Metallurgical Plant Design and Layout

By Mschac-Bill Kime

Preface
This book presents an elementary treatment of the principles of metallurgical plant design
and layout. The authors used the knowledge in the fields of metallurgical engineering
(mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal, automation) and extractive metallurgy (steel,
non-ferrous

metals),

to

enable

the

development

of

installation

projects.

In its first part, the general elements for the implementation of projects (methodology,
generally, plant structures, principle of technological calculation) are covered. In its second
part, the specific blocks for the calculation major metallurgical facilities. Obviously these
elements allow only define the purpose of the project, whose realization requires, as stated
above, a synthesis of knowledge in the field of engineering and technology.

The book is also accompanied by a volume containing examples of proposed draft standard
facilities in the metallurgical industry. Orientative characteristics of various specific
equipment; these schedules allow choosing principle of equipment are presented in the
appendices.
Finally, note that the implementation of a project of an installation is not a mechanical
process but rather taps the creativity of the civil engineer, based on examples and multiple
technical, economic and organizational and business management.

Chapter IV

General layout of metallurgical plants

4.1. Definition and development stages

The general layout of a plant outlines the site location of all component units on the ground and
shows their inter-connections, as well as the human and material traffics. The plant layout also
represents a general constructive and functional solution of the plant, which determines the cost of
investment and the profitability thereof. Based on the selected ground and the structure of the
plant, the general layout of a plant can be developed as follows:
a) Preliminary layout

production areas are established on the basis of technical and economic indicators: annual
production/unit area, required area/unit mass of facilities, area required/productive
worker;

Ancillary measures: in percentage of the production area.

b) The final layout is established on the basis of accurate surfaces of each unit.

4.2

Layout of the technological flow

It is very crucial to make a general rational technological flow layout that is conform to the
established technological flowsheet. The technological flow layout represents the location of the
technological flux in the territory of the plant; it indicates the path taken by raw materials,
intermediates and final products in the technological process and the functional connections
between the units and plant facilities. The main schematics of technological flows are:
a) For sections: horizontal, vertical or mixed depending on the nature of the production. In the
metal industry, horizontal flow and mixed flow are used (on vertical for bulk materials, e.g. power
plants
b) For plants:

in

the

grid

sections,

agglomeration

and

fusion).

b1 - the longitudinal diagram in Figure 1 shows the simplest used for a very long field; units are then
placed in several parallel tracks with a complicated flow, this scheme has the disadvantage of an
excessive length.
b2 - the transverse pattern in Figures 2 and 3 are used for a very wide field; the channels are
perpendicular on the roads.

(1)

(2)

(1)

(4)
(3)

(1)
(2)

(2)

(3)
(4)

(4)

(3)
(2)

(1)

(1)

Figure 1 (1) main traffic lane; (2) stocks of raw materials; (3) product inventory; (4) plant units.

Mixed patterns are used for large plants with a complicated flow and for any form of field, which do
not allow the achievement of previous schemes.

The selected pattern must ensure a continuous flow in one direction, at least for the main product.
The by-products can have similar circuits, detached from the main circuit.

4.3 Transport schematic

A second important issue is the pattern of transport in the field of plant (cross-sections), given the
large amounts of material in various states of aggregation (solid, liquid, melted, gas, etc.) that are
conveyed in that territory. A rational scheme of transportation has three basic elements:

a) The choice of means of transport: in large steel plants and non-ferrous are still used by inland
transport railway, which is discontinuous, difficult, dangerous, and expensive and reduces the
surface of the territory; is replaced now by continuous carriers (tapes, metal, and tires) for bulk
materials and transportation by motor or electro-cars for ladles, ingot. In hydrometallurgical plants,
transport is carried by pipes.

b) The transport paths for the various materials must be distinct, simple and short as possible, with
a minimum number of intersections between them and the ways of human traffic.

c) The construction of the general plan with the following schemes:

c1 - with dead tracks (Fig.4.2, a) with a shuttle transport (return) to the railways; is used for plants
with

small

transmission

rates;

c2 - circular (Fig.4.2, b) with one-way circuit, enables high flow rates, it is simple, is specially used to
transport

raw

materials

and

products

in

the

same

type

of

car;

c3 - rectilinear paths (Fig.4.2, c), for large plants with large transportation flows;
c4 - mixed patterns (combined).

Rmin = 180 m

(3)

(2)

(1)
(2)
(2)

(3)

(3)

(1)

(1)

Fig.4.2: 1 - Factory territory; 2 - stocks of raw materials; 3 - product inventory.

It is obvious that the choice of the coupling scheme is determined by the plant's production
capacity, the nature of the raw materials and products, the shape of the territory. For metallurgical
works, generally used mixed schemes based on the scheme with dead tract (small flow) and the
pattern

4.4.

with

straight

other

channels

(high

flow).

considerations

Besides these two main issues, the development of the general plan one must have in mind the
following

questions:

a) division (zoning) of the plant's territory, organization and health reasons, in the following areas:

Preliminary units, production units, auxiliary units, energy facilities, general units; units with
harmfulnesses emplaces are separately taking into account the prevailing wind direction; this
principle is not absolute (p.c. auxiliary units, energy etc. that operate in connection with a base
section,

are

emplaces

in

its

vicinity,

etc.);

b) Extensions: are still needed to increase production, the modernization of the technological
process, etc. ; Taking an additional area of 40 ... 50% from the built-up area; we must also take
account of the expansion terms: expansion of existing buildings or the construction of new
buildings;
c) the degree of occupation of the land is materialized by two coefficients that must be met:
- The surface coefficient Built (area occupied by the buildings / land surface): 0.20 ... 0.25;
- The surface coefficient busy or using the land surface (total area occupied / land area): 0.40 ...
0.50.

4.5.

general

plans

of

metallurgical

plants.

To illustrate the considerations above, we give two extremes between which can obviously be a
series

of

intermediate

solutions,

according

to

the

specified

factors.

a - integrated steel plant, with a production of 2 ... 4.106 t / year of steel. The simplified structure is
given in Figure 4.3 (compared with fig.3.2). In Figure 4.4 we present three common variants of the
general

plan

(always

The

Combined

presented

pattern

of

rail

in

simplified

mixed

flows,

transport

and

form).

We

notice

longitudinal-transverse;
continuous

transport;

- Pattern of mixed tracks, grafted onto the diagram with straight roads, with two connecting stations
to

the

main

track;

- Variant a) requires a land with a long length; variants b) and c) reduce the length by changing the
location

of

the

plant

and

rolling

mills.

b - Factory production of aluminum, with a 1 production capacity ... 3.105t / year Al, conducted prebaked anodes. The basic structure is given in Figure 4.5 and two common variants of the general
plan

are

illustrated

Note
-

in

Figure

4.6,

the
Mixed

flow

a,

b.

following:

diagram,

longitudinal

cross;

- Domestic transport by road (lectrocars and Motorcars) and continuous carriers (tire alumina),
removing
-

the
Commuter

transport
railway

scheme,

by

rail;

dead

channels;

- Variant b) has a degree of occupation of the lower ground than the variant) but it allows greater
elasticity in the connections with the outside.
I
Minerais, fondant
III

Anode

Coke

II1

Fonte
Air

II5

IV
II3

II2
Laitier

II4

II

Fonte

Lingot

V3

Mitrailles

V2

V1

Lingots
II

V4

Lingots stripps

VII

VI

Demi-produits lamins
Fig.4.3: I - raw material stock; II - furnaces sector: II1 - stock daily, dosage and training expenses; II2
HF section; II3 - casting section of the cast; II4 - slag granulation section; II5 - blowers; III - urban
area; IV - coke sector; V - steel sector: V1 scrap stock; V2 - steel section; V3 - section preparation of
molds; V4 - stripping section; VI - mill sector; VII - auxiliary sections.

Fig.4.4,

Fig.4.4,b

Fig.4.4,c

II

Coke bitume

Alumine, sel de fluor

Anodes

III

IV

Dchets

Al fondu
VI

V
Demi-produits couls et par
dformation lastique

Fig.4.5 : I stock dalumine ; II stock de matires premires pour la fabrication des anodes ; III secteur de
fabrication des anodes ; IV secteur dlectrolyse ; V secteur de fonderie et de dformation plastique, VI
units auxiliaires.

B stock journalier dalumine.

Fig. 4.6,a

III

II

I
IV
B
IV

IV
B

V
IV

VI

Fig.4.6,