Improving Temperature Distributions in Steel Slabs and Increasing the Capacity of Pusher-type Reheating Furnaces with Additional Electric Heaters

摘要

Obtaining uniform temperature distributions during reheating of steel slabs in pusher-type reheating furnaces can require undesirably long soaking times The "cold spots" left behind by skids, so-called skid marks, can persist after soaking the slabs for extended periods This paper studies the capability of additional electric heaters embedded in the hearth of the soaking zone to remove skid marks in steel slabs Three-dimensional temperature distributions were simulated by using the SteelTemp software program developed by the consortium of Scandinavian steel companies. The results show that with the aid of the additional electric heaters the skid marks could practically be eliminated. Furthermore, the use of these additional electric heaters makes it possible to increase the throughput of a furnace without compromising the quality of the steel slabs. The results indicate that a capacity increase or approximately 14 percent is possible for pusher-type reheating furnaces when additional electric heaters in the hearth are employed.