TITLE OF THE INVENTION
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CHANNELING
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
5 This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2015-0087756 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office
on June 19, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling
channeling. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus
and method for controlling channeling that can previously block a heat exchange
15 efficiency deterioration phenomenon by gas channeling occurring in a blast
furnace or a melting gasification furnace without a reduced wind/reduced
production phenomenon.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, in a blast furnace and a melting gasification furnace, while a
20 reduction gas produced by burning coal in a tuyere passes through a charging
material bed, indirect reduction and a heat exchange reaction between gas and
ore occurs and thus a melting material is generated and a molten iron
temperature is secured.
In order to enable such a reaction to efficiently occur, while a flow of a
3
reduction gas uniformly gets out between air gaps of charging materials, a
residence time within a bed should be somewhat secured, but when porosity is
reduced by non-discharge of a melting material or a raw material quality change,
while a gas channeling phenomenon occurs, indirect reduction and the heat
5 exchange reaction is deteriorated, a production amount is reduced, and
reduction cost increases.
A method of most quickly reducing gas channeling is to reduce a
reduction gas generation amount by instantaneously reducing a flow rate of hot
blast or pure oxygen that is blown into a tuyere.
10 However, conventionally, there was no technology that can previously
sense a gas channeling area, and it may be determined only whether gas
channeling occurs through a furnace top or dome temperature increase level.
If gas channeling occurs, by deteriorating an air flow or pure oxygen flow
rate using a main flow rate control valve that is installed at the front end of a
15 conversion pipe that blows hot blast or pure oxygen into the tuyere, gas flow is
stabilized.
However, there is a problem that a production amount is reduced due to
deterioration of an air flow and pure oxygen flow rate.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for
20 enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore
it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known
in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in an effort to provide an
4
apparatus and method for controlling channeling having advantages of being
capable of blocking an instantaneous furnace heat deterioration phenomenon
occurring due to heat exchange shortage between a charging material and a gas,
as a reduction gas that is generated in front of a tuyere previously prevents a
5 gas channeling phenomenon occurring in a specific direction with porosity
reduction within a bed by non-discharge of a melting material or a raw material
quality change while working in a blast furnace and a melting gasification
furnace.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a
10 channeling control apparatus including: a plurality of tuyeres on an area basis
that supply oxygen to each area that is partitioned into a plurality of spaces at
the inside of a furnace;
a channeling area sensing unit that previously senses a gas channeling
occurrence area at the inside of the furnace; and
15 a flow rate differential controller on an area basis that differentially
controls only a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to the gas channeling
occurrence area.
The channeling area sensing unit may include vertical levelers that are
installed in plural at the furnace.
20 The vertical levelers may be installed in a plurality of directions about a
central portion of the furnace.
The channeling area sensing unit may include a pressure gauge on a
height basis that is installed in multiple stages on a height basis of a charging
material.
5
The channeling area sensing unit may include a pressure gauge on a
direction basis that is installed in multiple directions on a cross-section in which a
charging material exists at the inside of the furnace.
The channeling area sensing unit may include a thermometer on a height
5 basis or a thermometer on a direction basis or both a thermometer on a height
basis and a thermometer on a direction basis that are installed in multiple stages
on a height basis or on a direction basis or on a height basis and on a direction
basis of a charging material.
The flow rate differential controller on an area basis may include: a
10 plurality of tuyere branch pipes that are connected to a tuyere on each area
basis;
a tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve that is installed at the each
tuyere branch pipe; and
a flow rate control apparatus that is connected to the tuyere branch pipe
15 flow rate control valve.
The plurality of tuyere branch pipes may include a plurality of tuyere
branch pipe groups that are grouped with a predetermined number of tuyere
branch pipes.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method of
20 controlling channeling including: an oxygen supply step on an area basis that
supplies oxygen to each area that is partitioned into a plurality of spaces at the
inside of a furnace;
a channeling area sensing step that previously senses a gas channeling
occurrence area at the inside of the furnace; and
6
a flow rate differential control step on an area basis that differentially
controls only a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to the gas channeling
occurrence area.
The channeling area sensing step may include a vertical level measuring
5 step that measures a vertical level of a charging material within the furnace.
The channeling area sensing step may include a pressure measuring
step on a height basis that measures an internal pressure of the furnace on a
height basis of a charging material that is located within the furnace.
The channeling area sensing step may include a pressure measuring
10 step on a direction basis that measures an internal pressure of the furnace on a
direction basis of a charging material that is located within the furnace.
The flow rate differential control step on an area basis may include a flow
rate reduction control step that controls to reduce only a flow rate of oxygen that
is supplied to the gas channeling occurrence area by a setting amount.
15 The flow rate differential control step on an area basis may include a flow
rate increase control step that controls to increase a flow rate of oxygen that is
supplied to an area other than the gas channeling occurrence area by the setting
amount.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, by
20 reducing only an air flow (flow rate) of a gas channeling occurrence area and by
increasing an air flow (flow rate) of an area (gas stability area) other than the gas
channeling occurrence area by an air flow (flow rate) reduction amount, an entire
air flow is controlled to not reduce and thus a production rate can be prevented
from deteriorating.
7
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a channeling control apparatus
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling channeling
5 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a picture illustrating an air flow sector control screen and
illustrating a use state of a channeling control apparatus according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a picture illustrating an application result of a channeling control
10 apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of
the invention are shown. As a person of ordinary skill in the art can easily
15 understand, the following exemplary embodiment may be changed in various
forms within the scope without deviating from a concept and range of the present
invention. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the
specification.
Technical terms used here are used for only describing a specific
20 exemplary embodiment and are not intended to limit the present invention.
Singular forms used here include plural forms unless phrases explicitly represent
an opposite meaning. A meaning of “comprising” used in a specification
embodies a specific characteristic, area, integer, step, operation, element,
and/or component, and does not exclude the presence or addition of another
8
specific characteristic, area, integer, step, operation, element, component,
and/or group.
All terms including technical terms and scientific terms used hereinafter
have the same meaning as that which may be generally understood by a person
5 of common skill in the art. Further, it is additionally construed that terms
defined in a dictionary have meanings corresponding to related technical
documents and presently disclosed contents, and are not construed as ideal or
overly official meanings unless so defined.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a channeling control apparatus
10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 1, the channeling control apparatus according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a tuyere on an area
basis 110 that is installed in plural in a furnace 100 to supply oxygen to
respective areas A1, A2, … that are partitioned into a plurality of spaces therein,
15 a channeling area sensing unit 200 that previously senses a gas
channeling occurrence area before a gas channeling phenomenon occurs by
non-discharge of a melting material or a raw material quality change, when a
reduction gas produced by burning coal in the tuyere on an area basis 110 of the
furnace 100 passes through a charging material bed, and
20 a flow rate differential controller on an area basis that differentially
controls only an oxygen flow rate that is supplied to the gas channeling
occurrence area, when the channeling area sensing unit 200 senses that a gas
channeling area has occurred.
The furnace 100 may include a blast furnace or a melting gasification
9
furnace.
At the inside of the furnace 100, areas A1, A2, … that are partitioned into
a constant size of space may be formed in plural. The respective areas A1, A2,
… may be formed in at least four areas at regular intervals about the center of
5 the blast furnace and the melting gasification furnace 100.
In order to constantly supply oxygen to respective areas A1, A2, … that
are partitioned into a constant size of space within the furnace 100, the tuyere on
an area basis 110 may be installed in plural at regular intervals or at random
intervals along an external circumferential surface of a lower portion of the
10 furnace 100.
Further, the channeling area sensing unit 200 is installed in plural in a
dome portion of the furnace 100, and in order to sense a micro-fluidization
phenomenon of a charging material bed surface, the channeling area sensing
unit 200 may include a vertical leveler 210 for measuring a vertical level of a
15 charging material within the furnace 100.
The vertical leveler 210 may include an ultrasonic wave vertical leveler
that measures a vertical level of a charging material by shooting ultrasonic
waves to a charging material within the furnace 100.
The vertical leveler 210 may be installed in a plurality of directions in a
20 dome portion of the furnace 100, and may be installed in at least four directions
(e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a predetermined angle about the center of a
dome portion of the furnace 100.
When a vertical level that is measured at the vertical leveler 210 is
instructed to be a predetermined height or more in a specific direction, a
10
micro-dust fluidization phenomenon occurs at a charging material bed surface in
a specific direction and thus it may be determined that gas channeling occurs.
Further, the channeling area sensing unit 200 may include a pressure
gauge on a height basis 220 that is installed in multiple stages at a height at
5 which a charging material exists within the furnace 100 and that measures an
internal pressure of the furnace 100 on a height basis of the charging material.
The pressure gauge on a height basis 220 may be installed in at least
four stages at regular intervals or at random intervals in a height direction of the
charging material at the furnace 100. FIG. 1 illustrates a case in which six
10 pressure gauges on a height basis 220 are installed in a height direction of a
charging material, but the number of pressure gauged on a height basis 220 is
not limited to six and may be adjusted as needed.
The channeling area sensing unit 200 may include a pressure gauge on
a direction basis 230 that is installed in multiple directions on a cross-section in
15 which a charging material exists within the furnace 100 and that measures an
internal pressure of the furnace 100 on a direction basis of a charging material.
The pressure gauge on a direction basis 230 may be installed in at least
four directions (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a predetermined angle about the
center of the furnace 100 at the furnace 100.
20 The pressure gauge on a height basis 220 and/or the pressure gauge on
a direction basis 230 measure an internal pressure of the furnace 100 in real
time on a height basis and on a direction basis and visualize an internal pressure
of the furnace 100 on a height basis and on a direction basis with a pressure
diagram, and when a phenomenon occurs in which the visualized pressure
11
diagram becomes lower than a predetermined lowest pressure reference line, it
may be determined that gas channeling occurs in a corresponding direction.
The channeling area sensing unit 200 may include a thermometer on a
height basis 240 and/or a thermometer on a direction basis 250 that are installed
5 in multiple directions on a cross-section in which a charging material exists
within the furnace 100 and that measure an internal temperature of the furnace
100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis of the charging material.
The thermometer on a direction basis 250 may be installed in at least
four directions (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a predetermined angle about the
10 center of the furnace 100 at the furnace 100.
The thermometer on a height basis 240 and/or the thermometer on a
direction basis 250 measure an internal temperature of the furnace 100 in real
time on a height basis and/or on a direction basis and visualize an internal
temperature of the furnace 100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis with
15 a temperature diagram, and when a phenomenon occurs in which the visualized
temperature diagram becomes higher than a predetermined highest temperature
reference line, it may be determined that gas channeling occurs in a
corresponding direction.
The flow rate differential controller on an area basis 300 may include a
20 plurality of tuyere branch pipes 120 that are connected to the tuyere on an area
basis 110 and that supply oxygen to the tuyere on an area basis 110,
a tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is installed in the
each tuyere branch pipe 120 and that controls an oxygen flow rate of the tuyere
branch pipe 120, and
12
the flow rate control apparatus 300 that is connected to the tuyere branch
pipe flow rate control valve 130 and that controls to reduce an oxygen flow rate
of only the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to the
gas channeling occurrence area by a predetermined amount, when the
5 channeling area sensing unit 200 senses that a gas channeling area has
occurred.
In each tuyere branch pipe 120, a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of
oxygen that is supplied to each tuyere branch pipe 120 is installed, and in order
to constantly maintain a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to each tuyere
10 branch pipe 120, the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 may be
controlled to interlock with the flow meter by the flow rate control apparatus 300.
The plurality of tuyere branch pipes 120 may include a plurality of tuyere
branch pipe groups to perform integral control of the predetermined number of
tuyere branch pipes 120 that are set to control on an area basis or on a sector
15 basis by the flow rate control apparatus 300 by grouping.
The flow rate control apparatus 300 includes a pressure control mode
and thus, for example, may control to constantly maintain an individual pressure
of oxygen that is supplied to a plurality of tuyere branch pipes on a
circumference direction basis without deviation.
20 When the flow rate control apparatus 300 controls to reduce an oxygen
flow rate of only the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is
supplied to the gas channeling occurrence area by a predetermined amount, the
flow rate control apparatus 300 may control to increase a flow rate of the tuyere
branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 of an area (gas stability area) other than
13
the gas channeling occurrence area by an oxygen flow rate reduction amount of
the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to the gas
channeling occurrence area.
The flow rate control apparatus 300 may be connected to the vertical
5 leveler 210 of the channeling area sensing unit 200 to receive vertical level
information of the vertical leveler 210.
When a vertical level that is measured in the vertical leveler 210 is
instructed to be a predetermined height or more in a specific direction, if a
micro-dust fluidization phenomenon occurs at a charging material bed surface in
10 a specific direction, the flow rate control apparatus 300 may determine that gas
channeling has occurred and control to reduce an oxygen flow rate of only the
tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to the gas
channeling occurrence area by a predetermined amount.
Further, the flow rate control apparatus 300 may be connected to each
15 pressure gauge on a height basis 220 and/or the pressure gauge on a direction
basis 230, the thermometer on a height basis 240 and/or the thermometer on a
direction basis 250 of the channeling area sensing unit 200 to receive internal
pressure and temperature information of the furnace 100 on a height basis
and/or on a direction basis of a charging material.
20 The flow rate control apparatus 300 visualizes an internal pressure of the
furnace 100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis of a charging material
that is measured in real time by the pressure gauge on a height basis 220 and/or
the pressure gauge on a direction basis 230 with a pressure diagram, and when
a phenomenon occurs in which the visualized pressure diagram becomes lower
14
than a predetermined lowest pressure reference line, the flow rate control
apparatus 300 may determine that gas channeling occurs in a corresponding
direction and control to reduce an oxygen flow rate of only the tuyere branch
pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to the gas channeling occurrence
5 area by a predetermined amount.
Further, the flow rate control apparatus 300 visualizes an internal
temperature of the furnace 100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis of a
charging material that is measured in real time by the thermometer on a height
basis 240 and/or the thermometer on a direction basis 250 with a temperature
10 diagram, and when a phenomenon occurs in which the visualized temperature
diagram becomes higher than a predetermined highest temperature reference
line, the flow rate control apparatus 300 may determine that gas channeling
occurs in a corresponding direction and control to reduce an oxygen flow rate of
only the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to the gas
15 channeling occurrence area by a predetermined amount.
Hereinafter, operation of a channeling control apparatus according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference
to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4.
When a reduction gas produced by burning coal in the tuyere on an area
20 basis 110 of the furnace 100 passes through a charging material bed, in order to
sense a gas channeling occurrence area before a gas channeling phenomenon
occurs by non-discharge of a melting material or a raw material quality change
occurs, two pieces of equipment are simultaneously used.
First, by installing the ultrasonic wave vertical leveler 210 of the
15
channeling area sensing unit 200 in at least four directions (0°, 90°, 180°, and
270°) in a dome portion of the furnace 100 and by sensing a micro-dust
fluidization phenomenon of a charging material bed surface, a gas flow
channeling occurrence estimation area is previously grasped. That is, the flow
5 rate control apparatus 300 of a flow rate differential controller on an area basis
receives measurement vertical level information of the vertical leveler 210, and
when a vertical level that is measured in the vertical leveler 210 is instructed to
be a predetermined height or more in a specific direction, the flow rate control
apparatus 300 determines that gas channeling has occurred in a corresponding
10 direction.
Second, the pressure gauge on a height basis 220 and the pressure
gauge on a direction basis 230 of the channeling area sensing unit 200 that can
measure an internal pressure of the furnace 100 with a gas channeling
occurrence area sensing means are used. The pressure gauge on a height
15 basis 220 is installed in at least four stages on a height basis of a charging
material within a height in which a charging material exists, and the pressure
gauge on a direction basis 230 is installed in at least four directions (e.g., 0°, 90°,
180°, and 270°) about the center of the furnace 100, and thus an internal
pressure of the furnace 100 is measured in real time on a height basis/on a
20 direction basis of the charging material.
The flow rate control apparatus 300 of the flow rate differential controller
on an area basis receives internal pressure information of the furnace 100 on a
height basis and on a direction basis of a charging material that is measured in
the pressure gauge on a height basis 220 and the pressure gauge on a direction
16
basis 230, and visualizes a measured pressure value in a graph on a height
basis/on a direction basis of the charging material with a pressure diagram, and
when a phenomenon occurs in which the visualized pressure diagram becomes
lower than a predetermined lowest pressure reference line, the flow rate control
5 apparatus 300 determines that gas channeling has occurred in a corresponding
direction.
The thermometer on a direction basis 250 may be installed in at least
four directions (e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a predetermined angle about the
center of the furnace 100.
10 The thermometer on a height basis 240 and/or the thermometer on a
direction basis 250 measure an internal temperature of the furnace 100 in real
time on a height basis and/or on a direction basis and visualize an internal
temperature of the furnace 100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis with
a temperature diagram, and when a phenomenon occurs in which the visualized
15 temperature diagram becomes higher than a predetermined highest temperature
reference line, it is determined that gas channeling has occurred in a
corresponding direction.
When the channeling area sensing unit 200 determines that a gas
channeling area (direction) has occurred, the flow rate control apparatus 300 of
20 the flow rate differential controller on an area basis preferentially reduces only air
flow of a corresponding direction, thereby stabilizing a gas flow.
That is, when the channeling area sensing unit 200 senses that a gas
channeling area has occurred, the flow rate control apparatus 300 of the flow
rate differential controller on an area basis controls to reduce an oxygen flow
17
rate of only the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to
the gas channeling occurrence area by a predetermined amount.
Further, when the flow rate control apparatus 300 controls to reduce a
flow rate of oxygen of only the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that
5 is supplied to the gas channeling occurrence area by a predetermined amount,
in the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 of an area (gas stability
area) other than the gas channeling occurrence area, the flow rate control
apparatus 300 controls to increase a flow rate by an oxygen flow rate reduction
amount of the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 that is supplied to
10 the gas channeling occurrence area.
As described above, by reducing only air flow (flow rate) of a gas
channeling occurrence area and by increasing air flow (flow rate) of an area
other than the gas channeling occurrence area by an air flow (flow rate)
reduction amount, the entire air flow is controlled to not reduce and a production
15 amount can be prevented from deteriorating.
As a pipe diameter becomes large and a fluid has a high temperature, a
price of the tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve 130 becomes expensive,
and because the melting gasification furnace has a small tuyere blowing branch
pipe diameter and uses (pure) oxygen at room temperature, the tuyere branch
20 pipe flow rate control valve 130 can be cheaply installed.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an actual application state of a channeling control
apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a picture illustrating an air flow sector control screen and
illustrating an application state of a channeling control apparatus according to an
18
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and illustrates a relative flow
rate (%) on a tuyere branch pipe basis.
FIG. 4 is a picture illustrating an application result of a channeling control
apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and
5 illustrates an air flow sector control time point.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling channeling
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
A method of controlling channeling according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention is the same as contents that are described
10 in a channeling control apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention, except for contents that are specially described hereinafter
and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
A method of controlling channeling according to an exemplary
embodiment of the present invention may include an oxygen supply step on an
15 area basis (S10) that supplies oxygen to respective areas A1, A2, … that are
partitioned into a plurality of spaces at the inside of the furnace 100,
a channeling area sensing step (S20) that previously senses, when a
reduction gas produced by burning with coal with oxygen that is supplied to the
respective areas within the furnace 100 passes through a charging material bed,
20 a gas channeling occurrence area before a gas channeling phenomenon occurs
by non-discharge of a melting material or a raw material quality change, and
a flow rate differential control step on an area basis (S30) that
differentially controls, when it is sensed that a gas channeling area has occurred
at the channeling area sensing step (S20), only an oxygen flow rate that is
19
supplied to the gas channeling occurrence area.
Further, the channeling area sensing step (S20) may include a vertical
level measuring step (S21) for measuring a vertical level of a charging material
within the furnace 100 in order to sense a micro-fluidization phenomenon of a
5 charging material bed surface.
The vertical level measuring step (S21) may measure a vertical level of a
charging material in a plurality of directions, for example, at least four directions
(0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a constant angle about the center of a dome portion
of the furnace 100.
10 When a vertical level that is measured in the vertical level measuring
step (S21) is instructed to be a constant height or more in a specific direction, a
micro-dust fluidization phenomenon occurs at a charging material bed surface in
a specific direction, and thus it may be determined that gas channeling has
occurred.
15 Further, the channeling area sensing step (S20) may include a pressure
measuring step on a height basis (S22) that measures an internal pressure of
the furnace 100 on a height basis of a charging material within the furnace 100.
The pressure measuring step on a height basis (S22) may measure a
pressure of at least a plurality of portions at regular intervals or at random
20 intervals in a height direction of a charging material within the furnace 100.
The channeling area sensing step (S20) may include a pressure
measuring step on a direction basis (S23) that measures an internal pressure of
the furnace 100 on a direction basis of the charging material on a cross-section
in which a charging material exists within the furnace 100.
20
The pressure measuring step on a direction basis (S23) may measure an
internal pressure of the furnace 100 in a plurality of directions about the center of
the furnace 100, for example, in four directions (0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a
constant angle about the center of the furnace 100.
5 At the pressure measuring step on a height basis (S22) and/or the
pressure measuring step on a direction basis (S23), an internal pressure of the
furnace 100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis in which a charging
material exists is measured in real time and a pressure on a height basis and/or
on a direction basis is visualized with a pressure diagram, and when a
10 phenomenon occurs in which the visualized pressure diagram becomes lower
than a predetermined lowest pressure reference line, it may be determined that
gas channeling occurs in a corresponding direction.
The channeling area sensing step (S20) may include a temperature
measuring step on a height basis (S24) that measures an internal temperature of
15 the furnace 100 on a height basis of a charging material within the furnace 100.
The temperature measuring step on a height basis (S24) may measure a
temperature of at least a plurality of portions at regular intervals or at random
intervals in a height direction of a charging material within the furnace 100.
The channeling area sensing step (S20) may include a temperature
20 measuring step on a direction basis (S25) that measures an internal temperature
of the furnace 100 on a direction basis of the charging material on a
cross-section in which a charging material exists within the furnace 100.
The temperature measuring step on a direction basis (S25) may
measure an internal temperature of the furnace 100 in at least four directions
21
(e.g., 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°) at a predetermined angle about the center of the
furnace 100.
At the temperature measuring step on a height basis (S24) and/or the
temperature measuring step on a direction basis (S25), an internal temperature
5 of the furnace 100 on a height basis and/or on a direction basis is measured in
real time and an internal temperature of the furnace 100 on a height basis and/or
on a direction basis is visualized with a temperature diagram, and when a
phenomenon occurs in which the visualized temperature diagram becomes
higher than a predetermined highest temperature reference line, it may be
10 determined that gas channeling has occurred in a corresponding direction.
The flow rate differential control step on an area basis (S30) may include
a flow rate reduction control step (S31) that controls to reduce only a flow rate of
oxygen that is supplied to the gas channeling occurrence area by a setting
amount, when it is sensed that a gas channeling area has occurred at the
15 channeling area sensing step (S20).
As it is sensed that a gas channeling area has occurred at the channeling
area sensing step (S20), when it is controlled to reduce only a flow rate of
oxygen that is supplied to the gas channeling occurrence area by the flow rate
reduction control step (S31) by a setting amount, the flow rate differential control
20 step on an area basis (S30) may include a flow rate increase control step (S32)
that controls to increase a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to an area other
than the gas channeling occurrence area by the setting amount.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is
presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be
22
understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but,
on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
5
100: furnace 110: tuyere on an area basis
120: tuyere branch pipe
130: tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve
200: channeling area sensing unit 210: vertical leveler
10 220: pressure gauge on a height basis
230: pressure gauge on a direction basis
240: thermometer on a height basis
250: thermometer on a direction basis
300: flow rate control apparatus

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A channeling control apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of tuyeres on an area basis that supply oxygen to each area
5 that is partitioned into a plurality of spaces at the inside of a furnace;
a channeling area sensing unit that previously senses a gas channeling
occurrence area at the inside of the furnace; and
a flow rate differential controller on an area basis that differentially
controls only a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to the gas channeling
10 occurrence area.
2. The channeling control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
channeling area sensing unit comprises vertical levelers that are installed in
plural at the furnace.
15
3. The channeling control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vertical
levelers are installed in a plurality of directions about a central portion of the
furnace.
20 4. The channeling control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
channeling area sensing unit comprises a pressure gauge on a height basis that
is installed in multiple stages on a height basis of a charging material.
5. The channeling control apparatus of claim 4, wherein the
24
channeling area sensing unit comprises a pressure gauge on a direction basis
that is installed in multiple directions on a cross-section in which a charging
material exists at the inside of the furnace.
5 6. The channeling control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the
channeling area sensing unit comprises a thermometer on a height basis or a
thermometer on a direction basis or both a thermometer on a height basis and a
thermometer on a direction basis that are installed in multiple stages on a height
basis or on a direction basis or on a height basis and on a direction basis of a
10 charging material.
7. The channeling control apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6,
wherein the flow rate differential controller on an area basis comprises:
a plurality of tuyere branch pipes that are connected to a tuyere on each
15 area basis;
a tuyere branch pipe flow rate control valve that is installed at the each
tuyere branch pipe; and
a flow rate control apparatus that is connected to the tuyere branch pipe
flow rate control valve.
20
8. The channeling control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality
of tuyere branch pipes comprise a plurality of tuyere branch pipe groups that are
grouped with a predetermined number of tuyere branch pipes.
25
9. A method of controlling channeling, the method comprising:
an oxygen supply step on an area basis that supplies oxygen to each
area that is partitioned into a plurality of spaces at the inside of a furnace;
a channeling area sensing step that previously senses a gas channeling
5 occurrence area at the inside of the furnace; and
a flow rate differential control step on an area basis that differentially
controls only an oxygen flow rate that is supplied to the gas channeling
occurrence area.
10 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the channeling area sensing step
comprises a vertical level measuring step that measures a vertical level of a
charging material within the furnace.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the channeling area sensing
15 step comprises a pressure measuring step on a height basis that measures an
internal pressure of the furnace on a height basis of a charging material that is
located within the furnace.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the channeling area sensing
20 step comprises a pressure measuring step on a direction basis that measures an
internal pressure of the furnace on a direction basis of a charging material that is
located within the furnace.
13. The method of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the flow rate
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differential control step on an area basis comprises a flow rate reduction control
step that controls to reduce only a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to the gas
channeling occurrence area by a setting amount.
5 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the flow rate differential control
step on an area basis comprises a flow rate increase control step that controls to
increase a flow rate of oxygen that is supplied to an area other than the gas
channeling occurrence area by the setting amount.