Title

SLAG DETECTION BY INFRARED CAMERA

SLAG DETECTION BY INFRARED CAMERA

Authorship

LYONS, ANTHONY R. A.; SPECHT, VOLKER

LYONS, ANTHONY R. A.

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SPECHT, VOLKER

I am this author

DOI

10.5151/2594-5300-32Aciaria-87-94

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Abstract

The use of infrared cameras for various thermal-imaging tasks in the steel industry has been well known for many years. With the practical knowledge of the possibility of using the temperature and emissivity differences that exist within the steel making process, it was only a matter of time before this technology was applied to the ever-present problem of slag detection during tapping from steel making vessels. Detection using infrared cameras has a number of significant advantages over other methods that have been used in the past and continue to be used today. First of all the camera system is totally remote from the vessel itself and as such is not subject to the hostile environment close to the process. It is not affected by overflows, splashing, burn through, taphole changes, relines etc. Secondly, the camera system is virtually maintenance free, requiring only power, some cooling and no consumables. Thirdly, the camera system can be used in conjunction with all stopping methods available today: Darts, balls, stoppers and tilt back. From the experience of running these camera systems at various steel plants in Europe we have confirmed that this technique is able to reduce the amount of slag being tapped from steel making vessels. Its automatic use can result in the steel maker being able to obtain repeatable slag carryover figures every heat. By recording tapping information, various tapping anomalies can be studied in detail at a later date. We have proved that the use of infrared cameras to detect slag carryover can and does assist the steel maker in producing cleaner grades of steel, thus making it possible to reach specification tolerances while reducing costs.

The use of infrared cameras for various thermal-imaging tasks in the steel industry has been well known for many years. With the practical knowledge of the possibility of using the temperature and emissivity differences that exist within the steel making process, it was only a matter of time before this technology was applied to the ever-present problem of slag detection during tapping from steel making vessels. Detection using infrared cameras has a number of significant advantages over other methods that have been used in the past and continue to be used today. First of all the camera system is totally remote from the vessel itself and as such is not subject to the hostile environment close to the process. It is not affected by overflows, splashing, burn through, taphole changes, relines etc. Secondly, the camera system is virtually maintenance free, requiring only power, some cooling and no consumables. Thirdly, the camera system can be used in conjunction with all stopping methods available today: Darts, balls, stoppers and tilt back. From the experience of running these camera systems at various steel plants in Europe we have confirmed that this technique is able to reduce the amount of slag being tapped from steel making vessels. Its automatic use can result in the steel maker being able to obtain repeatable slag carryover figures every heat. By recording tapping information, various tapping anomalies can be studied in detail at a later date. We have proved that the use of infrared cameras to detect slag carryover can and does assist the steel maker in producing cleaner grades of steel, thus making it possible to reach specification tolerances while reducing costs.

Keywords

infrared camera, slag detection, thermal imaging, steelmaking, slag carryover

infrared camera, slag detection, thermal imaging, steelmaking, slag carryover