A hot metal temperature prediction method includes a reaction amount calculation step (S1) of calculating a reaction amount inside a blast furnace using a physical model that takes into account reactions and heat transfer phenomena inside the blast furnace, a deviation calculation step (S2) of calculating a deviation between the reaction amount calculated using the physical model and a measured reaction amount, a model parameter adjustment step (S3) of adjusting a parameter of the physical model that causes drift in a gas inside the blast furnace, so that the calculated deviation is reduced, and a hot metal temperature prediction step (S4) of predicting a future hot metal temperature using the physical model for which the parameter was adjusted.

Disclosed is a system and method for evaluating a status of a refractory material in metallurgical vessels, including furnaces and ladles, wherein a slag buildup is formed on the surface of such material as a result of scrap accumulation and chemical reactions occurring during the melting of metals in such vessels. The system and method are operative to determine both a rate of degradation of the material under evaluation, including the thickness of such material, and a measure of the slag buildup to predict and extend the operational life and improve the maintenance plan of the vessel. The system is capable of determining the thickness of and the slag buildup on the entire material under evaluation by sampling a number of regions of such material with different types of sensors, characterizing the surface profile of such material, and using appropriate signal processing techniques and artificial intelligence algorithms.

An apparatus includes: a guide portion in which a reflection plate is disposed in an opening portion at one end, and an antenna is disposed at the other end, and which is to be inserted into a blast furnace through an opening of the furnace; a guide portion moving unit which moves the guide portion to the inside or outside of the furnace; a guide portion rotating unit which rotates the guide portion; and a reflection plate tilting unit which changes a tilt angle of the reflection plate with respect to the antenna. During measurement, the opening portion of the guide portion is protruded into the furnace, and the guide portion rotating unit and the reflection plate tilting unit are driven to scan planarly or linearly the surface of a burden in the furnace.

A supply heat quantity estimating method includes: estimating a change in carried-out sensible heat by in-furnace passing gas and a change in carried-in sensible heat supplied by a raw material preheated by the in-furnace passing gas, and estimating a quantity of heat supplied to the pig iron in a blast furnace in consideration of the estimated changes in the carried-out sensible heat and carried-in sensible heat. The estimating includes: estimating the carried-out sensible heat in consideration of the quantity of heat released to an outside, and estimating the change in the carried-in sensible heat in consideration of a change in a surface height of the raw material; and estimating a quantity of heat held in a deadman coke, and estimating the quantity of heat supplied to the pig iron in the blast furnace in consideration of the estimated quantity of heat held in the deadman coke.

The present disclosure discloses a system (500) for measuring thickness along a length of a conduit (111). The system includes a guide tube and a device (300) positioned in the guide tube (370). The device is configured to displace along the guide tube into the conduit. The device includes a plurality of links (100) pivotally connected to each other. Further, at least one carrier link (304) is positioned between at least a pair of the plurality of links and is configured to accommodate at least one sensor (340). Additionally, at least one protrusion (330) extends from the at least one carrier link and is configured to support a portion of the at least one sensor, to contact the conduit for measuring thickness of the conduit. Furthermore, a control unit (400) is communicatively coupled to the device (300) to operate the device and measure thickness along the length of the conduit.

The present disclosure discloses a system (500) for measuring thickness along a length of a conduit (111). The system includes a guide tube and a device (300) positioned in the guide tube (370). The device is configured to displace along the guide tube into the conduit. The device includes a plurality of links (100) pivotally connected to each other. Further, at least one carrier link (304) is positioned between at least a pair of the plurality of links and is configured to accommodate at least one sensor (340). Additionally, at least one protrusion (330) extends from the at least one carrier link and is configured to support a portion of the at least one sensor, to contact the conduit for measuring thickness of the conduit. Furthermore, a control unit (400) is communicatively coupled to the device (300) to operate the device and measure thickness along the length of the conduit.

A method includes firing a first burner into a furnace process chamber in a first initial condition, firing a second burner into the process chamber in a second initial condition, and measuring temperature at each of an array of locations in the process chamber. The first burner is adjusted to a first adjusted condition while the second burner is being fired at the second initial condition, and a resulting first temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The second burner is adjusted to a second adjusted condition while the first burner is being fired at the first initial condition, and a resulting second temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The measured first and second temperature changes are recorded as reference data for adjusting burner conditions to adjust temperatures at each of the locations. The method can thus be used to improve temperature uniformity throughout the array of locations.

A method includes firing a first burner into a furnace process chamber in a first initial condition, firing a second burner into the process chamber in a second initial condition, and measuring temperature at each of an array of locations in the process chamber. The first burner is adjusted to a first adjusted condition while the second burner is being fired at the second initial condition, and a resulting first temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The second burner is adjusted to a second adjusted condition while the first burner is being fired at the first initial condition, and a resulting second temperature change is measured at each of the locations. The measured first and second temperature changes are recorded as reference data for adjusting burner conditions to adjust temperatures at each of the locations. The method can thus be used to improve temperature uniformity throughout the array of locations.

The furnace 10 comprises a vessel 12 having a centre axis extending between a roof and a base. The vessel holds a body 20 of material having an upper surface 24 having an upper level l.sub.u. The furnace comprises a non-contact sensor 30.1 for sensing a distance 32 between a reference point and a position on the upper surface. The non-contact sensor comprises an electromagnetic signal transceiver 36, 38, an antenna 40 for launching the signal towards the upper surface and receiving a reflection of the signal and a signal guide 46 extending between the transceiver and the antenna. The transceiver is located at one of a) a level lower than the upper level l.sub.u and b) a level higher than the upper level l.sub.u and beyond a first line 39 which is spaced a distance d.sub.0>0 from the layer on a line 41 perpendicular to the centre axis.

The furnace 10 comprises a vessel 12 having a centre axis extending between a roof and a base. The vessel holds a body 20 of material having an upper surface 24 having an upper level l.sub.u. The furnace comprises a non-contact sensor 30.1 for sensing a distance 32 between a reference point and a position on the upper surface. The non-contact sensor comprises an electromagnetic signal transceiver 36, 38, an antenna 40 for launching the signal towards the upper surface and receiving a reflection of the signal and a signal guide 46 extending between the transceiver and the antenna. The transceiver is located at one of a) a level lower than the upper level l.sub.u and b) a level higher than the upper level l.sub.u and beyond a first line 39 which is spaced a distance d.sub.0>0 from the layer on a line 41 perpendicular to the centre axis.