CIVS and Linde Visit Gerdau Monroe to Gather Reheat Furnace Data for IVRF Research

On November 6, CIVS Senior Research Engineer Kyle Toth met with Kevin Kondrat, Improvement Facilitator for Gerdau, and Rafat Hirmiz, Metals Research Engineer for Linde, at Gerdau Special Steel in Monroe, Michigan, during the final day of a scheduled outage.

During the visit, the most recent version of the Integrated Virtual Reheat Furnace (IVRF) software ahead of planned testing in December was shared, video footage was collected of the inside of the reheat furnace during the outage, and a test fitting was conducted of one of several oxygen lances that will be attached to the reheat furnace as part of the ongoing project “Development and Demonstration of an Industrial Fuel-Flexible Steel Reheating Furnace” funded by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Office (ITO). The video footage will be used to test virtual 3D reconstruction methods of the furnace interior to further develop the IVRF software package. The IVRF helps supplement learning about the construction and functions of the furnace itself and will be trialed at Gerdau in December as part of a reheating workshop.

Gerdau is one of the world’s leading steel producers, annually converting more than 10 million tons of recycled scrap metal into new steel products. Its North American operations include metals recycling facilities, steel mills, and downstream manufacturing sites that produce merchant bar, structural steel, piling, special bar quality steel, and rebar. Gerdau invests in innovative technologies and collaborative research efforts that support advancements in steelmaking efficiency, sustainability, and product quality. (https://www2.gerdau.com/)