Past AIST Committee Activities

Current Activities

The Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) held their summer meeting on 22–23 August 2011 in Greenville, S.C. The meeting was called to order by chair Bob Kane. There were 10 committee attendees at the two-day session. The meeting focused on technical paper and session development for AISTech 2012. The committee established four sessions, three of which will be joint sessions with other committees. Details of the Steel Mill Combustion and Thermal Systems Specialty Conference were reviewed. The conference is scheduled for 14–16 November 2011 in Nashville, Tenn. The next order of business was a presentation of the Energy Achievement Award subcommittee’s review of their nominated projects and the final award winner announcement by Neil MacFadyen. Technical presentations were given by Richard Ricks and Brennan Downes. Mr. Ricks’ presentation was about Marcellus Shale gas exploration and Mr. Downes’ was an introduction to the GE gas turbine line. The meeting concluded on Tuesday with a facility tour of the GE Energy turbine manufacturing facility in Greenville, S.C.

The next EUTC meeting was tentatively scheduled for the first week in March 2012 in Mobile, Ala., with plans to tour the new ThyssenKrupp USA facility there.

The Energy & Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met on 4 May 2011 at AISTech in Indianapolis, Ind. Lee Rosen, chair, stated that the membership of the committee stands at 47, with 14 in attendance at this meeting. The AISTech 2011 sessions were reviewed, noting that the Monday morning panel discussion, “Energy Strategies Driving the Steel Industry,” was well attended. The EUTC officers for 2012 include Robert Kane, chair; Michael Buettner, vice chair; and Nicole Dufour-Auyeung, papers chair. The revised EUTC mission statement is: “To promote efficient, safe and environmentally responsible energy and utilities technology in the production and processing of iron and steel. We will accomplish this through the facilitation of training, technical presentations and the exchange of information.” Anthony Fennell reported that the Thermal Specialty Training Conference has been scheduled for 14–16 November 2011 at the Doubletree Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Neil Macfadyen reminded the committee about submissions for the 2011 Energy Achievement Award. The next EUTC meeting will be held on 22–23 August 2011 in Greenville, S.C. A business meeting will be held Monday morning followed by a technical session, and the plant tour at GE Gas Turbine Manufacturing will be held on Tuesday.

The Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met 21 March 2011 in Birmingham, Ala. The committee chair, Lee Rosen of Praxair, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and asking each person to introduce themselves. Chris Birkbeck volunteered to take the minutes. The AIST Antitrust Guidelines were reviewed and all participants agreed to abide by them. There had been no new members since the last meeting. The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and approved. AIST staff announcements included the appointment of Mark Rosi as the AIST staff engineer for the EUTC. The AISTech 2011 conference and schedule of events was discussed, including a presentation of navigational tips for the AIST website and all the helpful tools and documents contained within. Volunteers at the Technology Committee Pavilion on the exhibition floor, opportunities to market the Energy Achievement Award and increasing EUTC membership were discussion topics. EUTC technical sessions and papers were discussed. It was noted that, as expected, the EUTC is becoming more relevant in aspects of different committees, resulting in an increased number of joint paper sessions. The status of the AIST Thermal Specialty Training Conference (14–16 November 2011 in Nashville, Tenn.) was reviewed. It was recommended the course meet the requirements of CEU/PDH accreditation in order to increase attendance. Three presentations were given at the meeting: L. Keith Cowart, GE Energy, gave a presentation on the current status of the lighting industry; Chris Soileau, KBC, presented proven and effective methods of implementing an energy management system; and Gary Wamsley, JoGar Energy and Utility Services Inc., gave a thorough review of compressed air systems, from various machine designs to proper system design and distribution. The committee toured Alabama Power Technical Applications Center (TAC). Stylized as a miniature EPRI facility, the TAC engineers offer research and development resources to their customers seeking to improve energy efficiency through the application of innovative electrical technologies. A tour of the facility showed the committee that everything from commercial kitchen appliances, to high-speed powder coating lines, to industrial LED lighting, to DC arc furnaces are all examples of problems this group tackles on a daily basis. The committee thanks David Boone from TAC for the tour.

The Energy & Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met 26–27 Oct 2010, at the Purdue University Calumet campus. The committee chair, Lee Rosen of Praxair, opened the meeting and thanked everyone for attending. He asked the attendees to give a brief introduction of themselves. Jim Feese of Hauck Manufacturing volunteered to take the meeting minutes. The AIST Anti-Trust Guidelines were reviewed, and all attendees agreed to abide by them. The minutes from the 3 May 2010, EUTC meeting were reviewed and approved as written. The 2010 Mill Fatality Report was discussed, with a number of members sharing their personal experiences. The committee then selected and organized abstracts for AISTech 2011 into five separate EUTC sessions, including one panel discussion and two joint sessions. They also solicited enough volunteers to be session chairs for all five sessions. The Energy Achievement Award (EAA) subcommittee chair, Neil Macfadyen of Union Gas Ltd., reported on the status of the EAA. The subcommittee recommended ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor’s project, “Energy and Cost Utilizing an Oxy-Fuel System in a Hot Strip Mill Furnace,” and the committee agreed. Mike Buettner of Alfa Laval then presented the award to Erick Black of ArcelorMittal on 9 Nov at the Midwest Member Chapter’s Young Engineer’s Night on behalf of the EUTC. The status of the Thermal Specialty Training Conference was reviewed. The committee agreed to hold the conference 14–16 Nov 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. The following Computational Fluid Design (CFD) modeling presentations were then given:

• “A CFD Analysis of Stove Oxygen Enrichment in a Hot Blast Stove” by Kevin Davis of Reaction Engineering International.
• “Improved Process Analysis Using CFD — Reducing the Carbon Footprint — Examples of CFD Analysis for Industrial Applications” by Greg Kitko of GTK Flow Analysis.
• “Simulation and Visualization of a Waste Heat Recovery System for Achieving Energy Efficiency in a Cogeneration  (Combined Heat and Power, CHP) Plant” by Arun Basu of JNE Consulting.
• “CFD Modeling for Combustion System Optimization in Steel Reheating Furnaces” by Dave Schalles of Bloom Engineering.
• “CFD Burner Modeling for Optimum Process Performance” by Jim Feese of Hauck.
• “Comprehensive CFD Modeling of Industrial Processes” by Al Runstedtler of CanmetENERGY.

Professor Chenn Zhou of Purdue University Calumet (PUC) hosted a tour of their Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation, which included a number of presentations by her students and demonstrations of the 3-D visualization lab. The committee thanks Professor Zhou for the very interesting tour and hospitality. The next EUTC meeting is tentatively scheduled for 21–22 Mar 2011, in Birmingham, Ala., and will include a tour of the U. S. Steel Fairfield Works.

The Energy & Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met 3 May 2010, at AISTech in Pittsburgh. Chris Birkbeck of Nucor Steel welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending. Matt Druciak of SECO/Warwick agreed to take the meeting minutes. The AIST Anti-Trust Guidelines were reviewed, and everyone agreed to follow them. The minutes from the Feb. 9 EUTC meeting were reviewed and approved as written. The committee elected their 2010–2011 officers as: Lee Rosen of Praxair, chair; Bruce Colburn of EPS, vice chair; and Mike Buettner of Alfa Laval, papers chair. The EUTC mission statement was reviewed and accepted without changes as: “To promote efficient, safe and environmentally responsible energy technology in the production and processing of iron and steel. We will accomplish this through the facilitation of training, technical presentations and the exchange of energy-related information.” Tony Fennell of Bloom Engineering presented an update of the Thermal Specialty Training Conference that is tentatively scheduled for fall 2011 in Nashville, Tenn. The scope of the conference will be broad, general and basic for the professionals newer to the energy side of the business. The next EUTC meeting is scheduled for 26–27 Oct in Calumet, Ind., and will include a tour of Purdue Calumet’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation.

The Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met 9 Feb 2010, at the Nucor Steel Memphis facility. The committee vice chair, Lee Rosen from Praxair, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone to Memphis, noting that a number of committee members were not able to make it due to the weather. The AIST Anti-Trust Guidelines were reviewed and agreed to. Eugene Arnold volunteered to take the meeting minutes. The meeting minutes from the 22–23 Oct 2009, meeting in Carmel, Ind., were discussed and approved as written. The EUTC then reviewed the 2009 and 2010 Steel Industry Fatalities report, which led to a discussion on personal safety in a mill. The Technology Committee Center will be an area on the AISTech exhibit floor where committee members will be available to explain the benefits of being on a committee. A number of members expressed an interest in participating at the Technology Committee Center. The committee revised the 2011 EUTC Call for Abstracts to be: “New developments and applications that promote increased productivity, energy efficiency and carbon reduction in the generation, distribution or use of steel plant utilities. The topics of interest could include: carbon accounting and metering, purchased fuels, byproduct gases, steam, industrial gases, compressed air, hydrogen, oxygen, electricity, lighting, heat recovery systems, boilers, furnaces, power plant and water systems.” Next was an informative presentation by Carl Gagliardi entitled, “Federal Greenhouse Gas Legislation and Regulation: What They Could Mean for the U.S. Steel Industry.” The next meeting will be 3 May 2010, at AISTech in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Energy & Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met in Carmel, Ind., on 22–23 Oct 2009. The committee chair, Chris Birkbeck of Nucor Steel–Indiana, opened the meeting. Neil Macfadyen of Union Gas Ltd. volunteered to take the meeting minutes. Mr. Birkbeck reviewed the AIST Anti-Trust Guidelines. The 2009 Steel Mill Fatality Report was reviewed. The EUTC chose abstracts for AISTech 2010 and arranged them into sessions. The session titles were chosen, and volunteers were selected to chair each session. Mr. Macfadyen reviewed the Awards Subcommittee’s nominees for the 2010 Energy Achievement Award. Tony Fennell of Bloom Engineering led a discussion about when the next Thermal Specialty Training Conference should take place, which led to a lengthy discussion of broadcasting the course via different media, such as a Web-based seminar. The following day, the EUTC toured the Midwest ISO facility, which is an independent operator of the bulk power transmission system, along with Praxair Inc.’s thermal spray powders facility, which produces powdered metal and coating components. The next EUTC meeting is scheduled to be in Memphis, Tenn., on 9–10 Feb 2010.

The Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met on Monday, 4 May at AISTech 2009 in St. Louis, Mo. There were 14 EUTC members in attendance. The committee chair, Peter Harschnitz of ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and asked the participants to introduce themselves. Jim Feese of Hauck Manufacturing Co. agreed to take the meeting minutes. The previous meeting was held via conference call, and formal meeting minutes were forthcoming. The committee elected their new leadership, with Eugene Arnold of ArcelorMittal elected as chair, Chris Birkbeck of Nucor Indiana as vice chair, and Lee Rosen of Praxair as papers chair. The EUTC mission statement was reviewed and approved without changes. The mission statement reads, “To promote efficient, safe and environmentally responsible energy technology in the production and processing of iron and steel. We will accomplish this through the facilitation of training, technical presentations and the exchange of energy-related information.” The committee then discussed the Energy Achievement Award (EAA). The 2008 EAA was presented to Severstal Warren’s Bob Kane for the Coke Oven Gas Utilization Project, in recognition of their reheat furnace energy conservation through coke oven gas distribution improvements. The status of the Thermal Specialty Training Conference was reviewed, and it is tentatively planned for the fall of 2010. Various suggestions for the next meeting location were given, with a final decision to be determined. Mr. Harschnitz received a plaque recognizing his leadership for the past year as the committee chair. The next EUTC meeting date and location is to be determined.

The Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) held a Webinar on 18 Mar Peter Harschnitz of ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc. welcomed everyone and thanked them for participating. The attendees were asked to introduce themselves, and the AIST Antitrust Guidelines were reviewed. The Webinar began with a presentation by Betsy Dutrow of the U.S. EPA entitled, “Energy Management — A Valuable Resource for Your Business and Your Customers.” Her presentation showed how partnering with Energy Star can help improve a corporation’s bottom line while making the company an environmental leader. She explained how Energy Star can help to develop and refine a corporate energy management program. The AISTech 2009 EUTC sessions were then discussed. The EUTC sponsored two sessions at AISTech 2009, with 11 technical presentations. The paper order and session chairs were reviewed and adjusted as needed. The session chairs were encouraged to contact the authors within their sessions and discuss with them their responsibilities and deadlines for participation. EUTC leadership nominations were then discussed. Mr. Harschnitz has been elected to be the next representative for Technology Division VII — Energy and Control on the AIST board of directors for the 2009–2011 term, and will be stepping down as the committee chair. Eugene Arnold of ArcelorMittal has agreed to be the EUTC chair for 2009–2010. Chris Birkbeck of Nucor Steel–Indiana agreed to be the EUTC vice chair, and Lee Rosen of Praxair will be the papers chair. The next EUTC meeting was scheduled for 4 May during AISTech 2009 in St. Louis, Mo.

The Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) met in Warren, Ohio, on 22–23 Sep. The committee chair, Peter Harschnitz of ArcelorMittal Dofasco Inc., welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited those present to introduce themselves. Jim Feese of Hauck Manufacturing volunteered to take the meeting minutes. The committee selected the abstracts for AISTech 2009 and organized them into two sessions. They assigned titles to the sessions and accepted members as session chairs. They also chose to hold an EUTC meeting on the Monday during AISTech 2009. The Energy Achievement Award subcommittee — which is comprised of Neil Macfadyen of Union Gas Ltd. as chair, Bob Kane of WCI, and Bruce Colburn of EPS — reviewed the current status of the 2009 award. The Energy Achievement Award is awarded each year to a company that has implemented and achieved energy conservation or a significant improvement in energy-related productivity through the application of new technology, practices, and/or engineered methods in the iron and steel producing sector. The winner for this year is Severstal Warren. The status of the Energy Specialty Training Conference was discussed. The subcommittee — made up of Eugene Arnold, Tony Fennell of Bloom Engineering, and Bob Kane — have decided on a preliminary format and proposed the conference to be held 14–16 Oct 2009. The committee toured the new walking beam furnace at Severstal Warren on Sept. 23; the tour was hosted by Bob Kane. The next EUTC meeting, to be held in Portland, Ore., on 12–13 Feb 2009, will focus on “Strategies for Dealing With Increased Energy Costs” and will include a tour of Evraz Oregon Steel Mill.

The Energy and Utilities Operating Committee (EUOC) met at AISTech 2008 on 6 May. The committee chair, Chris Williams of Rad-Con Inc., welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited those present to introduce themselves. Matt Druciak of Tenova LOI Inc. volunteered to take the meeting minutes. The committee discussed the AISI/AIST committee integration. The EUOC was renamed the Energy and Utilities Technology Committee (EUTC) and is included in Technology Division VII: Energy and Control. The EUOC session chairs for AISTech 2008 were asked to remind session participants about the Energy Achievement Award, which the committee awards each year to a company that has implemented and achieved energy conservation or a significant improvement in energy-related productivity through the application of new technology, practices, and/or engineered methods in the iron and steel producing sector. The 2007 Energy Achievement Award was given to The Timken Co. for their “Rotary Furnace Regenerative Burner Retrofit Project.” The Energy Achievement Award Subcommittee is comprised of Neil Macfadyen of Union Gas Ltd. (chair), Bob Kane of WCI and Bruce Colburn of EPS. The deadline for 2008 applicants was 30 Jun 2008. The election of officers took place, with Peter Harschnitz of ArcelorMittal Dofasco being elected as chair, Eugene Arnold of ArcelorMittal as vice chair and Chris Birkbeck of Nucor Steel as papers chair. The EUOC reviewed and approved its mission statement without changes: “To promote efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible energy technology in the production and processing of iron and steel. We will accomplish this through the facilitation of training, technical presentations, and the exchange of energy-related information.” The committee discussed holding a mini-workshop on reheat furnaces during their next meeting. The details will be worked out during the summer via a subcommittee made up of Eugene Arnold, Tony Fennell of Bloom Engineering, and Bob Kane. Peter Harschnitz presented Chris Williams with a plaque for his exceptional service and dedication as committee chair for 2007–2008. The next meeting will be held in Warren, Ohio, on 22–23 Sep 2008, and will include a tour of WCI’s new walking beam furnace that is now installed and operating. Look for additional information online at www.aist.org.