A method for operating a blast furnace includes blowing pulverized coal and oxygen from an upstream lance configured by a double tube. LNG is blown from a downstream lance on the downstream side in a hot air blast direction, oxygen is supplied from the upstream lance, and the pulverized coal whose temperature has been increased by the combustion of the LNG is combusted along with the supplied oxygen or oxygen in an air blast. With respect to a direction perpendicular to the hot air blast and a downstream direction of the hot air blast, a blowing direction of the LNG from the downstream lance with respect to the blast direction ranges from 30 to +45. A blast pipe circumferential direction angle at a blowing position of the LNG from the downstream lance with respect to where the upstream lance is inserted into a blast pipe ranges from 160 to 200.

Methods and systems for the valorization of carbon monoxide emissions from metallurgical furnaces into highly valuable low-carbon footprint chemicals using carbon monoxide electrolysis are disclosed herein are disclosed. A disclosed method includes operating a metallurgical furnace; obtaining, in connection with the operation of the metallurgical furnace, a volume of carbon monoxide; supplying the volume of carbon monoxide to a cathode area of a carbon monoxide electrolyzer to be used as a reduction substrate; and generating, using the carbon monoxide electrolyzer, the reduction substrate, and an oxidation substrate, a volume of generated chemicals. The volume of generated chemicals is at least one of: a volume of hydrocarbons, a volume of organic acids, a volume of alcohol, a volume of olefins and a volume of N-rich organic compounds.

A supplied heat quantity estimation method estimates a quantity of heat supplied to pig iron in a blast furnace from a quantity of heat supplied into the blast furnace and a production speed of molten iron in the blast furnace, and includes estimating a change in carried out sensible heat by in-furnace passing gas and a change in carried in sensible heat supplied by a raw material preheated by the in-furnace passing gas, and estimating the quantity of heat supplied to pig iron in the blast furnace in consideration of the estimated changes of the carried out sensible heat and the carried in sensible heat. The estimating includes estimating the changes of the carried out sensible heat and the carried in sensible heat, and estimating a quantity of heat held in deadman coke present in the blast furnace to estimate the quantity of heat supplied to pig iron.

A supplied heat quantity estimation method estimates a quantity of heat supplied to pig iron in a blast furnace from a quantity of heat supplied into the blast furnace and a production speed of molten iron in the blast furnace, and includes estimating a change in carried out sensible heat by in-furnace passing gas and a change in carried in sensible heat supplied by a raw material preheated by the in-furnace passing gas, and estimating the quantity of heat supplied to pig iron in the blast furnace in consideration of the estimated changes of the carried out sensible heat and the carried in sensible heat. The estimating includes estimating the changes of the carried out sensible heat and the carried in sensible heat, and estimating a quantity of heat held in deadman coke present in the blast furnace to estimate the quantity of heat supplied to pig iron.

A process for processing metal ore includes: reducing a metal ore, particularly a metallic oxide, in a blast furnace shaft; producing furnace gas containing CO.sub.2, in the blast furnace shaft; discharging the furnace gas from the blast furnace shaft; directing at least a portion of the furnace gas directly or indirectly into a CO.sub.2-converter; and converting the CO.sub.2 contained in the furnace gas into an aerosol consisting of a carrier gas and C-particles in the CO.sub.2-converter in the presence of a stoichiometric surplus of C; directing at least a first portion of the aerosol from the CO.sub.2-converter into the blast furnace shaft; and introducing H.sub.2O into the blast furnace shaft. By virtue of the reaction C+H.sub.2O.fwdarw.CO.sub.2+2H, nascent hydrogen is produced in the blast furnace which causes rapid reduction of the metal ore. The speed of reduction of the metal ore is thus increased, and it is possible to increase either the throughput capacity of the blast furnace or to reduce the size of the blast furnace. An aerosol in the form of a fluid is easily introducible into the blast furnace shaft.

Controlling circumferential variability in a blast furnace may include generating a predictive model that sets up a relationship between a standard deviation of a selected state variable, state variables and one or more control variables in blast furnace operation for predicting the standard deviation. A number of circumferential sections of the blast furnace is defined, and the predictive model associated with the selected state variable for each of the circumferential sections is trained based on process data of the blast furnace. A plurality trained predictive models is generated associated with different circumferential sections and different selected state variables. One or more future control variable set points that minimize a sum of the plurality of predictive models, is determined. One or more future control variable set points is transmitted to a control system to control the blast furnace operation.

Controlling circumferential variability in a blast furnace may include generating a predictive model that sets up a relationship between a standard deviation of a selected state variable, state variables and one or more control variables in blast furnace operation for predicting the standard deviation. A number of circumferential sections of the blast furnace is defined, and the predictive model associated with the selected state variable for each of the circumferential sections is trained based on process data of the blast furnace. A plurality trained predictive models is generated associated with different circumferential sections and different selected state variables. One or more future control variable set points that minimize a sum of the plurality of predictive models, is determined. One or more future control variable set points is transmitted to a control system to control the blast furnace operation.

Controlling circumferential variability in a blast furnace may include generating a predictive model that sets up a relationship between a standard deviation of a selected state variable, state variables and one or more control variables in blast furnace operation for predicting the standard deviation. A number of circumferential sections of the blast furnace is defined, and the predictive model associated with the selected state variable for each of the circumferential sections is trained based on process data of the blast furnace. A plurality trained predictive models is generated associated with different circumferential sections and different selected state variables. One or more future control variable set points that minimize a sum of the plurality of predictive models, is determined. One or more future control variable set points is transmitted to a control system to control the blast furnace operation.

Controlling circumferential variability in a blast furnace may include generating a predictive model that sets up a relationship between a standard deviation of a selected state variable, state variables and one or more control variables in blast furnace operation for predicting the standard deviation. A number of circumferential sections of the blast furnace is defined, and the predictive model associated with the selected state variable for each of the circumferential sections is trained based on process data of the blast furnace. A plurality trained predictive models is generated associated with different circumferential sections and different selected state variables. One or more future control variable set points that minimize a sum of the plurality of predictive models, is determined. One or more future control variable set points is transmitted to a control system to control the blast furnace operation.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for the production of molten metals direct oxidative combustion of one or more solid fuels. The systems and methods may be combined with coal gasifiers and related components for reducing overall energy requirements as well as external fuel sources, e.g., through the use of endogenously-generated hydrogen. In beneficial aspects, components of the carbonaceous exhaust produced in accordance with the disclosed systems and methods, such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), may be isolated using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) for reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions.