5. Conclusion

In this article, the general principles of blast furnace operation have been presented on the basis of the general staged heat balance model, in which the blast furnace is represented as two superimposed heat and chemical exchangers separated by an isothermal zone. The importance of the radial component was highlighted and led to adaptations of the model. More sophisticated 2D and 3D multiphase models have recently been developed, using innovative numerical techniques; however, they are still based on the representation of the simple two-exchanger model.

The specific operation of the nozzle zone, where all the energy required for the process is generated, was described, as were the phenomena associated with the injection of auxiliary fuels. The massive injection of pulverized coal, as a substitute for coke, makes a major contribution to improving the economic performance...