

Pulverized Coal Injection (PCI) systems should assure small line-to-line deviations in order to maintain a ‘healthy furnace’. Reality is often different; consequently optimal injection rates are not reached. The CFM flow meters are the first step towards optimal injection rates: measure the flow, control it, increase it to the optimum.
Coal injection (PCI) into the blast furnace meets the need for cost reducing and minimizing the environmental impact of steel production.
While pursuing the benefits of replacing expensive coke by cheaper injection coal the blast furnace stability and overall productivity must be sustained. The limitation of coal injection is the necessity of a complete combustion of the coal particles. Unburned char remains are the result of overloading individual tuyeres beyond the ideal calculated replacement ratio of coke by injected coal.
PCI into the raceway of a blast furnace
Only by strictly avoiding unburned char particles a high permeability and a reduction of gas consumption can be achieved. This is mandatory for the blast furnace stability and productivity.
Tests at existing PCI installations using static distribution show large deviations between individual lines. Overloading individual tuyeres with negative effects on the permeability is unavoidable in this case.
Therefore, a reliable uniform distribution of injected coal is the top priority.
A well designed pneumatic layout of the PCI installation is the precondition but due to ever changing pneumatic conditions during operation only an individual closed loop control for each tuyere makes it possible to achieve a truly uniform distribution.
Controlled injection with CFM
The CFM is the flow meter of choice in this application – the reliable, self recalibrating measurement equipment fulfills all requirements for perfect control of injection in all different plant layouts.
Integration of CFM control in different plant layouts
Today over 1000 CFM units are in operation. Examples of customer results:
For the CFM, a capacitive measuring method is being used, taking advantage of the different dielectric characteristics of coal powder (εR) and of the conveying gas (ε0).
Each CFM sensor consists of two different sets of electrodes. The first set measures capacitively the powder coal concentration present in the injection line. The second set of electrodes is needed to measure the velocity of the particles, using a
capacitive-correlative method. A microprocessor, integrated in each CFM device, calculates the actual flow rate from the product of these two values, the geometric property of the conveyor line and the material dependent calibration factors.
Some features making the sensor unique:
Measuring tube
Electronics
Mechanical construction
Ambient conditions
Media conditions
Parameterization
Flexible signal inputs/outputs
Power supply
Installation options
Classification