pa1778data.pdf

U.S. STEEL DUQUESNE WORKS
HAER No. PA-115
(Page 247)
exchangers where it flowed through the nonreversing passes
concurrent to the incoming air. Upon leaving the reversing heat
exchangers the gaseous oxygen was compressed to approximately 2 50
psig by one of two baseload oxygen compressors which are inside
of an approximately 100' square cinder block building located
just north of the MR-1000 plant. After passing through the
compressors, the oxygen was fed into the pipe line which fed it
to the different production systems at Duquesne as well as U.S.
Steel's other Monongahela Valley steel mills (i.e. National
Works, Homestead Works, Irvin Works, and the Edgar Thomson
Works). The oxygen which passed through the baseload compressor
that was not delivered to the company's pipeline system was fed
into one of two oxygen booster compressors (located in the same
building) where it was compressed to 425 psig before it was
transferred to a storage tank (no longer extant) to be used as a
back-up supply.
Also extant from the MR-1000 plant is an argon storage tower
and a partially dismantled Dimage, two stage centrifugal
compressor. The remains of the compressor sits on an
approximately 20' square x 20' high steel-framed, gable roof
covered, concrete platform which is located just north of the MR-
1000 plant.
Construction dates: 1962 and ca. 1975.
HISTORY
The power plant at the Duquesne Works has consisted, over the
years, of a steam production system, an electrical generating
system, and an oxygen making system. The mill originally
employed a decentralized steam production system whereby river
water was pumped through the main pump house to a series of
boilers which were located at each stage of the production
process (i.e. blast furnace plant, bessemer converting house,
open hearth furnace shop, primary rolling mills, and bar rolling
mills). The potential for bottlenecks in the production process
because of boiler failure at any one stage of production,
however, led company officials to centralize the system by
constructing a Central Boiler House in 1924. It originally
contained six gas-fired and six coal-fired boilers. In addition,
a cold water treatment facility consisting of four 487,000 gallon
reaction tanks and a Water Treatment Filter Building were
constructed while deaeration heaters and a boiler feedwater
system were installed in Blow Engine House Number 2. The
original coal-fired boilers were gradually converted to gas
between the mid-1950s and the 1970s because of the enforcement of
strict air quality legislation in Allegheny County. 1
The electrical generating plant at the Duquesne Works dates