REDUÇÃO DO CONSUMO DE OXIGÊNIO EM UM ALTO-FORNO A PARTIR DO AUMENTO DA EFICIÊNCIA ENERGÉTICA DOS AQUECEDORES DE AR

This work concerns the performance improvement study of the Glendon heat exchangers of the V&M do Brasil. The objective is to reduce the consumption of the oxygen used to enrich the blown air in the Blast Furnace 2 through the improvement of the energetic efficiency of the heat exchangers. A CFD (Computer Fluids Dynamics) model was developed in order to simulate the behavior of the fluids inside the heat exchangers. Some geometric alterations were simulated in the model, which objective was to change the parallel flow of the combustion gases to a cross flow. The simulation showed a potential of energetic efficiency improvement of 15,73%, which would mean an increase of 115oC in the outlet air temperature. The simulated alterations were implemented in one of three heat exchangers and the actual temperature increase was 135oC. After the implementation of the alterations in the others heat exchangers, the expected reduction of the oxygen consumption in the Blast Furnace 2 is about 4.400.000 Nm³ per year.