Modelling and Mapping Electrical Resistance Changes Due to Hearth Erosion in a 'Cold' Model of a Blast Furnace

M. Wang#, S. Johnstone* , W.J.N. Pritchard* and T.A. York#,

#Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics

UMIST. P.O. Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, UK

*Teesside Technology Centre, British Steel

P.O. Box 11 Grangetown, Middlesborough Cleveland TS6 6UB

Tel: +44 161 200 4786, Fax: +44 161 2004789, Email: mi.wang@umist.ac.uk

MW and TY are members of the Virtual Centre for Industrial Process Tompography

Abstract - A study of the use of electrical resistance tomography for imaging hearth wall thickness is reported. A significant challenge is to acquire accurate measurements of the very low resistivity in the hearth which is constructed with graphite bricks (conductivity = 2.50104 S/m). A noise model of the blast furnace for electrical measurements, an experimental ?cold? furnace model (0.5 m in diameter) and a 3-D simulation model are established. Results from these models are described.

Keywords : Electrical resistance tomogarphy, Hearth erosion, Carbon, Sensitivity theorem.