A method of operating a shaft furnace includes inserting a mixture including anthracite coal and coke into a cavity defined by the furnace, and disposing a metal feedstock within the cavity. The method includes injecting natural gas at a natural gas flow rate and a first quantity of oxygen gas at a first oxygen gas flow rate into the cavity simultaneously through at least one burner. The method also includes driving a second quantity of oxygen gas at a supersonic oxygen gas flow rate into the cavity through at least one lance, wherein the supersonic oxygen gas flow rate is greater than the first oxygen gas flow rate. The method also includes combusting the mixture within the cavity to produce a stack gas, melting the metal feedstock to produce a melted metal material, and monitoring the stack gas to thereby operate the shaft furnace. A shaft furnace is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for pneumatically blowing a powdery substitute reducing agent in a dense flow process, by means of a transport gas, into a gasification reactor, or via a tuyere into a blast furnace. The substitute reducing agent is gasified in a gasification reaction. The transport gas comprises a fuel gas, the constituents of which or the oxidation constituents of which are at least partly involved in the gasification reaction.

A system for reducing ore includes a hydrogen supply unit configured to supply hydrogen, a furnace configured to reduce the ore using the supplied hydrogen, and a hydrogen recovery unit configured to recover hydrogen from an exhaust gas that is exhausted from the furnace.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

A blast furnace operation method according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a process of acquiring a correlation between a carbon consumption in reducing gas and a reduction InputΔC in specific carbon consumption caused by blowing the reducing gas into the blast furnace per molar ratio C/H of carbon atoms to hydrogen atoms in the reducing gas; a process of determining a carbon consumption in the reducing gas where the reduction InputΔC in specific carbon consumption is a predetermined target value or higher on the basis of the correlation acquired per C/H; and a process of adjusting the amount of the reducing gas blown into the blast furnace on the basis of the determined carbon consumption in the reducing gas and the carbon proportion in the reducing gas.

A blast furnace for ironmaking production wherein iron ore is at least partly reduced by a reducing gas which is injected in the stack of the blast furnace. The blast furnace includes an external and an internal wall, having a thickness T.sub.int, in contact with matters charged into the blast furnace. The thickness T.sub.int of the internal wall is substantially constant above and below the injection area of a reducing gas.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.

Improved processes and systems are disclosed for producing renewable hydrogen suitable for reducing metal ores, as well as for producing activated carbon. Some variations provide a process comprising: pyrolyzing biomass to generate a biogenic reagent comprising carbon and a pyrolysis off-gas; converting the pyrolysis off-gas to additional reducing gas and/or heat; reacting at least some of the biogenic reagent with a reactant to generate a reducing gas; and chemically reducing a metal oxide in the presence of the reducing gas. Some variations provide a process for producing renewable hydrogen by biomass pyrolysis to generate a biogenic reagent, conversion of the biogenic reagent to a reducing gas, and separation and recovery of hydrogen from the reducing gas. A reducing-gas composition for reducing a metal oxide is provided, comprising renewable hydrogen according to a hydrogen-isotope analysis. Reacted biogenic reagent may also be recovered as an activated carbon product. Many variations are disclosed.