METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5.

2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

OPTIMIZATION OF ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN ELECTRIC ARC

FURNACES OPERATED WITH 100% DRI

J.G.G. Cárdenas, A.N. Conejo and G.G. Gnechi

Morelia Technological Institute
Graduate Program in Metallurgy
Av. Tecnológico 1500, Morelia, México
E-mail: aconejo@itmorelia.edu.mx

Abstract
An optimization mass and energy balance has been developed for Electric Arc Furnaces operated
with 100% DRI. The model involves linear programming in order to define a metallurgical practice
with the lowest production cost. The most recent thermochemical database was also included in the
thermal balance.
A higher consumption of electrical energy is expected when direct reduced iron is melted, in
comparison with scrap, however, heats with 100% DRI show a large variability in energy
consumption due to the large differences in its physical and chemical nature.
The results of this work can be used to have a better estimate of the energy consumed for a given
metallic charge as well as for the optimization of raw materials and production costs.

1. INTRODUCTION
Energy consumption represents a part share of production costs in Electric Arc Furnace
Steelmaking. One report [TORRES 2000], indicates that energy consumption represents 15% of the
variable production costs, in turn, variable costs represent about 80% of the total production costs. A
decrease in production costs is the main driving force to focus on the optimization of mass and energy
balances. One of the first analyses to quantify the influence of direct Reduced Iron (DRI) on
steelmaking productivity was carried out by RIGAUD in 1976. One equation derived from simplified
mass balances was used to quantify energy consumption. This work indicated a strong influence of the
gangue content in DRI on energy consumption. Subsequently, D´ENTREMONT in 1979 proposed
linear programming to investigate the optimization of mass and energy balances. Linear programming
is a modern mathematical tool developed by Dantzig in the late 1940´s. In 1980, GEIGER, described a
detailed analysis of linear programming employing scrap and DRI in electric arc furnace operations.
This work gives an excellent idea of the influence of the most important process variables on energy
consumption as well as on production costs; In our work, it was used as a reference model to evaluate
the influence of process variables on energy consumption employing 100% DRI.

2. OPTMIZATION MODEL
The optimization model is summarized in Table 1. It includes five mass balances, seven restrictions
for several materials and one global energy balance. The restrictions take into consideration a
maximum limit in residual elements and sulphur, availability of raw materials (DRI and scrap) as well
as a range for the carbon content in the charge. The total number of equations is 13. The total number
of unknowns is 10. The thermochemical data base was taken from the commercial software package
FactSage®. A program in visual basic version 6.0 was developed. This program contains an interface
with another commercial program, LINDO API®, employed to solve linear programming.
The objective function consists in the minimization of production costs, therefore the metallic
charge suggested can be considered as the optimum charge to minimize the production cost per ton of
steel.
In this paper, only model simulations are reported. In a future report, an improved version of the
current model and comparison with industrial data will be reported.

1
METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5. 2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

The model in its current version is highly versatile; however, its major limitation is centered on the
thermal efficiency term. The computation of thermal losses is based on the following empirical
expression.

(
∆H Loss = (1 − Efic. Térm. ) 0.83 E.E. - ∑ ∆H R Exo ) (1)

The amount of heat losses is taken as a fraction of the effective electrical energy supplied to the
furnace. In terms of modeling, the expression is adequate to simulate the influence of thermal
efficiency on energy consumption. A more realistic model should take into consideration experimental
measurements of thermal efficiency; however, this parameter is not easy to define, since furnace
energy losses are influenced by many factors such as:

- Furnace and heat size

- Furnace power
- Delays
- Tap to tap time
- Temperature
- Amount of infiltrated air
- Amount and type of slag
- Radiation from the electric arc
- Suction power by the powder extraction system
- Scrap multiple charging

Table 1. Set of equations to define optimization model

Fe Balance X Fe Fe Fe Fe Fe Fe
HRD W HRD + X Cha W Chat + X A W A = X Steel WSteel + X Esc W Esc + X Gas W Gas

Si, Al Balance ∑ (X i
HRD
i
WHRD + X Scr WScr + X iA WFeSi ) = ∑ (X iEsc WEsc )
CaO, MgO Balance ∑ (X i
HRD WDRI + X iCal WCal ) = ∑ (X iEsc WEsc)
SiO 2 SiO 2
O2Balance X FeO FeO CO
HRD WDRI + X HRD WDRI + WO 2 = X Esc WEsc + X Esc WEsc + WGas

Total Balance WHRD + WScr + WA + WCal + WO 2 + WCoke = WEsc + WCO + WSteel + WGas
S Restriction X SHRD WHRD + X SScr WScr + X SCoke WCoke ≤ X SSteel WSteel + X SEsc WEsc
Impurity Restriction X Imp Imp
HRD WHRD + X Scr WScr ≤ Max

C Requirement X CHRD WHRD + X Scr

C
WScr + X CCoke WCoke ≥ X Steel
C
WSteel + 12
71.85
X FeO
HRD WHRD

C Restriction X CHRD WHRD + X Scr

C
WScr + X CCoke WCoke ≤ X Steel
C
WSteel + 7112.85 X FeO
HRD WHRD

DRI Restriction WHRD ≤ Max

Scrap Restriction WScr ≤ Max
Alloying restriction WA ≤ Max
Energy Balance ∑ ∆H + ∑ ∆H
i R + ∆H Losses = E.E.
min C = C HRD ⋅ WHRD + C Scr ⋅ WScr + C A ⋅ WA + C Cal ⋅ WCal + C O 2 ⋅ WO 2
Objective function
+ C Coke ⋅ WCoke + C E.E. ⋅ E.E.
Symbols:
Xij, mass fraction specie i in material j
WEsc, slag weight
WA, alloys weight
WScr, scrap weight
E.E., electric energy
Ci, materials cost or energy per ton of steel
∆Hi, sensible heat, reaction heat and energy losses

2
METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5. 2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

Additional remarks on the system of equations: It is important to point out that the model described in
this work is similar to the model developed by Geiger, for comparison purposes. It is important to
recognize the fact that this model uses an old concept, used in the past when the electric arc furnaces
were employed to produce steel without ladle metallurgy facilities. This explains the use of
ferroalloys, such as FeSi and FeMn and a balance involving aluminum due to the formation of alumina
during deoxidation. In this particular set of simulations equations it is considered that the amount of
powder collected by the fume extraction system is known and its composition corresponds to pure
FeO. The amount of powder is 10 kg/ton. The equation representing the oxygen balance takes into
account only two oxides from the slag (FeO and SiO2) and oxygen in the gas phase. The gas phase is
composed in this case of 100% CO. In practice, a small fraction corresponds to CO2.

3. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The present simulations use the base compositions shown in Table 2. The composition of DRI
represents a monthly average from Mittal Steel Lázaro Cárdenas.

Table 2. Chemical composition of charge materials and products

DRI Scrap 1 Scrap 2 coke FeSi FeMn Lime Fume Slag Steel
% Metalliz. 94.28
% Fe 98.58 98.72 50 21 99.34
%C 2.27 0.4 0.1 78.19 4 0.0425
% Si 0.25 0.25 50
% Mn 0.5 0.5 75 0.215
%S 0.0043 0.02 0.03 0.02 max
% residuals 0.3 0.4 0.4 max
% SiO2 2.83 16
% Al2O3 1.06 7
% CaO 0.8 100 30
% MgO 0.5 8
% FeO 100 39
USD/kg 0.1893 0.2508 0.2508 0.21 0.078 Electricity:
0.064 USD/kwh

Figure 1 indicates the impact of increasing the amount of DRI on energy consumption. Due to the
large content of oxides in the gangue, the energy requirements increase. The figure also shows the
influence of thermal efficiency and metallization of DRI. It is observed an increase, of approximately
140 kwh/ton, from an all-scrap operation to an all-DRI operation, considering a large thermal
efficiency of 90% and DRI of 90% metallization, this gap fatherly increase as either, the thermal
efficiency or DRI metallization decreases. When a furnace is operated with 100% DRI, due to the
gangue content, in particular acid gangue, the amount of fluxes required to control slag basicity, also
increases. This in turn not only affects a higher consumption in electrical energy but increases
production costs. This behavior is illustrated in Figure 2. It shows that as percent DRI increases,
promotes a slight tendency to decrease the requirements of oxygen injection; this is due to the fact that
by increasing the ratio of DRI in the metallic charge, more oxygen in the form of FeO is also
introduced.
The quality of DRI is measured, from a chemical viewpoint, in terms of metallization, carbon
content and gangue content. These properties play a key role in energy consumption. It is suggested
(TORRES, 2003) that a high quality DRI contains a metallization above 94%, carbon content above
2.5% and gangue content lower than 4.4% (with and acid gangue less than 2.4%). Figures 3-5 show
the influence of those properties on the consumption of electrical energy. The model is consistent with
observed results; increasing both carbon content and metallization there is a decrease in the
consumption of electrical energy. In the first case, a higher metallization is an indication of higher
content of metallic iron and lower content of iron oxide.

3
METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5. 2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

700 200
Energy consumption, kwh/ton

Materials requirement, kg/ton

Gases
650 160
80% Efficiency

600 80% 120 Slag

O2
550 90% 80
90%

Coke
500 95% Metallization
40
90% Metallization Lime

450 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent DRI in metallic charge, % Fraction DRI in metallic charge, %

Figure 1. Effect of DRI on energy Figure 2. Materials requeriment as a

consumption. function of percent DRI.

The results shown in Figure 3 suggest that each 1% increment in metallization contribute to decrease
the energy consumption by -11 kwh/ton. Similarly, the impact factor for carbon content in DRI, shown
in Figure 4, indicate an impact factor of -32 kwh/ton with every increase of 1% C in DRI. In the
opposite direction, Figure 5 shows the negative influence of the gangue content on energy
consumption. Its impact factor is +15 kwh/ton when the gangue content increases 1%.

700 700
Energy consumption, kwh/ton

Energy consumption, kwh/ton

88% Metalización

650 650

1.5 % C 91%

600 3.0
600 94%

2.5

2.0
550 550
97%

500 500
85 87 89 91 93 95 97 1 2 3 4
Metallization, % Carbon, wt%

Figure 3. Effect of DRI metallization on Figure 4. Effect of carbon in DRI on

energy consumption. energy consumption.

Oxygen injection is a common practice in steelmaking; it is used to control the concentration of

dissolved carbon in liquid steel and simultaneously to generate heat due to exothermic reactions.
Figure 6 shows the effect of oxygen on energy consumption. It is shown that as the amount of oxygen

4
METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5. 2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

injected increases, there is a decrease in energy consumption. Typical values of oxygen injection are in
the range from 20-30 m3/ton, but can be as high as 40 m3/ton, depending on the concentration of
carbon in the metallic charge. According with the current results, the impact factor indicates a
decrease of 3 kwh/ton by every cubic meter of oxygen injected in one ton of steel.
The effect of tapping temperature was also analyzed. The model results are indicated in Figure 7. It
is always recommended to tap at the lowest possible temperature in order to avoid steel reoxidation
and to save energy. Sometimes, due to operational delays it is necessary to overheat the steel to
compensate for the heat losses due to long waiting times before arrival to the ladle metallurgy
facilities. The penalty for this practice, according with Figure 7, indicates an increase of 4 kwh/ton by
every 10°C increment in the tapping temperature.

750 650
Energy consumption, kwh/ton

Energy consumption, kwh/ton

70% Efficiency
700

600
650 91% Metallization
80%

94%
600
90%
550
97%
550 100%

500 500
3 4 5 6 7 5 10 15 20 25 30
3
Gangue in DRI, % Oxygen, m /ton

Figure 5. Effect of DRI on energy Figure 6. Materials requeriment as a

consumption. function of percent DRI.

750
Table 3. Summary of impact of
70% Efficiency
process variables on energy
Energy consumption, kwh/ton

700 consumption
Impact factor
Process variable
80 % kwh/ton
650
1%C – 32
90 % 1% Metallization – 11
600
1% Gangue in DRI + 15
3
1 m O2 / ton -3
550 10 °C (tapping
100 % +4
temperature)
500
1550 1600 1650 1700 1750
Tapping temperature, °C

Figure 7. Effect of tapping temperature

on energy consumption.

5
METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5. 2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

Table 3 summarizes the impact factors. This values were compared with one statistical model
previously reported, using industrial data [CONEJO, 2006]. As a result of this comparison, it is found
that the present results give much higher impact factors for metallization, carbon and gangue content
in DRI. According with the statistical model, the impact factors for the previous variables are 0.4,
17.85 and 4.3, respectively. The largest discrepancy is with metallization; however, this is in part
attributed to small changes in metallization in the industrial data, less than 1%, in contrast to the
simulations which involve variations from 85 to 97% metallization. The impact factors for oxygen and
tapping temperature are in close agreement with both models.
Figure 8 summarizes the energy balance for the case of employing DRI with 90% metallization
and assuming 55% thermal efficiency. This value has been reported as a typical value for electric arc
furnaces [D´ENTREMONT 1979]. With such a low thermal efficiency, only approximately 48% of
the total energy supplied to the furnace, by electrical and chemical means, is transferred to the steel.
The large percent due to heat losses (through water cooled panels) is overrated due to the current
consideration that no CO2 is being produced. If this additional gas is included in the analysis, it is
expected a higher percent of heat in the mixture of solids and gases leaving through the gas extraction
system.

Electric energy Chemical

633.5 energy
177.5
78.1 %
21.9 %

Total 811.1 kwh/ton

Heat losses
32.0 %
259.4
Steel
384.9
47.4 % 11.8 % PECS
90.6

8.8 % Slag
71.2

Figure 8 . Sankey diagram for 90% metallization and

55% thermal efficiency.

Finally, the production costs are also analyzed in Figures 9-10. It should be noted that the trends
displayed in both figures are in line with the relative prices fixed at the beginning. In this simulation
the price of DRI is lower than that for scrap. This is correct in the present time, however, prices are
very volatile.

6
METAL 2007 22. – 24. 5. 2007 Hradec nad Moravicí

300 350

300
Production cost, USD/ton

Production cost, USD/ton

290
80% Efficiency
250
90%

280 80%
200

90%
150
270 90% Efficiency
85% Metallization
60% Efficiency
93% Metallization 100

260 50
0 20 40 60 80 100 50 80 110 140 170 200 230
Percent DRI, % DRI cost, USD/ton

Figure 9. Impact of percent DRI in Figure 10. Impact of increasing the

the metallic charge on production price of DRI on production cost.
costs.

4. CONCLUSION
An optimization mass and energy balance has been applied to analyze electric arc furnace operation
with 100% DRI. The results are consistent with observed results under industrial conditions; however,
further improvements are required in order to include additional variables, such as basicity, CO2
formation, etc. In its current version, the model is adequate to suggest an optimum metallic charge
with the lowest production cost.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the company Mittal Steel Lázaro Cárdenas for his support to carry out
this work, in particular to R. Torres, Director of steelmaking and continuous casting facilities.

References

CONEJO, A.N., J.G.G. CARDENAS. 2006. Energy consumption in the EAF with 100% DRI
AISTEch 2006, AIST, Cleveland Ohio, May 2006. pp.
D´ENTREMONT,J.C., ENGLEBRECHT,M.L., 1979, computer simulated useage of direct reduced
iron in electric arc furnace operations, Iroinmaking conference proceedings, vol 38, ISS-AIME, pp.
279-284
GEIGER,G.H., 1980, Process engineering involved in the use of direct reduced iron, in Chapter 12, of
DRI: Technology and economics of production and use, ISS-AIME, pp. 149-159
RIGAUD,M., MARQUIS, A.H. DANCY, T.E., 1976, Electric arc furnace steelmaking with
prereduced pellets, Ironmaking and steelmaking, 1976, 6, pp. 366-372.
TORRES, R., AGUILAR, S. and A.N. CONEJO, 2000, Evolution of refractory performance and
metallurgical practices at IMEXSA., 58th EAF Conference, Orlando FL, USA., November 12-15,
2000, pp. 415-423.
TORRES, R. LULE, R. LOPEZ, F. A.N. CONEJO. 2003, Analysis of metallurgical operations
affecting metallic yield using 100% DRI in electric arc furnaces, 14th Steelmaking Conference,
Buenos Aires Argentina, November, 2003, pp. 547-558