Asserting the effectiveness of Danieli’s Q-Panels and OPEX improvements in other stainless steel EAF installations, Outokumpu Stainless Oy has recently placed a new order to upgrade its stainless steel EAF with the state-of-the-art Q-Panels technological package, in order to reduce heat losses and increase safety.
The Q-PANELS, with their double-layer design, entrap the slag, which acts as a heat insulator, reducing by approximately 50% the cooled surface exposed to heat radiance from the steel bath. The slag cuts down on the heat flux peaks created by the melting heat, and electrically insulates the pipes to reduce the possibility of arc flares. The two independent cooling circuits ensure higher reliability and operating safety. Thanks to their patented design, panel lifetime can be up to four times longer than conventional water-cooled panels, thus reducing maintenance costs and overall operating costs.
