Ladle furnaces are known for their high power consumption,making research on power-saving process crucial.In response to the defect of thin slag thickness in the industrial production of a 120-t ladle furnace at a ste...Ladle furnaces are known for their high power consumption,making research on power-saving process crucial.In response to the defect of thin slag thickness in the industrial production of a 120-t ladle furnace at a steel plant,with its production of ship plate steel DH36 as the focus,experiments involving adding the foaming agent and shifting power delivery gears were conducted.Based on the principle of measuring alternating current by Rogowski coils,the power consumption during the ladle furnace refining process was calculated theoretically,and the actual industrial power consumption matched with it basically,confirming the accuracy of the theoretical calculations.Additionally,the impacts of argon flow rate,foaming agents,and shifting power delivery gears on power consumption were studied.The results showed that adding 0.59 and 0.50 kg/t foaming agents in two batches improved the refining process of the ladle furnace,allowing for effective submerged-arc operations and saving electric energy of 7.2382 kWh per ton of steel.Similarly,utilizing a power supply mode of 7-step short arc during the refining process significantly enhanced the desulfurization rate of molten steel and saved electric energy of 11.6387 kWh per ton of steel.展开更多
The penetration of ladle slag into refractory linings is an essential process in service,and the mechanical properties of the refractory castables are affected by the location and content of slag in the refractory cas...The penetration of ladle slag into refractory linings is an essential process in service,and the mechanical properties of the refractory castables are affected by the location and content of slag in the refractory castables.In this work,ladle slag was added into Al_(2)O_(3)-Mgo refractory castables and its influence on the microstructure evolution,mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of the castables was investigated.The phase composition and contents of the castables during the corrosion process were calculated by FactSage TM(6.2)and studied.The results indicate that the residual strength decreases as the ladle slag addition increases from 0 to 6 mass%.While the hot modulus of rupture of the castable with 6%ladle slag significantly decreases by approximately 80%compared with the one without ladle slag.The elastic modulus and CMOR of the castables decrease with slag-adding,which leads to the increase of liquid phase contents inside the samples.展开更多
A 3D mathematical model was proposed to investigate the molten steel–slag–air multiphase flow in a two-strand slab continuous casting(CC)tundish during ladle change.The study focused on the exposure of the molten st...A 3D mathematical model was proposed to investigate the molten steel–slag–air multiphase flow in a two-strand slab continuous casting(CC)tundish during ladle change.The study focused on the exposure of the molten steel and the subsequent reoxidation occurrence.The exposure of the molten steel was calculated using the coupled realizable k–εmodel and volume of fluid(VOF)model.The diffusion of dissolved oxygen was determined by solving the user-defined scalar(UDS)equation.Moreover,the user-defined function(UDF)was used to describe the source term in the UDS equation and determine the oxidation rate and oxidation position.The effect of the refilling speed on the molten steel exposure and dissolved oxygen content was also discussed.Increasing the refilling speed during ladle change reduced the refilling time and the exposure duration of the molten steel.However,the elevated refilling speed enlarged the slag eyes and increased the average dissolved oxygen content within the tundish,thereby exacerbating the reoxidation phenomenon.In addition,the time required for the molten steel with a high dissolved oxygen content to exit the tundish varied with the refilling speed.When the inlet speed was 3.0 m·s^(-1)during ladle change,the molten steel with a high dissolved oxygen content exited the outlet in a short period,reaching a maximum dissolved oxygen content of 0.000525wt%.Conversely,when the inlet speed was 1.8 m·s^(-1),the maximum dissolved oxygen content was 0.000382wt%.The refilling speed during the ladle change process must be appropriately decreased to minimize reoxidation effects and enhance the steel product quality.展开更多
To investigate the dissolution behaviors of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions in CaO-5wt%MgO-SiO_(2)-30wt%Al_(2)O_(3)-TiO_(2)system ladle slags,confocal scanning laser microscopy was conducted on the slags with different TiO_(2)c...To investigate the dissolution behaviors of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions in CaO-5wt%MgO-SiO_(2)-30wt%Al_(2)O_(3)-TiO_(2)system ladle slags,confocal scanning laser microscopy was conducted on the slags with different TiO_(2)contents(0-10wt%),and scanning electron microscopy was performed to study the interfacial reaction between Al_(2)O_(3)and this slag system.The results disclose that the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions does not result in the formation of new phases at the boundary between the slag and the inclusions.In TiO_(2)-bearing and TiO_(2)-free ladle slags,there is no difference in the dissolution mechanism of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions at steelmaking temperatures.Boundary layer diffusion is found as the controlling step of the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3),and the diffusion coefficient is in the range of 4.18×10^(-10)to 2.18×10^(-9)m^(2)/s at 1450-1500℃.Compared with the solubility of Al_(2)O_(3)in the slags,slag viscosity and temperature play a more profound role in the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions.A lower viscosity and a lower melting point of the slags are beneficial for the dissolution.Suitable addition of TiO_(2)(e.g.,5wt%)in ladle slags can enhance the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions because of the low viscosity and melting point of the slags,while excessive addition of TiO_(2)(e.g.,10wt%)shows the opposite trend.展开更多
A ladle primarily is a container used to transport molten steel from the steelmaking unit to the casting facility.The essential requirements are heat resistant,insulative and strong enough to hold molten steel up to 3...A ladle primarily is a container used to transport molten steel from the steelmaking unit to the casting facility.The essential requirements are heat resistant,insulative and strong enough to hold molten steel up to 300 t,with a structure of multilayered refractory lining in a steel shell vessel.When a ladle is assembled with three-phase graphite electrodes,a ladle furnace forms,starting steel refining process with/without the vacuum tank degasser and RH circulating degasser,in order to meet the growing demand on high purity and higher quality steel.The working lining is under aggressive conditions that comprise the chemical reaction with molten steel,the severe corrosion of liquid slag,the disaggregation through oxidation,and the strong stress due to the impacting of the melts and gases and the effects of thermomechanical behaviors.Magnesiacarbon brick is one of the major materials,being indispensable for the slagline of a ladle furnace.Alumina-magnesiacarbon brick has played an important role to substantially increase the service life in the metal zone,from the early lining materials of high alumina and doloma bricks.The permanent lining must assume sufficient responsibility to allow finishing the process of the engaged charge in case of a failure in the working lining.The insulation layer must be as thin as possible in order to maximize the ladle’s capacity,and reduce the shell temperature for saving energy.In this issue,several integrant refractories are reviewed or investigated in order to compile a lining overview,and to contribute a prolonged service life under aggressive working conditions of the ladle furnace.展开更多
To optimize ladle scheduling in the empty-ladle operation stage of steel plants,a mathematical scheduling model was established for the empty-ladle operation stage,taking the minimum total waiting time in the empty-la...To optimize ladle scheduling in the empty-ladle operation stage of steel plants,a mathematical scheduling model was established for the empty-ladle operation stage,taking the minimum total waiting time in the empty-ladle operation stage as the optimization goal and setting the equipment assignment uniqueness as the key constraint.An improved genetic algorithm was designed to calculate the mathematical scheduling model.In the operation of the genetic algorithm,the strategy of"ladle temperature drop control"was adopted to solve the problem of equipment conflicts and reduce unreasonable ladle temperature drops to enhance"red-ladle"utilization.Five main production modes operating at 95%capacity in a Chinese steel plant were simulated using the genetic optimization model.The results showed that the genetic optimization model could improve the efficiency of ladle operation and reduce the total waiting time in the empty-ladle operation stage by 868–1147 min.展开更多
The one-ladle technology requires an efficient ironmaking and steelmaking interface. The scheduling of the hot metal ladle in the steel plant determines the overall operational efficiency of the interface. Considering...The one-ladle technology requires an efficient ironmaking and steelmaking interface. The scheduling of the hot metal ladle in the steel plant determines the overall operational efficiency of the interface. Considering the strong uncertainties of real-world production environments, this work studies the dynamic scheduling problem of hot metal ladles and develops a data-driven three-layer approach to solve this problem. A dynamic scheduling optimization model of the hot metal ladle operation with a minimum average turnover time as the optimization objective is also constructed. Furthermore, the intelligent perception of industrial scenes and autonomous identification of disturbances, adaptive configuration of dynamic scheduling strategies, and real-time adjustment of schedules can be realized. The upper layer generates a demand-oriented prescheduling scheme for hot metal ladles. The middle layer adaptively adjusts this scheme to obtain an executable schedule according to the actual supply–demand relationship. In the lower layer, three types of dynamic scheduling strategies are designed according to the characteristics of the dynamic disturbance in the model:real-time flexible fine-tuning, local machine adjustment, and global rescheduling. Case test using 24 h production data on a certain day during the system operation of a steel plant shows that the method and system can effectively reduce the fluctuation and operation time of the hot metal ladle and improve the stability of the ironmaking and steelmaking interface production rhythm. The data-driven dynamic scheduling strategy is feasible and effective, and the proposed method can improve the operation efficiency of hot metal ladles.展开更多
Aiming at the characteristics of the practical steelmaking process, a hybrid model based on ladle heat sta- tus and artificial neural network has been proposed to predict molten steel temperature. The hybrid model cou...Aiming at the characteristics of the practical steelmaking process, a hybrid model based on ladle heat sta- tus and artificial neural network has been proposed to predict molten steel temperature. The hybrid model could over- come the difficulty of accurate prediction using a single mathematical model, and solve the problem of lacking the consideration of the influence of ladle heat status on the steel temperature in an intelligent model. By using the hybrid model method, forward and backward prediction models for molten steel temperature in steelmaking process are es- tablished and are used in a steelmaking plant. The forward model, starting from the end-point of BOF, predicts the temperature in argon-blowing station, starting temperature in LF, end temperature in LF and tundish temperature forwards, with the production process evolving. The backward model, starting from the required tundish tempera- ture, calculates target end temperature in LF, target starting temperature in LF, target temperature in argon-blo- wiag station and target BOF end-point temperature backwards. Actual application results show that the models have better prediction accuracy and are satisfying for the process of practical production.展开更多
The heat transfer analysis was performed for an industrial ladle furnace （LF） with a capacity of 55-57 t in Turkey. The heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation from outer and bottom surfaces, top and ele...The heat transfer analysis was performed for an industrial ladle furnace （LF） with a capacity of 55-57 t in Turkey. The heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation from outer and bottom surfaces, top and electrodes of LF were determined in detail. Finally, some suggestions about decreasing heat losses were presented.展开更多
The composition control of molten steel is one of the main functions in the ladle furnace(LF)refining process.In this study,a feasible model was established to predict the alloying element yield using principal compon...The composition control of molten steel is one of the main functions in the ladle furnace(LF)refining process.In this study,a feasible model was established to predict the alloying element yield using principal component analysis(PCA)and deep neural network(DNN).The PCA was used to eliminate collinearity and reduce the dimension of the input variables,and then the data processed by PCA were used to establish the DNN model.The prediction hit ratios for the Si element yield in the error ranges of±1%,±3%,and±5%are 54.0%,93.8%,and98.8%,respectively,whereas those of the Mn element yield in the error ranges of±1%,±2%,and±3%are 77.0%,96.3%,and 99.5%,respectively,in the PCA-DNN model.The results demonstrate that the PCA-DNN model performs better than the known models,such as the reference heat method,multiple linear regression,modified backpropagation,and DNN model.Meanwhile,the accurate prediction of the alloying element yield can greatly contribute to realizing a“narrow window”control of composition in molten steel.The construction of the prediction model for the element yield can also provide a reference for the development of an alloying control model in LF intelligent refining in the modern iron and steel industry.展开更多
In the prediction of the end-point molten steel temperature of the ladle furnace, the influence of some factors is nonlinear. The prediction accuracy will be affected by directly inputting these nonlinear factors into...In the prediction of the end-point molten steel temperature of the ladle furnace, the influence of some factors is nonlinear. The prediction accuracy will be affected by directly inputting these nonlinear factors into the data-driven model. To solve this problem, an improved case-based reasoning model based on heat transfer calculation(CBR-HTC) was established through the nonlinear processing of these factors with software Ansys. The results showed that the CBR-HTC model improves the prediction accuracy of end-point molten steel temperature by5.33% and 7.00% compared with the original CBR model and 6.66% and 5.33% compared with the back propagation neural network(BPNN)model in the ranges of [-3, 3] and [-7, 7], respectively. It was found that the mean absolute error(MAE) and root-mean-square error(RMSE)values of the CBR-HTC model are also lower. It was verified that the prediction accuracy of the data-driven model can be improved by combining the mechanism model with the data-driven model.展开更多
In ladle furnace, the prediction of the liquid steel temperature is always a hot topic for the researchers. The most of the existing temperature prediction models use small sample set. Today, the precision of them can...In ladle furnace, the prediction of the liquid steel temperature is always a hot topic for the researchers. The most of the existing temperature prediction models use small sample set. Today, the precision of them can not satisfy practical production. Fortunately, the large sample set is accumulated from the practical production process. However, a large sample set makes it difficult to build a liquid steel temperature model. To deal with the issue, the random forest method is preferred in this paper, which is a powerful regression method with low complexity and can be designed very quickly. It is with the parallel ensemble structure,uses sample subsets,and employs a simple learning algorithm of sub-models. Then, the random forest method is applied to establish a temperature model by using the data sampled from the production process. The experiments show that the random forest temperature model is more precise than other temperature models.展开更多
The heat transfer in a steelmaking ladle was studied. The evaluation of heat transfer of the steel was performed by measuring steel temperature in points including all refining steel process. In the ladle, the tempera...The heat transfer in a steelmaking ladle was studied. The evaluation of heat transfer of the steel was performed by measuring steel temperature in points including all refining steel process. In the ladle, the temperatures in the refractories and the shell were also measured. To evaluate the thermal profile between the hot and cold faces of the ladle in the slag line position, an experiment which shows the importance of thermal contact resistance was carried out. Higher heat losses in the tapping and the vacuum were verified. The temperature measurements of the ladle indicate distinct thermal profiles in each stage of steel refining. Moreover, as each stage of the process depends on the previous one, the complexity of the ladle thermal control is incremental. So a complete model of heat losses in the ladle is complex.展开更多
In the electric arc furnace （EAF） steel production processes, scrap steel is principally used as a raw material instead of iron ore. In the steelmaking process with EAF, scrap is first melted in the furnace and then...In the electric arc furnace （EAF） steel production processes, scrap steel is principally used as a raw material instead of iron ore. In the steelmaking process with EAF, scrap is first melted in the furnace and then the desired chemical composition of the steel can be obtained in a special furnace such as ladle furnace （LF）. This kind of furnace process is used for the secondary refining of alloy steel. LF furnace offers strong heating fluxes and enables precise temperature control, thereby allowing for the addition of desired amounts of various alloying elements. It also provides outstanding desulfurization at high-temperature treatment by reducing molten steel fluxes and removing deoxidation products. Elemental analysis with mass balance modeling is important to know the precise amount of required alloys for the LF input with respect to scrap composition. In present study, chemical reactions with mass conservation law in EAF and LF were modeled altogether as a whole system and chemical compositions of the final steel alloy output can be obtained precisely according to different scrap compositions, alloying elements ratios, and other input amounts. Besides, it was found that the mass efficiency for iron element in the system is 95.93%. These efficiencies are calculated for all input elements as 8. 45% for C, 30.31% for Si, 46.36% for Mn, 30.64% for P, 41.96% for S, and 69.79% for Cr, etc. These efficiencies provide valuable ideas about the amount of the input materials that are vanished or combusted for 100 kg of each of the input materials in the EAF and LF system.展开更多
For further research on the control model of muhifunctional hot metal ladles between the ironmaking and steelmaking interface, the hot metal ladies of K steel plant were taken as the object to analyze the operation pr...For further research on the control model of muhifunctional hot metal ladles between the ironmaking and steelmaking interface, the hot metal ladies of K steel plant were taken as the object to analyze the operation process. The factors of blast furnace supply and basic oxygen furnace demand were proposed. According to the principle of supply and demand balance, the control model of hot metal was researched under the following factor conditions： equal to, greater than, and less than 1, respectively. The distribution model of the blast furnace, sleelmaking works, and online buffering was proposed. When the supply and demand factor is equal to ） , the turnover number of hot metal ladles equals 16 and the turnover cycle of hot metal ladles equals 512 min. When the factor is greater than 1, the total number of hot metal ladles is equal to the normal turnover number plus the turnover number of the cast iron machine. When the factor is less than 1, the total number of hot metal ladles is equal tO the normal turnover number plus the accumulating number. Satisfactory effects were obtained by applying the control model in produc tion. The numbers of turnover ladles and accumulating ladles were reduced.展开更多
The effect of addition of 0.05wt.% to 0.25 wt.% Ca,Zr,Al-FeSi alloy on in-ladle and in-mould inoculation of grey cast irons was investigated.In the present paper,the conclusions drawn are based on thermal analysis.For...The effect of addition of 0.05wt.% to 0.25 wt.% Ca,Zr,Al-FeSi alloy on in-ladle and in-mould inoculation of grey cast irons was investigated.In the present paper,the conclusions drawn are based on thermal analysis.For the solidification pattern,some specific cooling curves characteristics,such as the degree of undercooling at the beginning of eutectic solidif ication and at the end of solidifi cation,as well as the recalescence level,are identif ied to be more influenced by the inoculation technique.The degree of eutectic undercooling of the electrically melted base iron having 0.025% S,0.003% Al and 3.5% Ce is excessively high(39-40℃),generating a relatively high need for inoculation.Under these conditions,the in-mould inoculation has a more signif icant effect compared to ladle inoculation,especially at lower inoculant usage(less than 0.20 wt.%).Generally,the eff iciency of 0.05wt.% -0.15wt.% of alloy for in-mould inoculation is comparable to,or better than,that of 0.15wt.% -0.25wt.% addition in ladle inoculation procedures.In order to secure stable and controlled processes,representative thermal analysis parameters could be used,especially in thin wall grey iron castings production.展开更多
To avoid slag sticking on the ladle immersion cover during the LATS refining and alloying process, the effect of Al2O3 on the melting point of the ladle slag was studied and the additives including CaF2, B2O3, Li2O, a...To avoid slag sticking on the ladle immersion cover during the LATS refining and alloying process, the effect of Al2O3 on the melting point of the ladle slag was studied and the additives including CaF2, B2O3, Li2O, and CaO were used to decrease the melting point of the ladle slag. The melting point was measured using the hemisphere method. The results show that the addition of Al2O3 to the ladle slag increases the melting point. The fluxing action is not remarkable if only CaF2 or CaO is used as the additive. The fluxing action of the composite additive obtained by the mixing of CaO and CaF2 in the mass proportion of ωCaO：ωCaF2=2 ： 1 is preferred. The fluxing action of B2O3 is also notable. When the B2O3 content in mass percent is in the range from 2% to 10%, the corresponding melting point is 1 380 ℃ to 1 290℃. The fluxing action of Li2O is the most remarkable. When the Li2O content is up to 5%, the melting point of the slag is lower than 1 300 ℃.展开更多
The traditional prediction methods of element yield rate can be divided into experience method and data-driven method.But in practice,the experience formulae are found to work only under some specific conditions,and t...The traditional prediction methods of element yield rate can be divided into experience method and data-driven method.But in practice,the experience formulae are found to work only under some specific conditions,and the sample data that are used to establish data-driven models are always insufficient.Aiming at this problem,a combined method of genetic algorithm(GA) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system(ANFIS) is proposed and applied to element yield rate prediction in ladle furnace(LF).In order to get rid of the over reliance upon data in data-driven method and act as a supplement of inadequate samples,smelting experience is integrated into prediction model as fuzzy empirical rules by using the improved ANFIS method.For facilitating the combination of fuzzy rules,feature construction method based on GA is used to reduce input dimension,and the selection operation in GA is improved to speed up the convergence rate and to avoid trapping into local optima.The experimental and practical testing results show that the proposed method is more accurate than other prediction methods.展开更多
Numerical and physical models have been built and validated to study the multiphase flow inside three ladle shrouds and a four-strand tundish.A conventional straight ladle shroud and two types of trumpet-shaped ladle ...Numerical and physical models have been built and validated to study the multiphase flow inside three ladle shrouds and a four-strand tundish.A conventional straight ladle shroud and two types of trumpet-shaped ladle shroud(TLS)have been comparatively investigated.The maximum velocity at ladle shroud outlet reduces from 1.3 to 0.5 m/s,which indicates a quieter tundish pool.It is demonstrated that the use of a TLS can also decrease the maximum surface velocity from 0.16 to 0.13 m/s,which reduces the tendency of forming tundish open eye.The flow pattern and mixing behavior are improved inside the tundish,especially in enlarging the plug volume from 6.61%to 9.04%.The difference between the near and far outlets is narrowed when the TLS is applied.A computational program was developed to calculate characteristic parameters of different ladle shroud designs,and a dimensionless index was proposed to evaluate their mass and inner volume.Plant trials have been carried out,and the results showed that TLS can reduce level fluctuation in the pouring zone,which is beneficial to promoting better protective performance from secondary contamination and heat loss during continuous casting.展开更多
Combined with the parameters of the production process of a steel factory, numerical simulations for a new ladle from preheating to turnover are conducted using the finite element analysis system software （ANSYS）. T...Combined with the parameters of the production process of a steel factory, numerical simulations for a new ladle from preheating to turnover are conducted using the finite element analysis system software （ANSYS）. The measured data proved that the simulated results are reliable. The effects of preheating time, thermal cycling times, and empty package time on steel temperature are calculated, an ideal preheating time is provided, besides, based on the analysis of a single factor and use the nonlinear analysis method, a steel temperature compensating model with di- versified coupling factors is proposed, with the largest error of the present coupling model at 1. 462 ~C, and the er- rors between actual and target steel temperature in tundish after the model is applied to practical production are basi- cally controlled within -4-6 ~C, which can meet the accuracy of the manufacturer and has a practical guiding significance for the production in steelmaking workshops.展开更多
基金The authors gratefully express their appreciation to the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51834002)for sponsoring this work.
文摘Ladle furnaces are known for their high power consumption,making research on power-saving process crucial.In response to the defect of thin slag thickness in the industrial production of a 120-t ladle furnace at a steel plant,with its production of ship plate steel DH36 as the focus,experiments involving adding the foaming agent and shifting power delivery gears were conducted.Based on the principle of measuring alternating current by Rogowski coils,the power consumption during the ladle furnace refining process was calculated theoretically,and the actual industrial power consumption matched with it basically,confirming the accuracy of the theoretical calculations.Additionally,the impacts of argon flow rate,foaming agents,and shifting power delivery gears on power consumption were studied.The results showed that adding 0.59 and 0.50 kg/t foaming agents in two batches improved the refining process of the ladle furnace,allowing for effective submerged-arc operations and saving electric energy of 7.2382 kWh per ton of steel.Similarly,utilizing a power supply mode of 7-step short arc during the refining process significantly enhanced the desulfurization rate of molten steel and saved electric energy of 11.6387 kWh per ton of steel.
基金Key Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U21A2058)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M740971)State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy(Wuhan University of Science and Technology,G202209).
文摘The penetration of ladle slag into refractory linings is an essential process in service,and the mechanical properties of the refractory castables are affected by the location and content of slag in the refractory castables.In this work,ladle slag was added into Al_(2)O_(3)-Mgo refractory castables and its influence on the microstructure evolution,mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of the castables was investigated.The phase composition and contents of the castables during the corrosion process were calculated by FactSage TM(6.2)and studied.The results indicate that the residual strength decreases as the ladle slag addition increases from 0 to 6 mass%.While the hot modulus of rupture of the castable with 6%ladle slag significantly decreases by approximately 80%compared with the one without ladle slag.The elastic modulus and CMOR of the castables decrease with slag-adding,which leads to the increase of liquid phase contents inside the samples.
基金the National Key R&D Program(No.2023YFB3709900)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U22A20171 and 52104343)the High Steel Central(HSC)at North China University of Science and Technology and Yanshan Univ ersity,China。
文摘A 3D mathematical model was proposed to investigate the molten steel–slag–air multiphase flow in a two-strand slab continuous casting(CC)tundish during ladle change.The study focused on the exposure of the molten steel and the subsequent reoxidation occurrence.The exposure of the molten steel was calculated using the coupled realizable k–εmodel and volume of fluid(VOF)model.The diffusion of dissolved oxygen was determined by solving the user-defined scalar(UDS)equation.Moreover,the user-defined function(UDF)was used to describe the source term in the UDS equation and determine the oxidation rate and oxidation position.The effect of the refilling speed on the molten steel exposure and dissolved oxygen content was also discussed.Increasing the refilling speed during ladle change reduced the refilling time and the exposure duration of the molten steel.However,the elevated refilling speed enlarged the slag eyes and increased the average dissolved oxygen content within the tundish,thereby exacerbating the reoxidation phenomenon.In addition,the time required for the molten steel with a high dissolved oxygen content to exit the tundish varied with the refilling speed.When the inlet speed was 3.0 m·s^(-1)during ladle change,the molten steel with a high dissolved oxygen content exited the outlet in a short period,reaching a maximum dissolved oxygen content of 0.000525wt%.Conversely,when the inlet speed was 1.8 m·s^(-1),the maximum dissolved oxygen content was 0.000382wt%.The refilling speed during the ladle change process must be appropriately decreased to minimize reoxidation effects and enhance the steel product quality.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U20A20272 and52074073)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2325035)。
文摘To investigate the dissolution behaviors of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions in CaO-5wt%MgO-SiO_(2)-30wt%Al_(2)O_(3)-TiO_(2)system ladle slags,confocal scanning laser microscopy was conducted on the slags with different TiO_(2)contents(0-10wt%),and scanning electron microscopy was performed to study the interfacial reaction between Al_(2)O_(3)and this slag system.The results disclose that the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions does not result in the formation of new phases at the boundary between the slag and the inclusions.In TiO_(2)-bearing and TiO_(2)-free ladle slags,there is no difference in the dissolution mechanism of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions at steelmaking temperatures.Boundary layer diffusion is found as the controlling step of the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3),and the diffusion coefficient is in the range of 4.18×10^(-10)to 2.18×10^(-9)m^(2)/s at 1450-1500℃.Compared with the solubility of Al_(2)O_(3)in the slags,slag viscosity and temperature play a more profound role in the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions.A lower viscosity and a lower melting point of the slags are beneficial for the dissolution.Suitable addition of TiO_(2)(e.g.,5wt%)in ladle slags can enhance the dissolution of Al_(2)O_(3)inclusions because of the low viscosity and melting point of the slags,while excessive addition of TiO_(2)(e.g.,10wt%)shows the opposite trend.
文摘A ladle primarily is a container used to transport molten steel from the steelmaking unit to the casting facility.The essential requirements are heat resistant,insulative and strong enough to hold molten steel up to 300 t,with a structure of multilayered refractory lining in a steel shell vessel.When a ladle is assembled with three-phase graphite electrodes,a ladle furnace forms,starting steel refining process with/without the vacuum tank degasser and RH circulating degasser,in order to meet the growing demand on high purity and higher quality steel.The working lining is under aggressive conditions that comprise the chemical reaction with molten steel,the severe corrosion of liquid slag,the disaggregation through oxidation,and the strong stress due to the impacting of the melts and gases and the effects of thermomechanical behaviors.Magnesiacarbon brick is one of the major materials,being indispensable for the slagline of a ladle furnace.Alumina-magnesiacarbon brick has played an important role to substantially increase the service life in the metal zone,from the early lining materials of high alumina and doloma bricks.The permanent lining must assume sufficient responsibility to allow finishing the process of the engaged charge in case of a failure in the working lining.The insulation layer must be as thin as possible in order to maximize the ladle’s capacity,and reduce the shell temperature for saving energy.In this issue,several integrant refractories are reviewed or investigated in order to compile a lining overview,and to contribute a prolonged service life under aggressive working conditions of the ladle furnace.
基金the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities(FRF-BR-17-029A).
文摘To optimize ladle scheduling in the empty-ladle operation stage of steel plants,a mathematical scheduling model was established for the empty-ladle operation stage,taking the minimum total waiting time in the empty-ladle operation stage as the optimization goal and setting the equipment assignment uniqueness as the key constraint.An improved genetic algorithm was designed to calculate the mathematical scheduling model.In the operation of the genetic algorithm,the strategy of"ladle temperature drop control"was adopted to solve the problem of equipment conflicts and reduce unreasonable ladle temperature drops to enhance"red-ladle"utilization.Five main production modes operating at 95%capacity in a Chinese steel plant were simulated using the genetic optimization model.The results showed that the genetic optimization model could improve the efficiency of ladle operation and reduce the total waiting time in the empty-ladle operation stage by 868–1147 min.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51734004)the Key Program of the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2017YFB0304002)。
文摘The one-ladle technology requires an efficient ironmaking and steelmaking interface. The scheduling of the hot metal ladle in the steel plant determines the overall operational efficiency of the interface. Considering the strong uncertainties of real-world production environments, this work studies the dynamic scheduling problem of hot metal ladles and develops a data-driven three-layer approach to solve this problem. A dynamic scheduling optimization model of the hot metal ladle operation with a minimum average turnover time as the optimization objective is also constructed. Furthermore, the intelligent perception of industrial scenes and autonomous identification of disturbances, adaptive configuration of dynamic scheduling strategies, and real-time adjustment of schedules can be realized. The upper layer generates a demand-oriented prescheduling scheme for hot metal ladles. The middle layer adaptively adjusts this scheme to obtain an executable schedule according to the actual supply–demand relationship. In the lower layer, three types of dynamic scheduling strategies are designed according to the characteristics of the dynamic disturbance in the model:real-time flexible fine-tuning, local machine adjustment, and global rescheduling. Case test using 24 h production data on a certain day during the system operation of a steel plant shows that the method and system can effectively reduce the fluctuation and operation time of the hot metal ladle and improve the stability of the ironmaking and steelmaking interface production rhythm. The data-driven dynamic scheduling strategy is feasible and effective, and the proposed method can improve the operation efficiency of hot metal ladles.
基金Item Sponsored by Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities of China(FRF-BR-10-027B)
文摘Aiming at the characteristics of the practical steelmaking process, a hybrid model based on ladle heat sta- tus and artificial neural network has been proposed to predict molten steel temperature. The hybrid model could over- come the difficulty of accurate prediction using a single mathematical model, and solve the problem of lacking the consideration of the influence of ladle heat status on the steel temperature in an intelligent model. By using the hybrid model method, forward and backward prediction models for molten steel temperature in steelmaking process are es- tablished and are used in a steelmaking plant. The forward model, starting from the end-point of BOF, predicts the temperature in argon-blowing station, starting temperature in LF, end temperature in LF and tundish temperature forwards, with the production process evolving. The backward model, starting from the required tundish tempera- ture, calculates target end temperature in LF, target starting temperature in LF, target temperature in argon-blo- wiag station and target BOF end-point temperature backwards. Actual application results show that the models have better prediction accuracy and are satisfying for the process of practical production.
文摘The heat transfer analysis was performed for an industrial ladle furnace （LF） with a capacity of 55-57 t in Turkey. The heat losses by conduction, convection and radiation from outer and bottom surfaces, top and electrodes of LF were determined in detail. Finally, some suggestions about decreasing heat losses were presented.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51974023)State Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallurgy,University of Science and Technology Beijing(No.41621005)。
文摘The composition control of molten steel is one of the main functions in the ladle furnace(LF)refining process.In this study,a feasible model was established to predict the alloying element yield using principal component analysis(PCA)and deep neural network(DNN).The PCA was used to eliminate collinearity and reduce the dimension of the input variables,and then the data processed by PCA were used to establish the DNN model.The prediction hit ratios for the Si element yield in the error ranges of±1%,±3%,and±5%are 54.0%,93.8%,and98.8%,respectively,whereas those of the Mn element yield in the error ranges of±1%,±2%,and±3%are 77.0%,96.3%,and 99.5%,respectively,in the PCA-DNN model.The results demonstrate that the PCA-DNN model performs better than the known models,such as the reference heat method,multiple linear regression,modified backpropagation,and DNN model.Meanwhile,the accurate prediction of the alloying element yield can greatly contribute to realizing a“narrow window”control of composition in molten steel.The construction of the prediction model for the element yield can also provide a reference for the development of an alloying control model in LF intelligent refining in the modern iron and steel industry.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51674030)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos.FRF-TP-18-097A1 and FRF-BD-19-022A)。
文摘In the prediction of the end-point molten steel temperature of the ladle furnace, the influence of some factors is nonlinear. The prediction accuracy will be affected by directly inputting these nonlinear factors into the data-driven model. To solve this problem, an improved case-based reasoning model based on heat transfer calculation(CBR-HTC) was established through the nonlinear processing of these factors with software Ansys. The results showed that the CBR-HTC model improves the prediction accuracy of end-point molten steel temperature by5.33% and 7.00% compared with the original CBR model and 6.66% and 5.33% compared with the back propagation neural network(BPNN)model in the ranges of [-3, 3] and [-7, 7], respectively. It was found that the mean absolute error(MAE) and root-mean-square error(RMSE)values of the CBR-HTC model are also lower. It was verified that the prediction accuracy of the data-driven model can be improved by combining the mechanism model with the data-driven model.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(61702070)
文摘In ladle furnace, the prediction of the liquid steel temperature is always a hot topic for the researchers. The most of the existing temperature prediction models use small sample set. Today, the precision of them can not satisfy practical production. Fortunately, the large sample set is accumulated from the practical production process. However, a large sample set makes it difficult to build a liquid steel temperature model. To deal with the issue, the random forest method is preferred in this paper, which is a powerful regression method with low complexity and can be designed very quickly. It is with the parallel ensemble structure,uses sample subsets,and employs a simple learning algorithm of sub-models. Then, the random forest method is applied to establish a temperature model by using the data sampled from the production process. The experiments show that the random forest temperature model is more precise than other temperature models.
文摘The heat transfer in a steelmaking ladle was studied. The evaluation of heat transfer of the steel was performed by measuring steel temperature in points including all refining steel process. In the ladle, the temperatures in the refractories and the shell were also measured. To evaluate the thermal profile between the hot and cold faces of the ladle in the slag line position, an experiment which shows the importance of thermal contact resistance was carried out. Higher heat losses in the tapping and the vacuum were verified. The temperature measurements of the ladle indicate distinct thermal profiles in each stage of steel refining. Moreover, as each stage of the process depends on the previous one, the complexity of the ladle thermal control is incremental. So a complete model of heat losses in the ladle is complex.
文摘In the electric arc furnace （EAF） steel production processes, scrap steel is principally used as a raw material instead of iron ore. In the steelmaking process with EAF, scrap is first melted in the furnace and then the desired chemical composition of the steel can be obtained in a special furnace such as ladle furnace （LF）. This kind of furnace process is used for the secondary refining of alloy steel. LF furnace offers strong heating fluxes and enables precise temperature control, thereby allowing for the addition of desired amounts of various alloying elements. It also provides outstanding desulfurization at high-temperature treatment by reducing molten steel fluxes and removing deoxidation products. Elemental analysis with mass balance modeling is important to know the precise amount of required alloys for the LF input with respect to scrap composition. In present study, chemical reactions with mass conservation law in EAF and LF were modeled altogether as a whole system and chemical compositions of the final steel alloy output can be obtained precisely according to different scrap compositions, alloying elements ratios, and other input amounts. Besides, it was found that the mass efficiency for iron element in the system is 95.93%. These efficiencies are calculated for all input elements as 8. 45% for C, 30.31% for Si, 46.36% for Mn, 30.64% for P, 41.96% for S, and 69.79% for Cr, etc. These efficiencies provide valuable ideas about the amount of the input materials that are vanished or combusted for 100 kg of each of the input materials in the EAF and LF system.
基金Item Sponsored by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2015M572647XB)Science Research Program of Yunnan Province Education Department of China(2014Y069)
文摘For further research on the control model of muhifunctional hot metal ladles between the ironmaking and steelmaking interface, the hot metal ladies of K steel plant were taken as the object to analyze the operation process. The factors of blast furnace supply and basic oxygen furnace demand were proposed. According to the principle of supply and demand balance, the control model of hot metal was researched under the following factor conditions： equal to, greater than, and less than 1, respectively. The distribution model of the blast furnace, sleelmaking works, and online buffering was proposed. When the supply and demand factor is equal to ） , the turnover number of hot metal ladles equals 16 and the turnover cycle of hot metal ladles equals 512 min. When the factor is greater than 1, the total number of hot metal ladles is equal to the normal turnover number plus the turnover number of the cast iron machine. When the factor is less than 1, the total number of hot metal ladles is equal tO the normal turnover number plus the accumulating number. Satisfactory effects were obtained by applying the control model in produc tion. The numbers of turnover ladles and accumulating ladles were reduced.
文摘The effect of addition of 0.05wt.% to 0.25 wt.% Ca,Zr,Al-FeSi alloy on in-ladle and in-mould inoculation of grey cast irons was investigated.In the present paper,the conclusions drawn are based on thermal analysis.For the solidification pattern,some specific cooling curves characteristics,such as the degree of undercooling at the beginning of eutectic solidif ication and at the end of solidifi cation,as well as the recalescence level,are identif ied to be more influenced by the inoculation technique.The degree of eutectic undercooling of the electrically melted base iron having 0.025% S,0.003% Al and 3.5% Ce is excessively high(39-40℃),generating a relatively high need for inoculation.Under these conditions,the in-mould inoculation has a more signif icant effect compared to ladle inoculation,especially at lower inoculant usage(less than 0.20 wt.%).Generally,the eff iciency of 0.05wt.% -0.15wt.% of alloy for in-mould inoculation is comparable to,or better than,that of 0.15wt.% -0.25wt.% addition in ladle inoculation procedures.In order to secure stable and controlled processes,representative thermal analysis parameters could be used,especially in thin wall grey iron castings production.
基金Item Sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (50474037) Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China (04KJB430022 ,05KJD450043)
文摘To avoid slag sticking on the ladle immersion cover during the LATS refining and alloying process, the effect of Al2O3 on the melting point of the ladle slag was studied and the additives including CaF2, B2O3, Li2O, and CaO were used to decrease the melting point of the ladle slag. The melting point was measured using the hemisphere method. The results show that the addition of Al2O3 to the ladle slag increases the melting point. The fluxing action is not remarkable if only CaF2 or CaO is used as the additive. The fluxing action of the composite additive obtained by the mixing of CaO and CaF2 in the mass proportion of ωCaO：ωCaF2=2 ： 1 is preferred. The fluxing action of B2O3 is also notable. When the B2O3 content in mass percent is in the range from 2% to 10%, the corresponding melting point is 1 380 ℃ to 1 290℃. The fluxing action of Li2O is the most remarkable. When the Li2O content is up to 5%, the melting point of the slag is lower than 1 300 ℃.
基金Projects(2007AA041401,2007AA04Z194) supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China
文摘The traditional prediction methods of element yield rate can be divided into experience method and data-driven method.But in practice,the experience formulae are found to work only under some specific conditions,and the sample data that are used to establish data-driven models are always insufficient.Aiming at this problem,a combined method of genetic algorithm(GA) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system(ANFIS) is proposed and applied to element yield rate prediction in ladle furnace(LF).In order to get rid of the over reliance upon data in data-driven method and act as a supplement of inadequate samples,smelting experience is integrated into prediction model as fuzzy empirical rules by using the improved ANFIS method.For facilitating the combination of fuzzy rules,feature construction method based on GA is used to reduce input dimension,and the selection operation in GA is improved to speed up the convergence rate and to avoid trapping into local optima.The experimental and practical testing results show that the proposed method is more accurate than other prediction methods.
基金The funding of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52004024)is highly appreciated.
文摘Numerical and physical models have been built and validated to study the multiphase flow inside three ladle shrouds and a four-strand tundish.A conventional straight ladle shroud and two types of trumpet-shaped ladle shroud(TLS)have been comparatively investigated.The maximum velocity at ladle shroud outlet reduces from 1.3 to 0.5 m/s,which indicates a quieter tundish pool.It is demonstrated that the use of a TLS can also decrease the maximum surface velocity from 0.16 to 0.13 m/s,which reduces the tendency of forming tundish open eye.The flow pattern and mixing behavior are improved inside the tundish,especially in enlarging the plug volume from 6.61%to 9.04%.The difference between the near and far outlets is narrowed when the TLS is applied.A computational program was developed to calculate characteristic parameters of different ladle shroud designs,and a dimensionless index was proposed to evaluate their mass and inner volume.Plant trials have been carried out,and the results showed that TLS can reduce level fluctuation in the pouring zone,which is beneficial to promoting better protective performance from secondary contamination and heat loss during continuous casting.
基金Item Sponsored by Technology Supporting Program During the 11th Five-Year Plan Period(BAE03A07)
文摘Combined with the parameters of the production process of a steel factory, numerical simulations for a new ladle from preheating to turnover are conducted using the finite element analysis system software （ANSYS）. The measured data proved that the simulated results are reliable. The effects of preheating time, thermal cycling times, and empty package time on steel temperature are calculated, an ideal preheating time is provided, besides, based on the analysis of a single factor and use the nonlinear analysis method, a steel temperature compensating model with di- versified coupling factors is proposed, with the largest error of the present coupling model at 1. 462 ~C, and the er- rors between actual and target steel temperature in tundish after the model is applied to practical production are basi- cally controlled within -4-6 ~C, which can meet the accuracy of the manufacturer and has a practical guiding significance for the production in steelmaking workshops.
