Steel making
From sintering and blast furnace operations to basic oxygen furnace and hot metal refining, steelmaking processes release great quantities of heat and emissions. Steelmakers who want to lower the total cost of operation and minimize environmental impact can turn to Alfa Laval. Alfa Laval’s proven heat transfer, separation and fluid handling technologies optimize processes and boost the bottom line.
Raising steelmaking efficiency
Alfa Laval offers various solutions, such as air and plate heat exchangers as well as centrifugal decanters. This helps increase the bottom line through the efficient dissipation of excess heat as well as smart handling of recovered sludge.
The heat is usually cooled by recirculating process water connected to a secondary cooling system. No matter what cooling system that is applied, Alfa Laval offers a wide range of solutions of heat exchangers.
All steelmaking operations are subjected to large formations of gas that needs to be cleaned in large scrubbers. By applying modern decanter technology, the resulting dewatered sludge can be recycled back to the process and therefore improve the bottom line.
Dust and sludge recycling
Decanter centrifuges are widely used for dealing with dust from blast furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, sinter plants and other molten metal operations. By removing water from the wet scrubbing slurries and recovering and recycling the solids, it is possible to generate additional revenues. What’s more, using a space-saving decanter eliminates dusty operating environments, thereby promoting safer and healthier working conditions.
Closed loop cooling systems
Well-designed cooling systems are vital given the complex processes and operating conditions encountered in blast, basic oxygen and electric arc furnaces, direct reduction plants and continuous casting machinery.
In a closed-loop cooling system, high-quality water is cooled in a secondary cooling system, which consists of plate heat exchangers cooled by seawater, river water or water from a nearby cooling tower, which:
- Reduces maintenance due to the use of easy-to-maintain Alfa Laval plate heat exchangers
- Lowers pumping costs because pumps only need to overcome the static head of the process equipment rather than the full cooling tower.
Air cooler as secondary cooling system
Because water is an increasingly scarce resource, it is vital for steelmakers to look for alternative cooling systems. Closed loop air cooling systems are an effective alternative to cooling towers that eliminate both the problems and costs associated with water treatment and makeup water. Alfa Laval air coolers combine high efficiency with low electricity consumption and noise levels.
