US 12,319,975 B2 · Modular direct reduction systems and associated methods

Abstract

A modular direct reduction system for producing direct reduced iron (DRI) includes a reformer system which receives a flow of feed gas and which discharges a flow of reducing gas, the reformer system including a plurality of separate reformer modules connected together and wherein each reformer module includes a reformer vessel including an internal chamber, a reactor tube extending through the internal chamber of the reformer vessel and containing a catalyst configured to react with the feed gas received by the reactor tube to form the reducing gas, and a burner to burn a fuel gas to heat the reactor tube, and a furnace system connected to the reformer system and including a furnace having a first inlet which receives an iron ore, a second inlet which receives the reducing gas from the reformer system to form the DRI, and an outlet which discharges the DRI.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A modular direct reduction system for producing direct reduced iron (DRI), the system comprising:

a reformer system which receives a flow of feed gas along a feed gas flowpath and which discharges a flow of reducing gas along a reducing gas flowpath, the reformer system comprising a plurality of separate reformer modules connected together and wherein each reformer module comprises:
a reformer vessel comprising an internal chamber;
a reactor tube extending through the internal chamber of the reformer vessel and containing a catalyst configured to react with the feed gas received by the reactor tube to form the reducing gas;
and
a burner which receives a flow of fuel gas along a fuel gas flowpath and is configured to burn the fuel gas to heat the reactor tube;
a furnace system connected to the reformer system and comprising a furnace having a first inlet which receives an iron ore, a second inlet which receives the reducing gas from the reformer system to react with the iron ore and form the DRI, and an outlet which discharges the DRI.

3 more elements

A method for providing a direct reduction system to produce direct reduced iron (DRI), the method comprising:

(a) fabricating a plurality of separate reformer modules at an off-site location, each of the plurality of separate reformer modules comprising:
a vessel comprising an internal chamber;
a reactor tube extending through the internal chamber of the vessel and containing a catalyst configured to react with a feed gas received by the reactor tube to form a reducing gas;
and
a burner which receives a flow of fuel gas along a fuel gas flowpath and is configured to burn the fuel gas to heat the reactor tube;
(b) transporting at least some of the fabricated reformer modules to a site of the direct reduction system;
(c) connecting the transported reformer modules together to form a reformer system of the direct reduction system, wherein the reformer system is configured to convert a feed gas received by the reformer system into a reducing gas discharged by the reformer system;
and
(d) connecting the reformer system to a furnace system of the direct reduction system at the site of the direct reduction system, wherein the furnace system is configured to convert an iron ore received by the furnace system into the DRI using the reducing gas discharged by the reformer system.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Modular direct reduction systems and associated methods

Life of this patent

Modular direct reduction systems and associated methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20