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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Production increase with high rates of natural gas injection at Acme Steel and National Steel`s Granite City Division

Conference ·
OSTI ID:414851
; ;  [1]
  1. Charles River Associates, Boston, MA (United States); and others
Supplemental fuels are injected at the tuyere level of blast furnaces to reduce coke consumption and increase productivity. These fuels include natural gas, coke oven gas, oil, tar, and coal. The economic benefits derived from supplemental fuel are of two types: (1) the reduction in costs of hot metal production arising primarily from decreased coke consumption, and (2) the value of the increased production of hot metal- and steel - that can be sold. Essentially all blast furnaces in North America inject supplemental fuel. Approximately 70 percent inject natural gas in the range from 80-210 pounds per ton of hot metal (lb/THM) or from 1,800 to 4,700 standard cubic feet per ton of hot metal (scf/THM). Currently, natural gas injection rates average 110 lb/THM or 2,500 scf/THM. The total amount of gas consumed in North American blast furnaces now exceeds 101 billion cubic feet per year (bcfy).
OSTI ID:
414851
Report Number(s):
CONF-9606149--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English