Modeling and validation of an electric arc furnace: Part 2, thermo-chemistry

Abstract

The following paper presents an approach to the mathematical modeling of thermo-chemical reactions and relations in a 3-phase, 80 MVA AC, electric arc furnace (EAF) and represents a continuation of our work on modeling the electric and hydraulic processes of an EAF. This paper is part 2 of the complete EAF model and addresses the issues relating to chemical reactions and the corresponding chemical energy in the EAF, which are not included in part 1 of the paper, which is focused on mass, temperature and energy-exchange modeling. Part 2 and part 1 papers are related to each other accordingly and should be considered as a whole. The developed and presented sub-models are obtained according to mathematical and thermo-chemical laws, with the parameters fitting both experimentally, using the measured operational data of an EAF during different periods of the melting process, and theoretically, using the conclusions of different studies involved in EAF modeling. Part 2, part 1 and the already published electrical and hydraulic models of the EAF represent a complete EAF model, which can further be used for the initial aims of our project, i.e., optimization of the energy consumption and the development of an operator- training simulator. Like with part 1, the obtained results show high levels of similarity with both the operational measurements and theoretical data available in different studies, from which we can conclude that the presented EAF model is developed in accordance with both the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and the practical aspects relating to EAF operation. © 2012 ISIJ.