ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION OF AN INDURATION MACHINE DEPENDING ON FEED MIX PROPERTIES AND THE USE OF SURFACTANTS

Abstract

This article is a continuation of previously initiated research aimed at assessing the performance of the pellet production process depending on the feed mix and the use of surfactants (SAS). As in the previous stage, the full cycle of thermal treatment of iron ore pellets – from drying and preheating to firing, heat recovery, and cooling – was considered, with attention focused on the impact of using surface-active substances (SAS) on total specific electricity consumption, excluding natural gas costs. Industrial trials were conducted at one of the leading mining and processing plants in Kryvyi Rih in connection with the transition from the baseline (in-house) concentrate to raw material from another regional enterprise treated with non-ionic SAS. Unlike previous studies, which were based on an eight-factor analysis model, insignificant indicators were excluded, and the analytics of the current research was thus built on a five-factor analysis system, with the time interval between measurements also reduced, providing a basis for more accurate calculations. It is shown that the key influencing factors are feed mix moisture, limestone consumption, green pellet strength, bed height, and gas pressure. At the same time, the factor of increased limestone consumption became a significant driver of overall energy consumption. A 25.88% increase in electricity costs was recorded. The results are relevant for specialists in energy management, electrical engineering, and thermal engineering in metallurgy, particularly in developing measures to optimize energy costs under industrial conditions.