Evaluation of Energy Saving Potential in Industrial Furnaces Used In Iron-Steel Sector
Şaban PUSAT İsmail EKMEKCİ Hasan Hüseyin ERDEM
AbstractIron and steel sector is one of the most energy intense sector in the world, and industrial furnaces used in this sector have high importance in terms of energy efficiency. Industrial furnaces should be investigated carefully to be able to decrease the production costs. For this aim, firstly, the heat and mass flows through the furnace should be established. Then, waste heat sources should be revealed. Finally, the potential of waste heat recovery should be determined. In this study with a general point of view, waste heat recovery potential of industrial furnaces used in iron-steel sector was evaluated by setting heat and mass balances. The necessary calculations were done to introduce the waste heat recovery potential for the chimney which is one of the most important zone such equipment. In addition, effects of different process parameters (fuel consumption, yearly working hours, flue gas temperature and flue gas oxygen rate) on energy recovery potential were evaluated. Our main conclusion is that energy saving potentials are promising for the furnaces used in iron-steel sector. Furthermore, all the parameters considered in this study are significant in terms of energy efficiency potential.