Impact of material and energy flow variation-based iron /steel ratio on production cost

This paper establishes a model for the production cost of iron and steel enterprise.The variation rule of the production cost versus the iron/steel ratio for two cases, namely,fixed steel production and a fixed amount of molten iron,is analyzed,and the concept of a steel scrap threshold price is proposed.According to the analysis results,when the steel scrap unit price exceeds the steel scrap threshold price, an increase in the iron/steel ratio can reduce the production cost,and vice versa.When the gap between the steel scrap unit price and the steel scrap threshold price is relatively large, the impact of the iron/steel ratio on the production cost is more prominent.According to the calculation example,when steel production is fixed （284 358 t/month）and the steel scrap unit price is 263.2 yuan/t more than the steel scrap threshold price,an increase of 0.01 in the iron/steel ratio causes a monthly production cost reduction of approximately 750 000 yuan （2.63 yuan/t）.When the amount of molten iron is fixed （270 425 t/month）and the steel scrap unit price is 140.7 yuan/t more than the threshold price,an increase of 0.01 in the iron/steel ratio causes a monthly production cost reduction of approximately 430 000 yuan （1.5 yuan/t）.The results indicate that iron and steel enterprise should adjust the production strategy in time when the scrap price fluctuates, and then the production cost will be reduced.

CO_(2)capture costs of chemical looping combustion of biomass:A comparison of natural and synthetic oxygen carrier

Chemical looping combustion has the potential to be an efficient and low-cost technology capable of contributing to the reduction of the atmospheric concentration of CO_(2) in order to reach the 1.5/2°C goal and mitigate climate change.In this process,a metal oxide is used as oxygen carrier in a dual fluidized bed to generate clean CO_(2) via combustion of biomass.Most commonly,natural ores or synthetic materials are used as oxygen carrier whereas both must meet special requirements for the conversion of solid fuels.Synthetic oxygen carriers are characterized by higher reactivity at the expense of higher costs versus the lower-cost natural ores.To determine the viability of both possibilities,a techno-economic comparison of a synthetic material based on manganese,iron,and copper to the natural ore ilmenite was conducted.The synthetic oxygen carrier was characterized and tested in a pilot plant,where high combustion efficiencies up to 98.4%and carbon capture rates up to 98.5%were reached.The techno-economic assessment resulted in CO_(2) capture costs of 75 and 40€/tCO_(2) for the synthetic and natural ore route respectively,whereas a sensitivity analysis showed the high impact of production costs and attrition rates of the synthetic material.The synthetic oxygen carrier could break even with the natural ore in case of lower production costs and attrition rates,which could be reached by adapting the production process and recycling material.By comparison to state-of-the-art technologies,it is demonstrated that both routes are viable and the capture cost of CO_(2) could be reduced by implementing the chemical looping combustion technology.

Using Wheat Futures to Stabilize the Cost of Raw Material in Bakery Sector

The article presents the example of using relations between the price of wheat flour sold by the milling companies and the price of wheat futures listed on the FOREX market to protect the companies from bakery sector against adverse price movements of raw material--wheat flour. The paper aims to present a method which can help to reduce risk of changes wheat flour price in the market by using wheat futures traded at FOREX market. For the analysis authors used weekly data since January 2006 until October 2010 about wheat flour price, wheat grain price, wheat futures prices, quotes a currency pair USD/PLN. Wheat flour prices came from studies of the Department of Agricultural Markets, Ministry of Agriculture, and Rural Development in Poland and represented the average sales price of wheat flour by milling companies. Information about wheat futures and quotes a currency pair USD/PLN reflects the actual trading of the FOREX market. Authors used statistical analysis tool for determining the strength of the relationship between the price of wheat flour and the wheat price on the domestic market and the wheat futures price. The correlation coefficient between them was 0.763. For further test authors used seven different options that use future contracts to reduce fluctuations in the flour price which can be used in bakery businesses. These results of research show that someone can effectively use wheat futures contracts listed on the FOREX market to protect the bakery business against adverse movements of wheat flour prices. Application in practice chosen strategies can allow bakery companies to achieve cost advantages by reducing the adverse changes in the wheat flour prices. Chosen strategies are more efficient if the prices of flour in the domestic market are rising. If prices drop down, the effectiveness of using wheat futures contracts was lower. It should be noted that wheat futures contracts are a good tool to achieve cost advantages in the bakery industry, especially when the wheat flour prices are increased on the domestic market.

Janus CoSTe单层膜在Li-S电池中的应用研究

开发新的亲硫催化材料是解决锂硫电池正极多硫化锂存在的严重的穿梭效应和缓慢的动力学转化等问题的有效方案。构建了一种潜在的锂硫电池正极锚定材料—Janus过渡金属二硫属化物CoSTe单层膜,采用第一性原理计算发现多硫化物Li_(2)S_(n)团簇在CoSTe单层膜表面吸附能适中(0.88~2.85 eV),大于石墨烯表面和有机电解液中的吸附能,且高阶Li_(2)S_(n)团簇的表面吸附在一定范围内得到了优化;Li_(2)S_(n)团簇的分解不太容易自发地在CoSTe膜层上发生;Li_(2)S_(n)团簇在CoSTe单层膜表面的扩散有其微观上的“通道”;Li_(2)S的解离能优于石墨烯表面,CoSTe单层膜比石墨烯表面更利于硫还原反应的顺利进行;CoSTe单层膜的金属特性在吸附Li_(2)S_(n)团簇后得以保留。综上,理论上Janus CoSTe单层膜表面在锂硫电池电极中具备优异的电化学性能,具有开发应用的潜力和价值。

An Optimized Oxygen System Scheduling With Electricity Cost Consideration in Steel Industry

As an essential energy resource in steel industry, oxygen is widely utilized in many production procedures. With different demands of the oxygen amount, a gap between the generation and consumption always occurs. Therefore, its related optimization and scheduling work along with the electricity cost to fill the gap has a great impact on daily production and efficient energy utilization in steel plant. Considering an oxygen system in a steel plant in China, a nonlinear programming model for oxygen system scheduling is proposed in this study, which concerns not only the practical characteristics of the energy pipeline network, but also the electricity cost acquired by a fitting regression modeling between the load of air separation units U+0028 ASU U+0029 and its corresponding electricity consumption. A set of constraints is formulated for restricting the practical adjusting capacity and filling the imbalance gap of oxygen. To solve the proposed scheduling model with electricity cost consideration, a particle swarm optimization U+0028 PSO U+0029 algorithm is then adopted. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a large number of experiments employing the real data from this plant are carried out, both for the fitting regression and the scheduling optimization phases. And the results demonstrate that such a practice-based solution successfully resolves the oxygen scheduling problem and simultaneously minimizes the electricity cost, which will be beneficial for the enterprise. © 2017 Chinese Association of Automation.

COST FB2钢热变形行为及热加工图

利用Thermecmastor-Z热模拟试验机对COST FB2钢进行了等温压缩试验,研究了其在不同热变形工艺参数下的热变形行为、显微组织演变规律以及最优的热加工工艺窗口。结果表明,热变形过程中,流变应力随着变形温度的升高及应变速率的降低而降低,在不同的应变速率与变形温度下,流变应力曲线呈现出动态再结晶、动态回复与加工硬化特征。基于Arrhenius方程和Zener-Hollomon函数,求得COST FB2钢的热变形激活能Q为449.56 kJ·mol-1。建立了本构模型,该模型预测值与试验值吻合度较高。基于Prasad失稳判据建立了COST FB2钢热加工图,结合热变形后的显微组织特征,发现失稳区主要集中分布于变形温度900~950℃、应变速率0.04~0.5 s^(-1)范围内,其显微组织为沿变形方向拉长的带状组织,并存在局部流动性,对应的功率耗散值η较低;安全区显微组织主要特征是部分动态再结晶组织,功率耗散值η较高。确定了其0.8应变量下合理的热加工工艺窗口为:变形温度975~1050℃、应变速率0.01~0.14 s^(-1)以及变形温度1050~1175℃、应变速率0.01~0.5 s^(-1)。

A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System for the Selection of Low-Cost Green Building Materials and Components

The necessity of having an effective computer-aided decision support system in the housing construction industry is rapidly growing alongside the demand for green buildings and green building products. Identifying and defining financially viable low-cost green building materials and components, just like selecting them, is a crucial exercise in subjectivity. With so many variables to consider, the task of evaluating such products can be complex and discouraging. Moreover, the existing mode for selecting and managing, often very large information associated with their impacts constrains decision-makers to perform a trade-off analysis that does not necessarily guarantee the most environmentally preferable material. This paper introduces the development of a multi-criteria decision support system (DSS) aimed at improving the understanding of the principles of best practices associated with the impacts of low-cost green building materials and components. The DSS presented in this paper is to provide designers with useful and explicit information that will aid informed decision-making in their choice of materials for low-cost green residential housing projects. The prototype MSDSS is developed using macro-in-excel, which is a fairly recent database management technique used for integrating data from multiple, often very large databases and other information sources. This model consists of a database to store different types of low-cost green materials with their corresponding attributes and performance characteristics. The DSS design is illustrated with particular emphasis on the development of the material selection data schema, and application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) concept to a material selection problem. Details of the MSDSS model are also discussed including workflow of the data evaluation process. The prototype model has been developed with inputs elicited from domain experts and extensive literature review, and refined with feedback obtained from selected expert builder and developer companies. This paper further demonstrates the application of the prototype MSDSS for selecting the most appropriate low-cost green building material from among a list of several available options, and finally concludes the study with the associated potential benefits of the model to research and practice.

Application of Steel Fiber in Increasing the Strength, Life-Period and Reducing Overall Cost of Road Construction (by Minimizing the Thickness of Pavement)

Recently, the use of steel fiber at high rates has been introduced as the sole method of reinforcement for fully elevated-suspended slabs having long span such as 5 m to 8 m each way, with a span to depth ratio of up to 33 [1]. As a result of long practical experience the total replacement of traditional rebar is a new routine. Now it is also used in the designing of SFRC pavements over conventional concrete pavements. Within the project framework a demonstration of a steel-fiber-reinforced roller-compacted concrete (SFR-RCC) pavement was constructed in a rural as well as urban area. In order to assess the economical condition of the demonstration pavement, life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) studies were undertaken. This is the advancement study of the various papers which is already published in many publications which serve as the main and important source of study for the research. Many applications of steel fiber are listed in the paper but the main output of this paper is that SFR-RCC is more economically sustainable than others and also helps in reducing the thickness of the pavement up to 20 to 25 percent, due to the excessive strength of steel fiber. The roads of the present system required high cost investment. And the life period is almost 20 years theoretically but the actual life of the road is depending on the maintenance and the applied load. The constructions of road have been done since the 3500 BC but the method does not change fully. Also the cost of the construction is increased continuously;as a result, the construction of roads is more and more complicated and time taken. For the better and economical construction of the roads, we use steel fibers in the composite pavement. The theoretical plan of the construction of composite pavement is given in the methodology, which gives the appropriate idea about the construction of road using steel fiber. Here we use the composite pavement in which the steel fiber is mixed in the concrete layer, after which the bitumen layer is laid for the smooth and suitable riding of the vehicles.

Simulation and Experimental Analysis of Vortex Tube Using Steel Material

Experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are investigated through the vortex tube system. The benefit of vortex tube is a counter flow type tube, which has further designed and fabricated for investigation. The whole set up is consisting of a simple device that can separate a single stream of compressed air into two streams;one is at high temperature and the other is lower temperature following an inlet gas stream. The advantages of this tube are their compactness, safety, and low equipment cost mainly used in cooling and heating applications. This study addressed three-dimensional flows;the domain is using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method and experimental approach to optimize the direction of RHVT. Through the CFD analysis, the best cold end diameter (dc), number of nozzles, and the best parameters for obtaining the highest hot gas temperature and lowest cold gas temperature were obtained and verified by experimental procedures.

Enhancements of Genetic Algorithm for Minimum Cost Design of Steel Frames Considering Fabrication Cost

A discrete optimization problem for minimizing the sum of fabrication cost and steel material cost of sf^el frames under constraints based on Japanese seismic code is set up. Enhancements of the genetic algorithm for the above-mentioned problem are proposed, which are combined with a 1D （one-dimensional） search or a 2D （two-dimensional） search. After the proposed methods are described, they are applied to a five-story frame. A comparison with an exact solution obtained by a revised enumeration algorithm demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Calculation of Cost-Effectiveness of Molds Made of Aluminum, MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) and Steel

We implemented the process of producing a new Rib in three different ways, and we selected the process that was the most affordable and required the least labor, and we did it. This paper also considers the influence of the cost of the form from MDF, Alumina and Steel on the quality of the product.

Cost Comparison of Different Types of Formworks

Formwork is the temporary moulds in the construction which is fabricated based on the drawing and design of the structure and into which the concrete is poured to form the required structure.Formwork is an essential part of the construction as it has been used by the Romans.The formworks must be strong enough to withstand all types of loads.The joint must be in proper condition to avoid any kind of leakages.The materials used for the formworks should be economical,easily available and durable.The formworks can be made up of different materials such as plywood,steel,aluminum,composite material,etc.In steel formwork the plates used for the slab support are made up of galvanized steel and these are fabricated as per the requirements.Aluminum plates are used in the aluminum framework along with the other components made up of aluminum.The selection of a suitable framework is important in any project because it bears about 25%to 30%cost of the total cost of construction.In the present study,different types of formworks such as steel,plywood and aluminum were studied in a project and a comparison was made on the reusability and easiness in handling and maintenance.Also,a comparison of the formwork used in the construction of the 5th and 11th-floor tower based on the specific plan and drawing was done.The results showed that the aluminum formwork was found to be efficient and suitable among all formworks,although the cost was higher compared to other formwork materials.

临界区高温侧正火对COST-FB2钢组织与性能的影响

采用扫描电镜、光学显微镜、力学性能测试等手段研究了临界区高温侧正火工艺对COST-FB2钢的显微组织与力学性能的影响.结果表明:临界区高温侧正火促进了COST-FB2钢中的球状奥氏体增加,同时抑制了针状奥氏体的发展,三次临界区高温侧正火能达到消除组织遗传的目的;最终热处理后的显微组织表明,临界区高温侧正火处理能够优化COST-FB2钢中的析出相,使M_(23)C_(6)析出相呈细小状弥散分布;临界区高温侧正火处理明显提高了COST-FB2钢的强度和韧性,其中三次临界区高温侧正火后钢的抗拉强度和屈服强度都提高了12%左右,但随着临界区高温侧正火次数的增加,组织中开始出现粗化的M_(23)C_(6)相,使钢的冲击韧性稍有下降.

Effects of Hydrogen Charging Time and Pressure on the Hydrogen Embrittlement Susceptibility of X52 Pipeline Steel Material

The effects of hydrogen charging time and pressure on the hydrogen embrittlement(HE)susceptibility of X52 pipeline steel material are studied by slow strain rate tensile tests.The fracture morphologies of the specimens are observed by scanning electron microscopy.The HE susceptibility of the X52 pipeline steel material increases with an increase in both hydrogen charging time and hydrogen pressure.At a charging time of 96 h,the HE susceptibility index reaches 45.86%,approximately 3.6 times that at a charging time of 0 h.Similarly,a charging pressure of 4 MPa results in a HE susceptibility index of 31.61%,approximately 2.5 times higher than that at a charging pressure of 0.3 MPa.

淬火温度对超超临界火电站用COST-FB2钢显微组织和室温强度的影响

COST-FB2钢因具有优越的高温持久性能而被广泛应用在620℃超超临界火电站机汽轮机转子上。本工作对取自国内首支自主研发制备的20 t级COST-FB2钢转子大锻件本体的试样进行了不同温度淬火和两次回火的热处理,并测试了其力学性能,研究了淬火温度对COST-FB2钢微观组织的影响。结果表明:在1000~1150℃内,随着淬火温度升高,COST-FB2钢的强度和硬度不断增加,塑性整体变化不大,冲击功由10 J增大至23.5 J后又开始减小;COST-FB2钢的平均晶粒尺寸由65.5μm增加到212.1μm,马氏体板条块宽度由4.75μm增加至6.06μm,位错密度由4.8×10^(9) cm^(-2)增加至11.8×10^(9) cm^(-2)。通过强化增量计算推断析出强化和位错强化的增量是COST-FB2钢回火后室温屈服强度增加的主要原因;将晶界强化和马氏体板条块界强化分别与基体强度、析出强化和位错强化增量之和叠加,得出马氏体板条块界强化增量叠加值更接近试验屈服强度值。该研究结果能够为COST-FB2钢大锻件整体热处理提供参考,助力大锻件的国产化。

Operational efficiencies and costs of an arm roll forwarder: A case study at Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

We investigated a developed arm roll forwarder at Nasu in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. An arm roll forwarder can only load a steel container that has been fully loaded with logs beforehand, and can later unload such a container. Such a forwarder can shorten the loading and untoading times and improve operational efficiency. We examined two operation systems with an arm roll forwarder and a forwarder. In the first system the loading was done with a grapple-loader. In the second system the loading was done with a processor. The loading times of an arm roll forwarder were significantly tess than those of a forwarder. Because the optimal cycle times （excluding the waiting times for an arm roll for- warder） were significantly reduced, the costs of using an arm roll for- warder are lower, although the loading capacity was small and the hourly operation cost was high. The maximum operational efficiencies varied depending on forwarding distances. The second operation system with an arm roll forwarder exhibited the best operational efficiency within a 1,580-m forwarding distance, and beyond that distance it exhibited the highest operational efficiency when a forwarder was used. Similarly, the cost of operation of the system with an arm roll forwarder was the lowest within a 1,130-m forwarding distance, and beyond that distance the cost was the lowest when using the forwarder. Therefore, the arm roll for- warder is effective within a certain forwarding distance.

B2O3对电渣重熔冶炼COST-FB2钢用CaF2基熔渣挥发性能的影响

使用高温同步热分析仪,以10 K/min的升温速率对55%CaF2-20%CaO-3%MgO-22%Al2O3-x%B2O3(质量分数,x≤3.0)的失重率进行测定.根据测定结果确定挥发反应机理函数G(α)和动力学参数,并分析挥发反应机理.结果表明:随B2O3加入量增加,熔渣挥发失重量降低;温度≥1 673 K时,熔渣挥发机理函数为G(α)=α,符合Mampel power law (n=1),熔渣挥发受挥发组元的形核长大控制;加入质量分数0.5%B2O3使熔渣挥发活化能从458.69 kJ·mol^-1降低至431.54 kJ·mol^-1,但B2O3加入量≥1.0%,活化能变化不明显;B2O3加入可抑制熔渣吸潮,为降低熔渣烘烤成本,熔渣中B2O3加入量应≥1.0%;提高炉内CaF2分压,可大幅降低熔渣的挥发失重及熔渣挥发对冶炼铸锭质量的影响.

Low-Cost Preparation of Boron Nitride Ceramic Powders

The amorphous boron nitride ceramic powders were prepared at 750-950 ℃ by the low-cost urea route, and the effects of preparation temperatures, molar ratios of the raw materials and oxidation treatment on the composition, structure and surface morphology of the products were investigated through FT-IR, XRD and SEM. The results show that the products ceramize and crystallize gradually with the increase of the temperature. When the molar ratio and reaction temperature are 3：2 and 850 ℃, respectively, the products have high purity, compact structure and nice shape. The oxidation treatment at 450 ℃ will not impair the composition and structure of boron nitride but effectively remove the impurities.

Guidelines for Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient House in Iraq

The goal of this study is to determine specific guidelines for Iraqi architects to contribute to the design and composition of energy-efficient housing units within the limits of a normal budget, locally available materials and technologies. These units can provide comfort despite the current energy situation in Iraq. The study is based on a computer simulation for a reference building in Baghdad, which has been selected according to the urban conditions, building legislations, housing market and statistics. The final results displayed the main recommendations and the possibility to achieve up to 50% energy reduction with a pay-back period not exceeding two years in some cases. There are some measures that have big energy saving potential. Yet, some of the measures may require big investment or have some bad environmental impacts. Some other good measures are already being implemented.

Bithiophene-based cost-effective hole transport materials for efficient n-i-p perovskite solar cells

Charge transport materials constitute a relatively large portion of the cost in the production of perovskite solar cells(PSCs).Therefore,developing cheap and efficient charge transport materials is of great significance for the commercialization of PSCs.In this study,three low-cost hole transport materials(HTMs),specifically 4,4'-(3,3'-bis(4-methoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-[2,2'-bithiophene]-5,5'-diyl)bis(N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline)(TP-H),4,4'-(3,3'-bis(4-methoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-[2,2'-bithiophene]-5,5'-diyl)bis(3-methoxy-N,N-bis(4-methoxy-phenyl)aniline)(TP-OMe),and 4,4'-(3,3'-bis(4-methoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-[2,2'-bithiophene]-5,5'-diyl)bis(3-fluoro-N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)aniline)(TP-F),were designed and synthesized using a bulky group-substi-tuted 2,2'-bithiophene core and methoxy-or F-functionalized triphenylamine derivatives.Compared to the HTMs without F atoms,TP-F using F substitution exhibited enhanced intermolecular packing,a lower highest occupied molecular orbital energy level,and increased hole mobility and conductivity.The PSC incorporating the doped TP-F as the hole transport layer achieved the highest power conversion efficiency(over 24%)among the three devices.The high performance of TP-F can be attributed to the passivation effect of S and F atoms on uncoordinated Pb2+within the perovskite(PVSK)film,which significantly reduces the density of defect states and the incidence of trap-mediated recombination in PSCs.This study demonstrates the effec-tiveness of the 3,3'-bis(4-methoxy-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2,2'-bithiophene building block for constructing cost-effective HTMs and highlights the impact of F substitution on enhancing the photovoltaic performance of PSCs.