Process evaluation of use of HTGRs to an ironmaking system based on active carbon recycling energy system (iACRES)

Hayashi, Kentaro*; Kasahara, Seiji  ; Kurihara, Kohei*; Nakagaki, Takao*; Yan, X. ; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Ogawa, Masuro

Reducing coking coal consumption and CO emissions by application of HTGRs (high temperature gas-cooled reactors) to iACRES (ironmaking system based on active carbon recycling energy system) was investigated using process flow modeling. Two systems were evaluated: a SOEC (solid oxide electrolysis cell) system using CO electrolysis and a RWGS (reverse water-gas shift reaction) system using RWGS reaction with H produced by IS (iodine-sulfur) process. Coking coal consumption was reduced from a conventional BF (blast furnace) steelmaking system by 4.3% in the SOEC system and 10.3% in the RWGS system. CO emissions were decreased by 3.4% in the SOEC system and 8.2% in the RWGS system. Remaining H from the RWGS reactor was used as reducing agent in the BF in the RWGS system. This was the reason of the larger reduction of coking coal consumption and CO emissions. Electricity generation for SOEC occupied most of HTGR heat usage in the SOEC system. H production in the IS process used most of the HTGR heat in the RWGS system. Optimization of the SOEC temperature for the SOEC system and higher H production thermal efficiency in the IS process for the RWGS system will be useful for more efficient heat utilization. One typical-sized BF required 0.5 HTGRs and 2 HTGRs for in the SOEC system and RWGS system, respectively. CO emissions reduction per unit heat input was larger in the SOEC system. Recycling H to the RWGS will be useful for smaller emissions per unit heat in the RWGS system.