Use of hydrogen in steelmaking

R&D Focus Areas:
Industrial heat processes

Lead Organisation:
Swinburne University of Technology

Partners:
Not Applicable

Status:
Active

Start date:
July 2022

Completion date:
July 2025 (estimated)

Key contacts:
Gordon Chakaodza – Director, Victorian Hydrogen Hub: gchakaodza@swin.edu.au
Victorian Hydrogen Hub (VH2): vichydrogenhub@swin.edu.au
Geoffrey Brooks, Project Primary Supervisor: gbrooks@swin.edu.au
Gopal Pandey, Project Key Researcher: gopalpandey@swin.edu.au

Funding:
Victorian Government – Victorian Hydrogen Hub

Project total cost:
AUD$120,000

Project summary description:
Steel, a fundamental material in human civilization, is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions due to its reliance on fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. To mitigate these emissions, there is a pressing need to reduce our dependency on these carbon-intensive energy sources. Notably, natural gas combustion produces carbon dioxide, while hydrogen combustion generates water vapour. Hydrogen has emerged as a potential alternative to both natural gas and coal in the steelmaking process.

This project aims to develop a scientific understanding while integrating hydrogen energy into steel production, primarily focusing on critical operations like oxygen blowing and scrap heating. By employing advanced computational fluid dynamics methods, this research aims to elucidate and model the complex dynamics of hydrogen flame combustion during pivotal phases such as metal scrap melting and stirring the molten metal.

Related publications and key links:
None at this time.

Higher degree studies supported:
One PhD student at Swinburne University of Technology is supported by this project.

 

September 2023