Methods and systems for managing a heating process are disclosed. An example method can comprise removing a first portion of a material from a vessel and measuring a first parameter of a second portion of the material in the vessel. The second portion of the material can remain in the vessel after the removal of the first portion. The method can comprise, determining a volume of the second portion of the material based on the first parameter, updating a second parameter based on the volume, and performing a process based on the updated second parameter.

Sensors measure magnetic field components, and the measured fields are used to calculate and estimated transverse position of a longitudinal electric current flowing as an electric discharge across a discharge gap. Based on the estimated position, and according to a selected transverse trajectory or distribution of the estimated discharge position, magnetic fields are applied transversely across the discharge gap so as to control or alter the estimated discharge position. Inventive apparatus and methods can be employed, inter alia, during operation of a vacuum arc furnace.

A carburizer, which effects carburization with respect to molten iron accommodated in an electric furnace or a ladle, includes a mixture of quicklime and a carbon material having an ash content of from 5 mass % to 18 mass %, and satisfies the conditions 0.6≤(mc+Mc)/ms≤2.7 and 0.7≤(mc+Mc)/ma≤6.5. A method of carburization uses this carburizer. Here, mc represents the mass of CaO in the carbon material, ms represents the mass of SiO.sub.2 in the carbon material, ma represents the mass of Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in the carbon material, and Mc represents the mass of the quicklime.

Multiple magnetic field sensors are arranged around a current-containing volume at multiple longitudinal and circumferential positions. Each sensor measures multiple magnetic field components and is characterized by one or more calibration parameters. A longitudinal primary current flows through two end-to-end electrical conductors that are separated by an arc gap, and flows as at least one longitudinal primary electric arc that spans the arc gap and that moves transversely within the arc gap. Estimated transverse position of the primary electric arc is calculated, based on the longitudinal position of the arc gap, and two or more of the measured magnetic field components along with one or more corresponding sensor positions or calibration parameters. In addition, estimated occurrence, position, and magnitude of a transverse secondary current (i.e., a side arc) can be calculated based on those quantities.

A device for measuring a temperature of a molten metal bath, comprising: an optical cored wire; a tube, wherein the optical cored wire is at least partly arranged in the tube, wherein the tube has an outer diameter in the range of 4 mm to 8 mm, and a wall-thickness in the range of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm; and a plurality of separating elements comprising more than two separating elements arranged in the tube spaced apart from each other, and forming at least one compartment between two of the more than two separating elements.

The invention also relates to a system and method for measuring a temperature of a molten metal bath.

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into high-carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects. The structural objects may have a structure and/or strength that derive from the feedstock, heat rate, and additives.

This invention provides processes and systems for converting biomass into high-carbon biogenic reagents that are suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Some embodiments employ pyrolysis in the presence of an inert gas to generate hot pyrolyzed solids, condensable vapors, and non-condensable gases, followed by separation of vapors and gases, and cooling of the hot pyrolyzed solids in the presence of the inert gas. Additives may be introduced during processing or combined with the reagent, or both. The biogenic reagent may include at least 70 wt %, 80 wt %, 90 wt %, 95 wt %, or more total carbon on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may have an energy content of at least 12,000 Btu/lb, 13,000 Btu/lb, 14,000 Btu/lb, or 14,500 Btu/lb on a dry basis. The biogenic reagent may be formed into fine powders, or structural objects. The structural objects may have a structure and/or strength that derive from the feedstock, heat rate, and additives.

A charged material containing alloy iron of at least one of ferrochrome containing metallic Si or ferrosilicon, and unreduced slag containing Cr oxide generated by oxidative refining, is charged into an electric furnace as a mixture in which a mass ratio of a metallic Si amount to a Cr oxide amount is from 0.30 to 0.40, and a C concentration is in a range of from 2.0% by mass to a saturation concentration, and molten iron containing Cr obtained due to the Cr oxide undergoing reduction processing is produced, such that, when the charged material is heated and melted in the electric furnace, an attainment temperature is set to from 1400° C. to 1700° C., a maximum average heating rate in any 80° C. interval from 1300° C. to the attainment temperature is set to 15.0° C./min or less, and a minimum average heating rate in any 80° C. interval from 1300° C. to the attainment temperature is set to 3.0° C./min or greater.

A charged material containing a metal raw material of at least one of ferrochromium containing metal Si or ferrosilicon and unreduced slag containing Cr oxide generated by oxidation refining is charged into an AC electric furnace including three electrodes, a mass ratio of a metal Si amount to a Cr oxide amount being from 0.30 to 0.40, and a C concentration being from 2.0% by mass to a saturation concentration, and operation is performed under a condition where a diameter PCD (m) of a circle passing through the centers of the three electrodes viewed in a plan view from a central axis direction of the electric furnace, an average electrode height H.sub.e (m) that is a vertical distance from a tip of each electrode to a molten metal surface, a furnace inner diameter D.sub.f (m), a molten slag thickness H.sub.s (m), a spreading diameter D.sub.arc (m) of an arc on the molten metal surface, and a deflection angle θ (deg) of the arc satisfy the following relationships to produce molten iron containing Cr.

D.sub.arc=PCD+2H.sub.e.Math.tan θ

θ=52.5−75.Math.(PCD/D.sub.f)

0.22≤D.sub.arc/D.sub.f≤0.30

0.35≤H.sub.e/H.sub.s≤1.50

An enclosure of a steel-making furnace system includes a support structure including a frame that defines an interior, a supply line for supplying a cooling liquid from a reservoir, and a return line fluidly coupled to the supply line and the reservoir. A plurality of panels includes sinuously winding piping having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is fluidly coupled to the supply line and the outlet is fluidly coupled to the return line. The frame includes a plurality of support members spaced from one another, where each of the plurality of support members defines a slot. Each of the plurality of panels is removably and slidably received with the slot for coupling to the frame.