Elham Foadian - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Mokmeli - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Saeed Sheibani - School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

In this paper, a comprehensive evaluation of the charged materials, energy consumption and CO۲ emissions of blast furnace (BF) is done by relating the operating data from the Esfahan steel company (ESCO) with the established static process models. The mass and energy balance calculations were performed using the HSC software. This model is capable of predicting ۱۶ independent variables of the ۱۵۰ total variables at the same time. The model was verified by comparing the results with the ESCO BF No. ۳ off gas, slag and dust composition and were found in ۸% deviation from the operating data. The model indicated that increasing the hot air blast temperature and CH۴ injection, reducing coke ash level and slag volume in the product improved the plant productivity. Compared with a convectional BF, the results of optimization showed that the energy consumption, CO۲ emission and coke consumption were reduced by ۳% (~۱۸۳ Gj/THM), ۱۶% (~۰.۵۶ kg/THM) and ۱۵% (~۷۹.۵ kg/THM), respectively. The energy efficiency was calculated at ۸۱.۸۴% and was increased by about ۵% in the optimizing conditions.

blast furnace, Mass and Energy Balance, HSC Software, CO۲ emission, energy consumption