A new sequence for coal injection vessels

This paper shows a new process of handling the pulverized coal injection (PCI) into blast furnaces in an energy efficient way, aiming to decrease the specific consumption of electricity and nitrogen. The process improvement included two new phases in the main coal vessels sequence. The return on investment was high as the specific electricity and nitrogen consumptions were reduced, and the lifetime of operational valves were increased as well. The process is now operationally more stable when compared to the original design.