The diploma work presents a programme created with Excel to calculate the mass and energy balance of an electric arc furnace (EAF). Using the mass and energy balance data based on the amount and chemical composition of the added direct reduced iron (DRI), we calculated the electricity consumption of an EAF.
Direct reduced iron is increasingly used in steel production as it contains hardly any impurities, resulting in higher steel purity. The aim of the work was to determine how the quantity and quality of the added DRI affects the electricity consumption in an electric arc furnace.
In the theoretical part, the electric arc furnace and its operation are first described, followed by a description of the development of the furnace and modern energy use. The steelmaking process is also presented, together with the theory for calculating the mass and energy balance in the furnace and a description of the oxidation or oxidative reactions that take place during the steelmaking process.
In the experimental part, the process of creating the Excel programme and the calculation process to determine the final electricity consumption are presented. The tables contain data used for the experimental calculations and the calculation of the mass and energy balances. Both balances were needed for the calculation of the electricity consumption. The influence of DRI on electricity consumption was calculated in three different ways. First, the type of scrap was varied, then the proportion of DRI and finally the proportion of carbon in the DRI.
The results of the calculations are presented in the form of diagrams and tables. From this presentation, the differences in electricity consumption depending on the proportion of DRI and the changes in the carbon content in the DRI can be clearly seen.
Based on the data calculated in the work, it can be concluded that the use of high-carbon DRI is economically justified because it consumes less electricity.
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