February 20, 2002
‘18’
RSP ADOPTS NEW FUEL-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY
The Research &Development Center for Iron &Steel (RDCIS), Ranchi of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) has developed a new technology for igniting the sinter mix in the Sinter Plant-I of Rourkela Steel Plant. The new multi slit-burner technology has reduced fuel gas consumption by about 67 per cent, from 60 million calories per tonne to 20 million calories per tonne of sinter, equivalent to savings of four litres of oil per tonne.
The innovation is expected to save fuel worth nearly Rs. 6 lakh annually. The new system has also improved productivity of the sinter machine by about 10 per cent. The muti slit-bruner system comprises small capacity burners assembled together in the form of modules and fitted on the roof of the ignition hood. In the integrated steel plants, finer fractions of iron ore, coke and limstone are sintered into porous lumps by heating. The sinter utilising waste raw materials fines, is used in blast furnaces to improve their productivity.
The RDCIS indigenously developed the technology in its Combustion Research Unit at Rourkela Steel Plant. This innovation was introduced initially in a 0.5 m wide machine in Maharashtra Electrosmelt Ltd. (MEL) at Chandrapur. After perfecting the innovation, it was introduced in the 2.5 m wide sinter machine in Rourkela Steel Plant.
The SAIL is planning to use this technology in all its other sinter plants and save fuel worth more than Rs. 8 crore annually. Set up in 1973 at Ranchi, RDCIS aims at promoting originality, fostering creativity and expanding knowledge base to achieve technological excellence.