Citation :

Pairote Nathiang, Apisak Phromfaiy, "Thermal Performance Enhancement of a Bloomery Shaft Furnace via Waste Heat Recovery and Airflow Control," International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), vol. 73, no. 12, pp. 272-279, 2025. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V73I12P122

Abstract

This research investigated the effect of controlling the air flow rate into the reactor chamber of a bloomery shaft furnace with an air preheater using a spiral coiled tube recuperative heat exchanger. The aim is to enhance thermal efficiency and reduce fuel consumption during iron smelting processes at the community-industrial scale. Operation control was achieved with the help of a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to adjust blower speed and a butterfly valve to regulate airflow to the combustion chamber. The experimental results and the Analysis of Variance, Response Surface Methodology (RSM), setting VFD to work at 50 Hz with the butterfly valve open, are recommended to achieve better combustion performance during the preheating period. During thermal decay, the setting of the VFD frequency at 10 Hz with the butterfly valve open increases thermal retention time in the furnace. These results also suggest that the system can be further developed for small-scale industrial applications using modern heat-recovery and combustion-control technologies.

Keywords

Bloomery shaft furnace, Recuperative heat exchanger, Waste heat recovery, Response surface.

References

[1]  Roland Haubner et al., “Archaeometallurgical Simulations of the Processes in Bloomery Furnaces from the Hallstatt and Medieval Period,” Materials Science Forum, vol. 782, pp. 641-644, 2014.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[2] Shibo Kuang, Zhaoyang Li, and Aibing Yu, “Review on Modeling and Simulation of Blast Furnace,” Steel Research International, vol. 89, no. 1, pp. 1-71, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[3] Dong Fu et al., “Modeling of Iron Ore Reactions in Blast Furnace,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 103, pp. 77-86, 2016.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[4] Hamzeh Hamadeh, Olivier Mirgaux, and Fabrice Patisson, “Detailed Modeling of the Direct Reduction of Iron Ore in a Shaft Furnace,” Materials, vol. 11, no. 10, pp. 1-16, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[5] R.Q. Wang et al., “Energy Saving Technologies and Mass-Thermal Network Optimization for Decarbonized Iron and Steel Industry: A Review,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 274, pp. 1-28, 2020.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[6] Adul Phuk-in, “Development of Nam Phi Iron Ore Smelter from Local Knowledge to Find Engineering Properties” Asia-Pacific Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 1-7, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[7] Bao Yang et al., “Optimization of Heavy Reduction Process on Continuous-Casting Bloom,” Metals, vol. 12, no. 11, pp. 1-17, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[8] Muhammad Ahmad Jamil et al., “A Comprehensive Design and Optimization of an Offset Strip-Fin Compact Heat Exchanger for Energy Recovery Systems,” Energy Conversion and Management: X, vol. 14, pp. 1-13, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[9] Christopher S. Brown et al., “Thermal and Economic Analysis of Heat Exchangers as Part of a Geothermal District Heating Scheme in the Cheshire Basin, UK,” Energies, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 1-17, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[10] Lingbao Wang et al., “Analysis of Plate Heat Exchangers in Binary Flashing Cycle using Low-Temperature Heat Source,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 236, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[11] Burak Kurşun, Mehmet Balta, and Koray Karabulut, “Exploring the Impact of Inner and Middle Channel Geometries on the Melting Rate of Pcm-Metal Foam Composition in a Triplex Tube Heat Exchanger,” Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 51, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[12] Xi Li et al., “Exploration and Optimization on Thermoelectric Conversion of Waste Heat of Blast Furnace Slag,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 245, 2024.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[13] İbrahim Zengin et al., “CFD-Based Evaluation of Waste Heat Recovery and Pressure Drop in Rotary Sinter Coolers Under Varying Bed Properties and Inlet Conditions,” Sustainability, vol. 17, no. 17, pp. 1-17, 2025.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[14] Feng Huang et al., “Heat Recovery Potentials and Technologies in Industrial Zones,” Journal of the Energy Institute, vol. 90, no. 6, pp. 951-961, 2017.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[15] Mahmoud Khaled et al., “Heating/Cooling Fresh Air Using Hot/Cold Exhaust Air of Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems,” Energies, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 1-11, 2022.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[16] Ramesh K. Shah, and Dušan P. Sekulić, Fundamentals of Heat Exchanger Design, John Wiley & Sons, 2003.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[17] Nagendra Babu Samineni et al., “A Mathematical Framework for Design and Optimization of Regenerative Storage Heater,” Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 135, pp. 521-529, 2018.
[CrossRef] [Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]

[18] Arvind Atreya, A Novel Method of Waste Heat Recovery from High Temperature Furnaces, ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, 2007.
[Google Scholar] [Publisher Link]