The predictive control of furnace tapblock operation using CFD and PCA modeling

Plikas, Tom; Gunnewiek, Lowy; Gerritsen, T.; Karges, Alan

doi:10.1007/s11837-005-0149-3

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…In response to difficulties and risks in the timeous detection of a significant tap-block temperature rise (see Dedicated metal/matte tapping section), other more advanced monitoring and diagnostic systems have been pursued, including principal component analysis (PCA), to try to provide some advanced view of the development of some abnormal tap-hole conditions (Gerritsen et al, 2009;Plikas et al, 2005;pers. comm., 2010), and tap-hole acoustic monitoring (TAM), which has the potential to identify the development of off-centre lancing (Sadri et al, 2008;Wasmund, 2003;pers.…”

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The tap-hole - key to furnace performance

Nelson

Hundermark

2016

J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall.

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The sheer diversity of tapping configurations used on industrial pyrometallurgical operations is at first bewildering. They range from historical tilting furnaces without tapholes to modern eccentric bottom tapping (EBT) tilting and/or bottom slide-gate electric arc furnaces; to classical single tap-hole multiphase tapping (e.g. metal/matte and slag); to dedicated phase tap-holes (e.g. dedicated metal/matte-only and slag-only); to dedicated phase multiple tap-hole configurations (up to eight metal/matte-only tap-holes and six slag-only tap-holes); to more esoteric metal/matte-only siphons and slag overflow skimming, e.g. Mitsubishi Continuous Process (Matsutani, n.d.). This can be further complicated by periodic batch tapping; consecutive tapping on a given taphole; alternating tap-hole tapping practice; near-continuous slag-only tapping, with discrete batch matte/metal tapping on higher productivity, but low metal/matte fall (<20% by mass feed) Co and Ni ferroalloy and platinum group metal (PGM) matte furnaces; near-continuous tapping through batch tapping of individual tap-holes that are opened consecutively Post et al., 2003); to fully continuous tapping on coupled multi-furnace cascades (Matsutani, n.d.). This is largely a consequence of differing processing conditions (process temperature, superheat ( T), Prandtl number, Pr = C P /k, where = dynamic viscosity, C P = specific heat capacity and k = thermal conductivity, and resulting heat flux). But this can also be influenced strongly by industrial operating philosophy in terms of furnace design for campaign life longevity (i.e. greater capital expenditure for longer, say 20-30 years' life) versus furnace productivity (i.e. number of heats/campaigns to provide the greatest possible dilution of fixed costs per unit of commodity produced). And this may not even be consistent within a given commodity; all ironmakers (blast furnace (BF) campaign lifebased) supply downstream steelmakers (who use heat/campaign-based converters and/or electric arc furnaces).However, regardless of the specific taphole configuration or operating philosophy, owing to the addition of dynamic (often periodic) and more intense process conditions (exposure to higher temperatures leading to accelerated corrosion, greater turbulence, and elevated rates of mass and heat transfer) and higher concomitant thermomechanical forces (from thermal or flow shear stresses), furnace performance and longevity is intimately linked to tap-hole performance. The tap-hole -key to furnace performance by L.R. Nelson* and R.J. Hundermark † The critical importance of tap-hole design and management for furnace performance and longevity is explored through examining some of the specific matte, metal, and slag tapping requirements of non-ferrous copper blister and matte converting and smelting, ferroalloy smelting, and ironmaking systems. Process conditions and productivity requirements and their influence on tapping are reviewed for these different pyrometallurgical systems. Some critical aspects of the evolution ...

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The tap-hole - key to furnace performance

Nelson

Hundermark

2016

J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall.

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“…The type of responses from the Portovesme smelter allowed for tap-block diagnostic systems to be developed as described by Plikas et al (2005) utilizing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and principal component analysis (PCA). This would allow for the detection of statistical variation in the tapping response.…”

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Analysis and interpretation of fibre optic temperature data at the Polokwane Smelter

Sakaran¹,

Rooyen²,

Manen³

et al. 2018

J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall.

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The Polokwane Smelter operates a single sixin-line electric furnace, nominally rated at 68 MW. The smelter treats mainly Platreef, and UG2 concentrates from the eastern and northern limbs of the Bushveld Complex and smelts them to form slag, matte, and gas phases. The furnace operates with three matte tap-holes on the northern wall of the furnace and matte is tapped periodically from the furnace, with each tap being 25 to 35 minutes in duration. Two tap-holes are utilized per day, with one resting. A tap-hole is not utilized for more than two days in succession to ensure that it is not over-utilized and also to allow for any tapping channel refractory preventative maintenance.The matte tap-holes consist of copper cooling elements within which are refractories that contain the tapping channel. The hot face of the water-cooled copper tap-block is separated from the molten material by refractories. It is within, or on the surface of, the copper tap-blocks that the fibre optic technology was embedded. Due to the higher superheats of PGM matte compared to most other types of matte (Shaw et al., 2012;Nolet, 2014), the matte tap-holes are subjected to extreme process conditions which may render the furnace prone to failures. The wearing of these refractories introduces the risk of explosions should any matte come into contact with the copper block and then the cooling water channel.Fibre optic technology was installed strategically at the hot face and within the water-cooled copper tap-blocks and key watercooled copper coolers, with the intent to provide a more detailed and timely detection of temperature rises in the copper, refractory, and associated freeze-lining components on the hot face of the matte endwall, copper coolers, and the tap-block. Prior to the introduction of fibre optic technology, the methods of endwall condition monitoring were limited to the measurement of copper temperatures of the tap-block and cooper coolers by thermocouples installed at specific points, and the use of resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) that measure the change in cooling water temperature. The selection of fibre optics was made to provide a significantly higher density of sensors with an enhanced spatial resolution in comparison to the single conventional temperature measurements.Two types of fibre optic technology were installed in different copper tap-blocks and coolers, namely type A technology utilizing Bragg gratings and type B utilizing the Raman effect. The Bragg gratings reflect a wavelength of light that shifts in response to variations in Analysis and interpretation of fibre optic temperature data at the Polokwane Smelter by R.L. Sakaran, Q. van Rooyen, P.K. van Manen, and P.P. MukumbeTo help improve the monitoring of the matte tap-holes on the matte endwall to prevent failures, fibre optic temperature systems were installed on the six-in-line electric furnace at the Polokwane Smelter. This was done with the intent to provide more detailed and timely detection regarding the change in condition of the copper coole...

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