Intensive carbon combustion in sintering packed bed via steam spraying: An experimental study on carbon monoxide emission reduction

Improving the combustion efficiency of solid fuels is important for reducing carbon monoxide emissions in the iron ore sintering process. In this paper, the surface steam spraying technology is introduced in the sintering process based on the auxiliary combustion effect of steam on coke, and its potential to reduce carbon monoxide emissions is demonstrated. Thermogravimetric analysis experiments of coke breeze in air and air-steam mixed atmosphere are carried out, and the results show that the introduction of steam can reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide in the exhaust gas from 183×10(−6) to 78×10(−6). At the same time, the mechanisms of carbon monoxide emission reduction by surface steam spraying technology are analyzed from the thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. Then, a series of laboratory-scale sintering pot tests are carried out under no spraying operation, interval spraying operation, and continuous spraying operation. The results indicate that both interval and continuous spraying operations can reduce carbon monoxide emissions. The optimal mode of steam spraying under the present experimental conditions is continuously spraying for 13 min at a volume rate of 0.053 m(3)/min. Compared with no spraying, the average carbon monoxide concentration in the exhaust gas is reduced from 7565×10(−6) to 6231×10(−6), and total carbon monoxide emissions for per ton sinter are reduced from 13.46 m(3)/t to 9.51 m(3)/t.