China Steel Corporation installs steam jet pump in No. 1 RH facility

Taiwanese steel producer China Steel Corporation (CSC) has awarded SMS Mevac, an SMS group company, the order to revamp the oldest of the RH units (Ruhrstahl Heraeus) at its No. 1 steel works in Kaoshiung. SMS Mevac will equip the RH unit with a new, state-of-the-art four-stage steam jet vacuum pump.

In 1982, the No. 1 RH facility (160 tons) had been commissioned and, in 1990, SMS Mevac had modernized it in a record time of only 73 days. CSC uses the facility for hydrogen degassing in the production of high-grade heavy plate.

SMS group’s supply scope includes the design of the layout, the engineering, manufacturing and supply of the equipment, and commissioning, which will take place in 2020.

Thanks to the increased extraction capacity of the new pump to 600 kilograms per hour at 0.67 mbar, it is easier to compensate system leakages and evacuation times will be shorter. Additionally, the new vacuum pump can be operated at condenser cooling-water temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius, boosting the flexibility of the RH unit, especially during the hot summer months.