On September 26, the third RH vacuum furnace system, a new furnace system of the First Steelmaking Plant of Nanjing Iron and Steel Group contracted by CERI on basis of EP successfully went through a thermal test. The composition, temperature and quality of molten steel fully catered to requirements, equipment ran stably, and degasification achieved remarkable performance.

The new RH vacuum system mainly produces the following steel products: steel plates for pipelines, high-quality carbon steel, low-alloy steel plates, shipbuilding plates, carbon steel, and bridge plate. The introduction of it has created several records in the company's history, which fully reflect the cutting-edge and superb process, equipment and electrical design of CERI's RH system.

The vacuum system adopts the mechanical vacuum pump system independently developed by CERI. Compared with traditional ones driven by steam, it relies on electric power instead of steam supply. The pump can be started and stopped at any time according to production status, and this can ensure flexible production scheduling; The system is more energy-saving and environmentally friendly. By curtailing carbon dioxide emissions by 25 kg per ton of molten steel, it can help steel and iron companies achieve carbon neutrality. The system adopts the electronic control system independently developed by CERI for the first time. This indicates that CERI has fully acquired core technologies needed for the design and commissioning of the mechanical vacuum pump system.

The vacuum system adopts a new structure for blowers at the top, whose operating mode changes from rotation to the traversing. Its layout allows five work stations for three tanks, which is unprecedented in China. Blowers in the middle and on both sides can be used as spares for each other to ensure production progress for users. In addition to that, a sealed channel is installed on the blower to ensure alignment and reduce the operation duration. Such design and layout enables heating of the vacuum tank, steel cooling, and decarburization., but it also can heat the refractory material of the vacuum tank, keep its surface temperature at around 1,400-1,450°C, reduce sticky slag, and mitigate temperature drop of molten steel.

The aim of the project is to add an RH system to the former first steelmaking workshop. As there was limited space in the workshop, there were great difficulties in design. Through in-depth and careful verification of the project plan according to the production status and requirements of clients, CERI's team ensured exceptional project quality with its adept design skills. Moreover, through the introduction of the new RH system, the project created several records in the company's history. With the support of Innovative technologies, competitive products and processes were created to cater to the needs of customers, thereby laying a solid foundation for the company to extend business into RH vacuum refining systems.