7TH EUROPEAN COKE AND IRONMAKING CONGRESS - ECIC 2016

Primetals Technologies has developed a new sinter shaft cooler which allows utilizing nearly the total heat capacity of the hot sinter charged to the cooler. By application of the counter flow principle to the cooling process the temperature of the cooling air exiting the shaft can be maximized. Compared to conventional sinter cooler systems the maximized hot cooler off air temperature of the shaft cooler allows in a first utilization step an efficient generation of steam and electricity. The air exiting the heat recovery boiler system, still having remarkable thermal energy content, can be utilized in a second step in the sinter process. This means the exit air from the boiler is directed via duct system to a hood installed directly above the sinter strand. The sensible heat of this air then contributes to the sinter process by giving the possibility for solid fuel reduction. By using the total amount of cooling air for the sinter process no dedusting unit for the cooling air is required and no emissions are transferred into the environment. In case of excess blast furnace gas in a steel plant the hot cooler off air from the shaft cooler can be heated up to even higher temperatures for a further increase of efficiency of the waste heat recovery system.