This thesis focuses on modelling and simulation of the operation of a system of three hot stoves used for preheating of the combustion air in the ironmaking blast furnace. A dynamic mathematical model of the stove set was developed for the purpose. Several sample cases were investigated to examine how the hot stoves characteristics, the bypass configuration, and the system operation variables influence the behavior as well as the performance of the entire hot-stove system. In addition, a brief optimization problem has been also studied with the goal to achieve optimum blast temperature.
The model developed in this work considers the heat transfer phenomena throughout the hot stove operation sequence as well as the interconnection between the stoves within the system. In addition, the effects of changes in different operation parameters, i.e., system full-cycle duration, stoves on-blast periods, temperature target of the blast, fuel rate, and enrichment by external fuel, on the overall performance of the system were also studied in the simulations. As the model is programmed with adjustable parameters, it can easily be adapted to any other specific hot-stove system to allow for more accurate and applicable outputs
