Automatic setting of the EAF burners

Abstract

The use of chemical energy in the EAF has increased significantly inrecent years, both for enhancing productivity and reducing electricityconsumption. However, these tools are operated following pre-setpatterns, without any feedback information from the process. Thisleads both to non-optimized operations and to occasional blowbackproblems, resulting in damages to burners, lances, watercooledpanels and refractory lining.
CRM has developed an on-line “distance-to-scrap” measurementtechnique that can be fitted inside annular burners. This measurementallows monitoring the melting of scrap in front of each burner,and thus detecting blow-back occurrences before any damage iscreated. This sensor was successfully tested in the Esch-Belval steelplant of ArcelorMittal Profil Luxembourg. Industrial implementation isunder way.