Process metallurgy and data-driven prediction and feedback of blast furnace heat indicators

The prediction and control of furnace heat indicators are of great importance for improving the heat levels and conditions of the complex and difficult-to-operate hour-class delay blast furnace(BF)system.In this work,a prediction and feedback model of furnace heat indicators based on the fusion of data-driven and BF ironmaking processes was proposed.The data on raw and fuel materials,process op-eration,smelting state,and slag and iron discharge during the whole BF process comprised 171 variables with 9223 groups of data and were comprehensively analyzed.A novel method for the delay analysis of furnace heat indicators was established.The extracted delay variables were found to play an important role in modeling.The method that combined the genetic algorithm and stacking efficiently im-proved performance compared with the traditional machine learning algorithm in improving the hit ratio of the furnace heat prediction model.The hit ratio for predicting the temperature of hot metal in the error range of±10℃ was 92.4%,and that for the chemical heat of hot metal in the error range of±0.1wt%was 93.3%.On the basis of the furnace heat prediction model and expert experience,a feedback model of furnace heat operation was established to obtain quantitative operation suggestions for stabilizing BF heat levels.These sugges-tions were highly accepted by BF operators.Finally,the comprehensive and dynamic model proposed in this work was successfully ap-plied in a practical BF system.It improved the BF temperature level remarkably,increasing the furnace temperature stability rate from 54.9%to 84.9%.This improvement achieved considerable economic benefits.

Analysis and Prospect of Waste Heat Utilization from Blast Furnace Slag Flushing

Estimating the residual heat of blast furnace slag flushing in China,classifying and introducing the current proposed methods of slag flushing waste heat utilization,and listing existing cases.In order to better save energy and water in the slag flushing process of blast furnaces,an ideal comprehensive cascade utilization system scheme for annual recovery of waste heat is proposed.Based on the measured waste heat data of a steel plant,design calculations are carried out to further analyze the economic feasibility of the new scheme and provide reference for its promotion and application.

Improvement of fuel consumption and maintenance of heating furnaces using a modified heating pattern

This article studies the transient heat conduction in a slab when passing through various sections of the furnace, and focuses on the thickness of the scale layer formed on the slab. The transient heat conduction behavior of a slab in various sections of the heating furnace is analyzed using the Laplace transformation method, including the pre-heating zone, the first heating zone, the second heating zone, and the soaking zone. The heating pattern of the furnace is then modified to reduce fuel consumption. The simulation results show that the scale layer formed on the slab significantly influences the quality of the hot rolled coil formed, and how the furnace parameters affect the efficiency of the furnace and the quality of the coil.

Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Air Distribution on Turbulent Flow and Combustion in a Tubular Heating Furnace

A three-dimension full-size numerical simulation of the effect of air distribution on turbulent flow and combustion in a tubular heating furnace was carried out. A standard k –ε turbulent model, a simplified PDF combustion model and a discrete ordinate transfer radiation model were used. The hybrid grid combining a structured and a non-structured grid was generated without any simplification of the complicated geometric configuration around the burner. It was found that the multistage combustion could reduce and control the peak value of temperature. At the same time, it was concluded that the amount of primary air had little effect on the global distribution of velocity and temperature in the furnace, but a great effect on that around the burner. It is recommended that 45% - 65% of the total amount of air be taken in in primary air inlets in the furnace. All the results are important to optimize the combustion progress.

Numerical analysis on Joule heating of double-loop channel induction furnaces

In order to investigate Joule heating power,a three-dimensional finite element model(FEM) was developed to predict Joule heating power in the channels of double-loop inductor. The simulated results were compared with experimental data from low load trials for a 400 kW inductor. The results,such as power factor and Joule heating power,show reasonable correlation with experimental data,and Joule heating rate reaches the maximum at the corners and the minimum at the centre of the cross-section area. With increasing relative permeability of iron core,length of coils,current frequency and resistivity of metal melt,the power factor and Joule heating power change. It is concluded that current frequency,the resistivity and length of the coil play a critical role in determining the power factor and Joule heating power,whereas relative permeability of the magnetic core shows no significant influence on them.

Parameters Optimization of the Heating Furnace Control Systems Based on BP Neural Network Improved by Genetic Algorithm

The heating technological requirement of the conventional PID control is difficult to guarantee which based on the precise mathematical model,because the heating furnace for heating treatment with the big inertia,the pure time delay and nonlinear time-varying.Proposed one kind optimized variable method of PID controller based on the genetic algorithm with improved BP network that better realized the completely automatic intelligent control of the entire thermal process than the classics critical purporting(Z-N)method.A heating furnace for the object was simulated with MATLAB,simulation results show that the control system has the quicker response characteristic,the better dynamic characteristic and the quite stronger robustness,which has some promotional value for the control of industrial furnace.

Research on Microwave Heating-Direct Steelmaking in Electric Furnace

Self-fluxing iron ore concentrates containing coal have good microwave Absorbability. With the voluminal heating property of microwave, the concentrates can be reduced uniformly and swiftly. The metallized semi-product can be directly charged into electric furnace for making clean steel. The total consumed energy of overall route is about 20 98 GJ.

Finite-time Stability of Heating Furnace Temperature Control System

A finite-time stabilization controller for the heating furnace temperature control system is proposed.Based on the extended Lyapunov finite-time stability theory and power integral method,a finite-time stable condition of the heating furnace temperature control system is given.The temperature of the heating furnace is directed by the finite-time stabilization controller to make it stable in finite time.And the quality and quantity of slabs is improved.The simulation example is presented to illustrate the applicability of the developed results.

Theoretical Derivation of Thermal Value Equations for Heating Furnaces

Based on thermal value theory, the aim of this paper is to deduce the theoretical formulas for evaluating the energy effective utilization degree in technological pyrological processes exemplified by metallurgical heating furnaces. Heat transfer models for continuous heating furnaces, batch-type heating furnaces, and regenerative heating furnaces are established, respectively. By analyzing the movement path of injected infinitesimal heat attached on steel or gas, thermal value equations of continuous, batch-type, and regenerative heating furnaces are derived. Then the influences of such factors as hot charging, gas preheating and intake time of heat on energy effective utilization degree are discussed by thermal value equations. The results show that thermal value rises with hot charging and air preheating for continuous heating furnaces, with shorter intake time when heat is attached on steel or longer intake time when heat is attached on gas for batch-type heating furnaces and that with more heat supply at early heating stage or less at late stage for regenerative heating furnaces.

The Mechanism and Influencing Factors of Corrosion in a Gas Heating-Furnace

Natural gas should be heated and throttled for the purpose of purification and transportation at the first gas production factory of the Changqing field. The safe use and heat-transfer efficiency of a heating-furnace affect the safe and smooth production of natural gas directly. At gas collecting stations now, no measures of anticorrosion have been adopted in heating furnaces which erode and scale badly. In order to solve the corrosive problem of heating-furnaces, prolong operating life of heating-furnaces, assure safe and smooth production of natural gas, the mechanism and influencing factors of corrosion of the heating-furnace were analyzed and some corresponding measures were brought forward based on a field investigation of usage behavior and present operational status of heating-furnaces at the first gas production factory. The results show that the corrosive ion and soluble CO2 and O2 in water erode metal badly at the condition of being heated. Corrosion of a heating-furnace are mostly oxygen corrosion, corrosive ion corrosion, acid corrosion, iron encrustation corrosion, dry and wet interface corrosion, caustic corrosion, etc; The influencing factors of corrosion mainly include soluble O2 and CO2 in water, pH value, heat loading, corrosive ion, soluble solid （salinity） and non-flowing character of water, etc.

Steady State Heat Transfer of Ladle Furnace During Steel Production Process

The heat transfer analysis was performed for an industrial ladle furnace （LF） with a capacity of 55-57 t in Turkey. The heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation from outer and bottom surfaces, top and electrodes of LF were determined in detail. Finally, some suggestions about decreasing heat losses were presented.

Numerical simulation of aluminum holding furnace with fluid-solid coupled heat transfer

To predict three-dimensional temperature distribution of molten aluminum and its influencing factors inside an industrial aluminum holding furnace,a fluid-solid coupled method was presented.The fluid-solid coupled mathematics models of aluminum holding furnace in the premixed combustion processing were established based on mass conservation,moment conservation,momentum conservation,energy conservation and chemistry species conservation.Computational results agree well with the test data of the typical condition.The maximum combustion temperature is 1 850 K.The average temperature of the molten aluminum is 1 158 K,and the maximum temperature difference is about 240 K.The average temperature increases 0.3 ℃ while the temperature of combustion air increases 1 ℃.The optimal excess air ratio is 1.25-1.30.

Zonal method solution of radiative heat transfer in a one-dimensional long roller-hearth furnace in CSP

A radiative heat transfer mathematical model for a one-dimensional long furnace was set up in a through-type roller-hearth furnace （TTRHF） in compact strip production （CSP）. To accurately predict the heat exchange in the furnace, modeling of the complex gas energy-balance equation in volume zones was considered, and the heat transfer model of heating slabs and wall lines was coupled with the radiative heat transfer model to identify the surface zonal temperature. With numerical simulation, the temperature fields of gas, slabs, and wall lines in the furnace under one typical working condition were carefully accounted and analyzed. The fundamental theory for analyzing the thermal process in TI＇RI-IF was provided.

SIMULATION OF STEEL COIL HEAT TRANSFER IN HPH FURNACE

The mathematical model has been estublished for the simulation of steel coil＇s heat transfer during annealing thermal process in HPH （high performance hydrogen） furnace. The equivalent radial thermal conductivity is adopted by statistical analysis regression approach through the combination of a large quantity of production data collected in practice and theoretical analyses. The effect of the number of coils on circulating flow gas is considered for calculating the convection heat transfer coefficient, The temperature within the coil is predicted with the developed model during the annealing cycle including heating process and cooling process. The good consistently between the predicted results and the experimental data has demonstrated that the mathematical model established and the parameters identified by this paper are scientifically feasible and the effective method of calculation for coil equivalent radial heat transfer coefficient and circulating gas flow has been identified successfully, which largely enhances the operability and feasibility of the mathematic- model. This model provides a theoretical basis and an effective means to conduct studies on the impact that foresaid factors may imposed on the steel coil＇s temperature field, to analyze the stress within coils, to realize online control and optimal production and to increase facilily output by increasing heating and cooling rates of coils without producing higher thermal stress.

Heat Transfer Analysis for Industrial AC Electric Arc Furnace

The heat transfer analysis was performed for an AC electric arc furnace (EAF). Heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation from outer surface, roof, bottom and electrodes of EAF were determined in detail. Some suggestions about decreasing heat losses were presented.

Analysis and optimization of heat loss for water-cooled furnace roller

A heat transfer model of furnace roller cooling process was established based on analysis of furnace roller＇s structure. The complicated model was solved with iteration planning algorithm based on Newton search. The model is proved logical and credible by comparing calculated results and measured data. Then, the relationship between water flow velocity, inlet water temperature, furnace temperature and roller cross section temperature, outlet water temperature, water temperature rise, cooling water heat absorption was studied. The conclusions and recommendations are mainly as follows： l） Cooling water temperature rise decreases with the increase of water flow velocity, but it has small relationship with inlet water temperature; 2） In order to get little water scale, inlet water temperature should be controlled below 30 ℃. 3） The cooling water flow velocity should be greater than critical velocity. The critical velocity is 0.07 m/s and water flow velocity should be controlled within 0.4-0.8 m/s. Within this velocity range, water cooling efficiency is high and water temperature rise is little. If cooling water velocity increases again, heat loss will increase, leading to energy wasting.

Mathematical model on heat transfer of water-cooling steel-stick bottom electrode of DC electric arc furnace

For predicting and controlling the melted depth of bottomelectrode during the process of steelmaking, the water-cooling steel-stick electrode is taken as an example, to analyze the process ofheat transfer, then 3D mathematical model by control capacity methodis built. At the same time, the measurement on the melted depth ofbottom electrode is conducted which verified the correctness of thebuilt mathematical model. On the base of verification, all kinds ofkey parameters are calculated through the application and a series ofresults are simulated. Finally, the optimum parameters are found andthe service life of bottom electrode is prolonged.

Air cushion furnace technology for heat treatment of high quality aluminum alloy auto body sheet

The process characteristics of heat treatment of aluminum alloy auto body sheet and the working principle of air cushion furnace were introduced.The process position and irreplaceable role of air cushion furnace in the aluminum alloy auto body sheet production was pointed out after the difficulty and key points in the whole production process of auto body sheet were studied.Then the development process of air cushion furnace line of aluminum alloy sheet was reviewed,summarized and divided to two stages.Based on the research of air cushion furnace,the key technology of it was analyzed,then the key points on process,equipment and control models of air cushion furnace for aluminum alloy auto body sheet in future were put forward.With the rapid development of automotive industry,there will be certainly a new upsurge of research and application of air cushion furnace for heat treatment of aluminum alloy auto body sheet.

Calculations of Heat Transfer in Torch Furnaces by Gas Volume Radiation Laws

The results stemming from the calculation of heat transfer in torch furnaces by the laws, relating to radiation from solid surfaces and gas volumes are analyzed. The article presents the laws for radiation from gas volumes and the procedure for calculating heat transfer in torch furnaces, fire boxes, and combustion chambers, elaborated on their basis. The example of heat transfer calculation in a torch furnace is given, and it is significantly non-uniform in nature. Non-uniformity of heat flux distribution on heating surfaces is given. According to the results of calculations, a new furnace is designed to decrease the non-uniformity of ingot heating, fuel rate, and increase the furnace capacity. The calculation results of the distribution of heat fluxes on the heating surfaces are given in changing torch geometric dimensions. These results are confirmed by experimental studies.

Modeling and Simulation of Heat Transfer in Loaded Continuous Heat Treatment Furnace

Continuous furnaces are widely used in the heat treatment of mass-produced parts. However, the heating up process of parts in continuous furnace is still decided by experience. In this paper the heat transfer in the continuous furnace is formulated firstly. The heat balance in each zone is discussed and equations are given. Coupled with the model for heat transfer between workpieces and furnace and the heat transfer in the workload as well presented in the former developed CHT-6/ for batch furnaces, a program CHT- for continuous furnaces was developed. The model deals with two typical movements of parts: continuous or step by step. The moving speed of parts and load pattern can be optimized based on the calculated temperature distributions and curves, especially, the fastest heated and slowest-heated temperature-distance profiles. A case study is carried out for the heat treatment of a kind of hook-shaped part. The calculated results are analyzed and in good agreement with the measured ones.