Virtual indurator: A tool for simulation of induration of wet iron ore pellets on a moving grate

Pelletization of iron ore fines is an important step in an integrated steel plant. It essentially involves balling of fine powders on a rotating disk or drum to produce wet pellets and induration on a moving grate to produce fired pellets. The development of a user-friendly simulation tool, virtual indurator, for induration is presented here. The simulator is based on a phenomenological model of induration. The mean diameter and moisture content of wet pellets, composition and temperature of inlet gas, firing hood temperature profile, pellet bed and hearth layer heights, and furnace design parameters such as grate length are used as model inputs. The model predicts bed and gas temperature and composition profiles, burn-through point temperature and its location, etc. This simulator can be utilized for improving furnace productivity, for optimizing fuel costs and as an operator training simulator.