Abstract
A pin style bottom anode employs conductive steel rods that serve as the pathway for the high electrical power through rammed refractory at the bottom of a DC Electric Arc Furnace (EAF). Anode wear during operation is important to monitor, as anode replacement is expensive and impacts EAF productivity. Liquid steel penetration into the un-sintered refractory layer can result from rapid electrical power ramp-up, dips in furnace temperature, or operating the anode for too long between EAF campaigns. In extreme cases, the liquid steel may penetrate the bottom of the furnace when anode wear progresses too close to the bottom shell, which is extremely dangerous and must be avoided. The current state of the art for monitoring bottom anode wear employs thermocouples imbedded in the anode pins at points in the anode. However, this approach is not sensitive enough to detect localized damage to the anode, especially when cracking occurs. The present work utilizes fiber optic sensors to monitor the health of the anode, by creating a real-time spatially distributed temperature map of the anode. Unlike the traditional thermocouples, these sensors can be mounted at significantly greater depths, provide distributed temperature measurements, and can withstand temperatures of up to 900°C. Additionally, they are able to perform temperature measurements with a spatial resolution of 1.3 mm at a 5 Hz acquisition rate, providing unprecedented high-density real time monitoring of anode health and increasing the efficiency, and safety of EAF operation.
Recommended Citation
Mekala, Yeshwanth Reddy; Saha, Rony Kumer; Inalegwu, Ogbole Collins; Roman, Muhammad; Mumtaz, Farhan; Gerald, Rex; Smith, Jeffrey D.; Huang, Jie; and O'Malley, Ronald J., "Enhanced Bottom Anode Monitoring in DC Electric Arc Furnaces using Fiber Optic Sensors" (2024). PSMRC Faculty Research. 28.
https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/psmrc_facwork/28
Department(s)
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Second Department
Materials Science and Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Electric Arc Furnace (EAF), Fiber Optic Sensors, Temperature Distribution, Bottom Anode, Spatial Resolution, Crack monitoring, Refractory wear
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 Association for Iron & Steel Technology, All Rights Reserved
Publication Date
6-9 May, 2024
