Reheat Furnace Pressure Control Improvement and Fuel Savings by Upgrading the Stack Damper Actuator

Rolling mill reheat furnaces consume significant amounts of energy. Optimal operation requires the minimization of fuel consumption, while maintaining a controlled steel billet thermal soak. At a steel mill in Northeast Pennsylvania, the rolling mill team was frustrated by the furnace pressure control. The stack damper position used a pneumatic actuator and furnace pressure was unstable. In 2019, the plant retrofitted the stack damper actuator to an electro-hydraulic type with a repeatability of <0.1% of travel position. The pressure setpoint could by reduced 38%, while furnace combustion efficiency improved with fuel savings of US$103,000 per year.

Mr. Mark Ferra | REXA