Analytical study of blast-furnace smelting technologies that entail the injection of coal-gasification products

The use of a multi-zone mathematical model developed by the Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy (of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences) to study blast-furnace smelting with the injection of coal-gasification products showed that the processes which take place in the furnace change under the influence of the same tendencies as are seen with the injection of pulverized-coal fuel. The amount of coal that can be injected can be increased significantly if it undergoes preliminary gasification and the ash is fluidized in tuyere-mounted gasifiers. Such a practice would make it possible to achieve the targeted savings of coke even if low-grade coals are used instead of higher grades. The replacement of hot blast by cold oxygen would be problematic only if the initial and projected coke and wind rates are low.