Design and Application of a Spreadsheet-based Model of the Blast Furnace Factory

Abstract

The development and application of a 1-dimensional static blast furnace model, “Masmod”, written in a common spreadsheet environment, is described. The model includes blast furnace, hot stove, and burden models with recent additions of other operations including CO₂ stripping and top gas recycle. Although blast furnace modelling has become increasingly sophisticated, a relatively simple and flexible model is shown to be useful for evaluating burden options, equipment and operational strategies, and process development. Furthermore the Masmod model has been integrated with global steel plant optimization models and Process Integration models for more complex system analysis and optimization.