Paul Wurth Refractory & Engineering GmbH (Mainz-Kastel, Germany):

Gantenberg M., Mag. Eng., Managing Director, e-mail: martin.gantenberg@paulwurth.com
Schaub E., Mag. Eng., Head of Hot Blast Stove Dept.
Allmannsdörfer R., Mag. Eng., Deputy Head of Hot Blast Stove Dept.
Münzer J., Mag. Eng., Project Manager

This article gives an overview and a comparison of different hot blast stove designs, their technical properties and specific characteristics. The hot blast stove plant is one of the key components to ensure reliable blast furnace operation. Such stoves with roof burner have been invented in Germany in 1960-ies. It is shown that hot blast stoves with external location of combustion chamber and two roofs have serious disadvantages. However, their putting into practice have met difficulties due to the above-mentioned disadvantages. The choice of a hot blast stove design type is therefore an important decision when planning new blast furnace plants or the construction of a new hot blast stove. It has an impact on cost of investment, cost of operation, plant availability and service life. Therefore, many plant operators have modernized them into hot blast stoves with external location of combustion chamber and common roof. Their construction is improved continuously, while their service life makes about 40 years. Due to their positive parameters, hot blast stoves with external location of combustion chamber and common roof are characterized by smaller general mass (compared with hot blast stoves without combustion chamber) and provide lower volume of capital expenses at comparative quality level. In addition, their compact construction and lower location of fittings provides saving the expenses for technical maintenance of the plant. These plants are also included in the EU document “BAT — Best Available Technologies” and they are the only equipment of such kind with experience of operation in the largescale blast furnaces with volume above 5,500 m³.