Gases from the Steel Industry

GE's Jenbacher product team has completed substantial research work on these applications, installing the first commercial applications for coke gas and for converter gas in the year 2004.
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Coke Gas

The coking process involves heating hard coal in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The coal is carbonized for slightly longer than 24 hours in the narrow slots of an oven before special machines push the resulting incandescent coke out of the oven. It is then taken to a quench station, where water is used to cool it.

A by-product of industrial coke production from pit coal, coke gas is created by high-temperature dry distillation of coking coals in the absence of oxygen. The gas mainly consists of hydrogen (50 to 60%), methane (15 to 30%) and a small percentage (10 to 20%) of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. With a calorific value of 5 kWh/m³N, coke gas constitutes a high-value fuel for effective power generation with Jenbacher gas engines.

Other Types of Gases

For more information on the GE Line of Jenbacher Products contact:

GE
Achenseestraße 1-3,
A-6200 Jenbach

Diagram


Steel Industry's Converter Gas

One of the latest innovations by the Jenbacher product team is the use of Jenbacher cogeneration units to utilize LD-converter gas. This gas consists of approximately 65% carbon monoxide, 15% carbon dioxide, 15% nitrogen and small amounts of hydrogen and methane.

Converter gas is a byproduct of the steel production process. The LD steel production process attains steel by injecting oxygen via a water cooled oxygen lance to the pig iron. By these means, the carbon in the pig iron is converted to CO which can be used in reciprocating gas engines after being cleaned and cooled down. The LD process is one of the most common production methods to produce raw steel (approximately 60% of world raw steel production).

The converter gas can be used to create steam and electricity for both on- and off-site uses. The hot water and exhaust gases from the engines can be fed to boilers, and the resulting steam can then be used again in the steel production process. Electricity generated by the engines can either be used on-site or sold to the public power grid. Electrical efficiencies of up to 37% can be realized, in addition to fulfilling local heating needs.

The potential energy and environmental benefits of this new generation of power plant for the steel industry are significant.