The research team, led by Dr. Hookyung Lee, developed an electrically powered system for the annealing process of galvanized steel strips used in automotive and home appliance manufacturing. By replacing the burners of conventional combustion based annealing furnaces with electric heating elements, the process enables carbon free steel production.
The developed system preserves the color, microstructure, and mechanical properties of steel strips while reducing carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 98% compared with combustion based processes. Since the electric annealing furnace does not require burners, fuel and air supply systems, or exhaust equipment, both investment costs and installation space decrease by around 40%.
The KIER team plans to further enhance the technology with an artificial intelligence supported design and operation system. This system will automatically recommend the optimum heating element configuration based on parameters such as strip thickness, width, and line speed. When powered by renewable energy, the system enables a carbon free production process and offers a significant advantage in complying with environmental regulations such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
The research results were published in Applied Thermal Engineering in September 2025 and were supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea.
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