A New Methodological Approach on the Characterization of Optimal Charging Rates at the Hydrogen Plasma Smelting...

Area of Science:

• Metallurgical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Sustainable Manufacturing

Background:

• The European steel industry must reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet climate targets.
• Developing novel, GHG-free steel production technologies is crucial for emission reduction.
• Hydrogen Plasma Smelting Reduction (HPSR) is a promising technology for sustainable steelmaking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate process parameters influencing reduction kinetics in continuous charging HPSR.
• To optimize HPSR for improved efficiency and reduced process times.
• To enhance hydrogen conversion and oxygen removal rates in GHG-free steel production.

Main Methods:

• Investigated preliminary tests with varying charging rates and plasma gas compositions.
• Conducted main experiments to determine the effect of pre-reduction degree on kinetics and hydrogen conversion.
• Statistically evaluated results using MODDE® 13 Pro to identify significant process influences.

Main Results:

• High hydrogen utilization achieved with high iron ore feeding rates and low hydrogen plasma gas concentrations.
• Low pre-reduction degree and high oxide melt proportion resulted in high oxygen removal rates.
• Calculated reduction constant (1.13 × 10⁻⁵ kg O/m² s Pa) is seven times higher than literature values.

Conclusions:

• Optimized HPSR parameters lead to significantly enhanced reduction kinetics and efficiency.
• The HPSR process demonstrates potential for achieving GHG-free steel production targets.
• Further optimization can lead to substantial improvements in oxygen removal rates and reduced process times.