So the late Dean Freytag's book on steel got me interested in steel. I dreamed, schemed and planned what I would do when I had time and money. Then one day a couple years back I discovered direct reduced iron.

For those not in the know, like I was, DRI is more of a one step operation to produce steel. Traditional methods use coke, flux stone (typically limestone) and iron ore. Several steps before you get to molten iron. DRI is a broad spectrum of technologies, which use coal, natural or synthetic gas, and in most cases production of iron is one step. The furnace or converter can be shaft type, rotary hearth, rotary kiln, or fluidized bed reactors.

The below link is a model I have been working on for sometime, along with research. Regrettably my only info source has been literature and photos. The design is based on two prototypes. One is Energiron's system, the other is Midrex. Both are shaft furnaces that can use natural or synthetic gas.

The product of this type of DRI furnace is cold or hot "pebbles" that can be charged directly to oxygen or electric furnaces in place of molten iron. DRI can also be pressed into briquettes for shipping and storage. I will also be adding a DRI cooler, storage, briquette machines, piping and conveyors to the above image.

For those interested in CAD, there are various programs on the market that are affordable. Google has one but I have not used it. Alibre is a professional software with seats starting around $100. It can do 3D, but the renderings like above are not as good. For 2D, check out DraftSight or DoubleCAD, both of which are currently free to use.

Regards,

Adam