For blast furnace ironmaking, is an oxygen generator with external compression better or one with internal compression?
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Recently, our workplace is going to install an oxygen generator next to the blast furnace. I heard it’s a type with internal compression; why is that? What are the advantages and disadvantages compared to the external compression process?
Based on the scale plan, external pressure is usually more appropriate. Especially for large-scale equipment, the manufacturing process of the internal-pressure booster section is not as good as that of the external-pressure version. It is mainly based on the oxygen pressure required for steelmaking (oxygen production to a pressure of 3.0 MPa in the pressure regulation chamber). However, the adjustment range of internal pressure is large; it is best to have one set of internal pressure for each set of external pressure. This allows the load to be adjusted according to production needs.
The oxygen pressure used in blast furnaces is low; I personally think external compression is better.
If it is only for iron smelting, I think a low-purity oxygen (~93%) process with external compression is sufficient. For reference
It’s unlikely to be used for iron smelting, as for iron smelting, the oxygen content in the oxygen-enriched air is sufficient at 22%~23%.
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As far as I know, there are ones with external compression only, ones with internal compression only, and it depends on what the management thinks when considering a project. Personally, I prefer external compression for steel mills – it requires less investment, has lower operating costs, and is also quite interesting to operate.