Research progress and development trends of iron ore sintering ignition technology

Sintering ignition is a critical initial link in the iron ore sintering process. Its essence is to build a suitable high-temperature combustion environment on the surface of the sintering bed and provide necessary heat input for the rapid ignition and combustion reaction of solid fuels. The heat input level, gas combustion efficiency and temperature distribution uniformity during the ignition process not only affect the mineralogical composition of sintered ore, finished product quality and production stability, but also determine the energy consumption and carbon emission level of the sintering process. Based on the sintering production practices of typical domestic iron and steel enterprises and relevant research results, this paper systematically analyzed the energy consumption characteristics, gas utilization level and fuel structure characteristics of sintering ignition, and summarized the main factors affecting ignition energy consumption, including gas calorific value, oxygen enrichment concentration, preheating level of combustion-supporting air, structural parameters of the ignition furnace and operating system. On this basis, this paper comprehensively reviewed the development status of typical energy-saving technologies for sintering ignition in recent years, including oxygen-enriched ignition, fuel gas and combustion-supporting air preheating, low-negative-pressure ignition, structural optimization of the ignition furnace and intelligent ignition control. It illustrated the action mechanisms of different technologies in strengthening combustion reactions, improving the heat transfer process, increasing thermal utilization efficiency and reducing energy consumption. The research shows that the optimization of combustion conditions and ignition systems to realize the accurate matching of heat input and bed material demand can effectively improve the temperature uniformity of the ignition area, reduce heat loss and promote the stable improvement of sinter quality. At present, sintering ignition technology is developing toward multi-technology collaborative optimization, refined process control and intelligentization. Further research on combustion enhancement mechanisms should be strengthened, and intelligent control and low-carbon fuel utilization technologies should be promoted in the future to realize the efficient and low-carbon operation of the sintering ignition process.