DETERMINE WEIGHT OF HOT METAL CAR USING STRAIN GAGE METHOD

摘要

In certain situations, train car containers that carry hot metal have been overfilled, which necessitated the replacement of very costly car parts. Therefore, it is desirable to predict the amount of fluid needed at all times in order to know when to divert the flow of molten steel from the car. This study showed that the level of fluid in a container can be controlled even when the amount of fluid inside the container is not visible. When strain gages are effectively installed they can be used to continuously calculate the weight of a system as the strain increases, although only the final total weight is of concern. Strain gages can be positioned in safe locations on the spanner bolster of a hot metal car. The gages are installed such that the thermal and axial strains cancel out, ultimately leaving only the value for the weight of the loaded car. Once the gages are installed, they are calibrated when the system is full. For all subsequent loading periods, the strain gages report a linear strain increasing until it is equal to the original full calibration value. This then signals the operator to divert the flow of steel. If the inside of the container deteriorates over time, the strain that governs the shutoff remains the same although the fluid level is slightly lower. In the event of skull (leftover steel in the container), the maximum strain remains the same and the final volume is lower than the initial calibration condition. The objective in all cases is to avoid overflow of fluid from the car. This investigation showed that the amount of fluid in a train car that carries molten steel can be known at all times during the filling process. It is supported with manual calculations, finite element analyses, and laboratory experiments.