Influence of conveyance methods for pulverised coal injection in a blast furnace

Pulverised coal injection (PCI) is a widely adopted industry practice for reducing blast furnace coke rates. The conditions under which pulverised coal (PC) is injected and combusted, including the co-injection of natural gas (NG), can lead to complex combustion phenomena inside the blast furnace, which must be understood to provide improved furnace performance. This research examines computational simulations of the co-injection phenomena, as well as the industrial drivers behind the project. A wide-ranging parametric study was conducted utilising numerous variations in furnace operating conditions, as well as a new technique for the conveyance of PC. It was found that utilising NG as the carrier gas for PCI could increase coal burnout across the raceway region from about 71% to approximately 87% without altering the design of the tuyere/blowpipe region, with an increase to 96% possible if a shift to a dual lance design for NG injection is considered.