Design of an Experimental Electric Arc Furnace.

摘要

Instabilities in electric steelmaking furnace arcs cause electrical and acoustical noise, reduce operating efficiency, increase refractory erosion, and increase electrode usage. The U.S. Bureau of Mines has an ongoing research project investigating methods to stabilize these arcs to improve productivity in steel production. To perform experiments to test new hypotheses, researchers designed and instrumented an advanced, experimental single-phase furnace. The paper describes the furnace, which was equipped with high-speed data acquisition capabilities for electrical, temperature, pressure and flow rate measurements; automated atmosphere control; ballistic calorimetry; and viewports for high-speed cinematography. Precise environmental control and accurate data acquisition allow the statistical design of experiments and assignment of rigorous confidence limits when testing potential furnace or procedural modifications.