More than 80 people attended the Steel Mill Combustion   and Thermal Systems conference.

The AIST Energy & Utilities Technology Committee held the Steel Mill Combustion and Thermal Systems conference on 5–7 November 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Cleveland at the Arcade, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The two-day conference was sold out, with more than 80 attendees. The first day included presentations from burner manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers, technology companies and steel producers. Topics on the first day covered: steel mill combustions systems, burner fundamentals, flow measurement technology, piping system design, fuel/air ratio systems, and control of combustion emissions like NOx and CO₂.
The second day of the conference covered: combustion safety standards and burner management systems, combustion system maintenance, troubleshooting and combustion safety, energy efficiency/economics, CFD applications to furnace design and an introduction to e-solutions.
The seminar gave the attendees the basic knowledge and operating background to assess and understand the condition of their equipment. They were also given exposure to the latest techniques for the upgrade and optimization of systems. The relationship of hardware and controls was highlighted. Practical examples were emphasized to complement theoretical analysis. The thermal systems discussed included: reheat furnaces, batch and continuous annealing systems, continuous galvanizing systems, boilers and ladle/tundish preheaters.