Electric Arc Furnace Power Consumption

Electric Arc Furnace Power Consumption

What are the reasons for the high power consumption of electric arc furnaces in steelmaking?

Why is the power consumption of electric arc furnaces high in steelmaking? What are the reasons?

When discussing the high power consumption of electric arc furnaces in steelmaking, we can't help but ask: What causes this phenomenon? Through in-depth analysis, the following main reasons can be summarized:

1. Raw material conditions

First of all, the scrap steel used in electric furnace steelmaking requires light and thin materials, briquettes, etc. as its raw materials, which often easily cause high material feeding and hot shutdown, resulting in large heat loss. So why do these specific raw materials lead to increased heat loss? The reason is that the density of these light and thin materials and briquettes is low, which makes it easy for the material pile to be too high during the charging process, thereby affecting the smelting efficiency. In addition, when the charging is insufficient at one time, it is necessary to feed twice, and even in some cases, three times, which undoubtedly increases the heat loss. Each additional charge (average charging time is 5 minutes) increases the power consumption by about 7-12 kWh/ton. In addition, when the carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) contents of the raw materials are high after cleaning, the decarburization and dephosphorization process after the oxidation period will take longer and consume more energy. Does this mean that we should pay more attention to the stability and uniformity of the raw materials when selecting them?

2. Operator skills

Secondly, the power consumption during the melting period accounts for 60%-70% of the total power consumption of the entire steelmaking process, and the power is mainly wasted after cleaning. Here is a question: Why is there a lot of energy waste in the oxidation period after cleaning? A common phenomenon is that the blind slag flow during the dephosphorization process in the oxidation period wastes a lot of lime and energy. Does this reflect the operator's lack of skills or experience? Obviously, improving the operator's skill level and experience accumulation is of great significance to reducing energy consumption.

3. Limitations of objective conditions

Furthermore, the sudden power outage due to power shortage during the stage refining process is also an important reason for the high power consumption of electric arc furnace steelmaking. When the power supply is unstable, the molten steel needs to be melted again after cooling and solidifying, which wastes a lot of electricity. Can this situation be solved by optimizing the grid dispatch or increasing the backup power supply?

4. Other accidents

Finally, there are some other accidents that will also lead to an increase in the power consumption of electric arc furnace steelmaking. For example, the operator's improper operation will cause the electrode to break, and a lot of heat will be lost in the process of handling the electrode; after entering the reduction period and taking the reduction sample, it is found that the composition is unqualified, and secondary oxidation is required, which will also waste a lot of heat energy; during the smelting process, the coal oxygen burner leaks, causing the flux to be interrupted; when the furnace wall is hung with materials, the furnace cover needs to be unscrewed for processing, etc. These situations have delayed the smelting time to varying degrees and increased heat loss. So, how to reduce the frequency of these accidents? Obviously, strengthening equipment maintenance, improving operational norms and the formulation of emergency plans are necessary measures.

In summary, the high power consumption of electric arc furnace steelmaking is the result of the combined effect of multiple factors. In order to reduce energy consumption and improve production efficiency, we need to start from multiple aspects, including optimizing raw material selection, improving operator skills, improving objective conditions and preventing accidents, etc. Only in this way can we achieve the sustainable development of electric arc furnace steelmaking technology.