EUROPEAN STEEL TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION DAYS 2017 - ESTAD 2017

Hot Blast Stove Systems are an important equipment of a Blast Furnace plant. During the last years, performance requirements and operation practice for the Hot Blast Systems have changed, with a big influence on the BF operation. Therefore it is necessary to keep the Hot Blast System, including the Hot Blast Stoves, in proper condition in order to maintain the production capacity of the Blast Furnace. For operators, it is particularly important to know about the current condition of a Stove Plant and the relevant constraints. Assessing the condition of a Hot Blast Stove Plant on a regular basis, especially in advance of a Blast Furnace reline, is therefore highly advisable. Considering the individual condition of the Stove Plant, improvements in operation, but also specific and dedicated repairs might be implemented. Design improvements can be implemented as a part of such a repair as well. In addition, new developments became popular during the last decade, like the so called Dome Combustion Stoves, which have been invented already 30 years ago in Western Europe. This paper will describe some of these design improvements and will illustrate their implementation in new hot blast stoves. It will also highlight repair methods for existing stoves. Keywords: Hot Blast Systems and Stoves; Refractory Lining; Stoves Assessment & Repair