Basic Oxygen Furnace: Energy Consumption
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Adapted from: “The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel” |
Equipment
Combustion Technology
Energy Consumption
Process Description
R&D Trends
About 1.5 million Btu per ton of steel is required in BOP steelmaking. Slightly over half the energy is provided by the molten iron charge. The remaining energy is supplied by the oxidation reactions generated by the oxygen lance. Oxidation of carbon and silicon in the hot metal are the most important sources of oxidation energy for the process and levels of carbon and silicon in the hot metal are not only very important to the energy balance of the process but also determine the share of metal scrap that can be added. In the Q-BOP process where a hydrocarbon is injected as a coolant, this hydrocarbon does not add to the heat of the melt but provides cooling by the endothermic reaction. Carbon monoxide produced in the BOP is burned in the dust recovery and gas clean-up section.