Heating for Iron and Steel
Industrial gases and cost-effective technologies for all of your heating and reheating operations
Oxygen is required for any combustion process. By supplementing or replacing combustion air with oxygen when heating vessels, furnaces, and steel edges or surfaces, overall combustion can be improved. The resulting increased heat transfer, higher flame temperatures, and reduced volume of flue gases enable faster and more efficient heating with fewer emissions. Air Products offers computational fluid dynamic modeling, proprietary burners and control technologies that can help tailor a system to meet your unique heating needs.
Cost-effective Gas Technologies to Improve Performance while Lowering Overall Costs
Reheat Furnace
Our oxygen-enhanced combustion systems can help you reduce heating times and lower fuel consumption in the reheat furnace. Even low level oxygen enrichment of combustion zones can provide a boost to heating performance of a furnace or zone, increasing heat transfer and enabling higher throughput, while reducing specific fuel consumption. The best solution for your reheat furnace depends on many factors, such as your existing furnace’s operating parameters, throughput rates, and maintenance issues. Our applications engineers can help you implement tailored systems to meet your specific needs.
LADLE PREHEATING
Our proprietary oxy-fuel ladle preheating systems are designed to heat all types of ladles quickly and efficiently. Fuel savings on the order of 60-65% are routinely achieved due to the significant reduction of hot exhaust gas volumes as compared to air-fuel preheaters. Faster, hotter ladles, with less fuel consumed can all add up to significant cost savings and enhanced productivity. The best solution for your ladle preheating needs depends on many factors, such as your existing ladle preheater’s operating parameters, fuel costs, and production schedule. Our application engineers can help you implement tailored systems to meet your specific needs.
ROLLING / FINISHING MILL
Our direct flame impingement oxy-fuel systems are designed to provide incremental heating of edges, corners, and entire surfaces during the rolling process to improve temperature uniformity and metallurgical properties. In-line temperature restoration can help reduce edge and corner cracking in specific grades of steel. Fast-rolling speeds demand rapid heating. You can achieve this by applying high-temperature combustion products directly onto the surface of the metal. Our proprietary burners are specially designed to create a flame that is uniform and matches the geometry of the area to be heated.
Proven Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling Services for the Iron and Steel industry
We have extensive in-house computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling service capabilities that can help when looking to improve heating operations. Our services have helped enable iron and steelmakers to investigate and evaluate ways to increase productivity and cut costs without putting their production process at risk. Modeling studies provide quick, validated results along with recommendations for the type of system best for your operation.
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Let us help you determine how to maximize the benefits of the Heating for Iron and Steel process.