CONVERTER TORQUE SUPPORT

Abstract

A method for operating a converter and a support device for the converter. The converter is rotatably or tiltably mounted and rotatably coupled in a transmission via support pins in the support device. The transmission is supported permanently on a base via a torque support. In order to reduce costs for a corresponding support device and, simultaneously, so as to be able to better control the torque exerted by the converter on the transmission, the time-variable actual torque M.sub.Ist exerted by the converter on the transmission is controlled to a predefined target torque M.sub.Soll.

Claims

1-19. (canceled)

20. A method for operating a converter that is mounted in a gear mechanism by supporting journals so that the converter is tiltable about longitudinal axes of the supporting journals and rotatably coupled with the gear mechanism, the converter and the gear mechanism being permanently supported on a foundation by a torque support, the torque support being a hydraulic cylinder with a connected servo valve or an electromechanical drive, the method, in a blowing mode of the converter, comprising: controlling a time-variable actual torque M.sub.Act exerted on the gear mechanism by the converter to a specified setpoint torque M.sub.Set, the step of controlling the torque comprising the following substeps: determining the time-variable actual torque M.sub.Act exerted on the gear mechanism by the converter; specifying the setpoint torque M.sub.Set; determining a torque system deviation as a difference between the setpoint torque M.sub.Set and the actual torque M.sub.Act; and generating, by a first control device, a first component of an adjusting signal for the torque support as an adjusting element in accordance with the torque system deviation so that the torque system deviation becomes zero.

21. The method according to claim 20, including specifying the setpoint torque as an average of a plurality of sampled values of the determined time-variable actual torque.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising controlling an actual angular position of the gear mechanism during the blowing mode of the converter to a specified setpoint angular position.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the specified setpoint angular position is 0°.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the step of controlling the angular position a comprises the following substeps: determining the actual angular orientation of the gear mechanism; specifying the setpoint angular orientation of the gear mechanism; determining an angular-orientation system deviation as a difference between the setpoint angular orientation and the actual angular orientation; generating, by a second control device, a second component of the adjusting signal for the torque support as an adjusting element in accordance with the angular-orientation system deviation; adding the first and second components to form the adjusting signal; and activating the torque support as an adjusting element with the adjusting signal so that, as far as possible, the torque system deviation and the angular-orientation system deviation each become zero.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first component and the second component of the adjusting signal are each individually weighted, and wherein, during the blowing mode, the second component is smaller than the first component.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein, the second component is smaller than the first component by a factor in a range of 100-10.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the torque support is a hydraulic cylinder with a connected servo valve.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein, when the converter is not in a blowing mode, the method comprises the following step: controlling the actual angular position of the gear mechanism to a specified setpoint angular position.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the specified setpoint angular position is 0°.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein the step of controlling the angular position when not in the blowing mode comprises the following substeps: determining the actual angular orientation of the gear mechanism; specifying the setpoint angular orientation of the gear mechanism; determining the angular-orientation system deviation as a difference between the setpoint angular orientation and the actual angular orientation of the gear mechanism; and generating, by a second control device, the adjusting signal for the torque support as an adjusting element in accordance with the angular-orientation system deviation so that the angular-orientation system deviation becomes zero.

31. The method according to claim 20, further including tilting the converter when not in the blowing mode about the longitudinal axes of the supporting journals by a drive assigned to the gear mechanism.

32. A supporting device for a converter, comprising: a baling ring with radially outwardly extending supporting journals for receiving the converter; bearing blocks, supported on a foundation, with bearings arranged on the blocks and in which the supporting journals, and consequently the baling ring are rotatably mounted; a drive with a gear mechanism, in which one of the supporting journals is mounted in a rotatably coupled manner for tilting the baling ring; a torque support configured as a hydraulic cylinder with a connected servo valve or an electromechanical drive for supporting the gear mechanism with the drive with respect to the foundation; and a torque control circuit provided and configured to control a time-variable actual torque M.sub.Act exerted on the gear mechanism by the converter in a blowing mode to a specified setpoint torque M.sub.Set, wherein the torque control circuit includes: a torque determining device configured to determine the time-variable actual torque M.sub.Act exerted on the gear mechanism by the converter; a first comparator device configured to determine a torque system deviation as a difference between the specified setpoint torque M.sub.Set and the actual torque M.sub.Act; and a first control device configured to generate a first component of an adjusting signal for the torque support as an adjusting element in accordance with the torque system deviation so that the torque system deviation becomes zero.

33. The supporting device according to claim 32, further comprising a setpoint-torque generating device configured to calculate the setpoint torque by forming an average over time of a plurality of measured actual torques.

34. The supporting device according to claim 32, wherein the hydraulic cylinder has a first pressure sensor for sensing pressure in an annular region of the hydraulic cylinder, and has a second pressure sensor for sensing pressure in a piston region of the hydraulic cylinder, wherein the torque determining device is configured to determine an actual torque that the converter exerts on the gear mechanism by determining a force acting on a piston of the hydraulic cylinder from at least one of the sensed pressures and for calculating the actual torque by multiplication of the determined force by a lever arm between a longitudinal axis of the supporting journals and a longitudinal axis of the hydraulic cylinder.

35. The supporting device according to claim 32, further comprising an angular-position control circuit configured to control an actual angular position of the gear mechanism during the blowing mode of the converter to a specified setpoint angular position.

36. The supporting device according to claim 35, wherein the specified setpoint angular position is 0°.

37. The supporting device according to claim 35, wherein the angular-position control circuit includes: an angular-orientation determining device configured to measure the actual angular orientation of the gear mechanism; a second comparator device configured to determine an angular-orientation system deviation as a difference between the setpoint angular orientation and the actual angular orientation; a second control device configured to generate a second component of the adjusting signal for the torque support as an actuating element in accordance with the angular-orientation system deviation; and an adding device configured to add the first and second components to form the adjusting signal; the adjusting signal being designed so that, as far as possible, the torque system deviation and the angular-orientation system deviation become zero.

38. The supporting device according to claim 37, further comprising at least one component adjusting device configured to set a size of the first and second components of the adjusting signal.

39. The supporting device according to claim 38, wherein the component adjusting device is configured to set the first component, concerning the torque component, greater than the second component, concerning the angular position component, for a blowing mode of the converter; and to set the first component to zero and the second component to 100% for a non-blowing mode of the converter.

Description

[0026] Four figures are appended to the description, where

[0027] FIG. 1 shows the supporting device according to the invention with the suspended converter in a side view;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows the control of the torque on the gear mechanism and the angular position of the gear mechanism during a blowing mode of the converter;

[0029] FIG. 3 shows the control of the angular position of the gear mechanism when not in the blowing mode; and

[0030] FIG. 4 shows the supporting device for the converter in a front view according to the prior art.

[0031] The invention is described in detail below in the form of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures mentioned. In all of the figures, identical technical elements are denoted by the same reference signs.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates the supporting device 100 already known from FIG. 4 for the converter 1 once again in a side view. In this side view, it can be seen in particular that the torque support 6, which by way of example is designed here as a hydraulic cylinder with an assigned servo valve 7. The torque support 6 forms together with the servo valve 7 an adjusting element as part of the control systems according to the invention.

[0033] In accordance with an adjusting signal S, the servo valve 7 controls the pressure within a piston region of the hydraulic cylinder. The pressure in an annular region of the hydraulic cylinder is continuously sensed by a first pressure sensor 5a and the pressure in the piston region of the hydraulic cylinder is continuously sensed by a second pressure sensor 5b for the control according to the invention.

[0034] Otherwise, the supporting device 100, on which the present invention is based, corresponds to the supporting device described in FIG. 4 and known from the prior art.

[0035] FIG. 2 describes the method according to the invention for operating the converter 1. The key concept of the present invention provides that the time-variable actual torque M.sub.Act (t) exerted on the gear mechanism 4 by the converter 1 is controlled to a specified setpoint torque by means of a torque control circuit 20. The control circuit 20 comprises firstly a torque determining device 22 for determining the time-variable actual torque M.sub.Act (t) exerted on the gear mechanism 4 by the converter 1. With the torque support 6 designed as mentioned as a hydraulic cylinder, the actual torque can be determined the time-dependent force on the piston of the hydraulic cylinder multiplied by the corresponding lever arm between the tilting axis of the converter (corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the supporting journals 20) and the longitudinal axis of the hydraulic cylinder 6. The force on the piston can be calculated by sensing the pressures in the annular region and in the piston region of the hydraulic cylinder by means of the first and second pressure sensors 5a, 5b while taking into account the respectively effective pressure areas of the piston. The torque control circuit 20 also comprises a first comparator device 24 for determining a torque system deviation e.sub.M as the difference between the specified setpoint torque M.sub.Set and the actual torque M.sub.Act. Furthermore, the control circuit comprises a first control device 8, for example in the form of a proportional-integral-differential PID controller, for generating a first component s.sub.M of an adjusting signal S for the torque support or the servo valve 7 as an adjusting element in accordance with the torque system deviation e.sub.M such that the torque system deviation becomes zero. The setpoint torque M.sub.Set can then be specified in principle to whatever torque is desired. It is however preferably generated by a setpoint-torque generating device 26, by forming an average, preferably a moving average, over time of a multiplicity of measured actual torques M.sub.Act (t).

[0036] As stated, the torque control circuit 20 serves the purpose of controlling the actual torque 1 M.sub.Act (t) exerted on the gear mechanism by the converter 1 or correspondingly keeping it constant at the level of the setpoint torque. The converter 1 is in this case advantageously not fixed in any way in its angular position with respect to the gear mechanism; rather, it can freely position itself in its angular orientation, or it can oscillate freely. Only the torque exerted on the gear mechanism is controlled and limited by the torque control.

[0037] In order however also have an influence on the angular orientation α of the gear mechanism 4, the present invention advantageously provides according to an exemplary embodiment that, during a blowing mode of the converter, in addition to said control of the torque, the angular position a of the gear mechanism 4 is also controlled by means of an angular-orientation positional control circuit 30. This angular-position control circuit 30 comprises an angular-orientation determining device 32 for measuring the actual angular orientation α.sub.Act of the gear mechanism 4 on a time-dependent basis. This angular-orientation determining device 32 may for example be designed in the form of a displacement pickup 5c, which uses measuring technology to sense the deflection of the torque support 6 in the form of the hydraulic cylinder. The deflection of the torque support 6 measured in this way makes it possible to calculate the actual angular position a of the gear mechanism with respect to the horizontal while taking into account the distance of the hydraulic cylinder from the tilting axis of the converter in the form of the longitudinal axis of the supporting journals 2. In addition, the angular-position control circuit 30 has a second comparator device 34 for determining an angular-orientation system deviation e.sub.α as the difference between a setpoint angular orientation, preferably, α=0°, and the measured actual angular orientation α.sub.Act (t). Furthermore, the control circuit 30 has a second control device 9, for example likewise in the form of a PID controller, for generating a second component s.sub.α of the adjusting signal S for the torque support 6 as an adjusting element in accordance with the previously determined angular-orientation system deviation ea.

[0038] Finally, an adding device 15 is provided for adding the first and second components s.sub.M and s.sub.α to form the adjusting signal S. In this case, the adjusting signal S is designed such that, as far as possible, the torque system deviation and the angular-orientation system deviation each become zero during the blowing mode of the converter.

[0039] The size of the first component s.sub.M, which represents the component of the adjusting signal S provided by the torque control, and the size of the second component sa, which represents the component of the adjusting signal S provided by the angular position control, can each be variably set by means of a component adjusting device. According to the invention, during the blowing mode of the converter, the first component s.sub.M is much greater than the second component sa. To this extent, the torque control is superordinate to the angular-position control for the gear mechanism.

[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates the method for operating the converter 1 when it is not in the casting-blowing mode. Typically, a tilting of the converter then takes place by means of the rotary drive about the longitudinal axes of the supporting journals 2, in order to at least partially empty the converter. During this operating phase, the invention provides that only the actual angular orientation α.sub.Act of the gear mechanism 4 is then controlled or set to a specified setpoint angular orientation of the gear mechanism α.sub.Set. This takes place with the angular-position control circuit 30 already described with reference to FIG. 2. This control circuit 30 remains unchanged from the blowing mode also for the operating phase when not in the blowing mode. The only difference is that, when not in the blowing mode, the adjusting signal S corresponds 100% to the controller output signal s.sub.α generated by the second control device 9. The component s.sub.M of the torque control circuit 20 is set to 0 or switched off during this operating phase. Typically, when not in the blowing mode, the gear mechanism is controlled to an angular orientation position of α.sub.Set=0° (=horizontal position of the gear mechanism).

[0041] The second control device 9 is preferably also designed as a PID controller.

[0042] Both in the case of the first control device 8 and in the case of the second control device 9, the size of the components s.sub.M, s.sub.α of the adjusting signal S respectively provided by them is decisively determined by their respective proportional component P. Then, the setting of the P component corresponds to said component adjusting device.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0043] 1 Converter [0044] 2 Supporting journal [0045] 3 Baling ring [0046] 4 Gear mechanism, preferably with integrated rotary drive [0047] 5a Pressure sensor [0048] 5b Pressure sensor [0049] 5c Displacement pickup [0050] 6 Torque support (adjusting element) [0051] 7 Servo valve [0052] 8 First control device [0053] 9 Second control device [0054] 10 Bearing block [0055] 11 Bearing [0056] 12 Foundation [0057] 13 Under-bath-level gas nozzles [0058] 14 Supporting elements [0059] 15 Adding device [0060] 20 Torque control circuit [0061] 22 Torque determining device [0062] 24 First comparator device [0063] 26 Setpoint-torque generating device [0064] 30 Angular-position control circuit [0065] 32 Angular-orientation determining device [0066] 34 Second comparator device [0067] 100 Supporting device [0068] e.sub.α Angular-orientation system deviation [0069] e.sub.M Torque system deviation [0070] α.sub.Set-Gear Setpoint angular orientation for the gear mechanism [0071] α.sub.Act-Gear Actual angular orientation for the gear mechanism [0072] M.sub.Act(t) Actual torque of the converter [0073] M.sub.Set Specified setpoint torque [0074] s.sub.M First component of an adjusting signal for the torque support [0075] s.sub.α Second component of the adjusting signal for the torque support [0076] S Adjusting signal [0077] α Angular position of the gear mechanism