Biomass Direct Reduced Iron
AssigneeTechnological Resources Pty. Limited
InventorsChristopher Dodds, Andrew Rhodes Batchelor, Samuel Kingman, Jose Rodriguez, Iain William Farr
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for producing direct reduced iron (DRI), typically continuously, from iron ore using biomass as a main source of reductant in a hearth furnace having a preheat zone, a reduction zone, and a transition zone between the preheat and the reduction zones, with the transition zone being configured for compacting iron ore/biomass material carried on the conveyor as it moves through the transition zone from the preheat zone to the reduction zone so that it presents a more compacted bed of material which is better suited to processing with microwave energy in the reduction zone.
Claims20
A method for producing direct reduced iron (DRI) from iron ore using biomass as a main source of reductant in a hearth furnace having a preheat zone, a transition zone, and a reduction zone, the method including moving a conveyor carrying an iron ore/biomass material successively through the preheat zone, the transition zone, and the reduction zone in a direction from an inlet to an outlet and heating and reducing iron ore and discharging DRI from the outlet, allowing reduction gases including combustible gases produced by heating material and by reduction of iron ore to flow in an opposite direction to the direction of movement of the conveyor, i.e. towards the preheat zone, combusting combustible gases in the reduction gases via air or oxygen-enriched air fed burners in the preheat zone, while maintaining an anoxic atmosphere in the reduction zone and supplying microwave energy therein to facilitate reduction of iron in the reduction zone, and compacting material carried on the conveyor and forming a compacted bed of the material as the material moves through the transition zone and before material reaches the reduction zone.
An apparatus for producing direct reduced iron (DRI) from iron ore and biomass, the apparatus including:
- (a) a furnace that includes a chamber having an inlet for iron ore and biomass at one end and an outlet for DRI at the other end,
- (b) a conveyor for receiving and transporting iron ore and biomass from the inlet to the outlet, and
- (c) the following zones:
- (i) a feed zone that includes the inlet for iron ore and biomass,
- (ii) a preheat zone for heating iron ore and biomass and reducing iron ore and releasing volatiles in biomass and producing a preheated material, the preheat zone including a plurality of air or oxygen-enriched air fed burners for generating heat by burning combustible gases in the preheat zone, with the combustible gases including combustible gases originating within the furnace,
- (iii) a transition zone for compacting preheated material from the preheat zone on the conveyor and forming a compacted preheated material,
- (iv) a reduction zone for heating the compacted preheated material and reducing iron ore and forming DRI via microwave energy in the reduction zone;
- and
- (v) a discharge zone that includes the outlet for DRI.
The apparatus defined in wherein the transition zone includes a driven roller for contacting an upper surface of the preheated material and compacting the material on the conveyor in the transition zone.
A method and apparatus for producing direct reduced iron (DRI) from iron ore using biomass as a main source of reductant in a hearth furnace having a preheat zone, a reduction zone, and a transition zone between the preheat and the reduction zones, with the transition zone being configured for compacting an iron ore/biomass material carried on a conveyor as it moves through the transition zone from the preheat zone to the reduction zone so that it presents a compacted bed of material which is suited to processing with microwave energy in the reduction zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.