Selection of Oxygen Pressure in BOF Steelmaking Original Research Article

Based on the on-site investigation and the principle of compressible flow, the working oxygen pressure should be matched to the Mach-number at the nozzle in designing nozzle and oxygen supply schedule so that the higher penetration depth and the more blending energy can be obtained for reducing energy loss by shock wave in the ultrasonic oxygen jet in the normal BOF steelmaking. For some special BOF blowing technologies, such as steelmaking with high phosphorus hot metal, post combustion oxygen lance, hot metal pretreatment, etc, the difference between working oxygen pressure and designed diffusion pressure which is related to Mach-number is necessary, so that the velocity of the oxygen jet will be decreased because of shock wave for expected metallurgical results.