Comparative technological analysis of control systems of blast furnace hearth lining deterioration

For safe and effective operation of a blast furnace it is important to know the residual thickness of the blast furnace hearth lining any time, first of all the location of the damaged arears. Use of traditional methods of hearth and bottom lining control often lead to a mistaken diagnostics.Institute of metallurgy of Ural branch of RussianacademyofScienceselaborated a mathematical model, providing a 3-dimentional estimation of the lining status and optimization of calculations for operation in real time mode.The calculation is done by solving equations of heat conductivity by usage of a number of temperature sensors (up to 700), implemented into furnace lining between refractory blocks. Calculation algorithm was modified by application of sampling theorem to take into account the complex profile of the blast furnace lower part. A system of information collection, processing and passing used from the sensors to program data base. A continuous control of temperature variation in every point enables to determine a current lining refractory thickness and notify the furnace personal in advance about beginning of the lining erosion. The elaborated program interface enables the furnace foreman to use additional control functions, in particular, the residual lining thickness, including: direct visualization of the status and tendencies of the erosion change, temperature distribution in every point of the lining at computer monitor, signaling about dangerous zone; volume temperature distribution (isotherms) and tendencies of their changes. The interface languages available as following: Chinese, English, Russian.