Anyone Work in a Steel Mill?

[rbattelle]

I recently discovered the AWESOME power and scale of steel production facilities. Anyone on here work in one? I've got some questions, and I'd love to see some pics particularly of the electric arc furnace and the blast furnace.



With regard to the arc furnace, how much current does it use?



-Ryan

 

[HoleshotHolset]

With regard to the arc furnace, how much current does it use?

I don't know about current, but I bet they use at least 1. 21 jigga-watts!! Sorry, I had to.



http://www.cmcsteeltexas.com/manufacturing/eaf.aspx

OMG!

"The CMC Steel Texas melt shop operates an Eccentric Bottom Tapping, AC current electric arc furnace with a 22' shell diameter, powered by an 80 MVA transformer, 24" diameter electrodes, tapping 120 ton heats with a 15 ton heel remnant. "



Matt

 

[AMink]

1. 21 jigga-watts

WOW! They must plug in to a lightning bolt!

 

[HoleshotHolset]

WOW! They must plug in to a lightning bolt!

It's not hard to do. Heck, Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly did it back in 1955 or 1985 depending on how you look at things. That Jennifer Parker wasn't much help... but she's more of a looker than a worker.



Matt

 

[SRadke]

Don't work in one but I've toured a few! The big blast furnaces are impressive!

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I worked at a taconite mine. We made the pellets, in balling drums and cooked them in shaft furnaces, which were sent to the steel mills to be blasted. It was a pretty impressive operation.

 

[jwilliams3]

It's not hard to do. Heck, Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly did it back in 1955 or 1985 depending on how you look at things. That Jennifer Parker wasn't much help... but she's more of a looker than a worker.

Now thats funny right there!! :-laf

 

[Jumbo Jet]

I worked 17-1/2 years in a copper plant that had an electric arc furnace. There were 3 16" x 12' diameter electrodes. It was a site to see the power cables "dancing" when in operation. The pot held 155,000 lbs. of melting/molten copper.

 

[rbattelle]

Wow, 80 megawatt arc furnace. Jumbo - how big were the power cables, I mean in terms of diameter?



-Ryan

 

[Ggg]

I used to work at Bethlehem, USX, and LTV all in IN. I do not know what the current draw is on the furnaces because I didn't work in that area, but I will do some checking. My father worked at an atomic accelerator they had a flat rate electric bill of around $1,000,000 / month.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Now thats funny right there!! :-laf

I knew some people would 'get it'.



Matt

 

[rbattelle]

I used to work at Bethlehem,

A sad day. What an unpleasant commentary on the state of America when we replace a manufacturing icon with a casino.



Ryan

 

[TowPro]

I bet you find it takes more power to make aluminum then it does to make steel.

I was amazed how much it took just to make one can. I think I recall to recycle one can we save enough power to power a 100w bulb for 3. 5 hours.

I was looking for the figure, Could not find it but I did find it takes only 5% of the power to recycle a can that it took to make the original.