Grupo Industrial Alfa, S.a.

Fierro Esponja, S.a.

Enrique Martinez Vera

Patrick W MacKay

Ramon De La Pena

A method and apparatus for measuring and controlling the percentage reduction of iron ore in a vertical shaft, moving bed, gaseous reduction reactor. Reducing gas comprising hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide is fed from a source of such gas to the bottom of the reduction zone of the reactor and is heated to an elevated temperature before being introduced into the reactor. The flow and composition of the reducing gas are determined at a first location before the gas enters the reactor. The effluent gas from the reactor is cooled and its flow and composition determined at a second location after the gas has been cooled. The measured flows and compositions are correlated with the rate of sponge iron production to obtain a measurement of percentage reduction of the ore and this measurement is used, either manually or automatically, to regulate the rate of removal of sponge iron from the reactor to maintain the percentage reduction at a predetermined desired value.

Method and apparatus for measuring and controlling the percentage

A method and apparatus for measuring the percentage reduction of iron ore in a reduction reactor of a multiple reactor gaseous reduction system. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the flow and composition of the reducing gas fed to the reduction reactor and the flow and composition of the reactor effluent gas after cooling are measured and the measurements are fed to a computer along with data on the initial weight of the charge to the reactor, the moisture content of the charge and the initial reducible oxygen in the charge. The computer is programmed to compute the rate of oxygen removal from the charge, integrate the rate of removal with respect to time and compare the integral with the initial oxygen content of the charge to evaluate percentage reduction thereof.

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Monterrey, Mexico

Enrique Martinez Vera