Development of a cupola furnace process model. Final technical report

Technical Report · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/584868· OSTI ID:584868

A strategic partnership was formed among the American Foundrymen`s Society and the Federal government to develop and transfer the technology needed by the US foundry industry to: increase energy efficiency of cupola melting; improve recovery of carbon, silicon, and manganese through reduced oxidation losses; and improve productivity due to more uniform and predictable iron compositions. An effective mathematical model of the cupola offers a solution to the complex and interactive chemical and heat transfer processes to melt cast iron. The transient changes in charge size, charge composition, blast rate, and coke rate are used to optimize operation to improve melting rates, minimize oxidation losses of valuable alloying elements (C, Si, and Mn), and maintain iron composition. Despite these challenges, the cupola produces iron at a lower cost, and have better environmental controls than other melting process with 70% of domestic liquid iron produced by this technique. The current study builds on a one-dimensional model developed during Phase 1 and Phase 2 to make it both user friendly and PC compatible to aid the application of this technology in operating foundries. Results are discussed.

• Research Organization: American Foundrymen`s Society, Des Plaines, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FC07-93ID13240
• OSTI ID: 584868
• Report Number(s): DOE/ID/13240--T1; ON: DE98004041
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
BLAST FURNACES
CAST IRON
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MELTING
METAL INDUSTRY
PRODUCTIVITY
PROGRESS REPORT