| Description |
To increase the output efficiency of the two Q-BOP (Basic Oxygen Process) steel producing furnaces at Geneva Steel, a team of electrical, chemical, and metallurgical engineers from the University of Utah has researched and proposed a dynamic control system to eliminate six to seven minutes of sampling time currently spent waiting for manual analysis of steel content and temperature during each blow. The dynamic model will provide continuous analysis of the steel content by measuring the exhaust gas flow and content and the bath temperature. An output from the model will indicate the correct oxygen shutoff time to yield the proper content of carbon and other components in the steel without waiting for the results of a sample composition analysis. The dynamic model will increase steel output efficiency by reducing the time and cost per ton of steel produced, and will increase production to a level necessary to supply the new continuous caster being installed at Geneva Steel with enough steel to operate efficiently. We have done research necessary to implement the dynamic model, including research into chemical reactions taking place in the Q-BOP process, the current static control model used to estimate time to blow and resulting steel composition, historical composition analyses of the resulting steel composition and exhaust gas compositions from the Q-BOP, and the instrumentation necessary to provide inputs to the dynamic model. We also performed cost and energy savings studies on the exhaust gas and water cooling pump control systems, and have proposed changes which include the installation of variable frequency drives to adjust gas and water flow rates to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. |
