thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (Duisburg, Germany):

M. A. Schulten, Mag. Sci., Pilot Coking Group, e-mail: marc.schulten@thyssenkrupp.com
V. Stiskala, Eng., Team Coordinator, Coal and Coke Technology,
M. Grimm, Mag. Sci., Eng., Research Dept.

Such analysis can be successful if the test results obtained are reliable and reproducible. In this regard, in recent years, furnaces for the evaluation of coking coal have been optimized in the experimental workshop of the thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG concern in order to provide reliable data for the main partner - the coke plant in Schwelgern. To counter the strong fluctuations in the commodity market, tkSE AG has invested in faster and more efficient assessment of raw materials. One of such measures was the installation in an experimental workshop of a furnace with a moving wall for coking metallurgical coal and coal mixtures. At the same time, the flexibility and efficiency of the analysis have been significantly increased, which makes it possible to react faster to market changes. The main goal was to coordinate the design and operating mode of the furnace so that the results obtained during tests in the experimental workshop could be used almost in real time for optimization and at an industrial scale. When comparing measurements of internal gas pressure in industrial furnaces with the experimental furnace, it was revealed that measures are necessary to ensure the comparability of experimental measurements with actual values. These activities included increasing the bulk density, installing a heating ramp for experiments, as well as some changes in the design of measuring tuyeres. The achieved reliability of measurements of internal gas pressure currently prevents irregularities in the coke-chemical industry and thus makes a significant contribution to the optimal production of the coke-chemical plant in Schwelgern.