Off-line model of blast furnace liquid levels

Abstract

An off-line simulation model of the blast furnace hearth is developed based on mass balances for iron and slag, expression of the liquids outflow rates and logical conditions for the start and the end of the outflow of liquids. The dynamic model divides the furnace hearth into two regions of sizes that may change during the tapping process. It provides a description of the time evolution of the liquid levels and predicts the duration and the periods of iron- or slag-only flow in the beginning of the taps. The values of some model parameters are estimated on the basis of measurements in a reference blast furnace, while others are fixed. A sensitivity analysis of the model is provided, revealing the role of some key parameters. The model is demonstrated to describe the overall drainage behavior of the reference furnace reasonably well, and the presence of pools with different liquid levels can also be deduced from the real data. Finally, some recommendations for future work are suggested.