Energy Efficient EAF Transformer – A Holistic Life Cycle Cost Approach

As steel industry is a major energy consumer, huge improvements in EAF's energy efficiency has already been performed; thus, additional progresses are difficult. The main opportunity is to adopt a holistic approach considering all the relevant process components, especially the electric transformer, since all the melting energy pass through it. EAF transformers are exposed to more critical conditions than power transformers. The best solution should be designed evaluating the LCC: i.e. purchase, energy losses, cooling and maintenance costs. In the present work, a model and a numerical example are proposed to determine the total cost of ownership of EAF transformers.