Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MaxH2DR (Maximise H2 Enrichment in Direct Reduction Shaft Furnaces)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-06-01 do 2023-11-30
In standard Direct Reduction (DR) shafts, the H2 content in the reduction gas is approximately 60 Vol-% or lower and no industrial or demonstration-scale results were published yet for DR with strong H2 enrichment (H2>80 Vol-%), the so-called “H2-enriched DR”. Although H2-enriched DR is technologically validated, the lack of industrial experience leaves a significant maturity gap and significant knowledge gaps which hinder the fast and effective industrial roll out needed to reach European climate policy targets. Knowledge gaps, in particular, exist regarding the effects of higher H2-enrichment on the thermal and chemical processes, but even more on the pellet/Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) properties and on the overall DR process operation in industrial scale. With the clear long-term target of (almost) pure H2 usage, considering the major knowledge and maturity gaps of pure H2-DR, it is of utmost importance for scale-up and industrial application to apply a flexible stepwise approach with fast implementation of gradually H2-enriched DR along with the technical progress and availability of clean H2.
The overall goal of MaxH2DR is to fill the gap between available knowledge about H2-enriched DR from lab-scale and upcoming demonstration projects and the knowledge required to scale-up and operate industrial H2 -enriched DR furnaces. To achieve such goal, MaxH2DR aims at achieving the following set of measurable and verifiable general objectives:
1. create new knowledge combining several ground-breaking novel innovations on H2-enriched DR,
2. exploit new knowledge and data and implement this into digital toolkits for the DR furnace and its process integration,
3. provide the digital basis for the planned Carbon Direct Avoidance demonstrator with >80% CO2 mitigation within the Clean Steel Partnership,
4. support industrial implementation of DR with fast and maximum H2 enrichment,
5. raise the maturity of the relevant toolkits from TRL5 to TRL8
The overall goal of MaxH2DR is to fill the gap between available knowledge about H2-enriched DR from lab-scale and upcoming demonstration projects and the knowledge required to scale-up and operate industrial H2 -enriched DR furnaces. To achieve such goal, MaxH2DR aims at achieving the following set of measurable and verifiable general objectives:
1. create new knowledge combining several ground-breaking novel innovations on H2-enriched DR,
2. exploit new knowledge and data and implement this into digital toolkits for the DR furnace and its process integration,
3. provide the digital basis for the planned Carbon Direct Avoidance demonstrator with >80% CO2 mitigation within the Clean Steel Partnership,
4. support industrial implementation of DR with fast and maximum H2 enrichment,
5. raise the maturity of the relevant toolkits from TRL5 to TRL8
A series of experiments were performed with different types of samples. The reduction of a small bed of synthetic powder oxides or crushed pellets was studied via a chemisorption device in which the gas passes downwards through the bed and is analysed at the outlet. The reduction rate can be derived and was interpreted through a shrinking core model of the particles.
The reduction of industrial DR pellets of different origins was studied by thermogravimetry in a wide range of temperatures and gas compositions. The kinetic interpretation of the experiments is still in progress using a new single-pellet model. A last type of iron ore material, sinter was also studied. Different types of sinter were prepared, including some with biomass fuel addition, as well as spherical sinter with a shape closer that of pellets, and tests on their reducibility were started.
All experimental raw materials were characterized by different analytical techniques. The distributions of particle size and particle shape were determined using continuous image evaluation methods. Bulk density and porosity were calculated with the material density and the volume of round about 200 kg of material.
An innovative set up able to reduce iron ore pellets in a H2-rich atmosphere at high temperature and shear them was designed. Some preliminary experiments on model and real materials provided guidelines on test procedure and indication for set-up design, which was sent for construction.
Basic Finite Element Method (FEM) and Discrete Element Method/Computational Fluid Dynamics (DEM/CFD) models for DR shaft furnaces were developed. A Finite Volume Method (FVM) model is already available for the natural gas-based DR-process and was adapted to the H2-based DR-process. The DEM/CFD model was developed and simulations started focusing on the particles movement in the furnace. The models of the kinetics in the FVM REDUCTOR model are being implemented in the FEM and DEM/CFD models but will be updated using the results of the lab experiments with enriched hydrogen. In both simulation methods first simulations for model benchmarking were done. The kinetic model and the particle movement simulation were compared to experiments in literature.
At BFI a demo plant of the DR shaft, which uses more than 1 ton of material to investigate the solid and gas flow in larger scale, was built. First trials with this demonstrator have been performed.
The development of the multipurpose digital toolkit started, and a simplified steel plant model based on an Algebraic Modelling Language (AML)- tool was developed for preliminary evaluations of future steel plant configurations. A benchmarking European integrated steelwork model was developed by combining the IRonMAking flowsheet model (IRMA) for the production area and Aspen Plus based models for the gas and energy management area. It will be used as basis for the detailed investigations of the most promising alternative future steel mill scenarios based on the preliminary results of AML-based simulations. The models were set up and validated involving expert knowledge, using literature and data coming from the EU-funded project ULCOS. Finally, a complex IT structure based on a Postgres relational database was developed to collect info and data of the investigated scenarios and interactions among the different tools of the multipurpose toolkit.
The exploitation of the project results to the market was investigated by a value chain and ecosystem analysis, to identify the most important organisations within and around the MaxH2DR value chain and to assess their position towards the project insights, a technology trend and market watch, to monitor the technology trends correlated to the project and the associated markets.
The reduction of industrial DR pellets of different origins was studied by thermogravimetry in a wide range of temperatures and gas compositions. The kinetic interpretation of the experiments is still in progress using a new single-pellet model. A last type of iron ore material, sinter was also studied. Different types of sinter were prepared, including some with biomass fuel addition, as well as spherical sinter with a shape closer that of pellets, and tests on their reducibility were started.
All experimental raw materials were characterized by different analytical techniques. The distributions of particle size and particle shape were determined using continuous image evaluation methods. Bulk density and porosity were calculated with the material density and the volume of round about 200 kg of material.
An innovative set up able to reduce iron ore pellets in a H2-rich atmosphere at high temperature and shear them was designed. Some preliminary experiments on model and real materials provided guidelines on test procedure and indication for set-up design, which was sent for construction.
Basic Finite Element Method (FEM) and Discrete Element Method/Computational Fluid Dynamics (DEM/CFD) models for DR shaft furnaces were developed. A Finite Volume Method (FVM) model is already available for the natural gas-based DR-process and was adapted to the H2-based DR-process. The DEM/CFD model was developed and simulations started focusing on the particles movement in the furnace. The models of the kinetics in the FVM REDUCTOR model are being implemented in the FEM and DEM/CFD models but will be updated using the results of the lab experiments with enriched hydrogen. In both simulation methods first simulations for model benchmarking were done. The kinetic model and the particle movement simulation were compared to experiments in literature.
At BFI a demo plant of the DR shaft, which uses more than 1 ton of material to investigate the solid and gas flow in larger scale, was built. First trials with this demonstrator have been performed.
The development of the multipurpose digital toolkit started, and a simplified steel plant model based on an Algebraic Modelling Language (AML)- tool was developed for preliminary evaluations of future steel plant configurations. A benchmarking European integrated steelwork model was developed by combining the IRonMAking flowsheet model (IRMA) for the production area and Aspen Plus based models for the gas and energy management area. It will be used as basis for the detailed investigations of the most promising alternative future steel mill scenarios based on the preliminary results of AML-based simulations. The models were set up and validated involving expert knowledge, using literature and data coming from the EU-funded project ULCOS. Finally, a complex IT structure based on a Postgres relational database was developed to collect info and data of the investigated scenarios and interactions among the different tools of the multipurpose toolkit.
The exploitation of the project results to the market was investigated by a value chain and ecosystem analysis, to identify the most important organisations within and around the MaxH2DR value chain and to assess their position towards the project insights, a technology trend and market watch, to monitor the technology trends correlated to the project and the associated markets.
MaxH2DR aims at filling the gap between available knowledge about H2-enriched DR from lab-scale and upcoming demonstration projects and the knowledge required to scale-up and operate industrial H2-enriched DR furnaces by providing the following overall results, which go far beyond the state of the art in the concerned field:
1. new fundamental knowledge and data on reduction kinetics and physical properties of (partly) reduced pellets exploited in new chemical and physical sub-models (e.g. kinetics, cohesion);
2. a unique test rig to quantify physical pellet bulk properties in industrial H2-enriched DR conditions;
3. a world-first complete DR process model fully implemented as innovative DEM/CFD simulation;
4. a new strategy combining DEM/CFD simulation with physical demonstration of material and gas flow and its exploitation into a fast flexible FEM DR process model (hybrid demonstrator);
5. a process chain simulation toolkit covering metallurgical aspects, material, gas and energy flows and their optimal integration.
1. new fundamental knowledge and data on reduction kinetics and physical properties of (partly) reduced pellets exploited in new chemical and physical sub-models (e.g. kinetics, cohesion);
2. a unique test rig to quantify physical pellet bulk properties in industrial H2-enriched DR conditions;
3. a world-first complete DR process model fully implemented as innovative DEM/CFD simulation;
4. a new strategy combining DEM/CFD simulation with physical demonstration of material and gas flow and its exploitation into a fast flexible FEM DR process model (hybrid demonstrator);
5. a process chain simulation toolkit covering metallurgical aspects, material, gas and energy flows and their optimal integration.