Effect of oil injection
• Contracted Thermal Reserve Zone (TRZ).
• Ore residence time is small in TRZ.
• Less Indirect and more direct reduction.

A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1984.
Blast Furnace Productivity : Effect of Sinter
rate

A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1984.
Blast Furnace Productivity : Effect of ore size and
High top pressure
Coke rate : 500 Kg/THM, Coke contains : 87.5%C.

HTP, (atm. Gauge) Minimum ore size Highest productivity,

(mm) THM/m2. 24 h
0 6 50
0 8 60
3 6 95
3 8 116

A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1984.
 Blast Furnace Productivity
Gas Inlet (w)
Gas Outlet

Empty tube velocity (w) = V/A

V : Volume of gas, Cross sectional area : A
When the gas velocity increases from laminar to turbulent pressure loss enhances.

Friction factor, λ = f(Re), Re : Reynolds number

=.

ΔP : pressure drop , : operational gas density, H : pipe length, w= operational gas velocity,
D : Pipe diameter,
 Blast Furnace Productivity
=
: operational gas viscosity,
: / : operational kinematic gas viscosity
If voidage is , then the modified velocity w1 : w/

In blast furnace the change in velocity is due to

a) Variation in voidage in different region

b) Variation in dimensions

ψ.. . , d1= d.  ( : sphericity = 1 for pellets

 = 0.70-0.75 for coke, ore, sinter),

Ψ : friction factor, d : particle diameter, = fraction occupied by solids.

Blast Furnace Productivity
ψ.. .. .
o subscript is for standard condition (273 K, 1 atm.), T, P : Absolute temperature and
pressure.

Pressure drop or resistance to gas flow reduces with :

a) Enhancement in voidage
b) Increased pressure in furnace column
c) Enhancement in particle diameter
d) Decrease in gas density
e) Decrease in gas velocity A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking:
Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1984.
 Blast Furnace Productivity

Bosh Gas Top pressure Coke Rate Slag bulk, Productivity,

pressure (atm. (atm. gauge) (Kg/THM) (Kg/THM) THM/m2. 24 h
gauge)
1 0 500 300 46.7
1 0 700 800 22.0
5 3 500 300 73.2
5 3 700 800 34.3

A. K. Biswas, Principles of Blast Furnace Ironmaking: Theory and practice, SBA publication, 1984.
 Blast Furnace Productivity
• Injection of coal and other fuels to reduce coke rate.

• Use of more agglomerated burden (pellets and sinter) – Improved permeability.

• Reduction in slag rate and coke rate.

• Decrease of silicon content in the hot metal by 1 % improves blast furnace productivity
by 4 % to 12 %. Improvements in sinter and pellet quality for BF productivity.

• Enhancement in furnace volume.

• Productivity measures in the form of bell less top, high top pressure, oxygen
improvement, humidity control etc. With every increase of top pressure of the blast
furnace by 0.1 Kg/Sq cm there is an improvement in the productivity of the blast
furnace in the range of 0.5 % to 1.5 %.
 Blast Furnace Productivity
• 1 % reduction in the ash content of the BF coke results into improvement in the BF
productivity by 0.8 % to 1.5 %. 

•  A decrease of sulphur content of coke by 0.1 % improves the BF productivity by 0.7 % to

1.2 %.

• Tap hole clay improvement for improved tap hole life.

• Multiple tap holes.

Flowchart for Increasing productivity
Increased
Productivity

Fuel Increased Coke

Injection Throughput

Increased
Oxygen
Input

Oxygenated Humidified
Blast Blast

Increase Blast
Volume

High Top
Increased
Pressure
stock
permeability

Burden Enhanced Coke

preparation Strength

Beneficiation
Sizing of burden (low slag bulk)

Increased Mechanical strength

(agglomeration)
Flowchart for Increasing productivity

Increased
Productivity

Decreased
Coke rate

Decrease Increase Indirect

thermal load reduction

Increased Blast Prefluxing of Improved gas- Using Hydrogen

Beneficiation Prefluxing
temperature agglomerates solid contact bearers

Burden Preparation (screening,

sizing, agglomeration
 Blast Furnace Productivity
• Using ores and coal of low quality
a) New process control
b) Quality of coke

• Maximize oxygen input

a) High flame temperature
b) coal burning
c) drying of shaft gas

• Decrease in CO2 emission.

Recycling of top gas after removing of CO2.