Purdue University Calumet has received a $200,250 state grant to continue the research and development of a state-of-the art blast furnace for the steel industry.
The grant was proposed to develop a computational fluid dynamics model of pulverized coal injection for the blast furnaces. The project will lay a solid foundation to develop a long-term R&D steel program as well as to expand applications to other industries, the proposal says.
In 2003, the university received a $1.29 million state grant develop a program that predicts where erosion is likely to occur in the lining of blast furnaces, allowing repairs to be made before a complete reline -- an extremely expensive process -- is needed.
The recent award will cover half the cost of the $400,500 project. Another half will be covered by the American Iron and Steel Institute. AISI, U.S. Steel and Ispat Inland Inc. are partnering on the project headed by Chenn Zhou, a Purdue Calumet professor of mechanical engineering.
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