Steel reheating is one of the most energy-intensive steps in the process of steel manufacturing. A reheat furnace is used to heat steel to about 1200°C. This is achieved by the combustion of energy-dense fuels like coal or natural gas. The combustion of these fuels results in high amounts of CO2 emissions, thus any gains in the energy efficiency of the system have a major impact. In order to improve the process, a detailed investigation of the system is necessary. However, considering the high temperatures inside the furnace, it is impractical to conduct an elaborate experimental campaign. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is very useful in this regard. However, current CFD methods are either computationally very expensive or rely on too many simplifications. In this research, a novel modelling technique, called the Truncated Transient Slab Model, was developed to accurately and efficiently simulate the newly installed reheat furnace at ArcelorMittal Gent. Compared to the state-of-the-art, this new methodology is capable of simulating a furnace system thrice the size in half of the simulation time, using only a third of the computational resources.

Supervisors 
Prof. dr. ir. Michel De Paepe
Prof. dr. ir. Steven Lecompte

Examination Committee
Prof. dr. Hennie De Schepper (Chair); Ghent University
Prof. dr. ir. Joris Degroote (Secretary); Ghent University
Prof. dr. ir. Kim Verbeken (Jury); Ghent University
Prof. dr. Tunde Bello-Ochende (Jury); University of Cape Town, South Africa
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Viktor Scherer (Jury); Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany
dr. ir. Filip De Clercq (Jury); ArcelorMittal Gent, Belgium