The invention relates to a method for operating a furnace (12), comprising a furnace chamber (14), which is heated by means of at least one burner (16), wherein the method comprises a monitoring of a combustion in the furnace chamber (14), and monitoring a calorific value of a fuel determined for the burner (16). The invention further relates to a furnace system (10), and to a control unit (24).

In an example implementation, a method of determining a sintering process endpoint includes monitoring gas flow through a detection gas line routed into a sintering furnace and through a furnace shelf on which a token green object is positioned. The method includes detecting a change in the gas flow when the token green object shrinks during a sintering process in the furnace, and determining that green objects being sintered in the furnace have reached a sintering endpoint when the change in the gas flow reaches a predetermined target.

Systems and methods for firing an insulator is described. A kiln includes at least three zones on a wall of the kiln, a processing unit, and at least three PID controllers. The at least three zones have at least three burners arranged vertically. The processing unit determines firing ratio information for the at least three zones. Each of the PID controllers corresponds to a zone of the at least three zones. The at least three PID controllers control supply of gas and air to the at least three burners of the at least three zones based on the firing ratio information.

Probes, blast furnaces equipped therewith, and methods of fabricating probes. Such a probe includes a base, a shell connected to the base and constructed of at least first and second housing members that extend together along a length of the probe in a longitudinal direction thereof, and at least one support structure interconnecting the first and second housing members. The probe includes a coolant circuit comprising at least one coolant passage within an interior cavity of the shell. The coolant passage has at least one tube supported by the support structure so that the tube contacts at least one of the first and second housing members. At least one sensor is disposed in the second housing member for performing a measurement at an exterior of the shell.

The present invention relates to a multistage vertical graphitization furnace system including a feed part including a silo where raw materials are stored, a low-temperature treatment part having a low-temperature heat treatment furnace which receives the raw materials from the feed part, and heats the raw materials to remove impurities, a high-temperature treatment part having a high-temperature heat treatment furnace to produce synthetic graphite, a cooling part for water-cooling the synthetic graphite produced in the high-temperature treatment part, and a discharge part for taking out the synthetic graphite discharged from the cooling part.

The present invention relates to a multistage vertical graphitization furnace system including a feed part including a silo where raw materials are stored, a low-temperature treatment part having a low-temperature heat treatment furnace which receives the raw materials from the feed part, and heats the raw materials to remove impurities, a high-temperature treatment part having a high-temperature heat treatment furnace to produce synthetic graphite, a cooling part for water-cooling the synthetic graphite produced in the high-temperature treatment part, and a discharge part for taking out the synthetic graphite discharged from the cooling part.

There are provided a method for heat treatment, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heat treatment system capable of efficiently controlling heat treatment such as a bright treatment with high precision and without causing oxidation and decarbonization. Computation of G.sup.0 (standard formation Gibbs energy) is performed by referring to sensor information from respective sensors, and an Ellingham diagram, a control range, and a status of the heat treatment furnace in operation expressed with G.sup.0 are displayed on a display device 531, while a flow rate of hydrocarbon gas is controlled by a control unit 534 so that G.sup.0 is within the control range.

A furnace system including an outer shell which comprises a top flange, an elongated body portion, and a bottom flange, wherein the outer shell is a pressure vessel, with no penetrations in the elongated body portion; a heater assembly which comprises (i) a single-piece annular shaped insulation layer, and (ii) a plurality of heaters embedded in the insulation layer, wherein the heater assembly is disposed within the elongated body portion of the outer shell; and an innermost layer disposed within the annular-shaped insulation layer, wherein the innermost layer is a baffle tube configured to force a natural convective flow, wherein each of the plurality of heaters is individually controllable and the plurality of heaters are configured to heat different zones within the furnace to different temperatures and/or at different rates. The system may be used to heat treat magnet materials, such as those formed of Bi-2212, therein.

An experimental system for high-temperature oxidation and quenching of cladding materials under reactor severe accident includes: a gas supply system, a heating section, a cooling system, and a rapid quenching system. The gas supply system supplies mixed gas of steam and argon. The heating section includes an infrared radiation furnace and a quartz glass tube. The rapid quenching system includes a constant-temperature water tank, high-temperature resistant hoses, quenching quartz glass tube, and movable rails. At a reaction zone, samples and atmosphere can be heated up to 1400 C. at an ultra-high heating rate exceeding 100 C./s under reactive atmospheres such as steam, and the sample is subjected to rapid quenching after high-temperature steam oxidation testing. The experimental provides ultra-high heating rates and rapid quenching, which facilitates the reach on micro- and macro-mechanisms of high-temperature reactions and quenching in materials.