Authors: J.T. McGinty, Hatch; T.A. Obrecht, Severstal N.A., Dearborn
AISTech 2009 - The Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition, May 5, 2009
Abstract
A dynamic computer simulation model of the Severstal NA, Dearborn primary operations, from the blast furnaces through the casters, was developed to identify the capital investments and facility changes required to take advantage of increased hot metal production, as the result of the C Blast Furnace rebuild, to increase steel production. Facility changes at the basic oxygen furnace shop (BOF) and continuous casting plant (CCP), in terms of plant configuration, as well as the number of auxiliary and material handling pieces of equipment, e.g. steel ladles, torpedo cars, cranes, locomotives, ladle stands, mobile steel ladle carriers, etc., were determined so as to support proposed future production volumes of 3.5 million slab tons per annum and 4.0 million slab tons per annum from the current production capacity of 2.9 million slab tons per annum.
Simulation was chosen as the analysis tool to define the roadmap to higher capacities due to the tight coupling of ironmaking operations with steelmaking operations with casting operations. Such coupling of operations makes it difficult to predict future operating performance using static calculations since delays tend to propagate throughout the production chain and reduce overall plant capacity. Dynamic simulation is a powerful tool for understanding system dynamics and determining the optimal plant configurations and operating strategies that help to ensure capital effectiveness and operational efficiency prior to implementation.
