Modelling the first Hydrogen Direct Reduction Pilot Reactor for Ironmaking in the USA using Finite Element Analysis and its Validation using Pilot Plant Trial Data

Abstract

Direct reduction of hematite pellets with hydrogen (H2) was used to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) in a pilot scale reactor, at a pellet feed rate of 21.4 kg/hr. At a steady state, operational parameters of the pilot plant (gas recycling rate and inlet temperature) along with key reactor output parameters, the pellet metallization and internal temperature profile of the reactor were reported for two scenarios with high recycle and low recycle rate of H2. Scenario 1 with a high recycle rate of 400 L/min H2 along with external heating of 870 °C gave an average metallization of 91.8% while scenario 2 with low recycle rate of 100 L/min H2 and external heating of 850 °C gave a metallization of 67.8% due to the higher moles of H2 available for reduction and the external energy required for the endothermic reduction reaction in scenario 1 as compared to scenario 2. Finite element analysis was used to build a model of the shaft reactor which was validated against the metallization and internal temperature profile data. The average metallization values predicted by the model were very close to the metallization values obtained from the pilot plant samples with 90.9% average metallization for scenario 1 and 65.6% average metallization for scenario 2. The internal temperature profiles in the lower region of the reactor obtained from the model were very close to the pilot plant data with a maximum difference of 52.7 °C and 67.6 °C for scenario 1 and 2 respectively. The pilot plant reactor model was used extensively in the commissioning of the pilot plant and to predict the startup outcomes for a given set of operating parameters.

Department(s)

Materials Science and Engineering

Sponsor(s)

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO)

Comments

Arizona State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology and Danieli Research & Development, Danieli & C

Grant / Contract EE0009250

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2227-9717

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 MDPI, All Rights Reserved

Publication Date

28 November, 2023

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