Energy analysis of a blast-furnace system operating with the Corex process and CO2 removal

The integration of the COREX process with the blast-furnace process, the installation of CO₂ removal and gas-and-steam CHP plant displays many energy and ecological advantages. The application of COREX gas after the removal of CO₂ as hot reducing gas leads first of all to a saving of coke. Besides the reduction of the consumption of coke, also the consumption of blast, high-purity oxygen, the amount and lower heating value (LHV) of blast-furnace gas are changed, as well as the production of electricity in the recovery turbine, the consumption of blast-furnace gas in the Cowper stoves and the amount of blast-furnace gas supplied to the gas-energy subsystem of the ironworks. Related to a unit amount of pig iron, these quantities are called energy characteristics of the blast-furnace assembly. They may be used to assess the energy process effects of applying COREX gas in the blast-furnace process. In order to assess the influence of injecting COREX gas into the thermal reserve zone, the zone balance method of the blast-furnace process has been used.