Implementation of a transient approach for the mass and energy balance in an electric arc furnace.

On this work, an implementation of a transient approach for the mass and energy balance in an electric arc furnace is presented. Real operation conditions were included, such as the dynamic material and energy additions and continuous inlets and outlets. Also, several inherent phenomena were characterized, such as the melting rate of scrap, the chemical reaction mechanisms and the residence time of bubbles in the slag. With all these elements, the estimation of the distribution of mass and energy flows at any time of the “heat” process was performed. The main contributions of this work are to provide a prediction of mass and energy distribution at any time of the EAF process, and to be a guideline for a dynamic optimization model which can be useful to improve the efficiency of the furnace by operation protocol modifications, therefore, the net cost per ton of liquid steel can be reduced.