Claims:WE CLAIM:

1. A system for controlled monitoring of ladle and its availability in steel melting shop for ensuring ladle performance comprising:
tracker means for online automatic real time tracking of ladle;
mapping of heat numbers from BOF with particular ladle and subsequent operating parameters from ladle furnace and caster for a particular heat number ;
a server unit for retrieval and analysis of the mapped information with respect to standard shop operating process data; and
generating signals in case of any variation in inputs from said standard shop operating process data and avoiding under heating and over heating of the ladle.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein all processing and waiting station data are defined for comparative analysis with real time data for said generating of signals in case of any variation in inputs from said standard shop operating practice data.
3. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 or 2 wherein involving real time data stored in database, ladle status and heat status reports are generated at selected periodic intervals with or without other MIS reports and analysis.
4. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3 wherein said tracker means comprises RFID based system for tracking movement of a ladle and monitoring process times in a ladle cycle in a steel making process.
5. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4 comprising
passive RFID tag housed within an insulated enclosure and fixed on outer wall of the ladle;
RFID readers having plurality of antennas positioned to cover entire zone of movement of the ladle during the ladle cycle in said metal melting process for detecting unique identification number of the RFID tag;
central server operatively connected with the RFID readers for receiving the detected identification number of the RFID tag and therefrom tracking the movement of the ladle and monitoring process times in the ladle cycle.
6. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5 comprising insulated enclosure to protect the RFID tag from heat of the ladle and liquid metal splashes.
7. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein the antenna detects the unique identification number of its nearest RFID tag fixed on the ladle with time stamp and transmits the same to a central server through the RFID reader.
8. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7 wherein the RFID readers are connected to the central server through a communication network involving a fiber optic cable or wireless network.
9. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8 wherein said server, receives the unique identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle as detected by the nearest antenna with time stamp and determines the location of the ladle based on the position of the detecting antenna position, involves triangulation of the antenna in order to identify the exact location of ladle.
10. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 9 wherein a central server comprises a computing processor for embodying rules, logics and positional details corresponding to the metal melting process for analysis the time stamped identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle as detected by the antennas.
11. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 10 comprising computing processor for determining the direction of movement of the ladle based on previous two locations of the ladle as determined by the antennas.
12. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 11 comprising computing processor to distinguish a filled ladle from a empty ladle based on the normal rules and logics and standard, the direction of movement of the filled and the empty ladle during the ladle cycle in the steel making process as embodied in the computing processor.
13. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 12 comprising an user interface operatively connected with the communication network for displaying the location of the ladle along with its status whether it is filled or empty and its direction of movement in the ladle cycle.
14. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 13 wherein the computing processor includes locations of the preheating stations in the zone of movement of the ladle during the ladle cycle in said metal melting process along with the standard waiting time of the ladle in said preheating stations to monitor the time for heating newly lined or repaired ladle.
15. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 14 wherein the computing processor involves the time stamped unique identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle to determine the exact time of waiting of the ladle in the preheating stations and as the time exceeds as per standard shop operating practice embodied in said computing processor it generates alarm.
16. A system as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 15 comprising a central server to store real time data corresponding to the location of the ladle along with its status whether it is filled or empty and its direction of movement in the melting shop in a form of database for generating ladle status, ladle heating status report shift wise and day wise based on the stored real time date.

Dated this the 29th day of September, 2015
Anjan Sen
Of Anjan Sen & Associates
(Applicants Agent)
, Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to automatic online tracking or monitoring of ladles in Steel Melting Shop. In particular, the present invention is directed to develop a radio frequency identification device (RFID) based system for on-line digonistics or monitoring different process times including mapping of heat details in a ladle cycle involving both the filled with molten steel and/or empty ladles.

BACKGROUND ART:
In steel melting shop, the filled and/or empty steel ladle needs to be moved different locations of the shop.
In a typical steel melting shop, the steel ladle is used for transporting molten steel/metal from Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) to Caster via secondary processing unit Ladle Furnace (LF). This transportation of the molten steel/metal ladle is normally performed by involving vehicles/cars adapted to be moved on a predefined rail and overhead crane. The Ladle filled with molten steel/metal moves from BOF to caster. After emptying in caster, the empty ladle then returns to pit side for preparation for next heat.
The total time required for a complete ladle movement cycle is defined as total circulation time. Presently, this ladle movement cycle in the steel melting shop is monitored manually since there is no system or device available in the prevailing state of art which can monitor the whole ladle movement. The total circulation time has effect on performance of ladle refractory lining and availability of ladle. Further ladle refractory lining performance also depends on operational parameters and metal holding time. Presently there is no such system or device available for mapping heat with ladle and the process of mapping heat details and heating time with each ladle movement cycle is performed manually which causes very poor retrieval of data and subsequent analysis.
It is thus there has been a need for developing a system which can track movement of the filled and/or empty steel ladles in the Steel Melting Shop in real time without any human intervention and simultaneously map ladle heat details and ladle heating time in each ladle movement cycle in the steel melting shop.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION:
It is thus the basic object of the present invention is to develop a system which would be adapted to perform RFID based track the movement of ladle in the steel meting shop with time stamp at all the locations of the steel meting shop and execute on-line digonistic of different process times in a ladle cycle invlvoing both the filled and/or empty steel ladles.
Another object of the present invention is to develop a RFID based ladle movement tracking system which would be adapted to record ladle travel time between two stations and holding time at any location in the steel meting shop.
Yet another object of the present invention is to develop a system which would be adapted to map of heat details from BOF to caster and other processing time along with tracking in the ladle movement in a ladle cycle.
A still further object of the present invention is to develop a system which would be adapted to acquire all parameters/information corresponding to the location and heat details of the ladle in a ladle cycle in real time and store the information in a network accessible remote centralized depository for easy retrieval and analysis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
Thus according to the basic aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for controlled monitoring of ladle and its availability in steel melting shop for ensuring ladle performance comprising:
tracker means for online automatic real time tracking of ladle;
mapping of heat numbers from BOF with particular ladle and subsequent operating parameters from ladle furnace and caster for a particular heat number ;
a server unit for retrieval and analysis of the mapped information with respect to standard shop operating process data; and
generating signals in case of any variation in inputs from said standard shop operating process data and avoiding under heating and over heating of the ladle.

According to another aspect in the present system, all processing and waiting station data are defined for comparative analysis with real time data for said generating of signals in case of any variation in inputs from said standard shop operating practice data.

According to another aspect in the present system, the real time data is stored in database, ladle status and heat status reports are generated at selected periodic intervals with or without other MIS reports and analysis.

According to further aspect in the system, the tracker means comprises RFID based system for tracking movement of a ladle and monitoring process times in a ladle cycle in a metal melting process.

According to another aspect the present system comprises
passive RFID tag housed within an insulated enclosure and fixed on outer wall of the ladle;
RFID readers having plurality of antennas positioned to cover entire zone of movement of the ladle during the ladle cycle in said metal melting process for detecting unique identification number of the RFID tag;
central server operatively connected with the RFID readers for receiving the detected identification number of the RFID tag and therefrom tracking the movement of the ladle and monitoring process times in the ladle cycle.

According to yet another aspect, the present system comprising insulated enclosure to protect the RFID tag from heat of the ladle and liquid metal splashes.

According to a further aspect in the present system, the antenna detects the unique identification number of its nearest RFID tag fixed on the ladle with time stamp and transmits the same to a central server through the RFID reader.

According to another aspect in the present system, the RFID readers are connected to the central server through a communication network involving a fiber optic cable or wireless network.

According to a further aspect in the present system, the server, receives the unique identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle as detected by the nearest antenna with time stamp and determines the location of the ladle based on the position of the detecting antenna position, involves triangulation of the antenna in order to identify the exact location of ladle.

According to yet another aspect in the present system, the server comprises a computing processor for embodying rules, logics and positional details corresponding to the metal melting process for analysis the time stamped identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle as detected by the antennas.

According to another aspect in the present system, the computing processor is adapted to determine the direction of movement of the ladle based on previous two locations of the ladle as determined by the antennas.

According to a further aspect in the present system, the computing processor distinguish a filled ladle from an empty ladle based on the normal rules and logics and standard, the direction of movement of the filled and the empty ladle during the ladle cycle in the melting process as embodied in the computing processor.

According to a further aspect, the present system comprising an user interface operatively connected with the communication network for displaying the location of the ladle along with its status whether it is filled or empty and its direction of movement in the ladle cycle.

According to yet another aspect in the present system, the computing processor includes locations of the preheating stations in the zone of movement of the ladle during the ladle cycle in said steel making process along with the standard waiting time of the ladle in said preheating stations to monitor the time for heating newly lined or repaired ladle.

According to another aspect in the present system, the computing processor involves the time stamped unique identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle to determine the exact time of waiting of the ladle in the preheating stations and as the time exceeds as per standard shop operating practice embodied in said computing processor it generates alarm.

According to yet another aspect in the present system, the central server stores real time data corresponding to the location of the ladle along with its status whether it is filled or empty and its direction of movement in the melting shop in a form of database for generating ladle status, ladle heating status report shift wise and day wise based on the stored real time date.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 shows RFID tag with insulated enclosure in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 shows RFID tag with enclosure mounted on a steel ladle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 shows a General layout of ladle tracking of the system of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows a screen shot of Ladle tacking system display in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS:
The present invention discloses a RFID based system for continuously tracking location and movement of the empty or filled steel ladle during steel making process in the steel melting shop with simultaneous mapping of ladle heat details and heating time of the ladle in the ladle cycle and storing the information corresponding to the location and heat details of the ladle in a database for easy retrieval and analysis.
The system of the present invention has been developed and designed involving passive RFID tags and RFID readers. The accompanying figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present passive RFID tag (2) housed within an insulated enclosure (1) adapted for disposing on the steel ladle for tracking purpose. The insulated enclosure (1) protects the RFID tag from continuous and sustained exposure to ~250oC and the liquid metal splashes. The RFID tag (2) housed within the insulated enclosure (1) is fixed on the outer wall of the ladle (See Figure 2).
In the present system, the preferred operating radio frequency range for establishing operative communication between the RFID tag and the RFID reader is selected in the range of 860-960 MHz. The RFID readers are connected to a central server through a communication network. The communication network may include a fiber optic cable or wireless network. The RFID readers of the present system also comprises plurality of antennas which are connected to the RFID readers and postioned in different places of the steel melting shop covering the entire zone of movement of the ladle in the steel meting shop. The positional arrangement of the antennas and the RFID readers in the steel melting shop is shown in the accompanying figure 3.
Each of the antennas is adapted to read the RFID tags fixed on the ladle from a distance upto 35 meters. The unique identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle is detected by the nearest antenna with time stamp and the same is transmitted to the central server through the RFID reader. The central server receives the detected identification number of the RFID tag and therefrom determines the location of the ladle based on the position of the detecting antenna position. In order to identify the exact location of ladle, triangulation of antenna is used.
The central server of the present system also comprises a computing processor for embodying rules, logics and positional details corresponding to the ladle movement during the steel making process in the steel melting shop for analysis the time stamped identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle as detected by the antennas.
The computing processor of the central server determines the direction of movement of the ladle based on previous two locations of the ladle as determined by the antennas. The computing processor is also adapted to distinguish a filled ladle from a empty ladle based on the normal rules and logics concerning the direction of movement of the filled and the empty ladle in the steel melting shop as embodied in it.
The location of the ladle along with its status whether it is filled or empty and its direction of movement in the steel melting shop as determined by the central server are displayed in a user interface connected to the communication network. The accompanying figure 4 shows the display of the user interface.
It is well known that, in a steel meting shop, multiple preheating stations are used for heating newly lined or repaired ladle. During heating both under heating and over heating of the ladle is undesirable. It thus the heating time needs to be monitored to avoid the under heating and over heating of the ladle. In the present system the locations of the preheating stations in the steel melting shop along with the standard waiting time of the ladle in those locations are mapped in the computing processor of the central server. The system by involving the time stamped unique identification number of the RFID tag fixed on the ladle determine the exact time of waiting of the ladle in the preheating stations location and as the time exceeds as per standard shop operating practice (SOP) embodied in the computing processor, it generates an alarm. Similarly, for all other processing and waiting stations, SOP has been defined in the computing processor and once time exceeds the defined time, system generates an alarm.
The real time data corresponding to the location of the ladle along with its status whether it is filled or empty and its direction of movement in the steel melting shop is stored in a database of the central server and thereafter the ladle status, heat status report is generated shift wise and day wise based on the stored real time date. The system also generates various ladle circulation time reports and analysis reports for facilitating conservation of thermal energy in the melting shop.
It is thus the present RFID based steel ladle tracking system provides a novel technique that render provision for automatic tracking of steel ladle and mapping of heats to it thus providing on-line diagnostics for different process times during the ladle’s cycle. Further, the provision for Real time tracking of filled/empty steel ladles at high temperature without human intervention leads to secure ladle monitoring job and optimize the ladle circulation time which in turn conserved thermal energy.